Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “Is it possible for you to sit down for a little while and listen to what I have to say? If it pleases you, you may accept it, and it if does not please you, then you may leave it.” Usaid replied, “Undoubtedly, what you propose is fair and reasonable.” Saying this, he took a seat, after which Hazrat Mus’ab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) explained the beauty of Islam to him and recited verses of the Qur’aan Majeed before him.
On hearing the verses of the Qur’aan Majeed, Usaid exclaimed:
ما أحسن هذا الكلام وأجمله
“How excellent and beautiful are these words!”
He then asked Hazrat Mus’ab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “What is the procedure for embracing this religion?” Hazrat Mus’ab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “Firstly, you should cleanse your body and clothing and take a bath. Thereafter, recite the Kalimah Shahaadah and perform salaah.”
Hazrat Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) immediately stood, cleaned his clothing, took a bath, recited the Kalimah Shahaadah and offered two rakaats of salaah. He then said, “There is another man (referring to Sa’d bin Mu’aaz, the chief of the Aws tribe) who is such that if he embraces Islam, not a single member of the Aws tribe will hesitate to embrace Islam. Let me go to him now, and I will try to send him to you.” Hazrat Usaid bin Hudhair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then left.
When Sa’d bin Mu’aaz had seen him approaching, he said, “It does not seem that the Usaid who is returning is the same Usaid who had left here earlier on.” As Hazrat Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) drew closer, Sa’d asked him, “What has transpired?” Hazrat Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied that he had embraced Islam, and further explained the reason for him accepting Islam saying, “I did not find anything objectionable in his words (i.e. the words of Hazrat Mus’ab [radhiyallahu ‘anhu]).”
Hearing this, Sa’d bin Mu’aaz was overcome with anger, and wielding his sword, he personally set out for the home of Hazrat As’ad bin Zuraarah ([radhiyallahu ‘anhu], who was the host of Hazrat Mus’ab [radhiyallahu ‘anhu]).
As he reached Hazrat As’ad (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), S’ad addressed him with anger and said, “If it was not because of your family relationship with me, and if you were not my cousin, then I would have dealt with you with this sword right now. Are you the one who has brought him (i.e. Hazrat Mus’ab [radhiyallahu ‘anhu]) here to deceive and misguide the people?”
Hazrat Mus’ab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) responded to this saying, “O Sa’d! Is it possible for you to sit and listen to me for a few moments? If you find my words pleasing, you may accept them, otherwise, you are free to do as you please.” Hearing this, Sa’d replied, “What you propose is fair.” Saying this, he sat down.
Hazrat Mus’ab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then presented Islam to him and recited a few verses of the Qur’aan Majeed before him. As soon as he heard the verses of the Qur’aan Majeed, he was so affected that his facial condition and colour changed and he asked, “How do I enter this religion?”
Hazrat Mus’ab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “Firstly, you should cleanse your clothing and take a bath. Thereafter, recite the Kalimah Shahaadah and perform two rakaats of salaah.” Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) immediately stood, took a bath, recited the Kalimah Shahaadah and performed two rakaats of salaah.
Immediately thereafter, he stood and went to the gathering of his people. As his people saw him coming from a distance, they observed that his facial condition and colour had changed and there was something different about him. As he reached their gathering, Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) addressed them saying, “What is your opinion of me?” They unanimously replied, “You are our leader. As far as your understanding (and discretion) and good counsel in matters is concerned, you are the best among us.” Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then declared, “By Allah! I will not speak to any of you until and unless each one of you brings imaan in Allah and His Rasul (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)!”
The result of this was that before the evening, there was not a single man or woman of the Banu Abdil Ash-hal tribe who had not embraced Islam.
From the entire tribe of Banu Abdil Ash-hal, only one man by the name of Amr bin Thaabit, who was known as Usayrim, did not embrace Islam at that time. He embraced Islam on the day of Uhud. On accepting Islam, he immediately set out for the battlefield where he was martyred. On this occasion, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) issued glad tidings of his entry into Jannah.
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) would sometimes ask the following question as a riddle: “Tell me – who is the person who did not perform a single salaah, yet he is a Jannati?” When the people would fail to answer, he would say, “He is Usayrim from the tribe of Banu Abdil Ash-hal.”
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/333-335)