Kharija ibn Hudhafa (599-22 January 661) was a companion of Muhammad and a general of the Rashidun Caliphate during the conquest of Egypt.
Biography[]
Kharija ibn Hudhafa was born to the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, and he became a companion of Muhammad, gaining renown for his bravery and horsemanship. In 640, Caliph Umar named him one of four commanders of a Rashidun army sent to conquer Aegyptus from the Byzantine Empire. In 641, following the Siege of Babylon Fortress, Kharija was sent to conquer the Faiyum oasis, Hermopolis, Akhmim, Bashrudat, and the villages of Upper Egypt. While Amr ibn al-As besieged Alexandria, Kharija was left as his deputy in Fustat, and he became Qadi (Chief Judge) of Egypt and the commander of the shurta security forces. During the First Fitna, he supported Caliph Uthman, and, on 22 January 661, he was called to stand in for Amr and lead Friday prayers at an Egyptian mosque due to Amr's illness; a Kharijite assassin intending to assassinate Amr instead stabbed Kharija to death. Amr then had the assassin executed for killing his nephew.