Emperor: I am prepared to share my kingdom with you if you accept Christianity

Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu): Your kingdom is nothing. If you give me your kingdom and if all the Arabs give me their kingdoms on condition that I renounce the Deen of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) for the duration of even a blink of an eye, I would never do so.

Emperor: If you do not accept Christianity, I shall have you killed.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu): You may kill me if you please. I have said my piece. There is no possibility of going against my words nor shall I reconsider my stance. In fact my statement is so staunch that no Mu'min can ever fathom the opposite.

The emperor then had Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu) tied to a cross and instructed his archers to shoot at his arms and legs. He stressed that they should not aim to kill because the intention was merely to make him accept Christianity. As they fire the arrows through his body, they told him to renounce Islam and accept Christianity. However, Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu) kept telling them that he had said his piece and would not reconsider.

When this plot failed, the emperor had him taken off the cross. The emperor then instructed that a cauldron of water be heated until the water was boiling. When this was done, another Muslim was thrown inside the cauldron and he lost his life as his flesh was separated from the bones. This was done in the presence of Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu). He was then asked to renounce Islam or suffer the same fate as the other Muslim. When he refused the emperor instructed that he also be placed in the cauldron. As Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu) was being placed inside he began to cry. When the emperor was informed about this, he thought that Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu) must be afraid of death and would therefore accept Christianity. When he sent for Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu) and asked him to accept Christianity, the refusal was still as strong as ever. The following dialogue ensued:

Emperor: “Then tell me why you started crying.”

Hazrat Abdullah bun Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu): “Standing at the cauldron, I thought that I would soon be thrown into it and lose my life in a short while. It is sad that I only have one life. It would have been great if I had as many lives as the hair on my body so that I could be repeatedly cast into this cauldron to give each one of them for Allah. What is the use of only one life in Allah’s way.”

Emperor: Ok. Then kiss my forehead and I shall free all of you.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu): Will I alone be freed or all the Muslims with me?

Emperor: If you kiss my forehead, I shall free everyone with you.

To save his own life, Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu) would not have kissed the emperor’s forehead because it meant honouring a disbeliever. However, in the best interests of the Muslims with him, he kissed the emperor’s forehead. All the Muslims were then freed.

When they returned to Madinah Munawwarah and the incident was related to Hazrat Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) he said, “Because he kissed the forehead of a disbeliever for the freedom of the Muslims, it is necessary for every Muslim to kiss his forehead and I will be the first to do so.” Hazrat Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) was the first to kiss the forehead of Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah (Radiyallahu Anhu).