Hazrat Khabbaab bin Aratt (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was among the first group of people to embrace Islam. It is said that he was the sixth person to embrace Islam. He was honoured to accept Islam even before the Muslims entered Daar-ul-Arqam.

Hazrat Khabbaab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was a slave of Ummu Anmaar. When she learnt of his conversion to Islam, she began to subject him to various forms of torture and suffering.

On one occasion, Hazrat Khabbaab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) went to meet Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). On meeting him, Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) honoured him by making him sit in his own place saying, “Nobody is more worthy of this seat than you, besides Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).”

Hearing this, Hazrat Khabbaab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) remarked, “O Ameer-ul-Mu’mineen! Even Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) is not more eligible than I am, because Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) enjoyed some support and protection from certain disbelievers of Makkah Mukarramah during the period of suffering and torture, whereas I had no one to protect me at all. One day, when the disbelievers of Makkah Mukarramah saw me, they made me lie on burning coals. One of them then placed his foot on my chest so that I was unable to move.”

Saying this, Hazrat Khabbaab (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) lifted his kurta to expose the scars covering his back.

(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/229)