Abu Al-Tufayl
He was the last person who saw the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم alive in this world, and the situation remained like this during the time of the Followers and their Followers, and so on. No human being claimed to have seen the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم after that, until about five hundred years later in India, a man called Baba Ratan appeared and claimed companionship. He harmed himself and the scholars declared him to be a liar.
Whoever believes him in this claim, then may Allah bless his intellect, and we praise Allah for protecting us from such trials.
The full name of Abu al-Tufayl is: ʿAmir ibn Wathilah ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr al-Laythi al-Kinani al-Hijazi al-Shiʿi. He was among the followers of Imam ʿAli. He was born after the Hijrah.
He saw the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم during the Farewell Pilgrimage while the Prophet was touching the Black Stone with a hooked staff, then kissing the hooked staff (Narrated by Muslim (1275) in the Book of Hajj: Chapter on Permissibility of Circumambulating on a Mount and Others; and by Abu Dawud (1879) in the Book of Manasik: Chapter on Obligatory Circumambulation; and by Ibn Majah (2949); and by Ahmad (5/454) from multiple chains through Maʿruf ibn Kharbuth from Abu al-Tufayl; it is also recorded by Ibn ʿAsakir, 8/413).
Abu al-Tufayl narrated from: Abu Bakr, ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, Muʿadh ibn Jabal, ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿud, and ʿAli.
Those who narrated from him include: Habib ibn Abi Thabit, al-Zuhri, Abu al-Zubayr al-Makki, ʿAli ibn Zayd ibn Judʿan, ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUthman ibn Khuthaym, Maʿruf ibn Kharbuth, Saʿid al-Jurayri, Fitr ibn Khalifah, and many others.
Maʿruf said: I heard Abu al-Tufayl say: “I saw the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم while I was a young lad, circumambulating the Kaʿbah on his mount, touching the Black Stone with his hooked staff” (Narrated by Muslim and others as mentioned).
ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Hamdani, said: Abu al-Tufayl entered upon Muʿawiyah who asked him: “What has the passage of time left you of your attachment to ʿAli?”
He replied: “The attachment of an aged, barren woman and a decrepit old man.”
Muʿawiyah asked: “And how is your love for him?”
He replied: “The love of the mother of Musa for Musa, and to Allah I complain of my shortcomings.”
It is also narrated from Abu al-Tufayl that he said: “I experienced eight years of the life of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.”
It is said that he used to recite poetry:
“I remained as a single arrow in the quiver of Kinana,
To be shot with, or to break the shooter’s hand” (Lines of poetry reflecting his loyalty and endurance).
It is also said that Abu al-Tufayl was the standard-bearer of al-Mukhtar when he rose in Iraq, and he fought against those who killed al-Husayn.
Abu al-Tufayl was trustworthy in his narrations, truthful, knowledgeable, a poet, a horseman, and he lived for a very long time. He witnessed the battles of ImamʿAli.
Khalifah said: “He remained in Makkah until he died around the year 100 AH.”
He also said: “It is said he died in the year 107 AH” (This is mentioned by Khalifah ibn Khayyat).
Al-Bukhari said: “Musa ibn Ismaʿil narrated to us, from Mubarak, from Kathir ibn Aʿyan, who said: Abu al-Tufayl informed me in Makkah in the year 107 AH” (Reported by al-Bukhari).
Wahb ibn Jarir said: “I heard my father say: ‘I was in Makkah in the year 110 AH, and I saw a funeral. I asked about it and they said: this is Abu al-Tufayl.'” (Reported by Wahb ibn Jarir).
Ad Dhahabi says: This is the most authentic account of his death, for it is firmly established and is supported by what preceded. If anyone were to live as long after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as Abu al-Tufayl lived after him, he would have lived until about the year 230 AH.
‘Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala by Ad Dhahabi (3/467-480)
