Sulaiman bin Surad

Sulayman ibn Surad al-Khuza'i (RA) was a companion of the Prophet ﷺ who lived a long life and played a significant — and ultimately tragic — role in early Islamic history. He was present at the Battle of Siffin, siding with Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), and was among those in Kufa who wrote to Husayn ibn Ali (RA) urging him to come to Iraq. When Husayn (RA) was martyred at Karbala in 61 AH, Sulayman ibn Surad was filled with grief and remorse over his failure to come to Husayn's aid. He subsequently led the movement known as the Tawwabun (the Penitents), a group of Kufan companions and followers who marched out in 65 AH in a spirit of repentance and grief, seeking either to avenge Husayn (RA) or die trying. They were defeated and killed by the Umayyad forces at Ayn al-Warda. Sulayman himself died in this battle. He was an elderly companion by this time, having narrated hadith from the Prophet ﷺ and lived through the reigns of multiple caliphs. His narrations appear in the hadith collections and cover various aspects of prophetic practice. His story reflects the deep pain felt by sincere companions and early Muslims over the events of Karbala, and his penitential movement stands as one of the earliest expressions of that communal grief within Islamic history.