Wa'il ibn Hujr, a nobleman of Hadhramaut in Yemen descended from one of the region's pre-Islamic kings, came to Madinah in the 9th year of the Hijrah to embrace Islam without any pressure. Three days before his arrival the Prophet ﷺ had already told the Companions he was coming. The Prophet ﷺ honored him more than almost anyone else: seating him beside himself on the minbar and on his own cloak (rida'), and making du'a for him and his children. When Wa'il complained that his family had taken away his right to the throne, the Prophet ﷺ told him Islam would give him something better. The Prophet ﷺ then gave Wa'il the governorship of a small area of Yemen and sent the young Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan RA with him as an escort; Wa'il, still new to Islam and not yet purified of his old regal manners, twice refused to let Muawiyah ride his camel or wear his shoes on the hot stones, telling him only to take shelter in the camel's shadow.
Some thirty years later, after Muawiyah RA had risen to become the first king of the Muslim ummah [39-58 AH], Wa'il came to him as a delegate once more; Muawiyah reminded him of that day on the road, and Wa'il regretted his earlier selfishness. No one at the time could have imagined that the poor young escort would end up ruling over the noble of Hadhramaut. During the Battle of Siffin [37 AH], Wa'il joined the side of Ali ibn Abi Talib RA, as the people of Yemen generally did.
Other events recorded in 9 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
Can I ride with you?
Sent by the Prophet ﷺ as Wa'il's escort to his new governorship in Yemen.
It's not befitting that someone like you rides with kings.
At least let me wear your shoes, because the stones are hot.
It's not befitting that the shoes of the king are given to you.
But the pebbles are hot!
Take comfort from the shadow of my camel.
There shall come to you Wa'il ibn Hujr, one of the noblemen of Yemen, and he is coming wanting to embrace Islam without any pressure being put on him.
My family had taken away my right from me.
Wa'il complained to the Prophet ﷺ that his family had denied him his claim to his royal family's throne in Hadhramaut.
I will give you better than that.
Do you remember on that day when you didn't even give me your shoes or camel to ride on?
Roughly thirty years later, after Muawiyah RA had become khalifa and Wa'il visited him as a delegate once more.
How I wish I had done that.