REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- This companion of the prophet has some privileges. He is intelligent, meticulous, has a strong memory, and is clever at keeping secrets. In Islamic history, he was known as the intelligence or spy of the Messenger of Allah.
His name is Hudzaifah bin Yaman. He gained the trust of the Prophet to frame the plans of the infidels and hypocrites, especially in the Khandaq War (Trench War), which took place in the year 5 Hijri or 627 AD.
It is narrated that in the Khandaq War, Hudzaifah successfully carried out his duties as a spy. In the middle of the night, he infiltrated the tents of the Quraysh infidels to find out their plans.
Reported from the Ganaislamika, rather than being referred to as an open war, this Khadaq war is more properly referred to as a war of trickery. The number of casualties on both sides was low, six from Muslim forces and ten from allied forces.
Nevertheless, the Khandaq war was one of the most stressful wars, because at that time Muslims were at their most vulnerable point. At the front of the city were 10,000 allied troops made up of the pagans of Medina and other infidels.
On the other hand, they also had to face the Banu Quraidzah, the Jews of Medina who had made a peace treaty with the Muslims. Each of them is also ready to attack if Medina is empty.
In the book Himpunan Fadhilah Amal, Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi recounts that the Muslim army was then facing a battle outside Medina. Simultaneously, the night was so dark and came an unprecedented devastating hurricane.
The hypocrites started asking the Messenger of Allah for permission to come home on the grounds that their house was open to attack, when in fact it was not. The Prophet allowed each of them to go home.
When the Prophet gave them permission, they quietly left. The Muslim army, which originally numbered 3,000 men, now has about 300 men left. Then the Messenger of Allah calmed the Muslim forces one by one until they met Hudzaifah.
Back then Hudzaifah had no weapons to fight the enemy and did not even have a cloth to shelter from the cold. There is very little fabric that can cover the important limb down to the knee, and it belongs to his wife.
Hudzaifah just sat face down on the ground. As he calmed his army, the Prophet suddenly accidentally touched Hudzaifah's cold feet and said, “Who is this?“
He replied, “Hudzaifah.“
Cold and embarrassed, Hudzaifah was unable to stand up and remained seated hunched over. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Hudzaifah, stand up! Go to the enemy's place, then bring the news that is going on there.“
At that time, Hudzaifah was very frightened and extremely cold. However, because in order to fulfill the Messenger of Allah's orders, he hurried to sneak up on the enemy army of 10,000.
The Prophet did not forget to pray for the Intelligence to be guarded by Allah. “O God, guard him from the front, back, right side, and left side, from above and from below.“
Hudzaifah ra said, “I swear by Allah, that (after the prayer) every fear and cold in me then goes away and I don't feel it one bit. When I left, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'O Hudzaifah! Do not do anything to them until you return.”
Upon arrival at the enemy location, Khudaifah saw a bonfire was burning. People surrounded the bonfire while warming their hands near the fire, then rubbed against their stomachs. Suddenly, from every corner there was a cry,
“Go back, come back!“
Everyone called to return immediately, for suddenly there came a violent wind from four directions, with a rain of stones raining down on the tents. The ropes of the enemy camp were cut off, and many horses and other animals died.
Hudzaifah then managed to join and sit down along with the enemy ranks. Abu Sufyan, who at that time was at the head of the group of infidels, was heating his hands over the fire, saying, “Let us retreat! Let's retreat!"
When he saw the big dark-skinned man, Hudzaifah said in his heart, “This is the best chance for me to destroy him.“ He immediately took the arrow, and then put it on his bow.
However, Khudaifah remembered the message of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) not to take any action except to see the circumstances, and then return immediately. So he put the arrow back in place.
The infidels began to suspect his presence. They said, “Is there a spy among you? Everyone should hold the hand of the person next to him.
“Then the person next to him said, “Who are you?“
Hudzaifah replied, “When you don't know who I am, I am ugly. “Then he immediately left the place.
Halfway through, he met a horseman of about twenty men, all wearing turbans. They said to Hudzaifah, “Tell your master that God has cleared those enemies, so worry no more.“
When he returned to the tent, he saw the Prophet praying with a blanket over his body. This is His glorious custom. In precarious circumstances, he always complied with the establishment of prayer.
At the end of the prayer, Khudaifah told the Messenger of Allah what happened during his time as a spy. The Prophet smiled with his brilliant teeth and Khudaifah was told to lie down near his glorious feet, and he was covered with part of his blanket.