Umm al-Mu'minin Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa (RA) was once passing through the market for some work. She suddenly heard a beautiful voice. She (RA) heard this voice and stopped. A reciter of the Qur'an was reciting the Qur'an in a very beautiful voice. He (RA) listened to a part of the reciter's recitation and then fulfilled his need and went home:
"Ayesha...! What's the matter... why are you late in coming home?" When Ayesha Siddiqa (RA) reached home, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) asked her about coming home late.
"O Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace...! Outside, a reciter is reading the Qur'an.” Ayesha Siddiqa replied. Then Aisha Siddiqa Radiyallahu Anha described the beauty of this reciter's voice, and described the praise of this reciter's recitation of the Qur'an. Hearing the praise of a reciter of the Qur'an by Aisha Siddiqa, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) picked up his cloak and wrapped it around him and, driven by human curiosity, went out to see who was the reciter with a beautiful voice, whose recitation was praised by Aisha Siddiqa. After going out, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) searched and saw that some people were standing in a place listening to the recitation.
Hearing the beautiful recitation of Salim, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was also happy and said with great emotion: "All praises are due to Allah.... Who created the best (Quran reciter) like you among my ummah."
Salim (RA) is counted among the four top reciters about whom the Prophet (PBUH) said, "If you want to learn the Qur'an, learn it from them."
Salim's full name is described as Salim bin Ubayd bin Rabi'ah. His name is Salim bin Utbah bin Rabi'ah in Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd. But he is known by the name of Salim Mawla Abu Hudhayfah (RA). The reason for this is that he was a native of Persia or Iran. Somehow he was enslaved and brought to Madinah as a slave of a woman. This woman freed him. He had no heir. Therefore, he came to Makkah from there. Abu Hudhaifa (RA) adopted him as his son, and he grew up like his own son. Then he married his niece Fatima bint Waleed bin Utbah (RA). That is why he (RA) came to be called Salem bin Abu Huzaifa. Then in Surah Al-Ahzab, verse number five, Allah commanded: "Call the parents by their fathers..."
After this order, instead of Salim bin Abu Huzaifa, he was called Salim Mawla Abu Huzaifa. He (RA) was brought up by Abu Hudhayfah (RA), so Salim (RA) also converted to Islam as soon as Abu Hudhaifa (RA) embraced Islam. He (RA) was young when he embraced Islam. After accepting Islam, he (RA) worked hard to learn the Qur’an. Then the fruit of his hard work was that despite being a foreigner, he (RA) used to recite the Holy Qur’an as if it were Arabic. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also praised his recitation. He used to say: "Learn from the Holy Qur'an."
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) established brotherhood among the Muslims, he made him the brother of Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him). When Muslims were allowed to migrate to escape the atrocities of the infidels, Salim also migrated along with other Muslims. During the journey of Hijra, whenever it was time for prayer, Salim (R.A.) was brought forward to lead the Imamate...because he (R.A.) was the most knowledgeable of the Qur'an. At that time, Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) and Abu Salama bin Abdul Asad (RA) were also praying under the guidance of Salim (RA).
When the Muslims migrated from Makkah to Madinah, they first landed in Asaba, which is on the banks of the Quba. Before the arrival of the Prophet, Hazrat Salim (RA) was the head of the Imamate in the Quba. Umar Ibn Khattab (RA) used to pray behind him. You, may Allah be pleased with you, are such Companions who were also Ansari at the same time and were among the emigrants. You, may Allah be pleased with you, were not only a reciter of the Qur'an, a scholar of religion, and a generous person. Rather, he used to show the essence of bravery even in the battlefield. He also participated in the Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud and Battle of Khandaq with the Prophet (PBUH), and became the Lion of God and fulfilled the right of companionship of the Prophet (PBUH).
After the death of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he participated in the Battle of Yamama with his father Abu Hudhayfah during the reign of Siddique Akbar, may Allah be pleased with him, and showed the essence of bravery. Those who protected the end of prophethood, who came for the exaltation of the true religion of Allah and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Muslims placed their flag in the hands of Salim (may Allah be pleased with him).
"Salam, may God be pleased with him.... Protect the knowledge (flag) of the Muslims."
"It is good." Salim gladly accepted this responsibility and, protecting the knowledge, began to increase the morale of the Muslims. In such a situation, a few Muslims objected to him after seeing the knowledge in his hands and one of them said: "(Salam radi Allahu anhu)!...We are afraid of you...(you cannot protect this knowledge properly)...so you should give this knowledge to another person."
Salim Radiyallahu Anhu heard this person and replied enthusiastically: "If I do not prove myself to be the bearer of the knowledge of the Muslims in the true sense...then I will be a very bad memorizer of the Qur'an."
An earlier objector would have replied... The pressure of the apostates on the Muslims increased. Their steps began to waver, some Muslims began to retreat due to such a strong attack. A loud voice echoed in the battlefield:
"Muslims..! Where are you running away to? In the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, we did not fight like this. "The people looked back... and the one who said these words was none other than Salim Mulla Abu Hudhayfah, may God be pleased with him. To prevent his feet from faltering and retreating, he dug a pit in the battlefield and placed his feet in the pit and sunk it in the soil. Hearing their challenge and seeing them standing without fear like this, the morale of the Muslims was raised... and they turned back to fight with courage, a strong group of apostates saw Salim (RA) standing alone with his feet sunk in the ground and advanced towards them ... so as to kill them and destroy the knowledge of the Muslims and with the fall of the knowledge, the Muslims would be defeated... Granted.... But Raila was quite big. It was impossible for Salim (RA) to handle it alone. Nevertheless, he stood firm.
An apostate cut off his hand to drop knowledge... The hand was cut off and Salim (Radi Allahu Anhu) caught the knowledge in his other hand without caring about his pain... while fountains of blood were coming out from the first hand. When this unfortunate man saw his courage, he also cut off the other hand of Salim (Radi Allahu Anhu) like a coward. He had cut both his hands but he could not cut his courage. He was reciting verses 144 to 146 of Surah Aal Imran at that time.
Salim's feet were sunken into the ground... so it was a very difficult task to knock down knowledge. Finally, the cowardly apostates pierced him with spears and swords... He fell due to weakness due to profuse bleeding. The Muslims carried him away.
In the midst of conflict, he asked the Muslims: "What is the status of Abu Hudhayfah (Radi Allahu Anhu)?"
He was answered: "They have been martyred in the way of Allah."
Now he asked: "Where is that Mujahid...who objected to me in the matter of knowledge?"
The people replied: "They too have become martyrs."
"Bury me between this Mujahid and Abu Hudhayfah." Salim said. After that, his soul flew away. There is a tradition that when he was martyred, his head was at the feet of Abu Hudhayfah. In another hadith, it is said that the head of Abu Hudhayfah (may God be pleased with him) was at his feet.
The legacy that he (may Allah be pleased with him) left behind at the time of his martyrdom. Abu Bakr to him
Siddiq (RA) sent your words to his mother. She refused to accept it and sent back: "I cannot accept it...take this Turka back."
After the death of Siddique Akbar, Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) sold his inheritance and sent the amount, which was two hundred dirhams, to his foster mother and said: "(You have the right to this inheritance...therefore) spend this money."
His mother accepted that legacy.
There is a tradition that his mother refused to accept the inheritance of Dubah and said: "I did not free him (Salam)."
That is, I am the mother who brought him up...it was done by another woman freed from slavery....therefore I have no right to the inheritance....the freed woman has the right.
Hazrat Umar Farooq Radiyallahu Anhu sent the inheritance to this woman: "You freed Salim Radiyallahu Anhu from a slave... therefore his inheritance is for you."
This woman refused to take the inheritance: "I freed him (Salam) for the sake of Allah." (I have no desire for his inheritance).
Upon this answer, Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) deposited that inheritance in Baitul-Mal. (Allah knows).
Hazrat Umar (RA) used to praise Salim (RA) often... even in his dying days he was saying: "Today, if Salim (RA) was alive, I would not leave the issue of caliphate to counsel."
Some historians write that Hazrat Umar's statement meant that Salem would have been nominated as the caliph.
But Abu Umar has said: "It meant that Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) would have appointed the caliph with the opinion of Hazrat Salim (RA)" (Allah knows).
At the time of his death, Salim Mawla Abu Huzaifah (RA) was 54 years old.