The virtues of Huwaytib bin Abd al-Uzza al-Amiri (may Allah be pleased with him)

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Umar (al-Waqidi) that Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Hawalah al-Azdi (may Allah be pleased with him), the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who belonged to Banu al-Mu'ays bin Amir, died in 58 AH at the age of ninety-three.
Mention of the merits of Sayyiduna Huwaytib bin Abd al-Uzza al-Amiri (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Mus'ab bin Abdullah al-Zubayri that Huwaytib bin Abd al-Uzza bin Abi Qays bin Abd Wadd bin Nasr bin Malik bin Hisl al-Amiri was among those who accepted Islam at the Conquest of Makkah. He died in the last part of the governorship of Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), at the age of one hundred and twenty. His mother, and the mother of his brother Ruhm bin Abd al-Uzza, was Zaynab bint Alqamah bin Ghazwan bin Yarbu' bin Munqidh bin Amr bin Mu'ays. Huwaytib sold a house in Madinah to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) for forty thousand dinars. When people expressed amazement at this large sum, he said: "What are forty thousand dinars to a man who has four dependents?"

It is narrated from Huwaytib bin Abd al-Uzza that he said: In the Age of Ignorance we were sitting one day in the courtyard of the Ka'bah when suddenly a woman came seeking the refuge of the Ka'bah from her husband. Her husband came after her and stretched out his hand to seize her, and his hand withered (dried up) on the spot. I saw him in the era of Islam, and he was indeed crippled.

Ibrahim bin Ja'far bin Mahmud bin Muhammad bin Maslamah al-Ashhali narrates from his father that Sayyiduna Huwaytib bin Abd al-Uzza (may Allah be pleased with him) lived to the age of one hundred and twenty years, sixty of which he spent in the Age of Ignorance and sixty in Islam. When Marwan bin al-Hakam became governor of Madinah for the first time, Huwaytib bin Abd al-Uzza went to him together with eminent elders such as Hakim bin Hizam and Makhramah bin Nawfal. They conversed there and then departed. Some time after that Huwaytib went to Marwan again and talked with him. Marwan asked him how old he was. When he told him his age, Marwan said: "O elder! Your acceptance of Islam was delayed so long that the young outstripped you." Huwaytib replied: "By Allah! Not once but many times I firmly resolved to accept Islam, but every time your father (al-Hakam bin al-As) stood in the way and stopped me. He would say: 'Will you abandon the honour of your forefathers and their ancient religion for the sake of a newly invented religion and become someone's follower?'" Hearing this, Marwan fell silent and regretted what he had said. Then Huwaytib added: "Did Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) not tell you how much harm he suffered from your father when he accepted Islam?" This increased Marwan's grief further. Then Huwaytib said: "Among the elders of Quraysh who remained on the religion of their people until the Conquest of Makkah, there was none who disliked the Conquest of Makkah more than I did, but the decrees of destiny cannot be averted. I took part in the Battle of Badr with the idolaters and saw lessons with my own eyes there: I saw the angels killing and taking captives between the heaven and the earth, and I became certain that this man (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)) was protected by Allah. But I did not mention to anyone what I had seen. Then we returned to Makkah in defeat and stayed in Makkah, while the men of Quraysh accepted Islam one by one. Then on the day of al-Hudaybiyah I was present at the peace treaty and exerted myself to bring the matter to completion. Throughout this my heart kept inclining towards Islam, but Allah does what He wills. When the treaty was written, I was among its witnesses. At that time I said: Quraysh will see from Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) only what displeases them, for they were content merely to hold him off with their bare hands. Then when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came for the Umrah of al-Qada' and Quraysh went out of Makkah, Suhayl bin Amr and I were among those who remained behind in Makkah so that we could send the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) away when the appointed time ended. So when the period of three days was over, Suhayl bin Amr and I came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: The term of your condition has been fulfilled; now leave our city. Thereupon he (peace and blessings be upon him) called out loudly: 'O Bilal! Let not the sun set while anyone of the Muslims who came with us remains in Makkah.'"