This backstabbing was aimed at the destruction and annihilation of Islam.

This backstabbing was aimed at the destruction and annihilation of Islam. Hanzala had married Jamila on the very day the battle was announced. After his wedding Hanzala came to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and sought his permission to participate in Jihad. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) accorded him the permission. When Hanzala was leaving the next day, his wife asked him to swear before four women of the Ansar community that he has married Jamila and spent the previous night with her.

Thus it was to announce that Jamila was the wife of Hanzala and no more a virgin. The aim in taking four women as witnesses was that the testimony of two women equals that of a man. Thus Hanzala left his house early the morning next day. Since no water was available for the ritual bath after sexual intercourse Hanzala departed for the battlefield in a condition of ritual impurity (Janabat), though he was very much ashamed to do so.

When he arrived in the battlefield he saw Abu Sufyan astride a horse with the polytheistic people surrounding him from all sides. Hanzala attacked with great ferocity and determination and slashed at the legs of Abu Sufyan’s mount. The legs severed, the horse came to the ground bringing with it Abu Sufyan also. But he got up quickly and began to flee. Hanzala chased him but someone shot a spear at him that pierced his back.

Though injured, Hanzala wanted to finish off his quarry but the spear had gone very deep and his strength was seeping away. Thus the valiant youth fell down in the vicinity of the corpses of other martyrs like Hamzah and Abdullah Ibn Hazm. Finally this newly married youth embraced martyrdom and bid adieu to the transient world. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) has said that he saw the heavenly angels giving bath to Hanzala with the water of heaven.

That is why from that moment Hanzala came to be referred as the “one bathed by the angels”. Yes, this was a youth who belonged to the family of Abu Aamir, the monk who was such a valiant young man and had such deep regard for the religion of God that he gave up the pleasures and comforts of his newly married life and departed for the battlefield early the next morning even though he could not obtain water to perform the ritual bath.

Thus, what is so amazing if he was martyred in the way of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and given a ritual bath by the angels with heavenly water? Later, the people inquired with Jamila the widow of Hanzala what the matter was.