al-Zubeir ibn al-Awam

As-Sahabah:
Az-Zubayr ibn Al-Awam
الزبير بن العوام بن خويلد

The Companions of Prophet Muhammed
(peac be upon him)

Decorative Lines

Az-Zubayr ibn Al-Awam

”Az-Zubayr ibn Al-Awam (594–656) (الزبير بن العوام بن خويلد) was a companion of Muhammad and a commander in the Rashidun army.”

Al-Zubayr

  • Born: 594 Mecca, Arabia
  • Died: 656 Basra, Iraq
  • Allegiance: Flag of Afghanistan (1880–1901).svg Rashidun Caliphate.
  • Years of service: 636, 640–642
  • Rank: Commander
  • Commands held: Rashidun conquest of Egypt, First Muslim civil War

Family and Childhood

Al-Zubayr was born in Mecca in 594

His father was Al-Awam ibn Khuwaylid of the Asad clan of the Quraysh tribe, making Al-Zubayr a nephew of Khadijah. His mother was Muhammad’s aunt, Safiyyah bint ‘Abd al-Muttalib, hence Al-Zubayr was Muhammad’s first cousin. He had two brothers, Saayib and Abdulkaaba; a maternal brother, Safi ibn Al-Harith, who was from the Umayya clan; and several paternal siblings, including Hind bint Al-Awwam, a wife of Zayd ibn Haritha.

While he was still a boy, Al-Zubayr fought an adult man and beat him up so fiercely that the man’s hand was broken. Safiya, who was pregnant at the time, had to carry the man home. When the passers-by asked what had happened, she told them, “He fought Al-Zubayr. Did you find Al-Zubayr soft like cheese or dates or full of brass?”

Al-Awam died while Al-Zubayr was still young. His mother used to beat him severely. When it was said to her, “You have killed him! You have wrenched his heart. Will you destroy the boy?” she replied, “I beat him so that he will be intelligent and will be bold in the battle.”

Al-Zubayr is described as of medium height, lean, dark-complexioned and hairy, though with a thin beard. His hair hung down to his shoulders, and he did not dye it after it turned white.

Conversion to Islam

Al-Zubayr was one of the first five men to accept Islam under the influence of Abu Bakr, and is said to have been the fourth or fifth adult male convert.

He was one of the first fifteen emigrants to Abyssinia in 615, and he returned thence in 616. While he was in Abyssinia, a rebellion against the Negus (King) broke out. The Negus met the rebels on the banks of the Nile. The Muslims, greatly worried about losing their protector, delegated Al-Zubayr to be their news-bearer. Helped by an inflated waterskin, he swam down the Nile until he reached the point where the battle was being fought.

He watched until the Negus had defeated the rebels, then swam back to the Muslims. He ran up waving his clothes and announced, “Hurrah, the Negus has conquered and God has destroyed his enemies and established him in his land!” The Muslims rejoiced.

Al-Zubayr was among those who returned to Mecca in 619 because they heard that the Meccans had converted to Islam. “But when they got near to Mecca, they learned that the report was false, so that they entered the town under the protection of a citizen or by stealth.” However, Al-Zubayr did not name his protector.

Al-Zubayr joined the general emigration to Medina in 622. At first he lodged with Al-Mundhir ibn Muhammad. It is disputed who became Al-Zubayr’s “brother” in Islam: variant traditions name Abdullah ibn Masood, Talha ibn Ubaydullah, Kaab ibn Malik and Salama ibn Salama. Muhammad gave him a large plot of land to build his house and a grant of some palm trees. In 625 Al-Zubayr was given more palm trees from the land of the expelled Nadir tribe.

Military Activity
Under Muhammad

It is said that Al-Zubayr joined all of Muhammad’s military expeditions, typically dressed in a distinctive yellow turban.

At the Battle of Badr he was sent as a scout and he captured a Meccan spy. He then fought in the battle and killed Ubayda ibn Saïd of the Umayya.

At the Battle of Uhud he volunteered to take up Muhammad’s sword “with its right,” which was to “smite the enemy with it until it bends,” and was “much mortified” when Muhammad rejected his offer. He was standing so close to the fleeing Meccan women that he could see Hind bint Utbah’s anklets. But it was at that point that the battle turned; Al-Zubayr was one of the handful of men who stood beside Muhammad when the Muslims in their turn fled and who accompanied him to the glen. “He was firm with him in the Battle of Uhud and he gave him allegiance to the death.”

During the Battle of the Trench, Al-Zubayr rode a roan horse. He volunteered to bring news of the Qurayza tribe to Muhammad, who responded, “Every Prophet has a disciple, and my disciple is Al-Zubayr.”

In 628 Al-Zubayr joined the expedition to Khaybar and answered Yasir the Jew’s challenge to single combat. His mother Safiya asked Muhammad, “Will he kill my son?” and Muhammad reassured her, “No, your son will kill him, Allah willing.” Al-Zubayr advanced reciting: “Khaybar, know that I am Zabbar, chief of a people no cowardly runaways, the son of those who defend their glory, the son of princes.

‘O Yasir let not all the unbelievers deceive you, for all of them are like a slowly moving mirage.” They fought, and Al-Zubayr killed Yasir. Afterwards the Muslims commented on how sharp his sword must have been; Al-Zubayr replied that it had not been sharp but he had used it with great force.

After the Muslims had conquered Al-Qamus, the Jewish treasurer, Kinana, was brought to Muhammad, but he refused to reveal where their money was hidden. Muhammad ibn Maslama then decapitated Kinana, in retaliation for his brother Mahmud, who had been killed in the battle a few days earlier. Al-Zubayr was later made one of the eighteen chiefs who each supervised the division of a block of booty-shares.

In December 629, on the eve of the Conquest of Mecca, Muhammad sent Al-Zubayr and Ali to intercept a spy who was carrying a letter to the Quraysh. When they could not find the letter in her baggage, they realised she must have concealed it on her person, so they threatened to strip her.

The spy then produced the letter, which she had hidden in her hair, and Al-Zubayr and Ali brought it back to Muhammad, confident that the Muslims would now take Mecca by surprise. When Muhammad entered Mecca, Al-Zubayr held one of the three banners of the Emigrants and commanded the left wing of the conquering army. He also fought at the Battle of Hunayn.

Career After Muhammad

In the third week of July 632, the Caliph Abu Bakr scraped together an army mainly from the Banu Hashim (the clan of Muhammad) to defend Medina from an imminent invasion by the apostate forces of Tulayha, a self-proclaimed prophet.

The army included stalwarts like Zubayr, Ali ibn Abi Talib and Talha ibn Ubaidullah. Each of them was appointed as commander of one-third of the newly organised force. They had their roles during the Ridda Wars; however, they did not face any combat scenaria.

Al-Zubayr was the most successful field commander during the Muslim conquest of Egypt under Caliph Umar.[citation needed] He commanded a regiment in the decisive Battle of Yarmouk in 636,[citation needed] and in 640 he commanded the reinforcements sent to capture Amr ibn al-As in Egypt.[citation needed]

When Umar was dying in 644, he selected Al-Zubayr and five other men to elect the next Caliph. They duly elected Uthman, during whose caliphate, Al-Zubayr was not involved in political or military matters.[citation needed] Al-Zubayr was cautious about narrating ahadith about Muhammad even though he had been constantly in his company. As he explained to his son Abdullah, “I heard Allah’s Messenger say, ‘Anyone who tells a lie about me should take a seat in the Fire.’”

Wives and Children

Al-Zubayr married eight times and had twenty children.

Asma bint Abi Bakr. They were married before the Hijra of 622 and divorced when Urwa was young, i.e., around 645.

  • Abdullah
  • Al-Mundhir
  • Asim
  • Al-Muhajir
  • Khadija the Elder
  • Umm Al-Hasan
  • Aisha
  • Urwa

Umm Kulthum bint Uqba of the Umayya clan. They were married in 629, but “she disliked him,” and they were divorced in a matter of months. After their daughter was born;

  • Umm Kulthum married Abdur Rahman bin Awf.
  • Zaynab
  • Al-Halal bint Qays of the Asad tribe.
  • Khadija the Younger

Umm Khalid Ama bint Khalid of the Umayya clan. She was one of the emigrants who returned from Abyssinia in 628.

  • Khalid
  • Umar
  • Habiba
  • Sawda
  • Hind

Ar-Rabbab bint Unayf of the Kalb tribe.

  • Musab
  • Hamza
  • Ramla

Umm Jaafar Zaynab bint Marthad of the Thaalaba tribe.

  • Ubayda
  • Jaafar
  • Atiqa bint Zayd of the Adiy clan, a widow of Umar.

Tumadir bint Al-Asbagh of the Kalb tribe, a widow of Abdur Rahman ibn Awf. Al-Zubayr divorced her only seven days after the wedding. She used to tell other women, “When one of you marries, she should not be deceived by seven days after what Al-Zubayr has done to me.” She did not, however, enlarge on the nature of the “deception”.

The Battle of the Camel

Uthman was assassinated in 656. Al-Zubayr had reason to hope that he would be elected as the next Caliph, although he knew that his old ally Talha was also a strong contender. Ultimately, Ali was chosen.

Al-Zubayr, along with Talha and the Prophet Muhammad’s widow, Aisha, called for Uthman’s death to be avenged, and while Ali agreed, he said that he was not able to do this at the time. The allies then collected an army and marched to Basra. There they defeated the Governor and took over the city, putting to death everyone who had been implicated in the assassination of Uthman.

When they were challenged over why they now cared about Uthman when they had shown him so much hostility during his lifetime, they claimed: “We wanted Uthman to meet our demands. We didn’t want him to be killed.” However, according to the British historian Sir William Muir: “The cry of vengeance on the regicides really covered designs against … ‘Ali.”

Ali certainly behaved like a man who suspected hostility towards himself, for he soon entered Basra with a professional army of twenty thousand. For several days, there were negotiations, as both sides asserted they wanted only to see justice done. But on 7 December 656 hostilities erupted. Aisha’s warriors killed Ali’s messenger-boy, and Ali responded, “Battle is now justified, so fight them!” So battle commenced.

Al-Zubayr, however, had lost the desire to fight. He said that Ali had talked him out of it during the negotiations on the grounds that they were cousins; but his son accused him of fearing Ali’s army. Al-Zubayr left the battle-field while Aisha continued to direct her troops. A man named Amr ibn Jurmuz decided to track his movements and followed him to a nearby field. It was time for prayer so, after each had asked the other what he was doing there, they agreed to pray. While Al-Zubayr was prostrating, Amr ibn Jurmuz stabbed him in the neck and killed him.

Legacy

In his will Al-Zubayr had left a house for all of his divorced daughters. He left a third of his property in bequests and instructed his son Abdullah to sell the rest of his property to pay off his debts, invoking Allah if any could not be paid. Abdullah found that the debts amounted to 1,200,000, presumably in dirhams. Although Abdullah went to some trouble to settle all the debts, Al-Zubayr’s four widows eventually inherited 1,100,000 each, leaving over 30,000,000 to be divided among his children.

Al-Zubayr ibn Al-Awam was one of the ten Muslims to whom Muhammad guaranteed Paradise while they were still alive.

The Prophet’s Disciple..!
Az-Zubair Ibn Al-‘Awam

It is almost impossible to mention Talhah without mentioning Az-Zubair, too, and almost impossible to mention Az-Zubair without mentioning Talhah as well. When the Prophet (pbuh) was fraternizing with his Companions in Makkah before the Hijrah to Al-Madiinah, he fraternized with Talhah and Az-Zubair. The Prophet (pbuh) often talked about them together, for example in his statement “Talhah and Az-Zubair are my neighbors in Paradise.”

Both of them were linked to the Prophet (pbuh) through relationship and descent. As for Talhah, he is linked to the Prophet (pbuh) through Murah Ibn Ka’b. Zubair’s lineage is linked to the Prophet through Quaaii Ibn Kulaab. In addition to that, his mother Safiah is the Prophet’s paternal aunt.

Talhah and Az-Zubair resembled each other tremendously in their fates. The similarity between them was enormous in terms of their upbringing, their wealth, their generosity, their religious solidarity, and their magnificent bravery. Both of them were early converts to Islam. Both of them were among the ten to whom Paradise was promised by the Prophet (pbuh) and among the six whom ‘Umar entrusted with the duty of choosing the next caliph following him. Even their destiny was one of complete similarity. In fact it was one destiny.

As mentioned, Az-Zubair’s embracement of Islam was an early one. Indeed, he was one of the first seven who quickened their steps towards Islam and played a role with the blessed early converts at Daar Al-Arqam. At that time he was 15 years old; that is how he was endowed with guidance, light, and all the good while still a youth.

He was a horseman and a bold warrior from childhood, to the extent that historians mention that the first sword lifted in Islam was Az-Zubair’s sword. In the very early days of Islam, while the Muslims were still few in number, hiding in Daar Al-Arqam, a rumor spread that the Prophet (pbuh) had been killed. Az-Zubair had hardly heard that when he unsheathed his sword and hurried through the streets of Makkah although still so young. First he went to learn the truth of what had been said, determined that if it were true, he would cut the whole of the Quraish into pieces until they killed him.

On the high hills of Makkah, the Prophet (pbuh) met him and asked, “What’s the matter?” Az-Zubair told him the news. The Prophet (pbuh) prayed for him and asked Allah to bestow mercy and all good upon him, and victory upon his sword.

Despite Az-Zubair’s nobility among his clan, he had to carry the burden of the Quraish’s persecution and torment. It was his uncle who was in charge of his torture. He wrapped him in a mat, set it on fire to let him suffocate, and called to him while he was under the pressure of severe torture, “Disbelieve in Muhammad’s Lord and I will ward off this torture.”

Az-Zubair, who was at that time no more than a growing youth, replied in a horrible challenging way, “No! By Allah, I won’t return to polytheism ever again.”

Az-Zubair emigrated to Abyssinia twice, in the first and second migrations. Then he returned to take part in the battles with the Prophet (pbuh). No raid or battle ever missed him. Plentiful were the stabs which his body had to receive and preserve even after his wounds had been healed. They were like medals telling of Az-Zubair’s heroism and glory. Let us listen to one of his companions, who once saw and described these medals, which crowded each other over his body:

While accompanying Az- Zubair in one of his journeys, I saw his body spotted with sword scars. His chest was like hollow eyes due to the variety of stabs and wounds. I said to him, “I’ve seen on your body what I’ve never seen before.” He replied, “By Allah, I haven’t received one of them except while I was with the Prophet (pbuh) and in the cause of Allah.”

During the Battle of Uhud, after the army of the Quraish had retreated towards Makkah, the Prophet (pbuh) assigned him together with Abu Bakr to follow the Quraish’s army and to chase them so they would realize how strong the Muslim party was and would not think of reattacking Al-Madiinah and continuing the fight.

Abu Bakr and Az-Zubair led 70 Muslims. Although they were chasing a victorious army, the military skill used by Ag-Siddiiq and Az-Zubair, made the Quraish think that they had overestimated the losses of the Muslim party. They thought that the powerful front row, whose strength Az-Zubair and As-Siddiiq successfully demonstrated, was nothing other than the advance guard of the Prophet’s army, which seemed to approach in order to launch a horrible pursuit. The Quraish hastened away and quickened their pace towards Makkah.

On the Day of Al-Yarmuuk, Az-Zubair was an army in himself. When he saw most of the warriors under his command moving backwards when they saw the huge advancing Roman “mountains”, he cried, “AUahu akbar’ Allah is the greatest!” With a sharp striking sword he burst alone into those advancing “mountains”, then he retreated, then penetrated the same horrible rows with his sword in his right hand, never tripping nor slipping.

May Allah be pleased with him who was so much in love with martyrdom, full of enthusiasm for dying in the cause of Allah. He said, “Talhah gives his sons names of the Prophets and he knows there is no prophet after Muhammad (pbuh). But I give my sons the names of martyrs, and may they die as martyrs !”

In this way he named one son ‘Abd Allah as a good omen, after the martyr Companion “Abd Allah Ibn Jahsh; another he named Al-Mundhir after the martyr Companion Al-Mundhir Ibn ‘Amr; another he named ‘Urwah after the martyr Companion ‘Urwah Ibn “Amr; another he called Hamzah after the martyr Companion Hamzah Ibn Abi laalib; another he called Ja’far after the martyr Companion Ja’far Ibn Abi Taalib; another he called Mus’ab after the martyr Companion Mus’ab Ibn ‘Umair and another he called Khaalid after the martyr Companion Khaalid Ibn Sa’iid.

In this way he chose for his sons the names of martyrs, hoping that they would all die martyrs. It is mentioned in his biography that he never held a governorship, nor the task of collecting taxes or tribute, but only the task of fighting in the cause of Allah. His merit as a warrior can be seen in his total self-reliance and his complete self-confidence. Even if 100,000 warriors were to join him in combat, you would still see him fighting as if standing alone on the battlefield, and as if the responsibility of fighting and for victory rested on him alone.

His merit as a warrior is represented in his firmness and the strength of his nerves.

He saw his uncle Hamzah on the Day of Uhud: the polytheists had cut his corpse into pieces in a dreadful way. He stood in front of him like a high firm rooted mountain, gritting his teeth while holding his sword tightly, having nothing in mind except a horrible revenge. Soon, however, a divine revelation prohibited the Prophet (pbuh) and the Muslims from even the slightest thought of such a thing.

When the Bani Quraidhah siege lasted a long period without their surrender, the Prophet (pbuh) sent him with ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taalib. There in front of the unsurmountable fortress he stood and repeated several times, “By Allah ! We will taste what Hamzah tasted or we will open their fortress.” Then they two alone threw themselves into the fortress.

With admirable strong nerves, they were able to terrify the besieged inside it and to open its gates.

On the Day of Hunain he could see Maalik Ibn ‘Awf, leader the of Hawaazin and of the polytheist army, after his defeat in Hunain standing in the midst of some of his companions and the remnants of his defeated army. He burst alone into their midst and single-handedly scattered them and pushed them away from the place of ambush from which they kept an eye on the Muslim leaders who were returning from the battlefield.

His share of the Prophet’s love and appreciation was great. The Prophet (pbuh) was so proud of him that he said, “Every prophet has a disciple, and my disciple is Az-Zubair Ibn Al-“Awaam.” He was not only his cousin and the husband of Asmaa’ Bint Abu Bakr (“The Lady of the Two Belts”) but, moreover, he was the powerful, loyal, brave, bold, generous, and bountiful, who gave away and devoted his life and money for Allah, Lord of all the worlds.

His characteristics were noble, his good qualities great. His bravery and generosity were always parallel to each other. He managed a successful trade, and his fortune was enormous; however, he spent all of that in the cause of Islam until he died in debt. His trust in Allah was the reason behind his generosity, bravery, and redemption.

Even when he generously gave up his soul, he asked his son to pay his debt. “If you’re unable to pay it, then seek my Master’s help.” “Abd Allah asked him,” Which master do you mean?” He answered, “Allah. He is the best Guardian, the best Helper.” ‘Abd Allah said afterwards, “By Allah I never fell into trouble because of his debt. I only said, ‘0 Master of Zubair, pay his debt,’ so He did.”

On the Day of Al-Jamal, and in the same way previously mentioned about Talhah, was Az-Zubair’s end and fate. After he saw it right to refrain from fighting, a group of those who had been keen to see the flames of civil strife continuously raging and never extinguished followed him. A treacherous murderer stabbed him while he was praying and standing between the hands of Allah.

The murderer went to Imam ‘Aliy, thinking that he would be announcing to him good news when telling him about his attack upon Az-Zubair and when putting into his hands the sword which he had stolen from him after committing his crime. When ‘Ally knew that Az-Zubair’s murderer was standing at his door asking permission to enter, he shouted ordering that he be expelled and said, “Announce Hell to the murderer of Safiah’s son!” When they showed him Az-Zubair’s sword. Imam ‘Ally kissed it and then cried painfully saying, “A sword whose owner had so long wiped the Prophet’s grief.”

Is there a better, mo re wonderful and eloquent salute to be directed to Az-Zubair at the end of our talk than the words of Imam ‘Ali (Radhi Allahu anhu)..? May peace be upon Az-Zubair in death after his life. Peaceful greeting after peaceful greeting upon the Prophet’s disciple.