Hakim ibn Hizam

Ḥakīm ibn Ḥizām (Arabic: حكيم بن حزام) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a nephew of Khadija. Born 13 years before the event of elephants (Aam-ul-Feel) in Mecca, Arabia, he was the son of Khadija's brother, Hizam ibn Khuwaylid, and Fakhita bint Zuhayr. Known for his acumen in commerce and his charitable acts, Hakim ibn Hizam was a respected merchant and a key figure in the Quraysh tribe. He embraced Islam during the conquest of Mecca and was known for his generosity, having manumitted a hundred slaves and distributed alms extensively. His close familial ties with Khadija and his contributions to the early Muslim community in Islamic history make him a notable companion.

Family He was the son of Khadija's brother, Hizam ibn Khuwaylid, and of Fakhita bint Zuhayr. Fakhita and Hizam had 10 children: Hakim (Fakhita took by her kunya Umm Hakim and Hizam took by his kunya Abu Hakim), Hizam, Hisham, Khalid, Abdullah, Yahya, Umm Hashim (Hashima), Umm Amr (Amira), Umm Sumaya (Sumaya), Umm Khawla (Khawla). The following year, when the Quraysh finalised their peace treaty with the Qays tribe, Hakim was one of forty hostages who were left with the Qays until the blood-money was delivered.

Hakim became a merchant who speculated in corn. He sat among the elders

His house was part of the same building as Khadija's; and his uncle Awwam ibn Khuwaylid lived next door. Hence, when Muhammad married Khadija, Hakim became his near neighbour.

Nevertheless, in September 622 (after Khadija's death and the Second pledge at al-Aqabah), Hakim was among the council of elders who plotted to assassinate Muhammad. On being pressed for information, he claimed that he had hated marching towards Badr; that it was all Satan’s fault;

Hakim's family then emigrated to Medina and settled there. This hadith is considered very important in the development of Islamic contract law as it deals with the issue of short selling, options or futures contracts.

He narrated Muhammad's teaching: "The seller and the buyer have the right to keep or return goods as long as they have not parted or till they part; and if both the parties spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities, then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be lost."

On being asked, Muhammad told Hakim that all his good deeds performed before he became a Muslim remained credited to him afterwards. After his conversion, Hakim freed another hundred slaves and donated another hundred camels in alms.

Later life In 656, when his cousin Zubayr ibn al-Awwam died leaving 2,200,000 (presumably dirhams) in debt, Hakim offered to relieve the family; however, it is not clear how much money he was offering them, as they did not accept anything.

When Marwan was appointed Governor of Medina in 662, Hakim was one of the welcoming party of elders who officially greeted him.

Before Islam, Hakim had bought for a bargain price the door to Mecca's town hall. In the reign of Muawiyah I he sold it for 100,000 dirhams. The Caliph accused him of "selling his family's honour for a hundred thousand." Hakim countered that modern nobility was measured by piety, and since he intended to donate the full proceeds to charity, nobody had been cheated.

The Caliph asked him what food he ate, and he replied that he no longer had teeth. Soon afterwards, Muawiyah sent him a camel so that he could drink its milk, together with a cash present. Hakim returned the money with a reminder that he had never accepted his allotted share from the state treasury since the death of Muhammad.

He died in Medina in 674, claiming an age of 120 years.