Class 6 – Sa’d Bin Abi Waqqas, Saeed Ibn Zayd, Abu Ubaydah, Harithah Bin Numan (RadhiAllahu Anhum)
Class 6
Sa’d Bin Abi Waqqas, Saeed Ibn Zayd,
Abu Ubaydah, Harithah Bin Numan
(RadhiAllahu Anhum)
SA’D BIN ABI WAQQAAS
A Lurking Lion
Who Was He?
He was Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas Malim bin Uhayb bin Abdul Manaf, the leader, Abu Ishaq, Al-Quraishi, Al-Makki. He is one of the ten given the glad tidings of Paradise. He is also one of the forerunners and one of those who witnessed the Battle of Badr and the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. He is also a member of the committee of six appointed by ‘Umar to decide on his successor after his death. He is the first to shoot an arrow alongside the Prophet ﷺ.
His Virtues
- Sa’ d bin Abi Waqqas R.A.reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘0 Allah respond to him whenever he (i.e. Sa’ d) prays.”‘
- Sa’d commented on the revelation of this verse: “And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon” (Al-An’ am:52): This verse was revealed in relation to six persons and I and Ibn Mas’ud were amongst them. The polytheists said to him (the Prophet): ‘Do not keep such persons near you.”‘
- ‘Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The first person who would enter through this door will be among the people of Paradise.” And just then, Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas entered.
His Jihad
He took part in the Battles of Badr, Uhud and also in Qadisiyyah where he led the Muslim Army to victory after vitory in the great Persian empire.
In the Battle of Badr
Sa’d said: “I participated alongside Allah’s Messenger ﷺ in the Battle of Badr while I had no more than a strand of hair: (i.e. in his beard) then Allah increased my beard for me after that.”
Amir Ash-Sha’bi said: “Some people asked Sa’ d bin Abi Waqqas: ‘When did you earn the dua (of the Prophet).’ He said: ‘On the Day of Badr. I was shooting in front of the Prophet ﷺ. I would place an arrow in the bow then I would say: 0 Allah let the earth convulse underneath them, throw fear into their hearts, do such and such with them, do such and such with them. And the Prophet ﷺ would also say: “0 Allah respond to the prayer of Sa’d.”‘
His Aloofness From the Fitnah
When fitnah (trial-crisis) reared its head within the ranks of the Muslims, a group of people stood aloof from it, among them was Sa’d. Regarding this, he said: “I will not fight unless a sword is brought to me having two eyes and a tongue saying to me:
‘This is a believer and this is a disbeliever”. (i.e. pronouncing as unbeliever one of the two warring groups of Muslim)”‘
‘Umar bin Sa’d reported from his father that one of his sons, Amir came to him and Sa’d said to him, “My son, are you asking me to be a part of this crisis? I swear by Allah, I will not partake in this (at least not) until a sword is brought to me that can distinguish between a believer and a non-believer such that if I want to strike a believer, it will inform me (so that I may avoid him) and if I strike a non-believer with it, it will kill him. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: Allah loves a rich man who is inconspicuous and righteous.”‘
Imam Adh-Dhahabi said: “Sa’d stood aloof from the fitnah. He did not participate in the Battle of Jamal nor did he take part in Siffeen. He was not a party to the arbitration. Meanwhile, he was one of the people whose clout entitles them to be a leader and he commanded great respect. May Allah be pleased with him.”
At His Death He said: Allah Will Not Punish Me
Mus’ab bin Sa’d reported: “My father’s head was in my room in the last moment of his life. I cried helplessly as I watch him lying sick. Then he raised his head to me and asked, ‘My son, why are you crying?’ I responded, ‘I am overwhelmed by the emotions of watching you and your condition.’ Then he said:
‘Don’t cry for Allah will never punish me for I am among the people of Paradise.”‘
He Was Buried in a Cloth of Jihad
Do not forget the lesson Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas taught us just before he was separated from this world to answer the call of the True King. Don’t you see the garment with which he is meeting his Lord? He did not find a better cloth than the one he had used in the Jihad- a sign of nobility and a mark of manliness. Would that my people knew!
Az-Zuhuree reported that when Sa’ d approached his death, he called for an old woolenjubbah (outer garment) and said:
“Shroud me in it for I fought the unbelievers while I was wearing it on the day of Badr and I have kept it because of this day.”
He died during the reign of Muawiyah while he was eighty three years old.
Marwan led his funeral prayer and he was buried at Al-Baqi.
SA’EED IBN ZAYD
… And Sa’eed bin Zayd will be in Paradise. [An Authentic Hadith]
Who Was He?
He was Sa’eed bin Zayd bin Amr bin Nufayl bin Abdul Uzza, Al-Quraishi Al-‘ Adawi He accepted Islam in its early period before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ever began his gathering in the house of Arqam. He participated in all the battles alongside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with the exception of Badr.
Urwah repotted: “Sa’eed bin Zayd bin Amr bin Nufayl arrived from Sham after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had returned victoriously from the Battle of Badr. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave him his own portion (from the spoils of war).”
He participated in the siege of Damascus and its eventual capture. Abu Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah appointed him to administer the territory. This makes him the first to ever rule Damascus from this Ummah.
He Is One of the Ten Given the Tiding of Paradise
‘Abdur· Rahman ibn Awf also narrated: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Abu Bakr will go to Paradise, ‘Umar will go to Paradise, ‘Uthman will go to Paradise, ‘ Ali will go to Paradise, Talhah will go to Paradise, Az-Zubayr will go to Paradise, ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Awf will go to Paradise, Sa’d ibn Abu Waqqas will go to Paradise, Sa’eed ibn Zayd will go to Paradise, and Abu Ubayd ibn Al-Jarrah will go to Paradise.”
His father, Zayd bin Amr bin Nufayl was among those who fled toward Allah from the worship of idols before the Messengership of Muhammad. He toured through the land of Sham seeking an upright religion to practice. He came across Christians and Jews, but detested their religions. Finally, after a fruitless search, he said: “0 Allah I am upon the religion of Ibrahim ﷺ.” He did not grasp the laws given to Ibrahim properly because he did not find anyone who would set him firmly upon that path. Nevertheless, he was from the saved ones. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ bore witness for him that, “He will be resurrected as a one-man nation.” He was a cousin to Amirul Mu’minin ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab. He saw the Prophet ﷺ but he did not live to witness his prophethood.
Asma’ bint Abu Bakr narrated: “I saw Zayd bin Amr bin Nufayl standing with his back against the Ka’bah and saying, “0 people of Quraish! By Allah, none amongst you is on the religion of Ibrahim except me.” He used to preserve the lives of little girls: If somebody wanted to kill his daughter he would say to him, “Do not kill her for I will feed her on your behalf.” So he would take her, and when she grew up nicely, he would say to her father, “Now if you want her, I will give her to you, and if you wish, I will feed her on your behalf.”
Zayd bin Amr used to criticize the Quraish. He would say, “Allah has created the sheep and He has sent the water for it from the sky, and He has grown the grass for it from the earth; yet you slaughter it in other than the Name of Allah!”
As for his son, Sa’eed, he got his own portion of fortune because of his acceptance of Islam. Qais bin Abi Hazim narrated:
“Sa’eed bin Zayd bin Amr bin Nulayl said: ‘By Allah, I have seen myself tied and forced by ‘Umar to leave Islam before ‘Umar himself embraced Islam.’ Thereafter, he had one of the strongest and longest hands in the aid of Islam. May Allah be pleased with him.”
Luminous Phases from His Fighting in Jihad
Sa’eed bin Zayd earned great fortune in Islam. He participated in Jihad in the path of Allah alongside the righteous ones.
He was the commander of the cavalry in the Battle of Ajnadayn and proved to be one of the strongest men
Habib bin Salamah reported: “We were hard pressed on the Day of Yarmuk and our saving grace was Sa’eed bin Zayd. How excellent he was on that day. He was like a Lion in his ferociousness in that battle. He rushed to the ground on his knees and when the enemy got close to him, he pounced on them like a lion.
A Dua and Its Acceptance
Hisham bin Urwah reported on the authority of his father that Arwah bint Uwais disputed with Sa’eed bin Zayd that he had seized some of the land belonging to her. She brought this dispute before Marwan. Sa’eed said: “How could I take a part of her land, after what I heard from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ?” I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ say: “He who wrongly took a span of land would be made to wear around his neck seven earths.” Marwan said: “I do not ask any evidence from you after this.” He (Sa’eed) said: “0 Allah, make her blind if she has told a lie and kill her in her own land.” He (the narrator) said: “She did not die until she had lost her eyesight, and (one day) as she was walking in her land, she fell down into a pit and died.”
See how the nobles are wrongly accused. Meanwhile they turn a blind eye to those who really deserve to be accused. How many criminals are there roaming free and how many are the pious exposed to insults and injuries of the evil plotters but Allah is the Best of Planners. Soon they will be requited in the end. “And surely, he who invents a lie (against Allah) will fail miserably.” (Ta Ha:61)
The innocents should take solace in the fact that their Messenger, himself, was not free from the gibes of the devils and the devils of men. In the Battle of Hunayn, some people arrogantly criticized his distribution of the war booty: “By Allah, there is no justice in this distribution and the pleasure of Allah was not intended by it!” they said.
Sa’eed died in the year 51A.H. and was buried in Madinah. He died at Al-Aqiq and Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas washed his body and Sa’ d together with ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar lowered him into his grave. On the day he died, he was well over seventy years old. And Allah knows best.
ABU UBAYDAH BIN AL-JARRAH
The Trustworthy of this Ummah
Who Was He?
He was Abu Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah Al-Quraishi, Al-FihriyyuAl-Makkee. He was one of the first groups of people to acceptIslam. He was the one Abu Bakr preferred for the Khilafah. Heindicated this on the Day of the Saqeefah due to Abu Ubaydah’sgreat competence. He accepted Islam along with ‘Uthman binMadhun and participated in all the battles fought by the Prophetﷺ . He was steadfast on the day of Uhud.
His Virtues
- Hudhaifah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said to the people of Najran: “I will send to you an honest man who is really trustworthy.” Every one of the (Muslim) people hoped to be that one. The Prophet ﷺ then sent Abu Ubaydah bin AI-Ja.rrah.
- ‘Abdullah also reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Abu Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah: “This is the trustworthy of this nation.“
- Abu Hurrayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “What an excellent man Abu Bakr is, what an excellent man ‘Umar is, and what an excellent man Abu Ubaydah bin AI-Jarrah is.”
- On the day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, Abu Bakr As Siddiq said to Banu Sa’adah at the Saqeefah: “I am pleased to present for your consideration (for the leadership) one of these two men: ‘Umar and Abu Ubaydah.”
- Zayd bin Maslamah reported from his father that ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab said to his companions: “Make a wish all of you.” One of them said: “I wish that this house is filled with dirham so that I can spend it in the path of Allah.”
Again, he said, “Make a wish.” So another man said: “I wish that this house was filled with gold so that I can spend it in the path of Allah.”
For the third time, ‘Umar asked them to make a wish. Another person said: “I wish this house is filled with gems or something similar so that I may spend it in the path of Allah.”
‘Umar asked again: “Make a wish” and they responded, “We don’t have any other thing to wish for after these.”
Then he said,” As for me, I wish that this house is filled with men like Abu Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah, Muadh bin Jabal and Hudhaifah bin AI-Yaman so that I may employ them in the obedience of Allah.”
It is said: Then he sent some money to Hudhaifah and said, “Wait and see what he will do with it.” When the money got to him, Hudhaifah distributed everything to the poor and the needy. Then he sent money to Muadh bin Jabal and he too distributed it. Similarly, he sent some money to Abu Ubaydah and said, “You will see what he too will do.” And again, Abu Ubaydah did as the previous two Companions. ‘Umar said, “I have informed you (about them).”
- Tameem bin Salamah reported that ‘Umar met Abu Ubaydah one day, he shook his hands and kissed it and both of them parted while they were crying.
His Jihad
The Battle of Badr
The deep faith of Abu Ubaydah manifested in the Battle of Badr. On that day, he exemplified his sincerity to Allah, and his loyalty to Him and His Messenger.
‘Abdullah bin Shawdhab said: “Abu Ubaydah’s father kept obstructing his path (on the battlefield spoiling for a fight with his son). Abu Ubaydah kept avoiding him. When the action of his father became persistent, Abu Ubaydah confronted him and he killed him. Thereafter, Allah revealed regarding his killing of his father:
‘You (0 Muhammad) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ), even though they were their fathers.”‘ (Mujadilah:22)
The Battle of Uhud Karamah (Miracle)
Jabir reported: “Allah’s Messenger ﷺ sent us under the command of Abu Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah in order to intercept the caravan of the Quraish pagans. We had no more than a bag of dates as our provision.
Abu Ubaydah kept on giving us our daily ration of a date each.” I said, “What did you do with it?” He said, “We would suck it like a child and we would drink water on top of it and that would be sufficient for us for that day till night fall. We also used to beat the leaves of Al-Khabt and we would soak it in water and then we would eat it.
“We travelled along the seashore and then the sea threw out something like a huge sand dune. We went to it and it was an animal (i.e. a fish) called Al-Anbar.
“Abu Ubaydah (initially) said: ‘Dead animal!’ On a second thought, he said: ‘No! We are messengers of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. We are out to fight in the path of Allah and we are straitened, so eat it.’
We subsisted on it for a month, the three hundred of us, until we put on weight. We were scooping out buckets of oil from its eye socket and we were cutting large chunks of meat like that of a bull.
We stored some part of its dried meat. When we got to Madinah, we went to the Messenger of Allah
ﷺ and we mentioned the incident to him, so he said: ‘It is a provision brought out for you by Allah. Do you have any of its meat with you so that you may feed us with it?’ We sent some of its meat to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he ate from it.”
From His Sermon
Abul Hasan Imran bin Namran reported that Abu Ubaydah would walk among the soldiers and would say: “How many a fellow who would wash his garment resplendently white but would soil his deen (religion). How many a person who considers himself honorable, but who, in reality, disgraces his soul? Hurry to replace the past sins with new good deeds.”
His Zuhd
Hisham bin Urwah reported from his father that: “When ‘Umar arrived in Sham, he was welcomed by governors and other great personages. Then he asked: “Where is my brother, Abu Ubaydah?” They responded: “He is just coming to you now.” He came on a camel whose rein was a rope. He said the salam (greeting of peace) to him. Then ‘Umar said to the people: “depart from us.” So he rode alongside him until they got to Abu Ubaydah’ s house. So they alighted there and he did not see anything in his house except his sword, his shield and his saddle. So ‘Umar said to him: “Why don’t you get some possessions,” or he said something similar. Then he said to ‘Umar “These are sufficient to carry us to the Place of Rest.”
Acceptance of Fate
When the plague of Amwas spread in Syria, many people were martyred. Abu Ubaydah stood in the face of the decree of Allah like an imposing mountain and a great tower. His channel withstood the waves of calamity.
Tariq bin Shihab reported: ‘”Umar dispatched a letter to Abu Ubaydah saying: ‘An urgent need has occurred to me and your presence is imperative to that need, so hurry to me.’ When Abu Ubaydah read the letter, he said, ‘I know why the Amir Al Mu’minin needs me. He wants to secure the survival of someone who, however, is not eternal.’ So he wrote to ‘Umar: ‘I know that you need me but please release me from your command and permit me to stay on. I am in an army of Muslims and I have no desire to save myself from what is afflicting them.’
“When ‘Umar read this letter he wept. Those who were with him asked, ‘Has Abu Ubaydah died?’ ‘No,’ he said, ‘But it is just as if he has died. “‘
Abu Ubaydah died from the plague and death from it is martyrdom. Abu Ubaydah was happy when the trace of the plague appeared in his hand, he said: “By Allah, I will not prefer in its place red camels.” May Allah be pleased with him.
HARITHAH BIN NU’MAN
He will Recite the Qur’an in Paradise
Have you ever come across this name? Harithah bin Nu’man? Memorize it (his name) because we will hear his voice in Jannah. He is an Ansari from the clan of Khazraj. He participated in the battle of Badr and many other campaigns. He lived until the Khilafah of Muawiyah.
The Prophet Heard Him Recite the Qur’an in Paradise
‘A’ishah narrated that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “Ientered Paradise, then I heard a voice reciting the Qur’an so Iasked: ‘Who is that?’ They replied: ‘That is Harithah bin Nu’man.’ He used to be obedient to his mother.”
“There is yet another great feat that none attained except those who are close to Allah. Harithah himself narrated to us this incident. He said: ‘I saw Jibril in this world twice – at Siirayn (a place in Madinah by the side of Al-Baqi). When Allah’s Messenger ﷺ advanced against Banu Quraydah, he passed by us in the form of Dihya and he commanded us to bear our arms.
‘The second time was during a funeral prayer session on our return from the battle of Hunayn. I passed by while he was conversing with the Prophet ﷺ and I did not say the salam (greeting). Jibril asked: “0 Muhammad, who is that?” And the Prophet ﷺ replied: “(He is) Harithah bin Nu’man.” “He is among the hundred patient ones in the battle of Hunayn. Allah has guaranteed them their sustenance in Paradise. If he had said the salam, I would have responded to him.”‘
His family once complained about his poor food and he responded: “Poor food prevents evil death.”
He died during the Khilafah of Mu’awiyah. From his progenies is the Muhaddith, Abu ar-Rijal Muhammad bin’ Abdur Rahman bin’ Abdullah bin Harithah bin Nu’man Al-Ansari. He was the son of Amrah, the Faqeehah (scholar) from the women of Madinah. He narrated Hadeeths from her.
May Allah be Pleased with him.