The Man of the Hole!

Here is the story of the man in the army of Maslamah ibn `Abdul-Malik. During one of the battles against the unbelievers, this man volunteered to enter the enemy's fortress through a hole for discarding wastes. After successfully doing this and thus bringing victory to Muslims, the leader, Maslamah, exerted much effort to identify and reward him.

But, failing to make the man present himself publicly, Maslamah declared that he must come to his headquarters at any time, day or night. Maslamah did so after trying for three consecutive days to urge him to make himself known.

Finally, while Maslamah was sitting in his own tent, a man covering his face entered. Maslamah asked him, "Are you the man who managed to open the door through the hole?" The man replied, "I am his messenger and he stipulates three conditions to make himself known to you." Maslamah said, "Speak up!" The man said, "First, you should not reward him. Second, you should not set him above other soldiers. Third, you should not inform the Caliph about his name." Maslamah nodded his head in agreement. Then, the man unveiled his face and said, "I am the man". Afterwards, Maslamah used to invoke Almighty Allah, saying, "Oh Allah, resurrect me with Sahib An-Naqb (Arabic for: the man of the hole)!" The name of this man was never mentioned anywhere and is still unknown until now!

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Let none of you abuse (slander) my Companions. For by Him in Whose Hand is my life, if one of you spent (in the way of Allah) the equivalent of mount Uhud in gold, it would not reach a handful nor half a handful of what they spent (you will never reach their value)." (Al-Bukhari)

Of the believers are men who are true to that which they covenanted with Allah. Some of them have paid their vow by death (in battle), and some of them still are waiting; and they have not altered in the least. (An-Nur 33:23)