The Best Century Series

First Part


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The Best Century Series

First Part
Prepared by
Muhammad Abdul Rahman Al-Terkait
Prefaced by
Professor Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Tahhan
Professor of Sacred Hadiths and Hadith Sciences at
the College of Shari`a University of Kuwait

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Thanks be to God, and prayers and peace be upon
Sayyiduna Muhammad, messenger of God, and upon his kin,
companions and all those faithful to God.
I have read what my esteemed brother Sayyid Abdul
Rahman al- Terkait has written, in his valuable book, which
carries the title the series, named the Best Century, and
found it to be extremely useful, for future generations of
Muslims, and in particular for the youth amongst them. This
is because the book comprises the sira (biography) of the most
virtuous of the companions of the messenger of God, upon
whom be peace, the ten given the good tidings of the reward
of Paradise (al-Mubasharun bi al-Janna).
The author narrated their blessed biographies, in a
simple, easy to understand and, attractive style.
The objective of the author in writing this book, is to
demonstrate to the Muslim youth, in a practical and clean-cut
manner, the exemplary and virtuous example that they should
emulate in their practical life, and their behavioral patterns, in
the earnest hope that God would restore to our umma, such
glory which He had bestowed on the personages and eras
covered by the series The Best Century.

The author was successful in narrating the biographies

of those great men, the companions of the messenger of God
upon whom be peace. He has collected a sizable amount of
Hadiths and legacies which expound the virtues of those
companions, and highlight shining aspects in the lives of
those great leaders and Imams, who had filled the world with
justice and equity, and whom God had Chosen to accompany
the Prophet, and entrusted them with carrying his Shari`a

And while I beseech God to reward the brother author fully

for his accomplishment, I recommend to the Muslim youth
the reading of this useful book, in order to comprehend the
great deeds of our virtuous predecessors and, look up to them
for guidance, so that God would change our condition to a
better one. He is the glorious and the best giver. And thanks
be to Lord of the worlds.
Kuwait 25 RAbi` al-Akher 1424H
25/6/2003 AD
Written by
Dr Mahmoud Ahmad Tahhan
Professor of sacred Hadiths and Hadith
sciences
At the College of Shari`a
The University of Kuwait

Introduction
Thanks be to the Lord of the worlds, such thanks that
are equivalent to His incalculable beneficence. And thanks be
to God who has guided us and, without whose guidance we
would not have been rightly guided. O Lord, do not change
our heart after you have guided us, and grant us from your
mercy. O great benefactor. I testify that there is no God but
Allah, alone, without any partners, possessor of sovereignty,
and to Him be praise. Giver of life and Giver of death, and He
is eternally Alive. In His hands is beneficence, and He is
capable of all things.
I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His
truthful messenger, teacher of this Umma, its leader to good
deeds, and educator of the select of humanity, prayers be upon
him his kin, and his companions, evermore.
I have not, in this book, brought anything new. We, the
generation of this day, are dependent on the accomplishments
of our earlier pioneering Ulemas and sheikhs. We are
nourished from the banquets of those pioneers, whom God
had endowed with such learning and light. What we are doing
here, is to exhibit it in a manner which would be appropriate
to the generality of people, and in concise form, which would
compensate for the paucity of interest and motivation in
seeking knowledge.

Therefore, if the material in this book is old, the need

to know it is in need of renewal, in order to present it to one
generation after another. This book surveys, in brief, the
biography of the select, the Sira of the first batch, of the
graduates of the greatest school which humankind has known.
It is the Sira of the best century, the life story of
disciples of the giver of good tidings and, stern warnings, the
beloved chosen, Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, the prayers of
God be upon him and upon his kin even more: The Sira about
whom was written in their graduation certificate Gods words
God shall be content with them and they shall be content
with Him Quran: (5: 119).
God Almighty has chosen for His messenger (upon
whom be peace) disciples and companions, whom He
cultivated into the best of humans, and selected from amongst
their ranks ten venerable personages, to whom He gave
greater preference and attention, throughout his life, and
bestowed upon them the grace which emanates from Him.
The companions, may God be pleased with them, are
men, to whom the call of Islam was made. They believed in it,
and their hearts opened up to the call, and they took their
pledge of fidelity, to the messenger of God. They put their
own lives, their properties and their tribal loyalties
wholeheartedly at the disposal of the Prophet. They endured
uncomplainingly, the bitter ordeals, in the cause of
propagating the message of God, and it was a mission which
overwhelmed their hearts and minds.

They exemplified the wonders which accrue from

believing in the unseen, the love of God and His messenger,
showing mercy to the faithful and tough stances towards the
unbelievers, choosing the hereafter over this world, and the
later over the instant, and, devoting their lives in spreading the
call, and in converting the worshippers from worshipping
idols to worshippers of God alone. From the profligacy of
false religions to the justice of Islam.
In reading their biographies, souls are humbled in the
presence of such formidable men. In the words of the Holy
Quran: Mohammed, the Messenger of God, and those who
are with him are severe against the unbelievers, and merciful
among themselves. You see them bowing, prostrating
themselves, seeking munificence from God and gratification.
Their mark is on their face, the trace of prostration. Quran:
(48: 29).
And because the Siras, of those companions, are one of
the major sources of faith, from which this Umma is drawing
its flicker of faith, the discourses over the era of the
companions, may God bless them, are not intended to be a
mere boasting about the praiseworthy record of our
predecessors; rather, it is intended to serve as a paradigm
through which to measure their faith with that of the righteous
predecessors, and their Jihad nowadays with the Jihad of
those predecessors, and their lives today with the lives of
those great men of the past. This would teach them that if they
desire paradise, then those predecessors are the people of
paradise, and that they are the people of faith and truthfulness
with God.

As we express our admiration for them, with our

tongues and hearts, it is incumbent on us to follow their
example and, to benefit from their legacies. And in the same
manner as they loved God, the Glorious and the High, and His
messenger (upon whom be peace), we should, likewise love
God and His messenger, and love one another in fidelity to
God. What follows are selected examples of their stances,
their jihad and their endurance in the service of this religion,
which we shall present in this publication. So what are we
supposed to do, O faithful?
Know you, that the affairs of this Umma, shall not be
set straight, unless they follow the feats and the example of
those predecessors. I shall begin this first part, in the series
named the Best Century with recreating the Islamic
consciousness, in order to acquaint the new generations, with
the honorable records and exemplary careers of the
companions of the messenger of God, starting with (alKulafa` al-Rashideen). (The Rightly guided Caliphs, to be
followed by the ten given the glad tidings of eligibility for
paradise. Thence, in succeeding parts, if God grants me a
longer span of live, I shall cover the biographies of all the
venerable companions, may God bless them, in order that
their life Siras, shall may act as a catalyst to motivate us to
follow their paths, in the service of God. Such biographies
would enable us to share their lives in an atmosphere of faith,
of advocating its call, of heroism and of virtue and humility.
They are the people whom the messenger of God (upon whom
be peace) described as the best people were my
contemporaries, then the ones who follow them and then,
their successors. Narrated by Muslim.

He also said: Take up my Sunna, and the Sunnas of

the rightly guided. Hold on to them with all you have.
Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmithi and Tabarani.
And he also said: Do not denigrate my companions,
by God in whose grasp is my soul, if anyone of you were to
spend the equal of another in gold, he would not
approximate the stature or half stature of any one of them.
Consensus.
The Prophet also said: honor my companions, then,
the ones who follow them and then those who come next.
Narrated by Ahmad.
He also said: O you people, safeguard me in my kin
and my in-laws, God will not ask you for the cover of any of
them, for they are not the type to be offered, O you people,
lift you tongues from lashing the Muslims, and when a
Muslim dies, do not say but good things about him.
Narrated by Tabarani, and Abu Na`eem.
He also said: let no one speak ill to me of another of
my companions, for I love to meet them with a sound heart.
(Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daoud and Tirmithi).

10

And, whereas, many people are not familiar with the

Siras of the companions of the Prophet (upon whom be
peace), and in view of some of the critical comments made
against some of those companions and, in particular, what
transpired between them in the past, I warn against engaging
in such divisive matters, so doing in obedience to the word of
God: That is a nation that has passed a way. Theirs is that
which they have earned; and yours is what you have earned.
And you will not be questioned on what they have done.
Quran: (2:134).
And in deference to the saying of the Prophet: my
companions will commit, after I am gone, mishaps, which
God, the High and Almighty shall forgive, in recognition of
their services with me. Narrated by Ibn Asaker.
The Prophet also said: whoever maligns my
companions, shall be damned by God, His angels and people
in general. Narrated by Tabarani.
I beseech the Almighty to grant me truthfulness and
sincerity in seeking and propagating knowledge, and make
this a means to gain His forgiveness and His blessing. My
success can only be attained by Gods beneficence upon
which I depend. And Gods prayers and peace be upon
Sayyiduna Muhammad, and on his kin and companions.

Muhammad Abdul Rahman Al-Terkait

Rajab 1/1424 Hijri
August 28/2003 a.d

11

In The Name Of God, The Compassionate, The

Merciful

The Best Century Series

Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, May God Bless Him
Name and Family:
Abdullah Ibn Abi Quhapha, Uthman Ibn Amer Ibn
Amr Ibn Ka`b, Ibn Sa`d, Ibn Murra Ibn Ka`b, Ibn Luai alQurashi al-Timi.
Physical Characteristics
White, slender, narrow-shouldered, facial veins
visible, deep eyes. Dyes his white hair with henna coloring.
Birth:
Born in Mecca, in the tribe of Teem, a branch of the
greater tribe of Quraysh. He was born approximately two
years and three months after the birth of the Prophet.

12

His upbringing before Islam:

He was raised as one of the patricians of Quraysh, and
one of their richest. He was one of their prominent tradesmen,
and was an authority on the genealogies of the Arabs, their
annals and their policies. He was looked upon as one of the
Arabs leading personages, and the Arabs used to name him
the learned man of the Arabs. He never prostrated himself
in worshiping idols; he abstained from drinking alcohol and
never tasted it; and he was a friend of the messenger of God
(upon whom be peace) in the Jahiliya (age of ignorance) and
in the era of Islam.
Conversion to Islam:
He was the first male convert to Islam, and the most
prominent amongst those who endorsed the Prophetic
mission.
Some of his life history:
He was one of the ten who received the glad tidings of
being chosen to paradise, and five others from amongst the
ten, namely Uthman Ibn Affan, Talha Ibn Ubaidullah, and alZubair Ibn Al-Awam, Sa`d Ibn Abi Waqqass, and Abdul
Rahman Ibn Auf, were converted to Islam at his hands. He
would be the first to be invited from all the gates of paradise,
and one of those whom the Prophet earmarked, as worthy of
being emulated after him. He immigrated to Medina with the
Prophet, and prepared for this Hejira, two transport animals,
one for the Prophet and one for himself.

13

He used to repel the attacks of Quraysh against the

Prophet by saying: do you kill a man for merely proclaiming
our lord is God? Even while he presented to you his evidences
from God? He was prone to shedding tears whenever his
eyes fell on the Quran. He was described as reticent and
forbearing and had strong feelings towards the general public.
He was the most generous contributor, in the cause of God,
and the greatest in loving and glorifying the messenger of
God.
He was fearful of God in private and in public, and he
was the most learned of men. He participated in the company
of the Prophet, in all the military encounters, and led the
pilgrimage in the ninth year of the Hejira, before the farewell
hajj of the Prophet. He used to lead the faithful in prayer as an
Imam, in the absence of the Prophet.
He also led the faithful in prayer during the Prophets
last illness. When he was informed of the Prophets death, he
came and kissed him, and then went out to the people saying:
whoever was worshipping Muhammad, Muhammad is dead;
and whoever was worshipping God, God is living and
immortal. He then read the verse: Mohammed is but a
messenger preceded by other messengers. Will it be that, if he
dies or be slain, you will turn back on your heels? Quran:
(3: 144).
He was the first to order the binding of the Quran in one
volume, and during his Caliphate (which lasted two years, and
three and a half months), he implemented faithfully the rule of
the Sunna. He died is Medina, in the year 13 of the Hejira, at
the age of 63, may God be pleased with him.

14

Sayings of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace)

on his virtues
1On the authority of Abi Said al-Khudri, the Prophet sat
on the pulpit and said: (God had given a servant the choice
between receiving all the gifts of this world or that of what
God has (Hereafter), and he chose the latter. Abu Bakr cried
and said: we are ready to sacrifice our fathers and mothers
for you. We were surprised at his behavior, and the people
present said: look at this old man, the messenger of God
informs him of a servant, whom God had given the choice
between receiving the best of this world, or what is with God,
and he answers by saying: we are ready to sacrifice our
fathers and mothers for you. The messenger of God (upon
whom be peace), was the one given the choice, and Abu Bakr
was the best informed about it. The Prophet (upon whom be
peace) said: the one in whom I trust most in companionship
and money, is Abu Bakr, and if I were to choose a disciple
from my Umma, I would choose Abu Bakr in the brotherhood
of Islam. Consensus.
2On the authority of Amr Ibn al-Aass, may God be
pleased with him narrated: the Prophet (upon whom be peace)
dispatched me, at the head of the expeditionary force of Um
al-Salasil: I came to see the Prophet and I asked him: who are
the dearest people to you? The Prophet replied (Aisha), then I
said: and amongst men? He answered: (her father), whom
after? And he said Umar Ibn al-Khattab. And then he
mentioned other men. Consensus.

15

3- On the authority of Khubair Ibn Mut`im, may God be

pleased with him said: A woman came upon the
Prophet (upon whom be peace), and he ordered her to
come back. And she replied, in utmost desperation, and
if I come and do not find you? And he replied: if you
do not find me, come to Abu Bakr.
4- On the authority of Ibn al-Zubair, may God be pleased
with him said: the messenger of God said: if I were to
choose a closest companion from amongst my Umma, I
would choose Abu Bakr, my brother and companion in
the cave. Narrated by al-Bukhari.
5- Aisha, may God be pleased with her said: the messenger of
God (upon whom be peace) said to Abu Bakr: you are
spared by God the fire of Hell. Narrated by Al-Bukhari.

6- On the authority of Urwa, may God be pleased with

him, said: the Prophet (upon whom be peace), asked for
the hand of Aisha in marriage from Abu Bakr (her
father). Abu Bakr replied: But I am your brother. And
the Prophet answered: you are my brother, in the
religion of God and His Book, and she is to me halal
permissible. Narrated by Bukhari.
7- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God be pleased
with him, said, I heard the messenger of God say:
whoever spends a pair of any thing, in the cause of
God, he would be summoned from doors, meaning
Paradise, with the call saying: O servant of God this is
your choice, whoever belongs to the people of prayer
would be summoned from the gate of prayers, and the
people of

16

Jihad from the gate of Jihad, and the people of alms, from
the gate of alms, and the people of fasting from the gate of
fasting and, the gate of Rayyan. Abu Bakr remarked: what
need is there to make the summons from all these doors,
adding: would anyone be called from all those gates, O
messenger of God? He answered yes, and I hope that you
will be one of them O Abu Bakr. Narrated by Bukhari.
8- On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with
him, the Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: if I were to
take from my Umma a companion, I would have taken Abu
Bakr, but he is my brother and friend. Narrated by AlBukhari.

9- On the authority of al-Aswad, who said: we were in the

home of Aisha, may God be pleased with her, and we
mentioned being punctual and persistent in performing
prayers. She said; when the messenger of God (upon
whom be peace) fell sick, his last illness, the call for
prayer was made: the Prophet said: tell Abu bakr to
lead the faithful in prayers. He was told: Abubakr is a
melancholic man, if he takes your place, he would not
be able to lead the people in prayers. The Prophet
repeated his order and they repeated their remark, and
when they remarked a third time, the Prophet, said: you
companions of Joseph, tell Abu Bakr to lead the
prayers. Abu Bakr came out to lead the prayers, and the
Prophet came out also, having summoned what energy
he could, and his legs were shaking from pain. Abu
Bakr, on sighting the Prophet, wanted to pull back and
the Prophet signaled him to remain in his place. Then
the Prophet was helped to sit next to Abu Bakr. Both
were praying and the congregation was following the
lead of Abu Bakr. The Prophet signaled with his head,
his approval. Abu Mu`awiya added: the Prophet sat to
the left of Abu Bakr and Abu Bakr was saying his
prayers standing. Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Ahmad and
Abu Daoud.

17

10- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God be pleased

with him. He said that the Prophet said: Gabriel came,
and took my hand and showed me the entrance through
which my Umma shall enter paradise. Abu Bakr said: I
wished I was with you to show it to me. The Prophet
answered: you shall be the first from my Umma to
enter paradise. Narrated by Abu Daoud and al-Hakim.

Some of his virtues, may God bless him.

11- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God be pleased
with him, he said that the Prophet had said: who of you,
awoke this morning fasting? Abu Bakr answered I. The
Prophet then asked: who of you walked in a funeral
today? Abu Bakr answered, I. The Prophet then asked:
who of you visited a sick person today? Abu Bakr
answered I. The messenger of God (upon whom be
peace) then said: No person would combine these
duties but would be rewarded in paradise. Narrated by
Muslim.
12- Aisha, God bless her said, that the messenger of God
had said: No people who have Abu Bakr should be led
in prayer by anyone else. Narrated by Tirmithi.
13- On the authority of Abi Huraira, he said that the
messenger of God had said: No one who has rendered
a service to us but was rewarded except Abu Bakr. For
he has performed services to us which God shall
recompense him for, on the Day of Judgment, and no
money ever met my needs more than the monies of Abu
Bakr, and if I were to choose a close companion, I
would have chosen Abu Bakr, lo for you friend is
beloved of God. Narrated by Tirmithi.

18

14- On the authority of Abi Sa`id, may God bless him said,
the messenger of God has said: the people of elevated
status shall be seen by the people below them, as you
can see a star rising in the horizons of the skies. Abu
Bakr and Umar are amongst them and they shall be
blessed. Narrated by Tirmithi.
15- On the authority of Ibn Umar said, the messenger of
God has said to Abi Bakr: you are my companion in
the basin, and my companion in the cave. Narrated by
Tirmithi.
16- On the authority of Ali, may God bless him. He said,
the Prophet (upon whom be peace) has said: Gabriel
came to me and I asked him: who will immigrate with
me? And he answered: Abu Bakr, and he shall succeed
you in running the affairs of your Umma after you.
Narrated by Dailami.
17- On the authority of Aisha, may God bless her- She
said: when the illness of the messenger of God (upon
whom be peace) became more grave, he said to Abdul
Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr: fetch me a board on which to
write a message to Abu Bakr, about which there shall
be no controversy. When Abdul Rahman stood up to
go, the Prophet said: God Forbid, and also the faithful,
that anyone would find anything controversial about
you, O Abu Bakr. Narrated by Ahmad and Tayalsi.

19

18- On the authority of Ibn Abbass, may God bless him,

said, the messenger of God has said: no one has been
more generous to me than Abu Bakr. He gave me his
daughter in marriage, he accompanied me to the abode
of Hejira (immigration). And if I were to choose a close
companion I would chose Abu Bakr, but brotherhood
and attachment until the Day of Judgment. Narrated by
Tabari.
19- On the authority of Ibn Abbass, may God Bless him,
he said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace)
has said: I did not talk about Islam to anyone but
argued with me, except Ibn Abi Quhafa, for whenever I
talked to him about some thing he would readily accept
and embrace. Narrated by Abu Na`im.
20- On the authority of Ali, may God bless him, he said,
the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said:
they are two most exalted of the people of paradise, of
the earlier (generation) and the latter, except for the
Prophets and messengers of God. Do not tell them O
Ali, meaning Abu Bakr and Umar. Narrated by
Tirmithi.
21- On the authority of Abi Umama, may God bless him,
he said: the messenger of God has said: I was brought
the hand of a scale balance and placed on it. And my
Umma was placed on it. And my Umma was placed on
the other hand of the scale. The scale tilted on my side,
then Abu Bakr was placed on the hand of the balance
scale and the balance tilted on his side and similarly
with Umar Ibn al-Khattab. The Balance was then
raised to the sky while I was watching. Narrated by
Abu Na`im.

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22- On the authority of Aisha, may God bless her, she

said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace)
said: if your dream turned out to be true, the best of the
people of paradise shall be buried in your house. This
was said when Aisha said: O Prophet of God, I have
seen what appeared as three moons falling on to my
room. Narrated by Tabarani.
The Statements Of The Companions On Abu Bakr, May
God Bless him

Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may God Bless him said: Abu

Bakr is our master, our best and the master, our best
and the most beloved to the messenger of God (upon
whom be peace).

21

Aisha, may God bless her said: none of the fathers of

the immigrants embraced Islam, except Abu Bakr.

Urwa Ibn al-Zubair, may God bless him said: when

Abu Bakr embraced Islam, he owned a balance of
forty thousand dinars.

Ali, may God bless him said: the messenger of God

instructed that Abu Bakr lead the people in prayers. I
was a witness to this and, I was in my full capacity.
We have accepted for our world what the Prophet
(upon whom be peace) accepted for our religion.

22

Aisha, may God bless her said: when Abu Bakr

assumed the Caliphate, he threw every dinar and
every dirham into Bait Almal (Muslim treasury). He
said: I used to trade with them and earn my living.
When I was entrusted with their (public) affairs, they
pre-occupied me.

Muhammad Ibn Sireen said: Abu Bakr was the most

acute of visonaries of this Umma, after the Prophet.

Ali, may God be pleased with him said: on the

pulpit, the best amongst this Umma after the Prophet
is Abu Bakr and then Umar. He added: God makes
goodness where He choses.

Ali also said: the one deserving the greatest

recompense on matters relating to al-Quran is Abu
Bakr, for he was the first to order the binding of the
Quran within two covers.

Hassan Ibn Thabet described Abu Bakr in a poem:

As he accompanied the messenger of God on the
pilgrimage and his stay with the Prophet in the cave,
to evade the pursuit of Quraysh.

Aisha, may God bless her said: Abu Bakr never

reneged on an oath, until the Kafara (forsakenness)
of an oath was revealed.

Some of the Golden statements of Abu Bakr:

Abu Bakr, in one of his statement said: O you

people, beware of lying, because lying is contrary to
faith.

23

On the authority of Qays, he said: Abu Bakr

redeemed Bilal the slave while he was being tortured
by his master, at the price of five ounces of gold.
They said to him: if you had objected we would have
sold it to you for just one ounce. He replied: if you
had refused less than one hundred ounces I would
have given it to you.

On the authority of al-Hassan, who said: Abu Bakr

the truthful said: I wish I were a tree first bitten into
then eaten.

Qays Said: I saw Abu Bakr touching an extremity of

his tongue and saying: this is what would bring me all
troubles.

On the authority of Abi al-Sifr: Abu Bakr fell ill and

people visited him and said to him: should we not call
you a doctor? Abu Bakr answered that a doctor had
seen him the they said: and what did he tell you?
He answered: he said that I am capable of doing what
I wish to do.

Abu Bakr, may God bless him said: Zakat (alms) is

that which is due of money. By God, I shall fight
whoever tries to differentiate between the duty of
prayers and the duty of giving the zakat.

Abu Bakr said: mix desire with apprehension, for

God most High praised Zakariya and his household in
the verse Truly they used to vie with one another in
good deeds, and supplicate Us in eagerness and in
fear. And they were venerators to Us. Quran: (21:
90).

On the authority of Abi Umran al-Juni, he said: Abu

Bakr the truthful said: I wish I was a hair in the side
of a faithful servant.

Aisha, may God bless her said: I attended my father

when he was on his death bed. He became
unconscious and I said:

anyone whose tear is still sealed, he shall once upon a

time be buried
Abu Bakr raised his head and said: my daughter, no, it is
not like that. But is like what God most High said:
And the death pang comes for certain; that is what
you were shunning Quran: (50:19).

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51

50

Umar Ibn al-Khattab

His name and family tree:
He is Umar Ibn al-Khattab ben Nufayl, ben Abdul
Uzza, ben Reyah, ben Abdulah, ben Qurt, ben Ruzah, ben, be
Addi, ben Kab, ben Luay, al-Qurashi, al Adawi, Abu Hafs.
His physical Characteristics:
White with a reddish hue, tall, bald, white haired, dyed
with henna and katm.
Birth:
Born thirteen years after the year of the elephant. It
was reported that Umar had said: I was born four years after
the great Fujar.
Upbringing Before Islam:
He was one of the heroes and lords of Quraysh, and
had the function of the emissary for them. For, whenever
Quraysh fought one another, or when they fought against
others, they dispatched Umar as their ambassador. And if
some one challenged them in debate, or boasted against them
they chose him as their speaker and their debator.

25

His conversion to Islam

Umar converted to Islam, in the sixth year of the
prophethood. The messenger of God had all along been
praying: Allahumma strengthen Islam, with the most beloved
man to you of these two men: Umar Ibn al-Khattab or Amr
Ibn Hisham. God accepted the supplications of the
messenger of Gods plea for Umar, who converted to Islam
following forty men and eleven women, in time sequence.
Ibn Abbass states that thirty-nine men and women
converted to Islam with the Prophet, and when `Umar
converted, they became forty. And Gabriel (upon whom be
peace) came down with Gods verse: O Prophet, God suffices
for you and those who follow you of the believers. Quran
(8: 64).
His Emigration-Hijra:
Ali Ibn Abi Taleb said: I have not heard but all of the
emigrants had emigrated in secrecy except Umar Ibn alKhattab. When he had decided to emigrate, he carried his
sword and his arrows in his hand, and walked towards Kaba,
which the people filled its open spaces. He circumambulated
seven times, then said his prayers in front of Maqam of
(Ibraheem). Then he stood opposite the people and declared:
perish the faces! Whoever wants his mother to be bereaved,
and whoever wants his son to be orphaned, and whoever
wants his wife widowed, let him encounter me behind this
valley. Ali added: No one followed him except a band of
weaklings. He taught them, guided them and then continued
his journey.

26

Period of Caliphate.
Ten years, six months and four days. He gave to the
rulers of the world in particular, and to humankind in general,
a lesson in truthfulness and honesty, and a lesson unequaled in
dedication to duty, during this period of the Caliphate.
His Martyrdom:
The Just Caliph and the rightly-guided Imam was
martyred, in consequence of a vile crime, perpetrated in the
dark of night by a slave of al-Mughira Ibn Shuba, when
lulua Fairuz the Magian, advanced towards one of the
corners of the mosque, awaiting the arrival of the commander
of the faithful, for his morning prayers.
He Had a premeditated plan to murder him and armed
himself with a two-pronged dagger, at his waste, positioned
and poisoned. Umar was in the habit of asking worshippers
when passing through their lines: stand in line. And after
assuring himself that they were standing in straight lines, he
would advance to lead in prayers. As soon as he had said
Allahu Akbar, the murderer Abu Lulua jumped out and
attacked Umar and thrice thrust the dagger into his body. One
was under the navel which was the fatal strike that led to his
death at the age of sixty three. He was buried on a Sunday
morning, the first of the month of Muharram, in the year
twenty four Hijra, and was buried beside his companion Abu
Bakr, may God bless them.

27

His Life History:

He was the second of the rightly guided Caliphs, and the first
to be titled commander of the faithful. A venerable
companion of the Prophet, brave and resolute, and foremost
amongst the companions in his firmness and outspokenness.
He was adamant in safeguarding right, and hard on those who
defied the religion of God. He was humble and supplicant,
whose soul was wholly subservient and devoted to God. Even
Satan did not dare to tread a path on which Umar walked.
The conqueror, the just and whose justice was regarded as a
paradigm. Islam remained in hiding until Umar embraced it.
He witnessed the battle of Badr and all other major
encounters. He was nominated and pledged loyalty as Caliph,
the day Abu Bakr died, in the thirteenth year of the Hijra.
During his reign, the Levant and Iraq were conquered, and so
were Jerusalem, al-Madain, Egypt and the Jezira. It was said
that, during his Caliphate, twelve thousand pulpits were
erected in the domains of Islam. He was the first to initiate
and congregate the faithful for the Taraweeh prayers. He was
the first to establish the Hejira (immigration) as the Muslim
calendar. Prior to that historical referencess were made by
specific episodes. He established (Bayt Mal al-Muslimeen),
the Muslim Treasury.

28

He ordered the construction of the two Iraqi cities of

Basra and Kufah. He established the administrative structure
in Islam, in order to register the entitlements of those eligible
and, the distribution of their salaries. He used to walk the
markets alone and, adjudicate between people.
He wrote to the governors of the provinces instructing
them to start applying the law to themselves, before
administering it to others. And when he faced an intractable
problem, he would seek the advise of the youth, to utilize the
sharpness of their brains.
When he assumed the Caliphate, one of the first things
he did was to return the women captives of the wars of Ridda
(the war of the apostates) to their tribes saying: I hated to see
the captivity of women, a source of shame on the Arabs.
There are 537 hadiths ascribed to him. And on his ring was
inscribed the following: O Umar, suffice it that death be our
counselor.
The Prophet (upon whom be peace) gave him the title
of al-Farouq, and nicknamed him Abi Hafss, and many
hadiths in praise of Umar, are ascribed to the Prophet.
Hadiths of the Prophet (Upon whom be peace) about
Umar
1- On the authority of Abi Said al-Khudari, may God bless
him, said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace)
said: while I was asleep I saw people being presented
before me wearing garments, some of them reaching the
chest, and some below it. And presented to me also was
Umar Ibn al-Khattab wearing a garment which he was
drawing behind him. They asked the messenger of God:
and how did you interpret what you saw? And his answer
was al-Deen (religiosity).Consensus
2- On the authority of Abu Huraira, may God bless him
said: while we were with the Prophet (upon whom be
peace) he said: while I was asleep, I saw myself in
29

paradise, and a woman was performing ablution next to

a palace. I said: to whom does this palace belong? And
they answered; to Umar Ibn al-Khattab. I remembered
his fear of envy and departed promptly. Umar, cried
and said: envious of you O messenger of God?.
Consensus.
3- On the authority of Sad Ibn Abi Waqqass, may God
bless him. He said: Umar asked permission from the
Prophet to enter the house while the Prophet was
surrounded by women who were talking with him and,
raising their voices. When Umar asked to enter, they
stood up and put on the (Hijab) the cover. The
Prophet allowed Umar in, and the messenger of God
was laughing. Umar then said: may you always be
mercy but, and what caused you to laugh. And the
Prophet answered: I was surprised by those women
who were seated with me, for when they had heard
your vice, they promptly put on the cover. Umar
replied: You, messenger of God should have been, the
one to be feared by them. Umar then added addressing
the women: O you enemies of yourselves, you fear me,
but you do not fear the messenger of God? They
replied: You are more brash and more frank than the
messenger of God. The Prophet said to Umar: by
God in whose hands my soul rests, wherever Satan
would see you treading a wild path, he would avoid it,
and tread another wild one. Consensus.

30

4- On the authority of Ibn Umar, may God bless him, he

said: I heard the Prophet of God say: while I was
asleep, I was brought a cup of milk, which I drank until
I saw its liquid coming out from under my nails. I then
gave what remained to Umar Ibn al-Khatab. They
asked: and how did you interpret that? And he
answered: knowledge. Consensus.
5- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God bless him, he
said, that the Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: that
there were before your time nations, who included
orators, and if my people were included amongst them,
mine would have been Umar Ibn al-Khattab. Narrated
by al-Bukhari.
6- On the authority of Abi Tharr, may God be pleased
with him, he said: I heard the messenger of God (upon
who be peace) say: God had placed right on the tongue
and heart of Umar. Narrated by al-Hakim.
7- Abu Bakr may God bless him said: I heard the
messenger of God state: the sun has not arisen on a
man of good deeds more than Umar. Narrated by
Tirmithi and al-Hakim.
8- On the authority of Uqba Ibn Amer, may God bless
him, said: the messenger of God said: if there was a
Prophet after me, it would be Umar Ibn al-Khattab.
Narrated by Tirmithi an al-Hakim.

31

9- On the authority of Ibn Masuod, may God be pleased

with him. He said: that the Prophet has said: A man
belonging to the people of paradise will appear to you,
and Abu Bakr appeared. And then said: a man form the
people of paradise shall appear to you, and there
appeared Umar. Narrated by Tirmithi.
10- On the authority of Huthayfa, may God bless him. He
said: we were sitting with the Prophet (upon whom be
peace) when he said: I do not know how long I shall
be with you, so take guidance from those who shall
succeed me. And he pointed to Abi Bakr and Umar.
Narrated by Tirmithi, Ahmad and Ibn Maja.

Some of his virtues, may God bless him.

11- On the authority of Fadhl Ibn Abbass, may God be
pleased with him, he said, he had heard the messenger
of God (upon whom be peace) state: Umar Ibn alKhattab is with me on things which I like, and, I with
him on what he likes. Right, after me, is where Umar
Ibn al-Khattab stands. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi.
12- On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik, may God bless
him, me said, that the Prophet (upon whom be peace)
has said: the most strident in matters pertaining to
God, is Umar. Ibn al Jawzi.
13- On the authority of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may God bless
him. He said that the Prophet had said: beware the
anger of Umar, for God gets angry if Umar is
angered. Ibn al-Jawzi.

32

14- On the authority of Ibn Abbass, may God bless him.

Said that Gabriel came to the Prophet (upon whom be
peace) and said: Give greetings to Umar and tell him
that his satisfaction is a high reward, and his anger is
tantamount to a sentence. Ibn al-Jawzi in History of
Umar.
15- On the authority of Jaber, may God be pleased with
him: he said, he heard the messenger of God state: no
hypocrite is he who would love Abu Bakr and Umar,
and no faithful is he who would hate them. Ibn alJawzi in History of Umar.
16- On the authority of Ali, may God be pleased with him.
He said: I heard the Prophet (upon whom be peace)
state: the best in this nation after its Prophet is Abu
Bakr and Umar. Ibn Asakir.
17- On the authority of Arwa al-Dousi, may God bless him.
He said, we were sitting in the presence of the Prophet
(upon whom be peace) when Abu Bakr and Umar
departed. The Prophet said: Thank God for supporting
me with them narrated by Ibn Asakir and Ibn al-Najjar.

18- On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased

with him. He said: a man came to the messenger of
God and said: o messenger of God: who is the best of
men (people)? He answered: the messenger of God.
Then, who, the man asked? The Prophet answered: if
the virtuous are counted, then the best is Abu Bakr. The
man then said: and who comes next? If the Mujjahidun
(struggler, fighters), then it is Umar ib al-Khattab. The
Prophet continued: Umar is with me wherever I go,
and I am with Umar wherever he goes. Whoever likes
Umar likes me, and whoever hates Umar hates me
Narrated by Ibn Asaker and Ibn Mardawaih.

33

19- On the authority of Ibn Abbass, may God bless him,

said: the messenger of God wanted to send an emissary,
on a mission of importance. Abu Bakr was on his right
and Umar on his left. Ali said to the Prophet: what
prevents you from sending these two men? And the
Prophet answered: how can I send them, when they are
to religion what hearing and seeing are to the head.
Narrated by Ibn al-Najjar.
20- On the authority of Ibn Umar, may Gd bless him. He
said: the messenger of God went out with Abi Bakr and
Umar and then said: this is how we die, this is how
we shall be buried, and this is how we shall enter
paradise. Narrated by Ibn Asakir.
21- On the authority of Um Salama, may God be pleased
with her. She said, the Prophet (upon whom be peace)
has said: there are two angels in heaven, one of them
orders hard punishment and, one orders flexibility, and
both are right. The one is Gabriel and the other
Michael; and there are two Prophets, one is stern in
judgment and one is flexible, and he mentioned
Ibrahim and Noah and I have two companions - one
instructs flexibility, and the other orders firmness - and
he mentioned Abu Bakr and Umar. Narrated by Ibn
Asaker.
22- On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may God bless him: he
said: the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said
when Umar embraced Islam, that Gabriel came to him
and said: the people of the heavens rejoiced at
Umars conversion to Islam. Narrated by al-Hakim,
in al-Mustadarak.

34

What the companions said of Umar:

Abdulah Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him

said: we have remained impregnable since Umars
conversion to Islam. Narrated by al-Bukari.

Ali, may God bless him said: God, most High, has
made of Abi Bakr and Umar an authority and
witness against rulers who would succeed them, until
the Day of Judgment. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi, in his
History of Umar.
Malik Ibn Anas, may God bless him said: the
forefathers used to teach their sons the love of Abu
Bakr and Umar.

35

Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir said:

whoever does not recognize the virtues of Abi Bakr
and Umar, must be ignorant of the Sunna. Narrated
by Ibn al-Jawzi, in History of Umar.

Ali Ibn al-Hussein Zain al-AAbiddin, may God bless

him said: the standing of Abi Bakr and Umar in the
esteem of the messenger of God is akin to their rank
as they lie buried next to him. Ibn al-Jawzi, in the
History of Umar.

Ali, may God bless him said: the best of this nation
after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, and after Abu Bakr is
Umar. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi, in History of Umar.
And also by Ibn Maja and Abu Naim, in Al-Hillya.

Ibrahim al-Nakhai, may God bless him said: the first

one to be assigned by Abu Bakr, the administration of
some of the affairs of the Muslims, was Umar Ibn alKhattab. He was assigned the judiciary, and was the
first Qadi in Islam. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi in
History of Umar.
Ibn Masoud said: Umar was the most pious
amongst us, and foremost in reading the book of God.
Narrated by al-Hakim.
Ali, may God bless him said: we didnt think it farfetched for tranquility to be manifest in the spoken
words of Umar. Narrated by Suyuti.

36

Abu Bakr, may God bless him said: nothing on the

face of the earth is dearer to me than Umar. Narrated
by Suyuti.

Muawiya, may God bless him said: As for Abu Bakr,

he did not want the world, and the world did not want
him. As for Umar, the world wanted him, but he did
not want it. As for us, we are immersed in it, belly
and back. Narrated by al-Zubair Ibn Bakkar.

Jafar Ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, may God be pleased

with him said: I am free of those who spoke about
Abu Bakr and Ali, in any tone other than praise.
(Related by Suyuti)

Some of Umars Golden Sayings:

1- Umar, may God bless him said: I was in line with my
God thrice: I had said: o messenger of God, I wish we
would take the Maqam (The mausoleum of Ibrahim)
as a place for prayer. And the verse in the Quran was
revealed: Take Abrahams station for a place of prayer
Quran: (2: 125). And then the verse on al-Hijab
(cover). I had said: o messenger of God, I wish you
ordered your women to take cover (Hijab), because the
righteous and the unrighteous talk to them. Then the
verse on the hijab was revealed. The women of the
Prophet (upon whom be peace) then assembled
together, to express their jealousy towards him, and I
said to them: hopefully, if he divorced you, God would
grant him wives better than yourselves, and this verse
was revealed. Narrated by al-Bukhari.
2- Umar said: Anyone who employs an unrighteous
person, while knowing of his unrighteousness then,
both men are alike. Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi
3- Umar, may God bless him said: I felt like sending a
message to al-Ansar that, no person who had come of
age, and was financially capable, and yet failed to
perform the pilgrimage, would be spared the imposition
of the jizya. By God, those (who do not perform hajj)
are not Muslims, by God those are not Muslims.
Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi.
37

4- The first words uttered by Umar, may God bless him,

when he ascended the pulpit was: Allahumma, I am
harsh, I beseech you to soften me, I am weak,
strengthen me, I am miserly, thus make me more
generous. Ibn al-Jawzi.
5- Umar, may God bless said: suffice it for a person, to
eat all that he desires, to be judged extravagant.
Narrated by al-Suyuti.
6- Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him, hung on one
occasion a water-holder to his neck. When questioned
about it, he answered: I became an admirer of myself,
so I decided to humiliate it.
7- Umar, may God bless him, said to one of his servants:
be kind to Muslims and, beware the curse of one who
has been treated unjustly, because his supplications
would be answered. Narrated by Malik in alMuwwatta).
8- Umar, may God bless him said: there is no share in
Islam for one who has forsaken prayers. Narrated by
Ibn Sad.
9- Umar, may God bless him said, while on his deathbed,
and while placing his head on the leg of his son
Abdullah: place my cheek on the ground. Abdullah
did so. Then Umar said: damnation to me and to my
mother, if God does not have mercy on me. Narrated
by al-Mustadrak of Hakim and Ibn Sad.

38
81

80

Uthman Ibn Affan

Name and lineage:
He is Uthman Ibn Affn Ibn Abi al-ss, Ibn
Ummayya Ibn Abd Shams, Ibn abd Manf al-Qurashii alUmmawiyy. His lineage converges with that of the Prophet
in the person of Abd manaf. He was knicknamed Abu
Abdullah and Abu Amr.
His Physical Characterizations:
Squarely built, white, thin skinned, good looking,
heavy wide shoulders, with plenty of hair on his head, and a
thick beard, which he used to dye into a yellow color.
Birth:
Born in Mecca, in the sixth year of the Year of the
Elephant, i.e six years after the birth of the Prophet (upon
whom be peace).
His upbringing before Islam:
He was a rich notable, a very well-to do merchant, which
enabled him to live a life of luxury and extravagance. He
used to wear the most expensive and beautiful of garments
His conversion to Islam:
Uthman was approaching his thirty fourth year, when
Abu Bakr called on him to embrace Islam. He was not known
to be ambivalent, but promptly accepted the call of Abu Bakr,
and was therefore, one of the earliest converts to Islam, in
fact, the fourth convert amongst men.
His Caliphate:

39

Uthman was pledged the Caliphate on a Monday one

night before the end of the month of Thul Hijja, in the year
twenty-three. His Caliphate commenced in the month of
Muharram in the year twenty-four Hejira, and it lasted twelve
years.
His martyrdom

He was martyred on a Friday, the eighteenth of Thul

Hijja, in the year thirty-five, Hijri in his home, while he was
reading the Quran. He was murdered by a band of
transgressors against Islam, who were demanding his
abdication. Uthman, had refused their request because the
Prophet (upon whom be peace) had told him: o Uthman,
God, most High is clothing you with a garment that if
hypocrites would ask you to take it off, you must decline.

40

And what the Prophet (upon whom be peace) had told

Abu Musa al-Ashari of Uthman: give him permission to
enter, and convey to him the good tidings of paradise, in
recompense for an ordeal which will afflict him. Uthman
was killed at the age of eighty two, and some surmise, at the
age of eighty eight. He was murdered in the year thirty five of
Hejira and died as a martyr. He was buried at the alBaqeecemetery beside the companions of the Prophet, may
God bless them all.
Some aspects of his career:
He is commander of the faithful, Thu al-Nurayn
(possessor of the two lights), the third of the rightly guided
Caliphs, and one of the ten given the glad tidings of paradise.
He was also one of the six whom Umar chose to constitute
the Shura (Consultative body).
He was informed that the Prophet before he died had
expressed his satisfaction with them. He was one of the five
who converted to Islam, at the hands of Abu Bakr, the
truthful, (may God bless him). The Prophet gave his daughter
Ruqayya in marriage to Uthman, and the latter was the first
to immigrate to Abyssinia with his wife Ruqayya, daughter of
the Prophet . The Prophet said of him when he immigrated:
Gods speed, Uthman is the first to immigrate in the cause of
God after Lot, upon whom be peace.

41

Subsequently, he immigrated with Ruqayya to Medina.

She was at his side when the Muslim made preparations to go
after the Quraysh convoy at Badr. But she fell sick and the
Prophet left him behind to look after her, but died of her
illness as Zayd Ibn Haritha rushed to give the Muslims the
good tidings of victory over Quraysh. The Prophet (upon
whom be peace) allocated to Uthman his share and his
reward for the battle of Badr, as though he had participated in
the encounter. The messenger of God then gave his second
daughter, Um Kulthum in marriage to Uthman and she died
in his life time. The Prophet said: if I had a third daughter, I
would have given her in marriage to Uthman.
Uthman leant the Quran by heart, and the first to
complete reading the Quran in prayer. He devoted his wealth
to financing the Muslim forces, and one of his
accomplishments was to defray half the cost of the army of
Usra. He contributed three hundred camels with their full
loads, in addition to one thousand dinars. He also bought the
well of Ruma with twenty thousand dirhims and endowed it
for charity.
He established a house for the judiciary and he
adjudicated on conflicts between citizens. During his
Caliphate, conquests reached as far Armenia, the caucuses,
Khurasan, Karaman, Sajistan, Africa and Cyprus. He
instructed the collection of the Suras of the Quran and their
binding between two covers. Abu Bakr had, during his
Caliphate, ordered the collection of the Quran and allowed
people to keep what pieces and articles they had on which
there were Quranic inscriptions. When Uthman became the
Caliph, he ordered that the collection of Abu Bakr be adopted
and copies to be made of it only, and all else burnt. He
narrated 146 hadiths of the Prophet.

42

The inscription on his ring read, Uthman believed in

God most High. He and was nicknamed Thu al-Nurayn (the
one of the two lights), because he had married the Prophets
two daughters - Ruqiya and Um Kulthum. The Prophets
commended Uthman in many Hadiths.
The Hadiths of the messenger of God on Uthman Ibn Affan

1On the authority of Abi Musa, he said. The

Prophet upon whom be peace, entered a defended wall and
instructed me to protect its door. A man came and asked
permission to enter. The Prophet answered: let him in. then
another came and asked permission and the Prophet ordered
that he be let in. it was Umar. Then a third one came asking
permission. The Prophet paused for a while and then said: let
him in, and give him the good tidings of paradise, on account
of a catastrophe which shall befall him. The man was
Uthman Ibn Affn. Narrated by Bukhari.
2On the authority of Anas, may God bless him.
He said, that the Prophet upon whom be peace ascended the
mount of Uhud, accompanied by Abu Bakr, Umar and
Uthman. The mount shook, and the Prophet said he may
even struck it with his foot: Be still, Uhud, for none is
standing on you but a Prophet, a truthful man and two
martyrs. (Narrated by Bukhari).

43

3-

4-

5-

44

On the authority of Aisha, may God bless her. She

said: the Prophet was lying down in his home, with his
legs uncovered. Abu Bakr asked to be admitted and he
was admitted, while the Prophet remained seated, as
before. Then Umar asked that he be admitted and the
Prophet remained in the same position. Then Uthman
Ibn Affan was admitted and the Prophet corrected his
posture and set up covering his body. After he had
departed, Aisha said to the Prophet: Abu Bakr came in,
and you did not came to correct your seating position,
and Umar came and you did not take heed of his
presence, and whom Uthman came in, you sat up and
covered yourself with your garment. The Prophet
replied: would I not be ashamed in the presence of a man
in whose presence the angels would be ashamed?.
Narrated by Muslim.
On the authority of Talha Ibn Ubaid Allah, may God
bless him, he said the messenger of God has said: Every
Prophet has a companion, and my companion in Paradise
in Uthmn. Narrated by Tirmithi.
On the authority of Abdul Rahman Ibn Khalbal, may
God bless him, he said: I witnessed the Prophet while he
was urging the dispatch of the army of al-Usra. Uthman
Ibn Affan stood up and said: O messenger of God, my
contribution is one hundred beasts of burden with their
full attires in the cause of God. Then the Prophet made
further pleas for the army, and Uthman stood up and
said: my contribution of two hundred beasts of burden
with their full attire, in the cause of God. The Prophet
made additional urgings and Uthman Ibn Affn said: my
contribution shall be three hundred beasts of burden with
their full compliments, in the cause of God. Abdull
Rahman concluded: I saw the messenger of descend
from the pulpit saying: Uthman need not be held
accountable for anything after this.Narrated by Tirmithi.

6-

On the authority of Anas Ibn Malile, may God bless

him, he said: when the messenger of God, upon whom be
peace, ordered the pledge-taking at Radhwan, Uthman
Ibn Affn was the messenger of the messenger of God to
the people of Mecca. Those present gave their pledges to
the Prophet, after which the Prophet said: Uthman is the
favored of God and the favored of his messenger. Then,
he clapped his two hands together, and the hand of
Uthman to that of the Prophet, was weightier than their
own hands to themselves. Narrated by Trimithi.

7-

On the authority of isha, may God bless her, she said

that the Prophet said: O Uthman, it is hoped that God
would place on you a garment, and if they ask you to
take it off, do not do so upon their request. Narrated by
Tirmithi.

8-

On the authority of Ibn Umar, may God bless him. He

said, the Prophet has said: the messenger of God
mentioned an insurrection, in which Uthman Ibn Affan
would be killed unjustly, may God bless him. Narrated
by Tirmithi.

9-

On the authority of Jaber. He said: the Prophet was

brought the coffin of a deceased man for funeral prayers.
The Prophet declined to perform the prayer. The people
around him said: o messenger of God, we have never
seen you decline saying prayers on a dead person before?
The Prophet replied: he used to hate Uthman, and so
God made him hated. Narrated by Trimithi.

45

10-

On the authority of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may God bless

him. He said: I heard the messenger of God say: if I had
forty daughters, I would have given them in marriage to
Uthman, one after the other, until not one remained.
Narrated by Asad al-Ghabah.

Some Of His Virtues, May God Bless Him:

11- On the authority of Muslim Ibn Yasar, may God bless,
he said: the Prophet upon whom be peace looked
towards Uthman and said: the likeness to Ibrahim,
and the angels would be at unease in his presence
narrated by al-Baghawi.
12- On the authority of Hassan Ibn attiya, may God bless,
said, the Prophet has said: may God forgive you,
oUthman, for what you have done and, what you shall
do, what you have kept secret, and what you have
announced, and what might be, until the day of
judgment. (Asad al-Ghabah).
13- On the authority of Abi Huraira, may God bless, he said
the Prophet said: the messenger of God talked of a
sedition which he warned against. They asked: what do
you instruct those of us who shall witness it to do? The
Prophet answered: support the honest one and his
companions and he was pointing at Uthman Ibn Ibn
Affan. Narrated by Ibn Naeem and Ibn Asaker).

46

14- On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may God bless, said, the
Prophet said: God has inspired me to give my two
daughters in marriage to Uthman. Narrated by al-Dra
Qutni and Ibn Asakir.
15- On the authority of Anas, may God bless him. He said,
the Prophet peace be upon him, has said; whoever
enlarges this mosque of ours, God shall build for him a
house in Paradise! Uthman thereupon bought the
house [adjacent to the mosque] and thus enlarged the
mosque. Narrated by Ibn Assaker.
16- On the authority of Anas, may God bless, said, the
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) has said: I
entered Paradise and picked up an apple, I split it and
there emerged a beauty, whose eyelashes resembled
the feathers of an eagle. I asked: to whom does it
belong? And the answer was, to Uthman Ibn Affan.
Narrated by Ibn Asaker.
17- On the authority of isha, may God bless. She said,
the messenger of God has said: I wish I had with me
some of my friends. She said: o messenger of God shall
we call for you Abu Bakr, and the Prophet kept his
silence, I said Umar? And he kept silent, and I said
Ali and he kept silent, and then I said Uthman and he
answered, yes. Then we sent after Uthman Ibn Affan.
Narrated by Tirmithi and Abu Hatim.

47

18- On the authority of Abdul Rahman Ibn Samara, may

God bless him. He said: Uthman Ibn Affn came with
one thousand dinars in his pocket, when he was
financing the campaign of al-Usra army. He poured it
into the front garament of the Prophet (upon whom be
peace). The Prophet then inspected it saying: No harm
shall befall Uthman after what he has done today.
Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad.
19- On the authority of Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God
bless him. He said, I heard the messenger of God (upon
whom be peace) say: when Uthman dies, the angels
of heaven shall pray for him. I said: o messenger of
God, Uthman in particular or people in general? And
he answered: Uthman, in particular. Narrated by alHfiz al-Dimashqi.
20- On the authority of Jaber Ibn Afdullah, may God bless
he said, we were in the company of the messenger of
God, with a number of immigrants, including Abu
Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, al-Zubair, Abdul
Rahman Ibn Awf, and Sad Ibn Abi Waqq. The
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said: let each
one of you stand up beside his equal, then the Prophet
stood up and moved towards Uthman and embraced
him saying: you are my guardian in this world and the
hereafter. Narrated by Ibn Kather in al-Bidya wa alNihya, and Ibn al-Atheer Asad al-Ghabel.

48

21- On the authority of Ibn Abbass, may God bless him.

He said, the Prophet has said: Uthman shall plead, on
the day of judgement, on behalf of seventy thousand of
my Uma of those deserving Hellfire, when the scales
are measured. Al-Muhib al-Tabari fi al-Riyadh alNadhira.
22- On the authority of Ismat Ibn Malik, he said: when the
daughter of the messenger of God died while she was
wife to Uthman, the Prophet said: get Uthman
married (to his other daughter), and if I had a third
daughter, I whould have given her in marriage to him,
and I gave her in marriage to him by an inspiration
from God. Al-Suli).
23- On the authority of Ibn Umar, may God bless him, the
Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: the angels are
comely with Uthman, as they are in the pressene of
God and his messenger. Narrated by al-Suty.
24- On the authority of Anas, may God bless, said: the
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) has said: the
most merciful of my Uma towards my Umma is Abu
Bakr, the most strident in matters of religion is Umar,
and the most genuinely comely is Uthman. Narrated
by Ibn Asaker.

49

The Sayings of the Companions on Uthman:

Abu Huraira, may God bles said: Uthman bought
from the messenger of God, Paradise twice: on the
day of Ruma, and on the day of the army of al-Usra.
Narrated by al-Hkim in al-Mustadrak, and Abu
Naim.

50

Ibn siren, may God bless said: the most learned on

matters of religionous observances was Uthman,
followed by Ibn Umar. Narrated by Ibn Asker.

Ali, may God bless, said of Uthman: he was the

most fastidious in maintaining kinship relation, and
most pious before God. Safwat al-Safwa.

Ibn Umar, may God bless said: the one who stays
up the night in devotional prayers, prostrating and
standing, fearful of the Hereafter and hopeful of
Gods mercy, is Uthman Ibn Affan. Safwat alSafwa.

Ali, may God bless said: he is the person named in

the Hereafter Thu al-Nrayn, he had married two
daughters of the messenger of God, and has ensured
an abode in Paradise. (Asad Al-Ghaba).

51

Ali said to a man who asked him about Uthman: he

was among those who fear God and believe, and do
virtuous deeds, then fear God and do benevolent
deeds. And God loves the benevolent. Quran: (5:
93). By Ibn Marthuwaih and Ibn Asaker.

Sad Ibn Malik, may God bless him said: when we

were all in the company of the messenger of God
(upon whom peace), he was the best in washing (for
prayers), the longest in prayer span and the most
generous contributor, in the cause of God. (Ibn
Asker).

Anas, may God bless said: Uthman was one of the

disciples, the disciples of the messenger of God.
Narrated by Ibn Asaker.

Huthaifa, may God bless him said: the first episode

of sedition was the murder of Uthman, and the last
shall be the emergence of al-Dajjl (The Impostor).
By God, in whose hands rests my soul, no man shall
die in whose heart is a speckle of favoring the
munder of Uthman, but shall become a follower of
The Impostor, if he lives to be his contemporary, and
if not, shall follow him, while in his grave. (AlSuyuti).

Some of Uthmans Golden Sayings:

Uthman said: o you people, be pious towards God, for he

who does that gains. The most prudent is one who
disciplines himself and works for the Hereafter, and who
gains from the light of God, the light that would eliminate
the darkness of the grave. Let a servant beware lest God
replace his vision with blindness. Narrated by Ibn Asaker.

Uthman said: know you, that whoever God is on his side

need not fear anything and, whoever God is not on his side
then, whom shall he supplicate to ?. Narrated by Ibn Askar.

Uthman said: whoever does not increase his good deeds day
by day, then he is a man who prepares himself, not unaware,
for the fire of Hell.

Uthman said: night is to them a time for rest. If they talk to

Him, why does He not request him his servants to get up at
night, to prepare ablution for him. Narrated by Ibn Sa`ad

Uthman said: I have not sung nor lusted, nor masturbated

since I pledged allegiance to the messenger of God (upon
whom be peace), nor have I committed adultery in the
Jhiliya (the age of ignorance) nor in Islam. Nor have I
stolen anything in Jhiliya or in Islam. Al-Suyty.

Uthman said: No Friday has gone by without me liberating

a slave, unless I had nothing at my disposal with which to
liberate a slave, but then I would do it subsequently. Suyti.

52

Ali Ibn Abi Tleb, May God Bless

Name And Family:
He is Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (and the name of Abi Taleb is
Abd Manf), Ibn Abdul Muttaleb, Ibn Hashem, Ibn Kab, Ibn
lui al-Qurashi al-Hashemi. He was nicknamed Abu alHassan and Abu Turb.
His Physical Characteristics:
He was very affable, bald, hairy, squarely built to
short, big belly, had a beard which covered a span between his
shoulders. His beard was as white as cotton.
Birth:
Born in Mecca

53

His Upbringing Before Islam:

Abu Taleb had to carry a heavy burden in supporting
a large family, and yet he possessed little money. The
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) meaning to
alleviate the bunden of his uncle, and to recompense him for
supporting him as an orphaned child, took Ali into his home
and looked after him, and Ali was brought up in the house
of his cousin, the house of Prophethood.
His embrace of Islam:
His conversion to Islam came after the conversion of
Khadeeja, wife of the Prophet, and her prayer alongside the
Prophet (upon whom be peace) Ali came in one day and
saw them pray together and he said: o Muhammad, what is
this? The messenger of God answered: This is the religion
which God has chosen, and for which he sent his emissaries,
and I ask you to embrace the religion of God and, to worship
Him. Ali replied: I shall not do any thing before consulting
Abu Taleb. The Prophet replied: o Ali, if you do not
embrace Islam, keep this a secret. Ali spent that night
pondering, and God endeared Islam to his heart, and in the
morning, he went to the messenger of God and embraced
Islam, at the age of ten.
His immigration:
Ali stayed back in Mecca, three days and nights after the
Prophets immigration to Medina. This is because the
messenger of God had asked him to delay his departure, and
had instructed him to fulfill the obligations which he owed to
people. And when he had finished with this, he followed, in
the footsteps of the messenger of God (upon whom be
peace), and stayed with him, at the abode of Kulthum Ibn alHadm.

54

His Caliphate and its duration:

When Uthman was murdered, the companions of the
messengers of God came to him and said: there must be an
Imam to the people, and we do not find anyone today who is
more deserving to assume it other than you, and no one who
had a greater precedence, or was nearer to the messenger of
God (upon whom be peace). He tried to dissuade them but,
they insisted on the Baya (pledge of allegiance). He replied
that, if this was the case, then let the pledge be in the
mosque, because the pledge can only be legitimate if made
with the acceptance of the Muslims (community). The
immigrants and the Ansr (people of Medina who
supported the Prophet) entered the mosque ad made their
pledges. And they were followed by the general public of
Muslims. His Caliphate lasted four years and nine months.
His Martyrdom:
Three persons belonging to al-khawaraj (dissident extremists)
vowed to rid the Muslims of the heads of disputant parties
to the question of Uthmans murder. They were Abdul
Rahman al-Munjid al-Murdi, al-Burak Ibn Abdullah alTimi, and Amr Ibn Bakr al-Tamimi. They met in Mecca and
conspired to kill Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, Muwiya and Amr Ibn
Al-ass. Ibn al-Muljem said: I will kill Ali. Al-Burak said:
I will kill Muwiya. And Amr Ibn Bakr said: I will kill Amr
Ibn al-ss. Then each one of them dispersed towards the
province in which his target was present. Abdul Rahaman
Ibn Muljem went to the city of Kufah.

55

And met there Ibn Muljim Shabeeb Ibn Bajra alAshjai, told him of his plan and, invited him to join in. The
man agreed, and both took their swords and lurked near the
platform from which Ali passes to perform his prayers.
When Ali emerged, Shabeeb attacked but missed. Ibn
Muljem then hit Ali on the head and Ali said: Do not let
the dog get away. The people surrounded him from every
corner and arrested him. Shabeeb fled, and Ali, may God
bless him said: catch him and if I should die kill him, and if I
dont die, the matter shall rest with me, concerning whether
he should be punished or acquitted. When Ali died, his sons
set upon Ibn Muljim and killed him.
Ali, may God glorify him, passed away on a Sunday
night, the 19th of Ramadan in the Hejira year 40 at fifty eight
years old and, in another report, he was sixty three. He was
buried in Kufa, may God have mercy on him and on his
whole household.

56

Some aspects of his life:

He was commander of the faithful, the fourth of the
rightly-guided Caliphs, and one of the ten celebrated
companions, given the good tidings of paradise. He was a
cousin of the Prophet, and his son in law. He was one of the
most courageous of fighters, a hero in combat, as well as a
foremost speaker and an outstanding jurist. He converted to
Islam early on, after Khadeeja, and some say after Abu Bakr,
he fought alongside the Prophet in most of the major
encounters including the battles of Badr and Uhud, but
missed the battle of Tabuk because the Prophet instructed
him to safeguard the household. He was the flag-bearer in
most encounters.
The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) gave
him his daughter Fatima al-Zahr, the first lady of the people
of paradise, in marriage. They formed a happy family, the
offspring of the messenger of God al-Hassan, al-Hussein,
Muhsin, Um Kulthum and Zainab.
He had a stout physique, he was decisive, just in
adjudication, respectful of the religious Ulemas, tender and
concerned towards the poor. He would not allow the strong to
abuse their power, nor would he let the weak despair of his
justice, During his Caliphate, emerged some insurrections and
civil wars such as the battles of al-Jamal, Siffeen, and
Nahrawan, and such movements as al-Khawarij (the extreme
dissidents). He took up residence in the city of Kufah (house
of the Caliphate) in Iraq, until he was murdered by Abdul
Rahman Ibn Muljim. He narrated (586) hadiths, attributed to
the Prophet. The insignia on his seal was: God is Sovereign.
The messenger of God (upon whom be peace), nicknamed
him Abu Turb, and he earned considerable commendation in
the hadiths of the Prophet.

57

Hadiths of The Messenger of God (Upon whom be peace)

on Ali Ibn Abi Taleb:
1-

Musab Ibn Sad, quoting his father said: the messenger

of God (upon whom be peace) went out to the battle of
Tabk, and entrusted Ali with the responsibility, pending
his return. Ali said to the Prophet: are you placing me in
charge of women and children? And the Prophet
answered: are you not satisfied to be to me, as Haroun was
to Mussa? Save that there is no Prophethood after me.
Agreed upon tradition.

2-

Sahl Ibn Sad, may God bless, said, that the messenger
of God said, on the day of Khaibar: I shall give this flag
to a man, to whom God shall grant victory. One who loves
God and his Prophet and God and his Prophet love him.
The people spent the night wondering who shall be the
standard-bearer. In the morning, they went to the
messenger of God, all hoping to be the recipient of the
flag. The Prophet said: where is Ali Ibn Abi Tlib? And
he was told that Ali was complaining of a malady in his
eyes. The Prophet asked that Ali be summoned and,
when he came, the Prophet spit in his eyes and supplicated
for his recovery. Ali recovered and the Prophet gave him
the flag. Ali, then asked: o messenger of God, shall I
fight them until they became like us? The Prophet
answered: go until you reach their plaza, and invite them
to embrace Islam and, inform them of what are the things
due to God from them. For, by God, if God shall guide
one man through you, is far preferable to you than to have
the most desirable of delights. Agreed upon tradition.

58

3-

Sahl Ibn Sad, may God bless, said: the messenger of

God (upon whom be peace) came to the house of Fatima,
but did not find Ali in the house. He inquired of her:
where is your cousin? And she replied: there was some
misunderstanding between him and me and we quarreled.
He, thereupon, left the house and did not return. The
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said to a man
there: go and see where he is? The man returned and
informed the Prophet that Ali was lying down in the
mosque. The messenger of God (upon whom be peace)
went to the mosque where he saw Ali lying down in the
mosque, with dirt touching his garment on the floor. The
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) started cleaning
the dirt and saying: Get up o Abu Turab, Get up o Abu
Turab. Agreed upon tradition.
4Zayd Ibn Arqam, may God bless him, said, that the
Prophet (upon whom be peace) has said: whoever I am his
guardian, Ali is his guardian too.
5-

Um Salama, may God bless said: the messenger of God

used to say; No unscrupulous person would love Ali, nor
would a person of faith hate him. (Related by Tirmithi).

6-

On the authority of Ubshi Ibn Junada, may God bless,

said the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) said:
Ali is one with me, and I am one with Ali, and no one
shall be empowered to act on my behalf beside me
exceptAli. (Related by Tirmithi).

59

7-

Umar, may God bless said: the messenger of God

fraternized between his companions, and Ali, with tears
in his eyes, came and said: o messenger of God, you have
fraternized between your companions, but did not
fraternize between me and anyone else. The messenger of
God replied: you are my fraternal brother in this world
and the Hereafter. (Tirmithi).

8-

Anas Ibn Malik, may God bless, said: the messenger

of God had a pigeon (for eating) and he said: Allahuma,
send me the dearest to you, to share with me eating this
pigeon. Ali came and shared the food with him.
(Tirmithi).

9-

Jaber, may God bless said: the messenger of God

invited Ali, on the day of Taif, for an exclusive meeting.
The people started saying: his meeting with his cousin has
been overextended. The messenger of God, in reply said: I
did not meet exclusively with Ali, but that God had
wished it to be so. Narrated by Tirmithi.

10-

Ibn Abbass, may God bless said. The messenger of

God was one day shaking the hand of Ali and saying:
whoever hates this one, hates God and his messenger, and
whoever loves Ali, loves God and his messenger.
(Narrated by Ibn al-Najjar.).

11-

Amar Ibn Shss al-Aslami, my God bless said: I heard

the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) say:
whoever harms Ali, would have harmed me. (narrated by
Ahmad in al-Musnad).

60

12-

On the authority of isha, may God bless, she said: I

was sitting with the Prophet (upon whom be peace) when
Ali was coming towards us. The Prophet said: o isha,
he is the Sayyid (over lord) of the Arabs. I said: o
messenger of God: are you not the Sayyid of the Arabs?
The Prophet replied: I am the Sayyid of the sons of Adam,
and he is the sayyid of the Arabs. Narrated by al-Hkim
and Abu Naeem.

13-

On the authority of Jaber, may God bless him. He said:

we went in the company of the messenger of God, to a
plam trees grove, belonging to a woman of the (ansr)
Supporters of the Prophet. The Prophet said: there shall
emerge before you, a man from the people of paradise,
and there emerged Abu Bakr and we gave him the good
tidings. Then, the Prophet said, there shall emerge before
you, a man from the people of paradise and Umar
emerged and, we gave him the good tidings. Then the
Prophet said there shall emerge before you, a man from
the people of paradise, and he started gazing through the
orchard of palm trees, saying: Allahumma, by your wish,
let him be Ali. And Ali emerged. (al-Hkem in AlMustadrak).

61

His virtues, may God bless him

14-

On the authority of Abu Saeed, may God bless him. He

said: I heard the messenger of God (upon whom be peace)
say: some of you will fight over the interpretation of the
Quran, as I have fought for its revelation. Abu Bakr said:
am I he? The Prophet said no. Then Umar said am I the
one? The Prophet said no, adding that he is one who is
wearing a grafted sole, and he had given Ali his shoes for
grafting. Narrated by Tirmithi and Ahmad.

15-

On the authority of Fatima, daughter of the messenger

of God (upon whom be peace), she said: the messenger of
God emerged to us, on the eve of Arafa saying: God the
most High praised you and forgave you, in general and,
Ali in particular, and I am the messenger of God, and I
am not being partial towards my relative. Narrated by
Ahmad.
16- On the authority of Anas, may God bless said the
Prophet (upon whom be peace) has said: the foremost
judge in my Umma is Ali. Narrated by Abu Umar.
17-

Anas narrated that the Prophet (be be upon him) had

said to his daughter Fatimah: I have given you in
marriage to the most wise of men, earliest to embracing
Islam, and the most knowledgeable. Narrated by Ahmad
in al-Musnad.

62
129

128

Statements of the companions, may God bless them, on

Ali Ibn Abi Talib:
1- Abu Bakr the truthful, may God bless him, said of Ali:
Ali Ibn Abi Talib is the pedigree of the messenger of
God (upon whom be peace). Narrated by al-Baihaqi.
2- Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him said, the
most judicious amongst us is Ali Ibn Abi Talib.
Narated by al-Salafi.
3- isha, may God bless her, said of Ali: he is foremost
in his grasp of the Sunna (Tradition of the Prophet).
Narrated by Abu Umar.
4- Ibn Mas`ud, may God bless said: the most
knowledgeable, religious and the most judicious in
judgment is Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Narrated by al-Suyuti.
5- Ibn Abbas, may God bless him, said that the verse:
They who spend their wealth night and day, in secrecy
and in the open, shall have their recompense with their
Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, neither shall
they grieve. Quran: (2: 224)- had been revealed in
connecton to Ali. For he had four dirhams: he spent
one dirham in the evening, one during the day, one
dirham secretly and one openly. Narrated by alTabarani and Ibn Abi Hatim.
6- Umar, may God bless him, said of Ali: the messenger
of God died with a feeling of satisfaction towards Ali.
Narrated by al-Bukhari.

63

7- Sad Ibn Abi Waqqss, may God bless said: when the
verse say, Come, let us call our sons and your sons,
and our women, Quran: (3: 61), was revealed, the
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) called Ali,
Fatima, Hassan and Hussein saying: Allahumma those
are my kinship. Narrated by Moslim.
8- Abu Bakr, may God bless said: whoever wishes to
look at the one nearest in lineage to the messenger of
God (upon whom be peace), and the most
indispensable to him, and the one enjoying the highest
esteem, let him look at, and he pointed his finger
towards Ali Ibn Abi Talib. (Ibn al-Samman).
9-

Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him, said: Ali

was given three awards, if I had been granted a bit of
one of them, would be dearer to me, than being given
the most precious of the red camels. He was asked:
what were they? And he replied: his marriage to the
Prophets daughter Fatima, his abode at the mosque,
and in which what is legitimate to him is not legitimate
to me, and being given the flag at the encounter of
Khaibar. (Al-Suyty).

10- Abdul Rahman quoted his father Habib, may God bless
him, as saying: when Ali had finished giving his will,
he said: I read to you the peace, mercy and blessing of
God (as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatu Allah wa
barakatuh). Then Ali did not utter any words except
(there is no God But God) until he died. May God
bestow mercy and blessings on him. (Asad al-Ghabah).

64
131

130

Some of The Golden Sayings of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb:

65

Ali, may God bless him said: two types of people

find no favor with me: a dubious hater and an
excessive praiser. (Narrated by Nuwairi in AlIstee`ab Wa Nihayat Al Irab).

Ali, may God bless said: O you merchants, take

your due and give what is right, and you would be
safe. Do not turn back that whose return is small, lest
you be denied that whose return is plenty. (Ibn alJawzi).

Ali, may God bless, said: the world is akin to a

corpse, whoever wants something from it, let him be
patient in sharing it with the dogs. (Asad al-Ghabah).

Ali, may God bless him said: be in accepting works

more intensely concerned than in the work itself. For
no work diminishes one, if it is done with piety, and
how would work lead to diminution if done
willingly? (Al-Suyuti).

Ali, may God bless him, said in reply to a question

about generosity: generosity is the volitional, but
what was given in response to a request, would be in
the category of shame and affectedness. (Suyuti).

Ali, may God bless said: the close one is he whom

friendship renders close, even though his family
interrelatedness be far, and the distant one is he
whom enmity renders far, even though his family
relatives be close in lineage. There is nothing closer
to the body than the hand, and if it were afflicted
with a malady, it would be cut off, and once it is
severed the problem is decisively ended. (Suyuti).
Ali, may God bless said: Seven are works of Satan:
intense anger, intense sneezing, intense yawning,
vomiting, nosebleed, secret conversation, and
sleeping during recitation of the name of God.
(Suyti).

Ali, may God bless said: Take five advises from

me: No one of you should fear any thing but his own
sins, and no one should hope to attain anything
without Gods mercy, and no one should be ashamed
if he were asked about something and did not know
the answer to say: God knows, and showing patience
in relation to faith is like the head to the body. If
patience goes, so would faith, and if the head goes,
so would the body. (Suyti).

Ali, may God bless him, said: I won, by the God of

Kaba, when Ibn Muljim attacked him in the
mosque. (Asad al-Ghabah).

66
139

138

Talha Ibn Ubaidillah, May God

Bless Him
Name, family, title and nickname:
He is Talha Ibn Ubaidillah Ibn Amr, Ibn Kab, Ibn
Sad, Ibn Taim, Ibn Murrah, Ibn Kab, Ibn Luai, Ibn Ghaleb,
Ibn Fahr, Ibn Malek al-Nadher, Ibn Kinna al-Qurashi, alMakki.
His Mother:
Assabah bint Abdullah Ibn Abd, Ibn Malek, bin
Rabiaa al-Hadhrami, sister of al-Alaa, Ibn al-Hadrami. (She
embraced Islam and immigrated). His nickname: Abu
Muhammad.
Physical Characteristics:
Some narrations describe him as hairy, but has short
hair, not curly. Good looking, and he walked in quick steps.
Square to short in build, broad chest, and lager feet.
Birth:
Born in Mecca thirteen years before Islam.
Pre-Islamic:
Brought up in Mecca where he learnt the arts of war such
as the arrow and javelin throwing. When he came of age, he
chose trade for a career, and became well-known in the trade
routes and markets of Busra al-Sham, and attained a
reputation of an honest, experienced and liberal trader. He,
therefore, spent a good deal of time traveling between trade
routes and convoys.

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Conversion to Islam:
He was one of the first eight to embrace Islam, and his
conversion is described in a story which he narrates as
follows: I attended the market of Busra when I heard a priest
in a hermitage state: ask those attending this market season, is
there amongst then one heading from the Haram (Kabah)?
Talha replied: I am. The priest then said: has Ahmad appeared
yet? I answered: who is Ahmad, and he replied: Ibn Abdullah
Ibn Abdul Muttaleb, and this is the month of his appearance,
and he shall be the seal of the Prophets and, shall depart from
Mecca to a city of palm trees. Beware lest anything hinder
you from going to him. Talha added: this talk touched my
heart and I departed in haste to Mecca. When I arrived, I
inquired: has any thing happened? And they answered: yes,
Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, the honest, has assumed
Prophethood and Ibn Abi Quhfah (Abu Bakr) has followed
him. He added: I went straight to the home of Abu Bakr, may
God bless and asked him: have you followed that man? He
replied, yes, adding: go to him, meet him and follow him, for
he is advocating the truth. Talha informed Abu Bakr of what
the priest had said at the market place, and the messenger of
God (upon whom be peace) was pleased of what he had
heard. Narrated by al-Hakem, in al-Mustadrak. When Abu
Bakr and Talha had embraced Islam, Nawfal Ibn Khuwailed
took them and tied them together, and they were not aided by
Banu Tamim (tribe). This is why they were nicknamed (alQareenayn) The Companions.

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Character:
He had many lofty and praiseworthy characteristics
including bravery, generosity, piety, and eloquence. He was
quoted to have said: the messenger of God (upon whom be
peace) when seated in his council would inquire: why is it
that I do not see the beaming, radiant and eloquent one here?
Narrated by Ibn Asker) in his history, and mentioned by
Tabari in his book, Al-Riydh al-Nadhira. He, therefore, is
regarded as one of the most eloquent of the companions of the
Prophet, for his eloquence and versatility, by the testimony of
the messenger of God.
An example of his unique and telling statements is:
not least of a mans shortcomings, is staying at home.
Another of his sayings was: good attire is a
recognition of Gods bounty, and the application of ointments
removes depression, and benevolence to servants silences
detractors.
Some of his characteristics: incisiveness and sound
judgment of people. He would never consult a miser on
family giving, nor a coward on question of war, or a youth on
a slave concubine.

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He had many lofty characteristics but, the most famous

of which was (generosity and giving in the causes of God).
Therefore, he earned from the Prophet the title of: Talha the
beneficent, Talha the generous and Talha the copious. Ibn
Asker has narrated that the messenger of God (upon whom
be peace) used to say: O Talha, you are none other than over
flowing. Many stories corroborated his entitlement to these
titles.
On his generosity:
- The story narrated by his son Musa, as follows: Talha has
given away in one day, a hundred thousand.
- And the story narrated by his son Musa, as follows: Talha
had received money from Hadhramout, in the amount of
seven hundred thousand. He spent the night restless. His
wife inquired: what is the matter with you? And he
answered: I was thinking and saying to myself: would
not a man think of his God while this amount of money is
in his house? She answered: Think of some of your
trusted friends, and when morning breaks divide it
between them. When he woke up he divided it between
al-Muhjrin and al-Ansr. His Wife said to him: Abu
Muhamad, have we no share in this money? And he
answered: where were you since today and your share is
the balance. And her share was around a thousand
Dirhams. Narrated by Fadhili, in Nuzhat al-Absr.

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On the authority of Jber, may God bless, he said: I have

accompanied Talha, and I have not seen a man give with
such profusion of his money, and without being solicited,
as Talha.

A son of Talha narrated the following: Talha wore a

lavish dress, and while he was walking, a man jumped
him and stole his dress. The people around, took it back
to Talha, but he declined to accept it, and asked that it be
returned to the thief. When the man saw what Talha did,
he felt ashamed of himself and threw it back to Talha.
And Talha, may God bless said: Take it man, and may
God bless your taking it, for I feel ashamed before God
that someone was pinning hope on me, and I let him
down. (Narrated by Fadhili, in his Nuzhat al-Absar).

His struggle and his combat record in expeditions:

He participated in all the expeditions, in the company of
the messenger of God (upon whom be peace). He
distinguished himself in each of those expedition and
exhibited great courage and faith in God and his messenger.
In the battles of Badr and al-Khandaq he fought heroically. He
also attended Bayat al-Radhwan (allegiance to the Prophet of
Radhwan). During the encounters at Tabk, he contributed
generously of his money towards its prosecution. But, a
highlight of his heroism was his steadfastness in the battle of
Uhud.

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In facing adversity at this battle, he fought relentlessly

at the side of the Prophet showing great bravery and heroism
while others fled away. When the messenger of God fell into
a ditch during the battle, it was Talha who lifted him up, and
Abu Bakr said: whenever the battle of Uhud was mentioned,
it was named the day of Talha.

His virtues:
He was one of the Sayyids (notables) of Quraish, during
the pre-Islamic Jahiliyah and after the advent of Islam. He
was a close confidant of the Prophet, because of his virtues,
piety and his early conversion to Isam, as well as his
sacrifices, in the cause of its triumph. There are many
hadiths of the Prophet commending Talha.
- Amongst them: the hadith of the Prophet on those
companions given the promise of paradise. Sad Ibn Zayd,
may God bless him, said: The messenger of God (Upon
whom be peace) said :Ten shall have their abode in paradise:
Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, al-Zubayr, Sad,
Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf, and Abu Ubaida. Those numbered
nine and when asked who was the tenth? Said went quiet
but they persisted saying: we beseech you by God, o Abu
Aawar, tell us who is the tenth? Said said: you beseeched
me by God, then I should tell you Abu al-Aawar (meaning
himself) is in paradise [i.e. the tenth) Narrated by Tirmithi.

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The Prophet said: whoever is pleased with the sight of a

martyr walking on the face of the earth, let him look
upon Talha Ibn al-Zubayr. (Tirmithi).

He also said (upon whom be peace): Talha and Zubayr

are my companions in Paradise. Narrated by Tirmithi
and Ibn Maja.
He also said (Upon whom be peace) to Talha and Zubayr:
you are my disciples in Paradise, similar to the disciples
of Jesus the son of Mary. (Narrated by al-Hafez alDimashqi and al-Baghawi in his Mu`jam, as well as
many other traditions).

Some of the statements of the companions on Talha:

- A saying by Ali, may God bless: when Talha died, Ali
went to his home. He dismounted and started to dust
off his face and beard saying: I wish I had died many
years before this day.
-

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He also said: Talha is a handsome and generous man.

Jaber Ibn Abdulah, may God bless said: I have
accompanied Talha and I have not seen a man, more
generous than him in giving without being asked.
Narrated by Abu Nam in Hilyat Al-Awliyaa.

Ibn Abbas, may God bless him said of Talha

and al-Zubayr: may God have mercy on them, for they
were stout and faithful Muslims, with piety and purity.
God has afflicted with ignorance until the Day of
Judgement those who despise them.
-

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Death:
He died on the day of al-Jamal encounter, when an
arrow hit him in the leg. He bled profusely until he died
in the year thirty six Hejira, at the age of sixty two.
It has been related that after his death: his next of kin
saw him in their slumber thirty years after his death
saying: Will you not relieve me of this water? For the
seepage has done me harm. And so they exhumed him
and removed the water from him, and nothing had
changed of him except some hair on one of the sides of
his beard, and they bought for him a house and
entombed him in it. May God bestow on him his mercy
and may He muster us with his group. Amen

Al-Zubayr Ibn Al-Awam

Name And family:
Al-Zubayr Ibn al-Awam Ibn Khuwailed, Ibn Asad, Ibn
Abdul-Azza, Ibn Kilb al-Qurashi, al-Asadi al-Makki. (His
nickname: Abu Abdullah).
Mother:
Saffiya bint Abdul Muttaleb, aunt of the Prophet (Upon
whom be peace)
Physical characteristics:
Al-Wqidi described him as follows: al-Zubayr was neither
tall nor short, dark skinned and hairy, and would not conceal
or dye his white hair. He was of strong build and had strong
arms.
Birth and upbringing before Islam:
He was born in Mecca and brought up there. His family tree
shows him as belonging to a notable family, with an
effective role, both during al-Jhiliya as well as after the
advent of Islam. It had a martial tradition and showed
exemplary heroism in the encounters.

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Wherefore, his upbringing was a harsh one, and he was

versatile in the arts of war, horsemanship and other martial
pursuits. His mother took care of his upbringing because his
father had died during the al-Fajjar war. His mother Saffiyya
was very tough with him and would beat him mercilessly. She
was rebuked for her harshness, and was told that she almost
killed him. She replied: I am beating him because I am
training him to command armies which can bring booty. This
was, indeed, the impact on the life and courage of al-Zubayr,
as we shall see in his exemplary courage at the various
military expeditions.
His Islamization:
He was one of the earliest converts to Islam fourth or
fifth, according to some narrations, at the age of sixteen. And,
notwithstanding his young age, he was steadfast in his faith,
notwithstanding his torture at the hands of his uncle who
pressed him to disavow Islam.
Immigration:
He, may God be pleased with, immigrated twice:
- The first time to Abyssinia, together with the first batch of
Muslims, to immigrate there, when the Muathen called upon
Muslim to immigrate to Abyssinia, where the Najashi (Negus
king) gave them every kind of hospitality

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and patronage. But, and, in spite of that, those immigrants

could not stay away from the messenger of God (upon
whom be peace) for long. For as soon as they heard that the
Prophet had concluded a truce with Quraysh, they opted for
a prompt return, but sooner did they discover that the said
truce was a devious ploy by Quraysh.
-

The second flight was to noble Medina, accompanied

by his wife Asm, daughter of Abu Bakr, may God
bless them. It was in Medina that the messenger of God
(upon whom be peace), fraternized him with Salama
Ibn Salamah Ibn Waqsh of the tribe of Aws. In the first
year of Hejira. Al-Zubayr begot his first son -Abdullah
Ibn Al-Zubayr, the first son to be born to the
immigrants in Medina. It is worth noting, that the
Muslims were overjoyed with the birth of Abdullah
because the Jews at Medina had been taunting them
and circulating the myth that, they had bewitched the
Muslims and that as a result, the Muslims had been
rendered sterile. God exposed their false claims, by the
birth of Abdullah Ibn al-Zubayr.

His Virtues and character:

His virtue stems from the fact that, he was one of the
disciples of the messenger of God (upon whom be peace) and
his cousin. He was one of the ten companions given the
promise of Paradise, and one of the six members of the Shura
council (consultative), who were confidants of the Prophet
until he died. There were many Hadiths in his commendation
and, his high standing in Islam. They include:

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The testimony of the Prophet (upon whom be peace)

when the mount of Harr shook and the Prophet exclaimed:
Stay put Harr, for standing on you is no less than a Prophet,
a companion or a martyr. Standing on the mountain then
were, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Talha and al-Zubayr.
Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih 4/1880.
Unique advantages:
He distinguished himself amongst others by unique
characteristics, which placed him in a pride of place, in the
sight of God and his messenger (upon whom be peace).
The First of his assets was that he was the first to unsheathe
his sword, in defense of Islam. Ahmad and al-Hkem, quoted
Urwa Ibn al-Zubayr as having narrated: when the disblievers
spread the word that the messenger of God had been killed,
al-Zubayr still a youth, came out with his sword unsheathed.
This surprised the people around who said: this youth is
carrying the sword unsheathed. When the Prophet (Upon
whom be peace) returned, he saw al-Zubayr in this posture
and asked: what is the matter with you, o al-Zubayr. He
replied: I came out to hit, with my sword, whoever wanted to
molest you: the Prophet, prayed for him and blessed his
sword, and thus, this was one of the first swords to be
unsheathed in defense of the incipient days of Islam.

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Amongst his attributes was the fact that he was a

disciple of the Prophet, who said: (to every Prophet
there are disciples, and my disciple was al-Zubayr).
Consensus.
His record includes the following: the messenger of
God (Upon whom be peace) had invoked the name of
his own parents on al-Zubayrs behalf. For on the day
of the battle of al-Khandaq (the ditch) the Prophet had
said: who is prepared to go to the habitation of Bani
Quraitha and bring me back intelligence on them?
When al-Zubayr heard this, he went straight to the said
habitation, and when he returned, the messenger of God
(Upon whom be peace) was pleased with him that he
invoked the names of both his parents saying: may my
father and my mother be a sacrifice in your cause.
Consensus.
One of the stories narrated by Ibn Asker was that,
during the battle of Badr, the angels were wearing a
yellow headgear, like the yellow immah (headgear)
of al-Zubayr. Mentioned by Ibn Asaker in his tarikh, as
well as many good qualities that cannot be
summarized.

His Character:
He possessed, may God be pleased with him, all the lofty
features of a man of faith- piety, concern for kinship duties.
He was generous, courageous, magnanimous in trade
dealings, and noble instincts. But, two of such attributes stand
out: (generosity and bravery). He was foremost, amongst the
companions, with his generosity and readiness to spend in the
cause of God.
- Traditions narrate that he owned a thousand slaves who
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were paying to him, dues. Not one Dirham of such

revenues ever entered his treasury. He used to give
them away in alms to the needy.
On the authority of Ibn Ishaq al-Subaii, he said: I
asked a gathering which included twenty of the
companions of the Prophet (Upon whom be peace):
who was the most generous of people in the era of the
messenger of God upon whom be peace? The gathering
replied: al-Zubayr and Ali Ibn Abi Taleb may God
bless them.

His brivary and conduct in Batels:

At the battle of Badr, he fought with great tenacity,
and was able to vanquish quite a number of the adversaries
from amongst the chivalrous warriors and heroes of Quraysh,
including Ubaidah, Ibn Saeed, Ibn al-Aass, and Nawfal
Ibn Kuwailed Ibn Asad, and Zubayr suffered two deep
wounds. The angels descended wearing yellow headgear of
the color of the headgear that he wore. Narrated by Ibn
Assaker and the author of Kanz Al-Ummal.
In the battle of Uhud: it is narrated that when Talha Ibn Abi
Talha al-Abdari, challenged adversaries to a duel, people
present refrained from accepting the challenge until after the
third time he called al-Zubayr went out to meet him while
mounted on a camel. Zubayr jumped and came on equal level
with his opponent on the back of the camel. A hand to hand
combat ensued, and the messenger of God (upon whom be
peace), watching the dual commented: the one who falls to
the ground is well-nigh dead. The disbeliever fell to the
ground and Zubayr fell upon him and finished him with his
sword.

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Thereafter, fighting flared between the Muslims and

the disbelievers, and Zubayr was amongst the few who
remained steadfast around the messenger of God, and who
had pledged his loyalty unto death. He even followed the
disbelievers in hot pursuit. Aisha, may God bless her said:
Zubayr and Abu Bakr were amongst Those who responded to
the call of God and the Messenger, after injury had smitten
them, Quran: (3: 172).
In the battle of al-Khandaq (the ditch): Zubayr was the
one who came with the news on Bani Quraitha. This was in
response to the call by the Prophet in which he said: who,
amongst you can bring me news of Bani Quraitha? Zubayr
answered: I will, and he mounted his horse, went to the abode
of Bani Quraitha and, reported back on them to the Prophet.
At the request of the messenger of God (upon whom be
peace) Zubayr carried out a second and a third mission, and
the Prophet, in appreciation said: Every Prophet has disciples
and Zubayr is my disciple. During this Ghazwa (raid) also,
the Prophet said to Zubayr: shoot your arrows, may my father
and mother be Fidk (your sacrifice). And, in this same battle
Zubayr stuck Uthman Ibn Abdullah Ibn al-Mughira with his
sword and cut him into two halves.
In the battle of Khaybar: during this battle, al-Zubayr
relieved the faithful of one of the staunchest Jewish fighters namely, Yser, brother of Marhab. It is narrated that, when
Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, may God bless, killed Marhab, Yser
brother of Marhab, pursued the Muslims with his spear. The
Imam Ali intercepted him, but Zubayr implored Ali to let
him do the combat which he did. Zubayr took the field and,
when Saffiyya, his mother saw what happened she said: o
messenger of God, do not let my only son get killed, to which
the Prophet replied: no, he will kill and not be killed. Zubayr
emerged victorious and the Prophet gave him full
commendation. (Narrated by Ibn Jareer al-Tabari).

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The Jihd of the esteemed companion al-Zubayr Ibn

al-Awam, may God bless him, was not confined to the era of
the Prophet, but continued under the commander of the rightly
guided Caliphs until his death.
In the battle of Yarmuk, Zubayr fought with great
gallantry and steadfatness, and crossed the lines of the enemy
unperturbed. But, he was wounded badly in his back; so deep
were the wounds that his son Urwa would say: I used to put
my fingers in those holes when I was a child.
In Egypt: Zubayr accompanied Amr Ibn al-Ass in
the conquest of Egypt. The Muslim army surrounded the
citadel of Babylon and the siege lasted seven months. During
this siege, al-Zubayr was told that plague had become
rampant in the land and we advise you not to enter it. He
replied: I came out to battle with the sword, as well as with
plague. Al-Zubayr, with the approval of the commander in
chief Amr Ibn al-ass, advanced and placed a ladder on the
wall of the citadel. He climbed the ladder, and said to his
compatriots in the Muslim army: when you hear my call of
Allahu Akbar answer back in one voice. He, thus, surprised
the garrison defending the citadel, which was overawed
when they saw al-Zubyr at the head of Muslim warriors,
calling Allahu Akbar and his troops rushing in great numbers
to seize the citadel. The battle ended with the seizure of the
citadel, and the Muqawqas (ruler of Egypt) requested peace.
The Muslims accepted the offer of peace, and the sons of
Zubayr (Abdullah and Muhamad) witnessed the conclusion of
this peace agreement, which was subsequently ratified by the
Caliph Umar, may God bless him.

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What the companions said of Al-Zubayr:

-Umar Ibn al-Kahttab, may God bless him, said: if I have left
a legacy behind me, the most endearing to me would be
Zubayr Ibn al-Awm, for he was one of the ramparts of
religion.
-He also said: they say to me choose someone to succeed you
over us, and my answer was that, if something happened to
me, decision should be assigned to the six, including Zubayr.
-Uthman said: by God, who ordains the fate of my soul, he
meaning Zubayr- was the best of them, and the most
endeared to the messenger of God (upon whom be peace).
-Ali, may God bless him, was asked: who is the bravest of
men? He said: that man whose anger is identical with the
anger of the tiger, and whose jump is the jump of the lion.
And he pointed with his finger towards Zubayr.
-Imam amer al-Shabi said :I have been a contemporary of
more than five hundred of the companions who expressed
the conviction that Ali, Uthman, Talha and Zubayr, were in
Paradise.
-Sufyan al-Thawri said: those three Hamza Ibn Abdul
Muttaleb, Ali Ibn Abi Taleb and Zubayr Ibn AlAwm, are
the ramparts of the companions.

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Family:
He married four wives, they are: Asm bint Abi Bakr, atika
bint Zayd Ibn Amr, Ibn Nufayl, and Umm Khaled bint
Khaled Ibn Sad, Umm Misab al-Kalbiyah.
Offspring:
Eleven males and nine females, and he used to give to his
children the names of the companions.
Death:
He died in the month of Rajab, in the year 36h, in the battle of
al-Jamal, but this happened after the fighting was over, at the
hand of a man named Jarmoose. Imam Ali, may God bless
him, narrated a saying by the messenger of God (upon whom
be peace) that the fate of the murderer of Zubayr, shall be in
the inferno. He died at the age of 64.
The mercy of God be upon him. We pray that we will be in
his company in the Hereafter, in Paradise. For he was truly
one of the most chivalrous Muslims, and the commander
endowed with sound judgment, weighty reason and,
stoutness in fighting enemies.

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Sad Ibn Abi Waqqss

His Name and Lineage:
Sad Ibn Abi Waqqass is narrated to have told the Prophet
(upon whom be peace): who am I o messenger of God? The
messenger of God replied: you are Sad Ibn Malik Ibn
Waheeb Ibn Abd Manf Ibn Zahra Ibn Kilab Ibn Murra Ibn
Kab, Ibn Luyy. Any one who says otherwise deserves Gods
damnation. His nickname was Abu Ishaq al-Qurashi, al-Zahri,
al-Makki.
Mother:
Hassna bint Sufyan Ibn Abi Ummayya Ibn Abd Shams.
Physical Characteristics:
He was short although some report him to be tall - and
shabby, with a high neck, thick hair, which also covered his
body. He was in the habit of dyeing his hair black. He lost his
eyesight later in life.
Pre Islamic Upbringing:
He lost his father early on, and it fell upon his mother
to bring him and his brother up. They lived together until the
advent of Islam, when each one of them took his separate
ways. He used to manufacture arrows, as well as to sharpen
them in the Jahiliya era.
His Embrace of Islam:
He was sixth in embracing Islam, at the age of
seventeen. He is narrated to have said that, he converted to
Islam before prayers were instituted.
Story of his Conversion:

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On the authority of Aisha bint Sad, she said: I heard

my father say: I saw in my dream before I embraced Islam
three phenomena I saw myself in utter darkness, except
what moonlight emitted and, which I followed as though I
was watching those who preceded me to that moon. I would
see Zayd Ibn Hritha, Ali Ibn Abi Tleb and Abu Bakr, and
as though I was asking them: when did you arrive here? I was
informed that the messenger of God (upon whom be peace)
was propagating Islam covertly, then I saw him in the
pathways of Ajyd having performed the afternoon prayers. I
said to him: you are propagating what? And he answered:
testify that there is no God but God and Muhammad is his
Prophet. I said: I testify that there is no God but God and
that you are the messenger of God, and no one had preceded
me except them meaning (Abu Bakr, Ali and Zayd Ibn
Hritha).
When his mother learnt of his conversion to Islam, she
became very angry and, swore mightily that she would not eat
or drink or take cover under a shade, until Sad had repented
and reverted from faith in Muhammad (upon whom be peace).
We should ask as to the reaction of such a man of faith
and fortitude, in face of such blatant challenge, taking into
consideration his emotions towards his mother and his love
and obedience to her. Let us hear his answer, may God bless
him: I was a man of fidelity and devotion to my mother, and
when I embraced Islam, my mother said: o Sad, what is this
religion that you have embraced? You shall abandon this
religion, or else I shall abstain from food and drink until I die,
and you shall be shamed for what has happened to me. They
would tell you: o murderer of your mother. I answered: please
mother, do not do it, because I shall not forgo this religion, no
matter what. She lived a day and night without food or drink
and woke up fatigued. She spent another day and night
without any intake of food and, awakened in the morning
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even more fatigued. When I saw what happened I said to her:

o mother, know you by God, that if you had a hundred souls,
and these souls departed from you, one by one, I shall not
abandon this faith. So, choose to eat or not, it is only up to
you. When she had ascertained my position she ate, and it was
on this occasion that the verse eight of Sura Al-Ankabt was
revealed. It reads: And we have commanded man to be kind
to his parents. But if they contend with you that you may
associate with Me that which you have no knowledge of, do
not obey them. To Me shall be your return, then I shall apprise
you of what you were doing Quran: (29: 8).
It will be observed that, the stand of Sad, may God
bless him, reveals his attributes of chivalry, his faith, his
determination and his loyalty to his religion and his Prophet.
He did not weaken in his resolve, and his personality was not
shaken by emotional family considerations.
He focused his choice on faith in God Almighty and
the satisfaction of the messenger of God (upon whom be
peace). Such characters are not daunted by formidable
challenges.

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Attributes: He had many good attributes including:

He was the first to throw arrows in the cause of God.
Qays has testified: I heard Sad say: I was the first Arab to
throw an arrow in the cause of God; we used to accompany the
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) on expeditions,
carrying no food other than the leaves of Habla- akin to what
goats eat.
The messenger of God (upon whom be peace) boasted
of his kinship to him, and Jaber, may God bless said: Sad was
approaching and the messenger of God (upon whom be peace)
remarked (this one is my uncle, let another show me his uncle).
Narrated by Tirmithi.
What is meant by Sad, being an uncle of the messenger
of God, is derived from the fact that he belongs to the tribe of
his mother Amina. It was traditional amongst Arabs to call
every member of the mothers tribe as uncle.
He was the first to shed blood, in the cause of God,
Almighty. Ibn Ishq has narrated: the companions of the
messenger of God (upon whom be peace) were in the habit of
going to the defiles for the performance of prayers in hiding
away from their co-nationals in Mecca. One day, Sad Ibn Abi
Waqqss, was in the company of some companions of the
messenger of God (upon whom be peace), in one of the
quarters of Mecca, when they came upon a group of
disbelievers. The latter started dauntingly ridiculing the
believers in their religion and, an encounter ensued. In the
encounter, Sad hit one of the disbelivers with the jaw teeth of
the camel and bled him. Wherefore it is narrated that, he was
the first to shed blood in Islam.
[[

88

The messenger of God (peace be upon him) by

invoking his father and mother as sacrifice for him: Sad
reported that, he was throwing arrows in the battle of Uhud,
when the messenger of God (peace be upon him) started
providing him with arrows and exclaiming: throw, may my
father and mother be your sacrifice. He would even hand me
arrows without arrow heads.
Ibn al-Musayeb has narrated, he said: Ali, may God
bless him, has said: I have not heard the Prophet (peace be
upon him) invoke his parents as sacrifice for someone to any
person, except to the parents of Sad.
He was a sharp shooter, and one whose supplications
were answered; he was also popular amongst people, and
people had much credulity in his supplications that they
feared them. Narrated by Tirmithi.
Some stories have been narrated to support these
extra powers of Sad and that his prayers were answered,
and this is confirmation of the prophethood of Muhammad.
The report narrates, Sad heard a man cursing Ali,
Talha and Zubayr. Sad warned him to stop but, his warning
went unheeded. And the man commented: he is threatening
me as a Prophet would do. Whereupon Sad said:
Allahumma if you know that, he had cursed people, who had
been in your favor and, this caused your displeasure, show
him today a sign which would be a sign to all people.
Whereupon a stray camel appeared and stomped him to
death.

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His sighting of Gabriel and Michael on the right and

on the left of the Prophet (peace be upon him), on the day of
the battle of Uhud. Sad narrated: I saw on the right and on
the left of the Prophet (peace be upon him), on the day of the
battle of Uhud, two men clad in white clothing, fighting
ferociously in his defense. I had not seen them before or after.
Narrated by Sheikhan and Abu Htim.
His virtues and qualities:
He is one of the mst esteemed prestigious companions
of the Prophet, and one of the foremost luminaries of the
Umma. A hero amongst the early heroes, and one of the six
members of the consultative caucus who were favored by the
messenger of God (peace be upon him) until he died. He was,
also, one of the most well versed of the companions, in the
field of Islamic jurisprudence and had accumulated a
considerable volume of the hadiths of the messenger of God
(peace be upon him), narrated to be in the range of two
hundred and seventy Hadiths.
One of the most edifying and noblest of Sads
attributes, was the purity of his soul, for he had never
contemplated ill to any other Muslim, and never uttered but
good words and tidings. This may be explained by the fact
that, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said supplications
in his favor, in the course of the farewell pilgrimage. The
Prophet is narrated to have said: Allahumma keep tribulations
away from him, God and Sovereign of all people, You are the
Curer, for there is no curer other than You. In the name of
God, I guard you against all things which cause you harm,,
from envy and malignant eyes. Allahumma, make healthy his
heart and body, make him overcome his sickness and respond
to his supplications.

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Many Hadiths have come down to us commending his

qualities, including:
The messenger of God (peace upon be him), said to
his companions, one day: from this door will come to you a
man from the people of Paradise. He said it three time,
whereupon Sad, may God bless him, appeared. Narrated by
Fadhaili.
Jaber, may God bless him, narrated: we were with the
messenger of God when Sad Ibn Malik suddenly came. The
messenger of God said (this man is my uncle, let someone
else show me his uncle) Narrated by Tirmithi.
Abu Huraira, may God bless him, narrated, that the
messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: (o Sad, you are
a pillar of Islam wherever you may be). Narrated by Al-Malla
in his Sira.
Ibn Abbss, may God bless him, narrated that, he had
heard the messenger of God (peace upon be him) state (Sad
Ibn Abi Waqqss is equivalent to one thousand knights).
His Standing in battles:
His first jihd was in Mecca, as we have mentioned
earlier that, he had been the first to shed blood, in the cause of
Islam, and the first one to throw arrows in this cause.
He was also, may God bless him, the first to fight in the
cause of Islam, after Hejira. Al-Zuhri narrated: the messenger
of God sent a platoon, which included Sad Ibn Abi Waqqss,
to a location in Hejz, named Rbegh, close to Jahfa. The
disbeliveers turned on the Muslims and, it was Sad who by his
arrows repulsed the onslaught.

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His record in the Ghazwas (expeditions) was outstanding

and honorable. During the battle of Badr, he fought
courageously defending the messenger of God. He would load
his bow with an arrow saying: Allahumma, shake the ground
from beneath their feet, and bring terror into their hearts. And
the Prophet (peace be upon him) would respond: (Allahumma,
answer the call of Sad). At the end of the battle, he led away
two prisoners of war, from the ranks of the disbelievers.
During the battle of Uhud, he defended the positions of
the messenger of God (peace be upon him), and the Prophet
would declare: (May my father and my mother be your
sacrifice). Narrated by Sheikhn. On the day of Uhud, Sad
struck dead with his arrows, three men of the enemy. In the
battle of Uhud also, he saw Gabriel and Mechael, fighting in
defense of the Prophet, as we have mentioned enrlier.

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Sad, may God bless him, participated in all the

encounters, alongside the messenger of God, and fought with
great bravery and distinction. He partook in the encounters of
al-Khandaq, al-Hudaibiya; he gave the celebrated oath of
allegiance (under the tree) in the earliest phases of Islam; he
also partook in the battle of Khaibar and, in the conquest of
Mecca. In the latter expedition, he was one of three flagbearers from amongst the Muhajrrin (the immigrants). During
the battle of Hunayn, and what tribulation Hunayn was! he was
one of the one hundred knights, who stood their ground, and
whom God took upon Himself, their sustenance, and the
sustenance of their households, in Paradise. He was called: the
knight of Islam.
The struggle of Sad was not confined to the era of the
messenger of God (Peace be upon him), but extended beyond
to the era of the rightly guided Caliphs, where he took a
distinguished role in the Islamic conquests. During the
Caliphate of Abu Bakr, may God bless him, he fought,
alongside Usma Ibn Zayd, in his expedition to al-Balq region
(Trans Jordan) in Bilaad Asshaam.
The Qdissiyya battle in brief:
Since the decisive battle of Qdissiya is associated with
the name of Sad Ibn Abi Waqqss, may God bless him, and
whereas, whenever it is mentioned the name of Sad is
mentioned, and whereas this battle was a decisive battle which
ended the life of the Persian empire, it is worthwhile to speak
of this great battle.

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During the Caliphate of Umar Ibn al-Khattb, may

God bless him, the power and influence of Persia was grouping
steadily and the Caliph Umar decided to lead, in person, the
expedition to contain it. The Caliph called a council of the
esteemed companions, to solicit their judgment, and they met
at the outskirts of Medina. During the meeting, all the
companions approved his plan to lead an expedition, to meet
the Persians except Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf, may God bless
him. He said, with great foresight: o commander of the faithful,
I fear, if you were to suffer a set back, that such reverse would
weaken Muslims throughout the world. My advice is that you
send another man to lead, while you return to Medina. Umar
saw eye to eye with Abdull Rahman, and then so did the
esteemed companions.
At this point, Umar turned to Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf
and said: oh Abdul Rhaman, whom do you advice we send to
Iraq, to lead the fight against the enemies of God, the Persians?
Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf replied, with a smile on his face: I
have found him, o commander of the faithful: and Umar, in
surprise asked: and who is he Abu Muhammad? And Abdul
Rahman Ibn Awf answered: o commander of the faithful: he is
the lion whose jaws embody the knight of Islam, the
companion of the messenger of Ged (peace be upon him), the
Sayyid whose orders are obeyed, the valiant, the virtuous Sad
Ibn Malek al-Zahri.

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Umar accepted the advise of Abdul Rahman Ibn

Awf, and sent for Sad Ibn Abi Waqqss. He appointed him
commander over the expedition to Iraq, and gave him the
historic order of the day, which inspired the Muslim warriors
with the virtues of character and chivalry, the advice of a
commander in chief to one of the commanders of his army.
The historic order of the day reads as follows:
O Sad: do not feel conceit, if you were called: uncle
of the messenger of God (peace be upon him), and his
companion. For God, Almighty, does not erase the bad with
the bad, but erases the bad with the good. And God, the
Omnipotent, does not have lineage with anyone, save through
His obedience. For people, whether noble or common, are
equal in the sight of God. God is their Lord and they are His
servants, differentiated by good behavior, and gaining Gods
satisfaction by obedience to Him. Consider your assignment,
guided by what you have learnt from the messenger of God
(peace be upon him), from the moment he was sent, until he
departed from us. Adhere to it, for it is my order. This is my
advice to you, if you abandon it, and deviate from it, your
mission shall suffer failure, and you would be the loser.
The battle of Qdissiyya was on and, indeed it was a
great battle, unlike anything that took place in Iraq. At the
start of the battle, Sad led the army in prayers, and followed
that by preaching and encouragements. He read to them, the
Quranic verses on Jihd and then recited Allahu Akbar four
times and people got engaged in combat.

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The Persian army was fortified by elephants, which

posed as an element of surprise to the Muslim army. The battle
raged on, for several days, and the elephant factor was
beginning to take its toll, on the ranks of the Muslim army. But
the wise and daring spirit of the Muslim commander soon
nullified this novel armament, which the Arab fighters had not
been familiar with before. Embodied camels, mounted by
camouflaged knights and, carrying flames and surrounded by
stout men to protect them, hit the advancing elephants
pointedly in their eyes which blinded them and caused them to
flee the battle field, in full retreat.
There was great confusion and disarray in the ranks of
the Persian army, and they were followed in hot pursuit by the
Muslim cavalry under the exemplary commander of Sad Ibn
Abi Waqqss. He urged them to pursue the enemy, kindling
their enthusiasm by calling them: o companions of Muhammad
(peace be upon him), o people of Badr, o heroes of the battle of
Yamma (against disbelievers), advance, for God is on your
side and will deliver victory unto you. Sad would raise his
hands towards heaven and supplicate to God: Allahuma, your
victory which you have promised, Allahumma grant us victory.
A voice, known to Sad, thundered with the call Allahu
Akbar, Allahu Akbar. It was the voice of Hill Ibn Alqama.
And in the course of this ferocious battle, Rustum, commander
of the Persians was killed, and so was Galinious, standard
bearer of the Qdissiyya Persian phalanges. The Muslims were
victorious and the Persians fell back in full retreat, and the
Muslims gained enormous and indescribable booty.

96

Sad, may God bless him wrote a letter, to the

commander of the faithful, Umar, in which he communicated
to him the good tidings of victory and, how it was achieved. He
said:
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
God the Omnipotent has granted us victory over the people of
Faris (Persia), after long and ferocious fighting and great
tribulation. They confronted the Muslims with armaments and
equipment, the like of which had not been seen before, but all
these were to no avail. They were seized by the Muslims, who
pursued the defeated enemy across rivers and thick forests and,
along Fujj (valleys between mountains). Amongst the
wounded in Muslim ranks, was Sad Ibn Ubaid, the Quranic
reciter, and many others whose identity only God knows. They
would recite the Qurn when night falls, in a confluence of
voices similar to that of bee-hives, and during the day, they
were lions.
Sad, may God bless him, continued his campaign of
conquest, including the campaign of Madin, in Iraq, two years
after the battle of Qdissiya, and in which Sad, as commander
in chief, played a pivotal role. The historian Ibn Khathir
narrated, in his book al-Bidya wa al-Nihaya: Sad, ordered
the Muslims to say Hasbuna Allah wa Nima al-Wakeel
(Suffice it our God for He is the best Custodian), and thence
crossed the river Tigris, on horseback, followed by his entire
troops. The phalanges crossing the river, cavalry and infantry
alike, so thick that it was almost impossible to see the water
flow of the river.

97

Sad occupied the white palace and used the throne

hall of the Chosros to be his prayer niche. He made no
alterations to the place, and when he first entered the place he
would read the verse: How many a garden and spring did
they leave behind and tillage, and highly esteemed dwellings
and a favor they reveled in So it was. And we bequeathed
them on another people Quran: (44: 25).
Sad distributed the booty amongst his soldiers, and
the share to each member of the cavalry was nine thousand,
plus nine beasts of burden. The conquest of Jalla province in
Persia, was under his command, in the month of the al-Hijja,
in the year 16H. In this battle, the Muslims gained great
booty, and Jalula was named the conquest of conquests;
because of the enormity it decisively dislocated Persian and
fire-worshiping forces.
It was Sad who ordered the building of the city of
Kufah, in the year 17H.
Statements on Sad:
A statement by the Caliph Umar on his deathbed, in
which he appointed Sad, as one of the six consultants (ashb
al-Shur). He said on that occasion: If Sad is selected to
assume (al-emara) (The governance) good and well. But if
not, then advise the Caliph who will succeed me to utilize
him, because I did not discharge him, on grounds of
incompetence or treachery. Umar advised his son Abdullah:
if Sad talks to you on hadiths, do not ask anyone else about
it:

98

Ali, may God bless him, said: I have not heard the
messenger of God (peace be upon him) invoke both
his own parents to anyone, except to Sad. He also
said: to God is a house, in which lived Sad Ibn
Malek and Abdullah Ibn Umar. By God, if their
staying away from the insurrection be a sin, then it is
small and forgivable, and if it is good, then its reward
shall be great.

Abu Ishaq said: the most formidable amongst the

companions were four: Umar, Ali, al-Zubayr and
Sad.

We have aheady quoted the statement of Abdul

Rahman Ibn Awf, on him, in connection with the
battle of Qdissiyya.

Al-Hassan said of him: when the insurrection

occurred, a man made a point of asking, as to who
were the best amongst the companions, and all the
people he had asked pointed to Sad Ibn Malek.

Some of his sayings:

When Uthman, may God bless him, offered him
governorship of Kufa, he said: I would not wish to
take charge of a people who say that I do not say
prayers properly.

99

On the authority of Muhammad, he said: I was told

that Sad had said, when the insurrection broke out: I
will not fight until they bring me a sword, with two
eyes placed on it, and a tongue which says: this one is
a believer and this one is a disbeliever.

His sayings concerning wills and inheritances: on the

authority of Amer Ibn Sad, quoting his father: I fell
sick on the day of al-Fath (Conquest), but I recovered.
The messenger of God (peace be upon him), came to
visit me and I said: o messenger of God, I have plenty
of money, and I only have a daughter, shall I will all
my money? And the Prophet said no: I said, a portion
of it, and he said no: I said a third? And he said: a third
is too much: for leaving your offspring prosperous, is
better than leaving them impoverished and dependent
on people for charity. Perhaps, you delay giving all
your acquaintances, and you shall not spend a charity
for which you aspire to Godly reward, before you have
given your wife full measure. I then said: o messenger
of God, I fear dying in a land, from which I had
emigrated. The messenger of God replied: Perhaps you
may stay there so that some people benefit from your
presence there and others shall suffer harm, in
consequence. Allahumma, make a success of my
companions immigration, and turn them out to where
they came from. But the unfortunate - Sad Ibn
Khawlah, is lamented for having died in Mecca.
Narrated by Sheikhan.

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Marital status:
He married, may God bless, ten women, and his offspring
numbered thirty four children seventeen boys and an equal
number of girls.
Death:
Sad Ibn Abi Waqqss, may God bless, died in the year 55h,
according to Waqidi, which is the prevalent opinion. Abu Nam
al-Fadhli Ibn Dakeen, narrated that he died in the year 58h. AlZubayr, Amr Ibn Ali and al-Hassan Ibn Uthman expressed
the opinion that Sad died in the year 54h.
His death occurred in al-Aqiq, seven miles from Medina. He
was carried on the shoulders of men to Medina, where he was
brought to the mosque. Marwan and the wives of the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said prayers for him. At Baqee cemetery
lies the remains of the knight of Islam Sad Ibn Abi Waqqss,
may God be pleased with him, at the age of eighty.
His son Amer said: Sad was the last of the immigrants to
die. At his deathbed, he requested that a woolen garment be
brought saying: bury me enclosed with it, for when I
encountered the disbelievers at the battle of Badr, I was
wearing one, and I had preserved it for such a moment.
Ali Ibn al-Medini said: Sad, may God bless, was the last of
the ten (men of Paradise) to die.

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Musab Ibn Sad said: the head of my father was placed in

my lap while dying. I wept. He raised his head and said: my
son, what causes you to cry? I said, for your situation and what
I see happening? He replied: do not weep and God would never
punish me and, I am one of the people promised Paradise. God
rewards the faithful for their good deeds, so work in the service
of God! As for the disbelievers , God reduces their punishment,
in proportion to their good deeds, and if they had been
exhausted, then let each one of them ask for the good deeds he
had rendered to others.
May God be pleased with Sad, and may God render us
amongst those who acknowledge and those who appreciate the
heroic acts of those heroes and, ones to follow in their
footsteps, in all fields of endeavor- building the monuments of
society and being an efficacious agent who tries his utmost so
that the banner of truth and manifest victory is held high in all
lands and places.

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Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf

Proname and family:
Abdull Rahmn Ibn Awf Ibn Abd al-Hrith Ibn Zahra
Ibn Kilb, al-Qurashi, al-Zahri.
His Nick name:
Abu Muhammad. His name in the era of Jhiliya (age
of ignorance), was Abd Amro, and in another report, Abd alKaba.
Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf said: my name was Abd
Amro, and the messenger of God (peace be upon him)
renamed me Abdul Rahman.
Mother:
Al-Shif bint Awf Ibn Abdul Harith al-Zahriyah.
Birth:
He was born, twenty years after the year of the
elephant.
Physical Characteristics:
He was, may God bless him, tall, good looking white thin
skinned, somewhat reddish. He would not dye his hair, with a
hooked nose, long neck, with a spot under his ear, heavy
palms and fingers, left handed and limping in walking.

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Pre-Islamic Upbringing:
He was brought up in a puritanical environment. He was
wise and of sound judgment. He did not indulge in the life
style of the Jahiliya and its customs. He was one who
advocated abstinence from alcoholic drinks and wrote poetry
to this effect:
I have witnessed that the drinker of wine is concerned with
The echo of speech or decisive words
Conversion to Islam:
He was one of the earliest converts to Islam, and before the
messenger of God entered the house of al Arqam Ibn alArqam. He embraced Islam at the hands of Abu Bakr alSiddiq. The story of his conversion to Islam is one that is
worth narrating. This is how Abdul Rahman narrates it: I
traveled to Yemen one year or so before the advent of the
message of the messenger of God. I stayed at the home of
Asln Ibn Awken, the Himyarite, and he was a man well
advanced in age.
If the old man becomes deaf without speech
And cant hear but a little bit
Such is the ailment without a cure
Except for death bespeaking affliction

104

And I repeated my visits to Yemen and each time, I would

make a point of visiting him. He would query me about
Mecca, the Kaba, and the well of Zamzam by asking: has a
man appeared from your midst who was note worthy? Has
anyone from amongst you dissented from your religion? And
I would answer no, and I would name to him some of the
names of the notables and celebrities of Quraysh. This was the
case until I made my last visit, in the year after the messenger
of God (peace be upon him) had been given the summons of
Prophethood. When I visited him, he was frail and almost
deaf. He asked me to tell him my genealogy, o brother of
Quraysh. I said: I am Abdulrahman Ibn Awf Ibn al-Hrith Ibn
Zahra. Whereupon, he said: is it sufficient that I shall give you
a good tiding, which is worth more than your trade? I said
yes, please do.
He said: I give you the tidings that God, the Almighty, the
Omnipotent, has sent, on the first month, a Prophet from your
midst, and has revealed to him a book, and stipulated rewards,
and forbade the worship of idols, and advocated embracing
Islam, which, orders and pursues the right path and, warns
against the committal of evil. I said: who is he? And he
replied: from the clan of Bani Hashem and you are his uncles.
O Abdul Rahman. Make speed of your return, and then go to
him, believe in him and grant him your support. Then, this old
man gave to Abdul Rahman a few verses of poetry and asked
him to read them in the presence of the messenger of God
(peace be upon whim)
Abdul Rahman added: I finished my business and returned
to Mecca, where I saw Abu Bakr, may God bless him, who
was my friend. I told him of what I had heard from the
Himyarite in Yemen, and he said: This is Muhammad Ibn
Abdullah whom God had sent as a messenger to the world, go
and see him. Abdul Rahman continued:

105

I went straight to see him, while he was in the house of

Khadija, may God bless. When he saw me, he laughed and
said: I see a venerable face to which I wish all good. I
declared my Islam and testified that there is no God but God. I
then recited to him the poem of the Himyarite and relayed to
him what I had heard from him. The messenger of God (peace
be upon whim) whereupon said: there may perhaps be a person
of faith who has not seen me, and a supporter of me who does
not know me. Those are truly my brethren. Narrated by the
author of Kanz Al-Umml and Ibn Asaker, in his History.
After his conversion to Islam, Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf,
suffered gruesome torture, much like other pioneers of Islam,
but, he withstood his ordeal with great steadfastness, and held
on unflinchingly to his Islamic allegiance.
Immigration:
As just mentioned he bore his ordeal with unparalleled
steadfastness, until the messenger of God (peace be upon
whim) permitted him to immigrate to Abyssinia to where he
immigrated twice: a first Hijra and a second Hijra. Then, he
returned to Umm Al-Qura (Mecca), and subsequently
immigrated to Medina. Wherefore, Uthman Ibn Affn, may
God bless, would, whenever he saw Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf,
state: No one has a greater claim to virtue than this Sheikh
Abdul Rahman, for his multiple immigration.
When he immigrated to Medina, he stayed at the home of Sad
Ibn Al-Rabbee al-Khazraji, may God bless him. Then the
messenger of God (peace be upon whim) fraternized between
him and Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf, and it was reputed to have
been a most outstanding and unique fraternization, and became
an example of how fraternization might be between immigrants
and Al-Ansr (supporters).

106

Al-Bukhari, may God have mercy on him, narrated in

his Sahh (authentic), the following story on Abdul Rahman Ibn
Awf. He said: the messenger of God (peace be upon whim)
fraternized between him and Sad Ibn Al-Rabee, may God
bless. Sad offered to divide his assets between himself and
Abdul Rahman, and said to him: look, which of my two wives
is more to your liking and, I shall relinquish her for you, and
when her (Udda) waiting period has passed after
relinquishment, you can marry her. Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf
refused and said: may God bless you, your household and your
money, but please show me the market place. He showed him
the market place, where he bought and sold until he amassed
some money, with which he was able to marry a woman from
(Al-Ansar), for a particle of gold. The Prophet said to him:
throw up a banquet, even with, but a goat. Narrated by
Bukhari.
His characteristics and virtues:
He was, may God bless him, learned and unassuming,
and fearful of God. He was, in both his religion and wordly
affairs, a man of integrity and devoid of lust and envy towards
others. He was a hero and a man of immense courage in
combat, in the cause of Islam. He fought alongside the
messenger of God (peace be upon him) in all the encounters,
and never wavered or retreated in any of the encounters.

107

He was a man of sound judgment, faithful to kinship

obligations, including those relating to the wives of the
Prophet. The rightly guided Caliphs often sought and
obtained his sound advise.
His most notable characteristics were generosity and
sound judgment. He was one of the rich amongst the
companions of the Prophet and one of the most generous.
There are many examples which prove his generosity,
including:
- What was narrated by Imam al-Zahri, may God have
mercy on. He said: Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf, may God bless,
in the era of the messenger of God, gave charity from his
assets, in the amount of four thousand dinars. On subsequent
occasion, he gave forty thousand dinars. On another occasion,
he gave away the burden of five hundred horses, and the
burden of one thousand five hundred beasts of burden. On one
occasion, he had received a convoy of goods from his trade
with Syria which he donated to the messenger of God (peace
be upon whim). He supplicated for him and said: God
bestows upon you peace. Give him greeting of peace and the
good tidings of Paradise. Narrated by Qurtubi and Ibn Iraq.
His fortune was entirely amassed from trade.

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Ibn Abbss has narrated, he said: when Abdul Rahman

Ibn Awf fell sick, he willed a third of his money for charity.
When he recovered from his illness, he distributed the
amounts of his will, with his own hands. Then he said; O
companions of the messenger of God (Peace be upon him),
whoever amongst you was a participant, in the battle of Badr,
then I owe him four hundred dinars. Uthman stood up with
the others to collect his share, and was told: Abu Umar, are
you not rich? And he answered, this is a gesture of a gift from
Abdul Rahman and not a charity, and as such is legitimate
money.
On that day, Abdul Rahman distributed a total of one
hundred and fifty thousand dinars. When night fell, he sat in
his house and wrote a paper, containing his decision to
distribute his entire wealth amongst the immigrants and alAnsar. He went to the minutest detail. To the extent that he
distributed the very shirt he was wearing to so and so, and his
headgear to so and so. He did not keep any part of his wealth,
but distributed all to the poor.
In the morning, while he was praying behind the
messenger of God (peace be upon him), Gabriel descended
and said to the Prophet: O Muhammad, God is telling you:
convey from me to Abdul Rahman, greetings of peace, then
accept from him the jarda (written will), and then return it to
him and, tell him: God has accepted your charity, and that you
shall be the vicegerent of God and of his messenger. Do with
your money whatever you wish to do, and utilize it in the
same manner as you did before you gave it away, without any
reckoning. And give him good tidings of Paradise. Narrated
by Ibn Sad, in Tabaqt al-Kubra and al-Suyuti in al-Durr alManthur.

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God, Almighty, the Omnipotent has acknowledged in

more than one reference, the generosity of Abdul Rahman. In
the Sura of Tawba, verse (79), the Quran states: Those who
cavil at the volunteers among the believers who give free
offerings. The Muttauwieen in this verse, refers to Abdul
Rahman Ibn Awf, may God bless.
Imm al-Rzi, in his interpretation of a narration by
Ibn Abbs, may God bless him, said: the Messenger of God
(peace be upon him) addressed the faithful one day, and urged
them to collect charities. Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf presented
four thousand Dirhams saying: I have given to my God AllMerciful, Almighty. The messenger of God (peace be upon
him) whereupon said to him: may God bless what you have
given and what you have withheld. Narrated by Ibn Hajar
and Qanz al-Ummal and in al-Durr al-Manthr.
Uthman may God bless him, did likewise, and the
devious persons, in an effort to degrade the offerings of those
virtuous men, alleged that they had made their contributions
as a show-off and not in sincerity. Whereupon this verse of
the Quran was revealed.
In the expedition of Tabuk, Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf
participated in combat, in addition to contributing to its
financing, in response to the instructions of the messenger of
God (peace be upon him). Indeed, he was the foremost
contributor, in the amount of two hundred ounces of gold. The
messenger of God (peace be upon him) said to Abdul Rahman
on that occasion: did you leave any money to your household?
Abdul Rahman answered: More than I have contributed to the
expedition, and more blessed. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) inquired: how much? And Abdul Rahman replied: what
God and his messenger have promised in bounty and good
deals. (Narrated by Kanz al-Ummal).
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Abdul Rahman was second to none, in looking after

the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He used to
escort them in travel, accompany them in performing the
pilgrimage, and place the (hawdaj) saddles on their camels for
travel.
Aisha, may God bless her, used to say: I heard the
messenger of God (peace be upon him) say: No one would
look after you, after I am gone, except the patient. May God
enable Ibn Awf, to drink from the fresh cool water of
Paradise.
He also said: you will be safeguarded after me by the
faithful and the patient. Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmithi, alHkem and others. Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf was the man to
whom the Prophet was referring in the statement just narrated.
Amongst the great and innumerable vitues and attributes of
Abdul Rahman were:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) testified that he
shall be one of the ten companions given the promise of
Paradise. Also, that he was amongst the people of the (battle)
of Badr, about whom the following verse in the Quran was
revealed: God is well content with the believers when they
swore fealty to you beneath the tree. Quran (48: 18).
Narrated by Imama al-Zhahabi in his book (Siyar
Alm al-Nubal) Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, may God bless said: I
heard the messenger of God (peace be upon him) say (Abdul
Rahman Ibn Awf is a trustee on earth and a trustee in heaven).
(Narrated by al-Hkem).

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On his authority also: the messenger of God

(peace be upon him) said: Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf is
visegerent of God on earth. Narrated by al-Hkem.
The messenger of God (peace be upon him) is
narrated to have said: Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf is a Sayyid
(notable) among the Sayyids of Islam. Narrated by al-Hkem.
We have mentioned earlier his generosity and the
messenger of Gods acknowledgement of his contributions and
his multi-faceted virtues, and the Prophets pledge that he shall
be of the people of paradise, and his characterization by the
Prophet that he is the enduring and the true. And the Prophet
prayed for him abundantly.
One episode stands out in his career, and singles him
out from other companions of the Prophet. This is related to the
battle of Tabuk, in the course of which, the messenger of God
followed him in prayers. Consensus.
Let us get to know this unique episode in details: Amr Ibn
Wahb al-Thaqafi narrated: we were with al-Mughira Ibn
Shuba when he was asked: has anyone of this Umma led the
Prophet in prayers other than Abu Bakr? May God bless. He
answered: we were with the messenger of God (peace be upon
him), in travel.
At dawn, he hit the neck of my camel, and I thought that he
must be in need of something, so I directed my camel alongside
his, until he distanced himself from the rest of the people.
He then dismounted, and walked a distance away from me until
I could not see him: when he returned, he said: have you no
water? And I answered in the affirmative. I brought my water
jar and poured water over his hands, which he washed
thoroughly. He then washed his face and wrists ,and he was

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wearing a tight Damascene shirt. He folded the shirt and

washed his arms, face and hands, then his Imama (headgar).
We mounted our beasts and went back to join the rest of the
expedition. The prayers had already started, and Abdul
Rahman was in the forefont, having performed one Ruks and
was about to start the second. At this moment, the messenger
of God arrived and I tried to stop Abdul Rahman from
resuming the prayers but, the messenger of God (peace be
upon him) said no, let him finish. The Prophet (Peace be upon
him) prayed behind with the rest of the people, and when
Abdul Rahman had Finished his prayers, the messenger of
God (peace be upon him( and to the people present: you have
acted correctly and have done well, by being punctual in
saying your prayers. Narrated in Sahihan.
Sound Judgment:
The rightly guided Caliphs always sought his judgment
because they held him in highest esteem and consulted him on
the most crucial issues. Abu Bakr, for example, sought his
opinion in nominating Umar as Caliph to succeed him.
Likewise, the Caliph Umar sought his advise on major issues,
and he accompanied Umar in most of his voyages, expeditions
and conquests. In the battle of Qdissiya, it was he who
suggested that the campaign be commanded by Sad Ibn Abi
Waqqass, and that Umar should not go in person to lead the
faithful, in battle, for fear of a reversal which might impact on
the entire Islamic movement, if the Caliph himself were
involved. Umar used to describe him as the just and the
judicious.
He sought his opinion regarding the punishment for
those who drink alcoholic drinks, and it was he who
suggested that the minimum punishment be eight lashes for
the violator. It was the Caliph Umar, who appointed him
amongst the consultative council of six, and whose task was
to select a successor to the Caliph. Indeed, it was Abdul
Rahman who nominated Uthman, to succeed Umar in
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Caliphate, and subsequent to that, Ali.

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This was mentioned in some of the biographies of

notables and in the book Fursan about the age of
Prophethood, and others which are indicative of his longsightedness and the trust the companions placed in him.
He was unenthusiastic about assuming the Caliphate
himself, because he fully understood the grave responsibilities
incumbent upon this office, before God Almighty and the
people.
Al-Masour has narrated: when Abdul Rahman Ibn
Awf became a member of the consultative council, nothing
was dearer to me than to see Abdul Rahman assume the
Caliphate, and after him Sad. Thereupon, Amr Ibn al-Ass
came to me and said: what would God Almighty think of your
uncle (meaning Abdul Rahman) if he selected someone else to
assume it, knowing that he was better qualified than that
person? I came to Abdul Rahman and repeated what Amr had
said to me, and he replied: By God, if a knife were to pierce
my neck all through to the other end, would be more palatable
to me than that.
When Uthman, may God bless, felt that his end was
nearing, he ordered his clerk Hamran, to write his nominee for
succession to be Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf, may God bless.
When Abdul Rahman knew about it, he supplicated saying:
Allahumma, if Uthman had, indeed, nominated me to
succeed him, I implore you to ordain my death before him.
Family:
Abdul Rahman married twelve wives, and his children
from those marriages, numbered thirty six twenty eight boys
and eight girls.
Death:
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Died in Medina during the Caliphate of Uthman after

a long illness.
On his illness, his son Ibrahim, narrated the following:
My father, during his illness, lost consciousness on one
occasion, to the extent that people around thought that he had
passed away. They covered him with a blanket and watched
him for one hour lying unconscious. Then, he awakened, and
the first thing he uttered was Allahu Akbar, and members of
the household repeated after him Allahu Akbar. Then he
inquired, did I go unconscious?
And they answered yes. He then said, you are right
and, in the course of my unconsciousness, two men followed
me, who were repugnant, harsh and rough. The said: let us go
and take him to trial before the honest and venerated. They
went away with me until I came across a man who asked:
where are you taking this man? They answered: we are taking
him to the honest and the venerated for trial. He answered: go
back from where you came, for he is one to whom God has
ordained happiness and forgiveness, while in the womb of his
mother. And his offspring shall enjoy similar endowment
forever after. Narrated by al-Hkem in al-Mustadrak.
Ibrahim, his son, added: he subsequently lived for one
month, and died in the year thirty two hijri at the age of
seventy five. Uthman led the mourners in prayers, and he
wad buried at al-Baqee cemetery, bidden farewell by the most
prominent of the comparisons of the Prophet.
May God have mercy on the great companion Abdel
Rahman Ibn Awf- the pure and believing- and may his abode
be the higher paradise, and may we be mustered with him
among the Prophets, saints and martyrs- who are the best of
companions.

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237

236

Abu Ubaida amer Ibn al-Jarrh

Name and Lineage:
amer Ibn al-Jarrah Ibn Hilal Ibn Ahyab, Ibn
Dhabba, Ibn al-Hareth, Ibn fahr, Ibn Malek, Ibn al-Nadher,
Ibn Kinana. His genealogy meets with that of the messenger
of God (peace be upon him) in Fahr Ibn Malek.
Nick name:
Abu Ubaida, which became the more common name
than his own.
Physical Features:
He was, may God bless, tall and thin with a distorted
face because of the loss of his front teeth, when he extracted
with them, two arrows from the face of the messenger of God,
on the day of the battle of Uhud.
Embracing Islam:
He was one of the early pioneers in embracing Islam,
alongside Uthman Ibn Math`un and, a group of companions,
as narrated by Yazeed Ibn Ruman, who said: Ibn Mathn,
Ubaida Ibn al-Harith, Abdul Rahman Awf, Abu Salama Ibn
Abd al-Assad and, Abu Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah went together
to the messenger of God (peace be upon him) where he
presented Islam to them and explained its basic principles and
laws. They all embraced Islam within one hour, and before the
messenger of God (peace be upon him) had entered the house
of Arqam and made it the center of his call.

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Immigration:
He immigrated twice, in the cause of Islam: the first
one was to Abyssinia, along with those early immigrants who
went there. The second was when the ill-treatment and even
torture, perpetrated by the disbelievers intensified. But, he did
not stay away for long, because he was keen to be near the
messenger of God (peace be upon him), and to hear the
recitation of the verses of the Quran as they were being
revealed to him.
No sooner had he heard that a truce had been
concluded between Quraysh and the messenger of God (peace
be upon him), than he decided to return to Mecca. But it was
quickly discovered to have been a rumor, without basis in
fact.
The second time: his hijra to Medina- when he
returned to Mecca, Quraysh reverted to its malpractice of
torturing the faithful. When he heard that the messenger of
God had immigrated to Medina, he decided to follow suit.
When he arrived in Medina, he went straight to meet the
messenger of God (peace be upon him). The Prophet could
hardly recognize him, because accumulation of dust had
covered him during the journey. The messenger of God
welcomed him and fraternized him with Muhammad Ibn
Salam al-Ansari.

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His struggle and his combat record:

He was inherently a sturdy warrior and, a man of
chivalry. In addition to that, from the first day of his arrival
in Medina, he had taken it upon himself to devote his life to
combat, in the furtherance of the religion of God- in addition
to the fact that he was physically and psychologically strong
and fearless. No wonder he never missed any military
expedition, in the company of the Prophet. In each and every
one of them, he showed unrivalled heroism. Following is a
brief on some of his military exploits:
Abu Ubaida in the battle of Badr: Badr was the first major
battle between Islam and the disbelievers. Those who
participated in it, became luminaries and were accorded a
position of pre-eminence. Their ranks included Abu Ubaida,
may God bless, and his role was a profound expression of
his deep and unshakeable faith, as it illustrated in the
following: Abdullah Ibn al-Jarrah, father of Abu Ubaida,
was fighting on the side of the disbelievers. In the course of
the battle, he came close to killing his son, but Abu Ubaida,
evaded his father, lest he inflict any harm on him. But the
father persisted in the engagement, to the point where Abu
Ubaida slew his own father, in the cause of his religions
belief.

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Wherefore, was revealed the following verse in the

Quran: you shall not find a people that believe in God and
the Last Day to be in friendly relations with those who
antagonize God and his messenger. Even though they be their
fathers, or their sons, or their brethren, or their clan. Such as
they, upon their hearts He has written faith; and He has
supported them with a spirit from Him. And He shall admit
them to gardens underneath which rivers flow, abiding therein
forever, having the gratification of God, and they shall be well
content with Him, Such are the party of God. And surely
Gods party shall be the prosperous. Quran (58: 22).
In the battle of Uhud, he was one of the staunchest
fighters in defence of the messenger of God, when he was
besieged. Abu Bakr has described the role of Abu Ubaida in
this battle as follows: the messenger of God (peace be upon
him) was hit by two arrows in the face. I hurried towards the
messenger of God (peace be upon him), when I saw a man,
rushing from the east like a man in flight, I said: Allahumma,
reward this endeavor. When I arrived at where the messenger
of God was, I found that Abu Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah had
arrived before me. He said to me: I beseech you by God, oh
Abu Bakr, to leave me to extricate them from the face of the
messenger of
God (peace be upon him). I left him to do what he had
requested, and he proceeded to extricate the first and then the
second. It was so strenuous that Abu Ubaida lost his front
teeth and fell to the ground. He took out the second arrow and
the same thing happened. This altered his facial looks, and
someone remarked no one has a better facial look than Abu
Ubaida, after he had lost his two jaw teeth.

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His combat record was one of unparalleled courage and

dedication in all other encounters.
And when the messenger of God passed away he
continued his military career in the Islamic conquests which
followed. He was one of the most prominent commanders in
the ferocious battles against the apostates, who endangered
the Muslim community, after the death of the messenger of
God (peace be upon him). The Caliph Abu Bakr appointed
him the Emir of the city of Homss in Syria.
During the Caliphate of Umar, he was commander, in
the conquest of many cities in Bilaad el-Shm twenty eight
towns and cities including Damascus, Jerusalem, Balabak,
Aleppo, Antioch and Raha. He left deep imprints in each and
every one of them.

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Great stand:
When the Caliph Umar, ordered Abu Ubaida, to assume
overall command of the Muslim armies in Bilad el-Sham
(Syria) in place of Khaled Ibn al-Waleed, Abu Ubaida, upon
receiving the special envoy of Umar, with instructions to
this effect, requested the envoy to keep the order secret, until
Khaled had victoriously completed his conquest. After this
had been achieved, Abu Ubaida, with tact and gentleness
communicated to Khaled the order of the Caliph Umar,
dismissing him from command.
Khaled asked him: what prevented you, Abu Ubaida, from
communicating the dismissal order, when you first received
it? The trustee of the Umma, Abu Ubaida replied: I hated to
undermine the momentum of your battle. We do not seek
worldly gains, nor are we working for worldly gains. All of
us are dedicated to the service of God.
His virtues and his standing with the messenger of God
(peace be upon him):
He was foremost in the trust and esteem of the messenger of
God (peace be upon him), and his record in the cause of
Islam was outstanding. He was one of the ten companions of
the Prophet promised the reward of Paradise. The virtues of
Abu Ubaida, included:

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Abu Ubaida was named by the messenger of God

(peace be upon him) to be (Ameen al-Umma) trustee
of this Umma. In another version of the narration:
Every Prophet has a trustee, and my trustee is Abu
Ubaida: Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmithi.
The messenger of Gods affection towards Abu
Ubaida: Amr Ibn al-Ass, may God bless him,
narrated the following: the messenger of God was
asked: o messenger of God, who is the most endeared
to you? And he answered (Aisha). Then who is the
most endeared amongst men? And he answered: Abu
Bakr. Then who? And he answered: Abu Ubaida Ibn
al-Jarrah. Narrated by al-Hkem.
The messenger of Gods admiration for Abu
Ubaidas character: al-Hassan said: the messenger of
God said: No one of you, if I had wished, but I
would find in his character some blemish, except Abu
Ubaida. Narrated by al-Hkem.

His standing amongst the companions, may God bless:

Abu Ubaida was held in the highest esteem by his
companions because of his exemplary character. This can be
discerned from the statements of commendation uttered by
them, as we shall see below:

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Abu Bakr, the truthful, may God bless, used to tell

tribes which had sought his advise on nominating a
commander: chose this man of flexibility and
temperance, a man who if grieved, would not cause
anyone to be grieved, and if maligned would forgive,
and if relation were severed would rejoin - merciful
with the faithful, hard on the disbelievers, choose
Abu Ubaida! May God bless him.

Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him, said: if

death comes and Abu Ubaida is alive, I would chose
him to succeed me. And if God asks me, why did you
choose him to be in command of the nation of
Muhammad (peace be upon him), I would reply: I
have heard the messenger of God say: for every
Prophet, there is a trustee, and my trustee is
Abu-Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah. And Umar once said to
his companions: make a wish, and each one of them
made a wish. Umar, may God bless said: my wish is
that this house be filled with men, the like of Abu
Ubaida. Narrated by al-Hakem and Ahmad.

Amr Ibn al-ass said: three men from Quraysh

have the most pleasant of countenances, the finest
characters and are the shyest. It they talk to you they
would not lie, and if you talked to them, they would
not belie you: Abu Bakr, the truthful, Uthman Ibn
Affn, and Abu-Ubaida Ibn al-Jarrah, may God
bless them all.

Ibn Masud said: my comrades from amongst the

companions of the messenger of God (peace be upon
him) are three: Abu-Bakr, Umar, and Abu-Ubaida.

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Ibn Umar was asked: what was Ibn al-Jarrah like? And he
replied: he had the most pleasant of countenances, the best
character and the most shy.
His character and statements, may God bless:
He took the messenger of God (peace be upon him) as his
ideal, in character and morals. He therefore, embodied the
highest Islamic and humanistic characteristics such as piety,
faith, fear of God, truthfulness, honesty, bravery, modesty,
generosity, knowledge, wisdom, magnanimity, mercy,
kindness and modesty in living. We can discern some of these
attributes from his statements and his behavior.
His modesty in living:
When the caliph Umar came to Jerusalem and was received
by the Emirs and the commanders, he inquired saying: where
is my brother Abu Ubaida? They replied: he shall be coming
to you now. He came riding an unsaddled camel, drawn by a
rope. He saluted him and asked the throng to leave. Umar
then went with Abu Ubaida to his abode where both
dismounted. When Umar entered the abode, he did not see
any furnishing, and the only thing he saw was his sword, his
shield and his beast of burden. Umar was overwhelmed with
emotions at the sight of Abu Ubaida, living in this barren
home, notwithstanding the fact that he was commander in
chief of the Muslim armies. On his part, Abu Ubaida told
Umar that easy life would destroy us.

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His generosity:
Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless him, sent four
thousand dinars, in some narrations four hundred, and told his
emissary: see what he will do with this money. The emissary
came back and told Umar that, Abu Ubaida distributed the
sum in its entirety, in the cause of God. Umar, upon hearing
this said: thanks be to God, who has ordained people in Islam,
to behave in this manner.
His modesty:
Thabet al-Banni narrated that, Abu Ubaida had said: o
you people, I am one of Quraysh, and no one amongst you,
whether red or black, who is more virtuous than I am, would I
not wish to be in his skin.
When Umar Ibn al-Khattab wrote to Abu Ubaida,
asking him to return to Medina, to spare him the plague of
Emmus in Palestine, Abu Ubaida replied: I have understood
your intent, so pray, release me from your order. For, I am but a
soldier amongst the soldiers of Islam, and I would not wish to
be preferred over them.
His fear of God
Qutada quoted Abu Ubaida as saying: I wish I were a ram for
sacrifice in the cause of Islam.

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His readiness for martyrdom in the cause of Islam:

Urwa narrated that Abu Ubaida and his kin, were
spared the plague of Emmuss. Abu-Ubaida supplicated God
saying: Allahumma, Your share of the household of Abu
Ubaida. A sore spot appeared on his little finger as he spoke.
He looked at it intently. They said to him: it is tiny and has no
significance, and he replied: I hope God would bless it,
because if he blesses the little, it would become plenty.
His Wisdom:
When inspecting in army camp, he used to utter the
following: perhaps, there may be people who clean white their
clothes, but desecrate their religion, there may be people who
glorify themselves but, in doing so humiliate it, wipe out old
sins by new good deeds, for if someone had committed sins
that link the earth and the sky in enormity, and then offered a
good deed, it would supplant and conquer all previous ills.
His Death:
Died in the year eighteen Hejira during Umars
Caliphate, of the plague of Emmus in Jordan where he is
buried. He was fifty eight years of age.
Math Ibn Jabal, one of the companions of the Prophet, said
the prayers on his tomb, and his burial was attended also, by
Amr Ibn al-Ass and al-Dahhk Ibn Qays, may God bless
them.

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His Will Before Death:

Said Ibn al-Mussayeb has narrated: when
Abu-Ubaida was afflicted with the plague while in Jordan, he
summoned Muslim notables present and said: I am leaving
with you a will which, as long as you adhere to, you shall be
well: observe your prayers, fast the month of Ramadan, pay
alms, perform the Umra and the pilgrimage, keep your
friendly relationships, give sincere advice to your Emirs and
do not misguide them, and do not be beholden to this world
for, if anyone were to live a thousand years, he would
inevitably face, as I am facing before you, death. God, the
Almighty, the Omnipotent, has ordained death to the breed of
Adam, for they will all meet death. The wisest amongst them,
is he who is obedient to God and does good deeds, for his
return to the Day of Judgement. And the peace and mercy of
God be upon you all.
Family:
It is worth mentioning that Abu Ubaida, may God
bless him, had only two sons Yazeed and Umair, from one
mother- Hind bint Jaber, but the two sons died without
begetting any offspring.
May God bless the soul of Abu Ubaida, and award
him an abode of peace, for he exemplified all the best ideals
and principles of Islam, and walked the right path.

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Sad Ibn Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl,

May God bless Him.
His Name and Lineage:
Sad Ibn Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl Ibn abd al-Uzza Ibn
Riyah Ibn Abdullh Ibn Qart Ibn Razah Ibn Addii Ibn Kab
Ibn Luai al-Qurashi al-Adawi.
He is the cousin of Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may God bless, and
married to his sister. His nick name: Abu al-Awar.
Physical Features:
He was tall and thick haired
Pre-Islamic upbringing:
He was brought up in Mecca, but he always felt averse to the
deeds of his fellow Meccans, and their adoration and worship
of idols. These customs and rituals were repugnant to him.

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Embracing Islam:
He and his wife Um Jameel Fatima bint al-Khattab
sister of Umar, embraced Islam early on. In fact, his
conversion to Islam preceded that of Umar. Indeed, Umars
conversion was prompted by that of his sister and his brother
in-law, as is narrated in his Sira (biography).
His Immigration:
Said Ibn Zayd, may God bless him, remained in
Medina, to face the persecution which the disbelievers
inflicted on the faithful. But he was patient and steadfast,
and immigrated to Medina with his wife, as soon as he was
given the signal to do so. The messenger of God (peace be
upon him) fraternized between him and Ubay Ibn Kab.
His struggle in the cause of Islam:
Some historians have narrated that he had taken part
in all the encounters, in the company of the messenger of
God (peace be upon him) except the battle of Badr. But, alWqidi has narrated that the messenger of God (peace be
upon him) had sent him, along with Talha Ibn Ubaidillah to
Damascus, to gather intelligence on the situation there.
When they returned to Medina, the battle of Badr had
already been engaged, and therefore, they could not
participate in it. But, nonetheless, they were regarded as
Badriyyeen (people of Badr) and were allocated a share of
its booty.

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But there is agreement that he had participated in all

the other encounters, as was reported by Said Ibn Jubair. He
said: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, al-Zubayr, Sad,
Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf and Said Ibn Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn
Nufayl, were in the forefront of the messenger of God (peace
be upon him) in battle, and behind him in line, in performing
prayers. And no one from amongst the immigrants or alAnsar, had the right to replace any of them, whether they were
present or absent.
After the death of the messenger of God (peace be
upon him), Said ib Zayd, may God bless, was one of the
commanders of the Muslim armies in the major and decisive
battles, such as the battle of Yarmuk, where he played a major
role, as commander of one of the most important of the
Muslim legions partaking in the battle.
Ibn Asker, the historian, narrates that when Said
saw the numerically superior Roman legions, he was taken
aback in apprehension. Then he fell to the ground and sat on
his knees, waiting for the enemy to advance. When the
Roman legions drew near to him he speared the first of their
fighters upon approach, and then led his forces into a
victorious counter attack.
Said persisted in combat until the end of his life.

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His Virtues And Attributes:

The venerable companion of the messenger of God
(peace be upon him) Said Ibn Zayd, was one of the closest
companions, and one who kept company with the Prophet in
all of his activities, travels and encounters. He was one of the
ten companions, given the promise of Paradise, as was
narrated by al-Tirmithi, as we have already mentioned. He
was, also, one of the earliest converts to Islam, and one of the
first to follow the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet testified about
him in the sound tradition narrated by Tirmidhi on the
authority of Sa`eed Bin Zayd he said: we were with the
Messenger of God at Harraa- mountain- and he said (be firm
Harraa for upon you is but a Prophet or a saint or a martyr);
the Prophet is Muhammad and the saint is Abu Bakr, as for
the martyrs- among them was Sa`id Ibn Zayd.
He gained the confidence of the messenger of God
(peace be upon him), who used to send him on important
missions. After the encounter with Bani Quraytha, he sent him
along with the captive women of Bani Quraytha to Najd, to
barter them with the purchase of horses and arms, to
strengthen Muslim forces. And, in recognition of his virtuous
character, Um al-Mumineen (mother of the faithful) Zaynab
bint Jahsh, willed that Said lead the faithful in prayer, in her
funeral. He enjoyed a position of eminence, with the rightly
guided Caliphs, and Umar did not appoint him to the
consultative council, only because he wished to avoid being
tainted with favoritism, on account of his cousin Said.

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His attributes were many, including:

His supplications were answered: it has been narrated
that Arwa contested his part ownership of her house. He
answered: leave her to do what she wished, for I have heard
the messenger of God (peace be upon him) say: whoever
takes a span of land, unjustly, he shall be encircled in seven
layers of land, on the day of resurrection. Allahumma, if she
be lying, blind her sight and make her grave in her house.
Muhammad Ibn Zayd has narrated: I saw her blind
stretching her hands to touch the wall and saying: the
imprecation of Said has hit me. And while she was walking
in the house, she fell into the well of the house and drowned,
and it became her tomb.
Some of the Ulemas have singled out for recognition
his father: (Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl). He was the most
outstanding father, amongst the fathers of the companions of
the messengers of God. He was a faithful Unitarian during the
era of al-Jhiliya. He would repudiate and rebuke Quraysh,
and other Arab tribes for worshipping idols, and he traversed
Bilaad el-Shaam, in search of the true religion. He
encountered Judaism and Christianity but did not favor them.
Finally, he declared: Allahumma, I adhere to the religion of
Ibrahim (Abraham), and was, therefore, among those who
attained salvation. The messenger of God (peace be upon
him) said of Him (I saw Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl, alone,
resurrected as an Umma a nation). Narrated by Ahmad and
al-Hkem. Also another saying: I entered Paradise and saw
two lofty trees belonging to Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl.
Narrated by the author of Kanz al-Umml, (even though
Said preceded the advent of Islam and did not, therefore
embrace it). There are many narrations about him indicative
that he was a monotheist, among which:

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He used to combat infanticide: he would tell a father who

intended to commit the crime of infanticide: pray, do not kill
her, I shall undertake to sustain her. After bringing her up, he
would go to the father and say: if you wish to take her back, I
shall give her to you, and if you do not, I shall spare you her
care. Narrated by Bukhari.
One of his attributes is that he would not eat meat slaughtered
on an altar for idols.
He used to preach against adultery: Asma has
narrated: I have seen Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl, supporting
his back at the wall of the Kaba, and exclaiming: woe unto
Quraysh, beware adultery for it begets poverty.
And other narrations and reports indicating that he was
an upright person.
Death of Said Ibn Zayd Ibn Amr, may God bless him:
he died on a Friday, in the year fifty one Hejira at the age of
seventy plus years, at a spot named al-Aqiq. He was buried
in Medina, and his funeral was attended by Sad Ibn Abi
Waqqss, Ibn Umar, companions of the messenger of God
(peace be upon him) his people, and his household, including
his sons.
May God have mercy on his soul!

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The foregoing has been a series of briefs on the Siras

(biographies) of the ten companions of the Prophet (peace be
upon him) who have been given the promise of Paradise. But
researches on those great leaders are endless. Nonetheless, the
legacy which they bequeathed to us shall be a source of
inspiration to us and to our descendents until the Day of
Judgment.
I pray to God, the Omnipotent, to render this effort
palatable to our younger generations, so that they discern in
the Siras of the companions of the messenger of God (peace
be upon him), a source of inspiration, which would obviate
the need to seek inspiration from false ideas and models,
which are in vogue in the present day world.
In order to achieve this, we need to follow up with the
Siras of the succeeding generations of companions, who have
set an example of fortitude, sincere faith and leadership in all
walks of life. This we shall see in the next series of
publication, under the title The Best Century, God willing.
May God preserve you and bestow on you his beneficence.
And thanks be to the Lord of the worlds.
References

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Books
Sahih Al-Bukhari
Sahih Muslim
Jami` Al-Tirmidhi
Sunan Abi Daoud
Sunan Al-Nissa`i

135

Authors
Imam Bukhari
Imam Muslim
Imam Tirmidhi
Imam Abu Daoud
Imam Nissa`i

6.
7.

Sunan Ibn Maja

Al-Jami` Bayn Al-Sahihayn

8.
9.
10.

Sahih Ibn Habban

Jami` Al-Masaneed W`al Sunan
Fath Al-Bari Sharh Sahih AlBukhari
11.
Al-Sira Al-Nabawiya
12.
Al-Sira Al-Halabiya
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.

Hayat Al-Sahaba
Al-Bidaya W`al Nihaya
Kanz Al-`Ummal Fi Sunan AlAkwal W`al Aff`aal
Al-Muntadham Fi Tarikh AlUmam W`al Muluk
Sifat Al-Safwah
Tarikh Umar Ibn Al-Khattab
Assad Al-Ghaba Fi Ma`rifat AlSahaba
Tarikh Al-Khulafa`a
Siyar A`laam Al-Nubala`a
Tahthib Al-Tahthib

23.

Tarikh Al-Islam Wawafiyyat

Al-Mashahir W`al A`laam
24.
Al-Riyad
Al-Nadera
Fi
Manaqib Al-`Ashara

136

Imam Ibn Maja

Saleh Ahmad AlShami
Imam Ibn Habban
Ibn Kathir
Ibn
Hajar
Al-Asqalani
Ibn Hisham
Ahmad
Zeini
Dahlan
Al-Kandahlawi
Ibn Kathir
Al-Muttaki
AlHindi
Ibn Al-Jawzi
Ibn Al-Jawzi
Ibn Al-Jawzi
Ibn Al-Athir
Al-Suyuti
Al-Dhahabi
Ibn Hajar
Asqalani
Al-Thahabi
Al-Muhhib
Tabari

Al-

Al-

25.

Jawlah Tarikhiya Fi Asr AlKhulafaa Al-Rashidin

26.
Suwar Min Siyar Al-Sahaba
27.

Shatharat Al-Thahab

28.

Al-A`laam

29.
30.
31.
32.
33.

Al-Ikmal
Al-Wafi B`il Wafiyyat
Fawat Al-Wafiyyat
Wafiyyat Al-A`yan
Fursan Min Asr Al-Sahabah

34.

Al-Mu`jam
Tabarani
35.
Al-Hilya

137

Al-Kabir

L`il

Muhammad AlSayyid Al-Wakil

Abdel Hamid AlSajibani
Ibn Imad AlHanbali
Khayr Eddine AlZirikili
Ibn Makula
Al-Safadi
Al-Kutbi
Ibn Khalkan
Ahmad
Khalil
Jum`a
Imam Tabarani
Ibn Nu`aym

138