❖ The Encounter of ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim with the Prophet ﷺ
Here stands ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim al-Ṭā’ī, silently and in awe, listening to the words of the Master of Madinah ﷺ within his humble dwelling. Questions stir in his mind: Is the world truly on the brink of transformation? How can these people, notorious for theft and plunder, become righteous and virtuous? But when a connection with the Divine is established and the heavens themselves are guarded, then a great transformation on Earth is no wonder.❖ Tribe of Ṭayy: Renowned for Banditry
The bandits of the tribe of Ṭayy were infamous across Arabia—from Ḥīrah to Ḥaḍramawt, their terror was unmatched. Among them was their chieftain, ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim, who came to the Prophet ﷺ upon his sister’s insistence. He narrates:“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ honored me by taking me from Masjid al-Nabawī to his home. On the way, an elderly woman stopped him, and he stood with her for a long time, attentively listening and resolving her issue. I thought to myself, This man cannot be a king!
When we reached his home, there was only one cushion filled with palm fiber. He ﷺ offered it to me to sit on, and despite my refusal, he insisted until I sat, while he sat on the floor. Again, I thought, This man is not a king!”
❖ The Prophet’s ﷺ Profound Dialogue
The Prophet ﷺ addressed me:*“ʿAdī! What is it that prevents you from proclaiming ‘Lā ilāha illa-llāh’? Do you see anyone worthy of worship besides Allah?
ʿAdī! What stops you from saying ‘Allāhu Akbar’? Is there anyone greater than Allah?”*
He ﷺ continued:
“ʿAdī! Is it the poverty and hardship we currently face that holds you back? Have you seen Ḥīrah?”
I replied, “I have not seen it, but I know of it.”
He ﷺ said: “If you live long enough, you shall see a woman riding alone from Ḥīrah to perform Ṭawāf of the Kaʿbah, fearing none but Allah, and under no protection but His.”
(I thought to myself—where will the bandits of Ṭayy be that day!)
Then he ﷺ said:
“ʿAdī! If your life is prolonged, you shall see the treasures of Kisrā ibn Hurmuz conquered!”
I asked, “Kisrā ibn Hurmuz?!”
He ﷺ replied: “Yes, Kisrā ibn Hurmuz!”
And he ﷺ added:
“ʿAdī! If you live long enough, you will see a time when a man takes a handful of gold or silver to give in charity, and will not find anyone to accept it.”
❖ The Fulfillment of Prophecies
According to the narration in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, ʿAdī رضي الله عنه said:“I personally witnessed a woman traveling in a howdah from Ḥīrah to the Kaʿbah for Ṭawāf, fearing none but Allah. I was among the army that conquered the treasures of Kisrā ibn Hurmuz. And if you people live long enough, you too will witness the third prophecy.”
❖ Sources and References
This incident is narrated with slight summarization and paraphrasing from the following primary sources:- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book: Virtues, Chapter: Signs of Prophethood in Islam
- Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Book: Tafsīr, Chapter: From the Sūrah al-Fātiḥah
- Musnad Aḥmad, First section of the Musnad of the Kūfans, Ḥadīth of ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim al-Ṭāʾī رضي الله عنه
