Al-Hakam ibn Kaysan

Al-Ḥakam ibn Kaysān was a freed slave (mawlā) affiliated with Hishām ibn al-Mughīrah of Banu Makhzum (Quraysh). He was traveling with the small commercial caravan that was intercepted by the six Companions at Wādī Nakhlah in Rajab 2 AH. He was taken as one of the first two prisoners of war in Islamic history. During his captivity in Madīnah, he came to know the Prophet ﷺ and accepted Islam. The Prophet ﷺ, however, refused to release him until the ransom was paid by the Quraish (to ensure the Muslim state received the financial compensation). After the ransom arrived, al-Ḥakam was formally freed, but instead of returning to Makkah, he walked back into Madīnah and formally declared his Islam publicly. The speaker notes this became a recurring pattern: several prisoners of Badr and other battles would wait for the ransom to reach the Prophet ﷺ first before embracing Islam, ensuring the Muslims received the benefit. Al-Ḥakam ibn Kaysān later died a shahīd in one of the battles during the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime.