Man doesn’t really know when and how guidance comes to him from Allah.
However, there one thing for certain that people’s hearts are between the
Fingers of Allah who manipulates them the way He (swt) pleases.
Abdullah Ibn Amru Ibn Haram and his companion Abdullah Ibn Amru Ibn
al-Jumuh were busy worshipping their idols when a group of recent converts from
Yathrib (Madina), who were heading for Makkah pilgrimage were inviting people
to Islam and informing them of the Prophet (saws) and the magnificent message
he had for them from Allah. This didn’t mean anything to Abdullah Ibn Amru Ibn
Haram. One year later, a group of 12 callers to Islam from Yathrib came to
Makkah, but this time the group was led by the first ambassador to Islam Musaab
Ibn Umayr, whose ‘unique’ expertise in inviting people to Islam led to the
conversion of many. Jabir Ibn Abdullah, Ibn Haram’s son, was amongst the
converts. Time went by and Islam couldn’t find room still in Ibn Haram’s heart.
As the pilgrimage season approached and people felt the urge to go to Makkah
and pledge allegiance to the Prophet (saws) - second Aqaba pledge - so did Ibn
Haram’s appointment with eternal bliss. Ibn Haram set out for pilgrimage, and
yet as a non-Muslim, not knowing that few hours later, his name would be in
history books. In fact, Allah will bestow upon him the blessing of shahadah,
and even more, the angels will shade him with their wings soon after his
martyrdom… Those are magnificent tributes in their own rights, but most
magnificent of them all is that Allah will speak to him without a screen!
The story of his conversion
Kaab Ibn Malik reported: “We set out on our pilgrimage and, as arranged,
were meant to meet the Prophet (saws) at al-Aqaba, sometimes in the
middle of tashriq days (10th, 11th and 12th
Dhul-Hijjah). Once the pilgrimage rites were over and we headed towards al-Aqaba
to meet the Prophet (saws) (by the way, the polytheists who were in our
company didn’t know anything because we concealed the whole matter), I said to
Ibn Haram, ‘You are amongst our noblest folks, and we don’t want you to be the
fuel of Hellfire tomorrow. What about embracing Islam? We are meeting the
Prophet (saws) shortly at al-Aqaba.’ He embraced Islam there and then
and was amongst those who pledged allegiance to the Prophet (saws). In fact, he
was amongst the delegates.’” Ibn Hisham, Seera (2/50)