Zubayr

In the Name of Allah; Most-Merciful, Most-Compassionate.

abu Abdullah al Zubayr ibn Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with him, is one of the ten granted Paradise while he walked the earth. He was also one of those who was given the position of selecting Khalifah and one who shared an ancestor with the Prophet (may Allah exalt his mention and protect him from every evil). In addition to that, he never missed a campaign that was led by the Prophet - may Allah exalt his mention and protect him from every evil.

Zubayr became Muslim as a youth, aged sixteen. His mother was Safiyyah bint abdul-Muttalib and his wife Asma bint abi Bakr al Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with them). His decision to worship One God and accept Islam led to his torture, such as his uncle rolling him in a mat, hanging it up and lighting a fire underneath it to smoke Zubayr. However, he did not renounce his faith, may Allah be pleased with him. It is narrated that Zubayr was the first Muslim to use a sword for the sake of Islam - on this occasion he had been taking a nap and thought that he had overheard someone had killed the Prophet, so he emerged from his home with his sword unsheathed. He migrated to Abyssinia when the torture reached great levels, thereafter he returned to Mekkah and would again make hijra to al Madinah.

He took part in the battles of Badr and Uhud, showing great courage, honour, ability and sacrifice. However, it would be in the Battle of the Trench wherein Zubayr would gain a noble title: The Prophet (may Allah exalt his mention and protect him from every evil) said: Each Prophet has a disciple, and my disciple is al Zubayr" (reported in Muslim). This was said because on two occasions Zubayr went to the opposing side, at the request of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in order to fetch news of the attackers. He would play focal roles in the Battle of Yarmook and the conquest of Egypt.

When Zubayr married Asma bint abi Bakr al Siddeeq he owned almost nothing, he and his wife would struggle for meals on a daily basis (may Allah be pleased with them both). He was known to have a protective jealousy of the women of his family, and his wife greatly respected that - in one case she refused a ride with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and remarked that she remembered the protective jealousy of Zubayr. Zubayr named all of his sons after those who had been killed for the sake of Allah: Abdullah after Abdullah ibn Jahsh, al Mundhir after al Mundhir ibn Amr, Urwah after Urwah ibn Mas'ud, Hamzah after Hamzah, Ja'far after Ja'far ibn abi Talib, Mus'ab after Mus'ab ibn Umayr, Ubaydah after Ubaydah ibn al Harith, Khalid after Khalid ibn Sa'ed and Amr after Amr ibn Sa'ed ibn al As.

He was well known to be a generous man, who was appointed to care for orphans and manage their wealth. Zubayr was killed after the Battle of the Camel, may Allah be pleased with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) foretold that Zubayr would be killed as a martyr when he said to the mountain: "Be still, for there is no one on you but a Prophet, a Siddeeq, and a martyr" (reported in Muslim). Before his passing, he was keen to ensure that all his debts were paid off, instructing his son to take care of these matters.

May Allah be pleased with abu Abdullah al Zubayr ibn Khuwaylid.