(Friday Sermon - July 17, 2020 )

Family Background

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas’ title was Abu Ishaq. His father’s name was Malik bin Uhaib, and according to other narrations was Malik bin Wuhaib. However, his father was more prominently known by his title of Abu Waqas, hence his name is Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas. His mother’s name was Hamna bint Sufyan. (Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, pp. 606-607, Dar-ul-Jeel, Beirut) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 101, Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) belonged to the Banu Zuhrah from the Quraish. (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), p. 123) (Sirat ibn Hisham, Vol. 1, pp. 680-681, Min Bani Zuhrah, Maktabah Mustafa al-Babi wa al-Halabi wa Awladuhu, Egypt, 1955)

Glad Tidings of Paradise

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was among the ten companions whom the Holy Prophet^(sa) gave glad tidings of paradise during their lifetime. These ten companions are known as the Ashrah Mubashrah and Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was the last among them to pass away. (Al-Isabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, p. 324, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)

Acceptance of Islam

All of these companions, i.e., the Ashrah Mubasharah were from among the Muhajireen [i.e., those who migrated from Mecca to Medina] and the Holy Prophet^(sa) was pleased with them at the time of his demise. In relation to his acceptance of faith, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) relates:

“The day I accepted Islam, no one else accepted Islam on that day. I waited for seven days and the condition at the time was such that I made up one third of the total Muslims, i.e., there were only three of us.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib An-Nabi, Bab Manaqib Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Hadith 3727) (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib al-Ansar, Bab Islam, Hadith 3858)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) states that he accepted Islam even before the obligatory prayers had been prescribed. (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 453, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Narrating the account of his acceptance of Islam, Hazrat Sa‘d’s^(ra) daughter relates that Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) stated:

“I saw in a dream that it was extremely dark and I could not see anything. Suddenly, I saw that the moon had risen and I began walking towards it. However, I noticed that Hazrat Zaid bin Haritha^(ra), Hazrat Ali^(ra) and Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) had started walking towards the moon before me. I asked them when they reached and they replied that they had just reached.”

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) further states that by then, he already knew that the Holy Prophet^(sa) was discreetly inviting people to Islam. Thus, he went to Shai‘b Ajyaad to meet the Holy Prophet^(sa). Ajyaad is the name of a place situated next to the mountain of Safa in Mecca where the Holy Prophet^(sa) used to graze sheep. The Holy Prophet^(sa) had just finished his Asr prayer when Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) arrived and became a Muslim after doing the Bai‘at. (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 455, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Roshan Sitarey az Ghulam Bari Saif Sahib, Vol. 2, pp. 63-64) (Farhang Sirat, p. 30, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003)

The daughter of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), Aisha bint Sa‘d narrates, “I heard my father say that when he accepted Islam; he was 17 years old.” According to other narrations, it is mentioned that when he accepted Islam he was 19 years old. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 103, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

From among the pioneer Muslims, there were five individuals who accepted Islam owing to the preaching of Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) and later went on to become some of the most distinguished companions of a lofty status. The third person [out of these five] was Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra). This has been taken from Sirat Khataman-Nabiyyin where it is stated that he was a youth when he accepted Islam, i.e., he was 19 years old at the time.

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) belonged to the Banu Zuhrah tribe and was a very brave and courageous individual. During the Caliphate of Hazrat Umar^(ra) he conquered Iraq and passed away during the reign of Amir Muawiyyah^(ra). (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), pp. 122-123)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) has recorded many narrations from the Holy Prophet^(sa). (Al-Isabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, p. 324, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)

Mus‘ab, Hazrat Sa‘d’s^(ra) son, states that his father said to him, “My mother (i.e., Hazrat Sa‘d’s^(ra) mother) had made an oath that she would never speak to him unless he abandons his faith,” i.e., until he forsakes Islam. Accordingly, she stopped eating and drinking. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) further stated, “My mother said to me, ‘You say that Allah the Almighty instructs you to show kindness to your parents. I am your mother and therefore I instruct you to leave this faith and listen to what I have to say.’” The narrator states that she remained in this state [without food and drink] for three days and due to extreme weakness, she was in a state of semi consciousness. Her son, Amarah, went to bring water and gave it to her. When she regained consciousness, she began to curse Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra). On this occasion Allah the Almighty revealed the following verse:

وَوَصَّیْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَیْہِ حُسْنًا

‘And We have enjoined on man, kindness to his parents.’ [29:9]

The verse is from Surah al-Ankabut. Further, in Surah Luqman, it is stated:

وَإِنْ جَاہَدَاکَ عَلٰى أَنْ تُشْرِکَ بِیْ

“And if they contend with thee to make thee set up equals with Me… obey them not.” [31:16]

It is also mentioned:

وَصَاحِبْہُمَا فِی الدُّنْیَا مَعْرُوفًا

“But be a kind companion to them in all worldly affairs.” [31:16]

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab Faza‘il as-Sahabah, Bab Fadl Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas, Hadith 1748)

If the question arises of associating partners with God Almighty, then one should not obey them. This matter is then discussed here in detail, but as far as worldly relations is concerned, one must show them compassion.

وَصَاحِبْہُمَا فِی الدُّنْیَا مَعْرُوفًا

“But be a kind companion to them in all worldly affairs.” [31:16]

The first narration was from [Sahih] Muslim. From another source, it is mentioned in a book of history that Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) stated, “I loved my mother dearly, but when I accepted Islam, she said, ‘What sort of religion have you accepted. Either you forsake this faith or I will stop eating and drinking until death overtakes me.’”

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) states that he said to his mother, “My dear mother! Please do not do this, because I will never forsake my religion.” Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) further narrates, “For one day and one night, my mother did not eat or drink anything and as a result her health deteriorated. At this point, I said to her, ‘By Allah! If you had a thousand lives and lost each of them, one after the other, I would still not abandon my faith.’” When his mother saw this reaction, she began to eat and drink. It was on this occasion that God Almighty revealed the following verse:

وَإِنْ جَاہَدَاکَ عَلٰى أَنْ تُشْرِکَ بِیْ مَا لَیْسَ لَکَ بِہٖ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْہُمَا وَصَاحِبْہُمَا فِی الدُّنْیَا مَعْرُوْفًا

“And if they contend with thee to make thee set up equals with Me concerning which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not, but be a kind companion to them in all worldly affairs.” [31:16] (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 455, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Maternal Uncle of the Holy Prophet^(sa)

The Holy Prophet^(sa) would call Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) his maternal uncle. (Ashab-e-Badr, Qazi Muhammad Sulaiman Salman Mansur Puri, p. 91, Maktabah Islamiyyah, Lahore, 2015)

On one occasion, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was approaching and on seeing him, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, “My uncle approaches; how great indeed is he! If anyone has an uncle the likes of mine, let him show us.”

Imam Tirmidhi has stated the reason for this was that just like the Holy Prophet^(sa)’s mother belonged to the Banu Zuhra tribe, so did Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas’^(ra) mother. (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Kitabul Manaqib, Bab Manaqib Abu Ishaq Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), Hadith 3752)

Hazrat Abu Hurairah^(ra) narrates that the Holy Prophet^(sa) was standing on Mount Hira when it began shaking. The Holy Prophet^(sa) then said, “Remain still, O Hira, for there is none upon this mount except for a prophet, siddiq [truthful] or a shaheed [a martyr].” On the mount at the time stood the Holy Prophet^(sa), Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra), Hazrat Umar^(ra), Hazrat Uthman^(ra), Hazrat Ali^(ra), Hazrat Talha^(ra) bin Ubaidillah, Hazrat Zubair^(ra) bin al-Awwam and Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Faza‘il as-Sahabah, Bab Faza‘il  Talhah wa Zubair, Hadith 2417)

First Blood Drawn For Islam

In the early days of Islam when the Muslims would pray in secrecy, on one occasion Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was offering prayers in one of the valleys around Mecca along with some other companions. The idolaters saw them and began making fun of the Muslims and criticising Islam, to the extent that it led to a quarrel. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) hit one of the idolaters over the head with a bone of a camel, with such force that his head was cut open. Thus, this was the first blood that was drawn for Islam. (Al-Isabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, p. 324, , Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)

Boycott of Banu Hashim

When the disbelievers of Mecca imposed a boycott on the Muslims and they were besieged in the Valley of Abu Talib. Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was among the Muslims that suffered these hardships. Mentioning this incident in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) writes:

“To read about the difficulties and hardships that these detainees were compelled to bear makes the body tremble. Companions of the Holy Prophet^(sa) narrate that sometimes, like animals, they survived by eating the leaves of wild trees. Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) states that once, during the night, his foot fell upon something that seemed to be moist and soft (perhaps it was the piece of a date). At that time, he was in such a state of hunger that he immediately picked it up and swallowed it. He states, ‘Until this day, I do not know what that thing was.’ On another occasion, due to extreme hunger, when he found a dry piece of skin on the ground, he took it, softened it and cleaned it with water, cooked it and ate it. He spent three days in this state of divine hospitality.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), pp. 166-167)

Migration to Medina and Bond of Brotherhood

When Allah the Almighty commanded the Muslims to migrate, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) also migrated to Medina and stayed with his brother Utbah bin Abi Waqas, who was an idolater. Utbah had killed someone in Mecca and thus he fled to Medina and settled there. (Roshan Sitarey az Ghulam Bari Saif Sahib, Vol. 2, pp. 66-67)

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was amongst the first people to migrate. (Umdatul Qari, Vol. 1, p. 305, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

The Holy Prophet^(sa) established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) and Hazrat Mus‘ab bin Umair^(ra), whereas according to another narration the bond of brotherhood was established between Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) and Hazrat Sa‘d bin Mu‘az^(ra). (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, pp. 103, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Maulana Ghulam Bari Sahib Saif has presented a justification for the difference between the two narrations. He states that perhaps in Mecca, the bond of brotherhood was established with Hazrat Mus‘ab bin Umair^(ra) and in Medina it was established with Hazrat Sa‘d bin Mu‘az. (Roshan Sitarey az Ghulam Bari Saif Sahib, Vol. 2, p. 64)

Powerful Fighter and Guard of the Holy Prophet^(sa)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was a brave and skilled cavalier from among the Quraish. During battles, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was one of the companions who were entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the Holy Prophet^(sa). (Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 325, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)

Abu Ishaq narrates that there were four powerful fighters among the companions of the Holy Prophet^(sa): Hazrat Umar^(ra), Hazrat Ali^(ra), Hazrat Zubair^(ra) and Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra). (Al-Isabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, p. 325, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)

After the migration to Medina, the Muslims remained fearful of an attack by the disbelievers and owing to this apprehension, they found it difficult to sleep at night. The Holy Prophet^(sa) would remain awake at night. In this regard, there is a narration by Hazrat Aisha^(ra) in which she states:

“Upon arrival in Medina, on one night, the Holy Prophet^(sa) had difficulty sleeping. He then prayed, ‘If only a suitable man from among my companions were to stand guard.’” Hazrat Aisha^(ra) further narrates, “We were still in this state when we heard the clanking of arms. The Holy Prophet^(sa) enquired who it was. The reply from the individual standing outside was, ‘It is I, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) enquired as to why he had come, to which he replied, ‘My heart was perturbed about you, therefore I came to stand guard.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) prayed for Sa‘d^(ra) and then fell asleep.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), pp. 282-283) (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Faza‘il as-Sahabah, Bab Fadl Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Hadith 2410)

Known for the Acceptance of Prayers

This narration is mentioned in both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, but the details of the prayer are not mentioned. However, Imam Tirmidhi has recorded the details of the prayer under the virtues of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra). In this narration, Hazrat Sa‘d’s son, Qais narrates:

“My father used to say that the Holy Prophet^(sa) prayed for him in the following manner:

اَللّٰہُمَّ اسْتَجِبْ لِسَعْدٍ اِذَا دَعَا

‘O Allah! Accept the prayer of Sa‘d whenever he prays to you.’”

In Ikmaal fi Asma ir-Rijaal, it is written that the Holy Prophet^(sa) prayed:

اَللّٰہُمَّ سَدِّدْ سَھْمَہٗ وَاَجِبْ دَعْوَتَہ

“O Allah! May Sa‘d’s arrow always land on its target and accept his prayers.” (Roshan Sitarey az Ghulam Bari Saif Sahib, Vol. 2, pp. 67-68)

Owing to this prayer of the Holy Prophet^(sa), Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was known for the acceptance of prayers. (Al-Isabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, pp. 324-325, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001)

Once, a person accused Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) of falsehood. Hazrat Sa‘d prayed, “O Allah! If he [i.e., the accuser] is lying, then relinquish him of his sight, may he live a long life and may he be struck with misfortune.” Thus, that individual endured all three of these things. (Jami‘ al-Ulum wa al-Hakam fi Sharh Khamsin Hadithan min Jawami’il Kalam, Vol. 2, p. 350, Mu‘assisah al-Risalah, Beirut, 2001)

In one narration Qais bin Abi Hazim states:

“Once, I was going to the marketplace in Medina. When I reached Ahjar al-Zaid, I saw a large crowd had gathered around an individual on a mount who was cursing Hazrat Ali^(ra). In the meantime, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) came and stood amongst the people and enquired about what was the cause of the commotion. The people replied that the individual was uttering profanities against Hazrat Ali^(ra). The people gave way for Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) to move forwards until he stood right in front of the individual and asked him, ‘Why are you cursing Hazrat Ali^(ra)? Did he not accept Islam from its inception? Was he not the first person to offer prayers alongside the Holy Prophet^(sa)? Is he not the most pious amongst the people? Is he not the most knowledgeable amongst the people? Did the Holy Prophet^(sa) not give his daughter’s hand in marriage to him, thereby granting him the honour of becoming his son-in-law? Was he not carrying the flag during the battles fought alongside the Holy Prophet^(sa)?’”

The narrator further states:

“Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) then turned to face the Qiblah, and lifting his hands for prayer, he supplicated, ‘O Allah! If this individual has cursed one of the friends of Allah (i.e., Hazrat Ali^(ra)) then make him a sign of Your Power before this crowd disperses.’”

This is a narration of Mustadrak and the narrator is Qais. He states, “By God! The crowd had not yet dispersed when the mount he was riding caused him to fall. It placed its feet on his head and stomped on his head and crushed it, causing his death.” (Al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihain, Kitab Marifatu al-Sahabah, Bab Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Hadith 6121, Vol. 3, pp. 571-572, Dar-ul-Kutub Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

There is a similar account of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) standing guard on the occasion of the Battle of the Ditch just as he spent the night standing guard immediately after the Holy prophet’s^(sa) migration to Medina. Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“Hazrat Aisha^(ra) narrates, ‘The Holy Prophet^(sa) had become extremely tired from standing guard and keeping vigilant in the nights. The Holy Prophet^(sa) would also stand on guard in the nights along with the other companions. When his body could no longer bear the intense cold temperature, the Holy Prophet^(sa) would return and lay down beside me in a blanket and as soon as his body would become warm, he would return to guard the damaged part of the ditch. Having not slept continuously for many days, the Holy Prophet^(sa) one day became extremely exhausted and wished some devoted Muslim would come [and relieve him of the physical labour of guarding the ditch in the cold of the night] and he could sleep in ease. Soon he heard a voice. It was Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra). The Holy Prophet^(sa) asked him why he had come. “To stand guard for you,” said Sa‘d^(ra). “There is no need to stand guard for me,” said the Holy Prophet^(sa). “A part of the ditch is damaged. Go and guard it so that the Muslims may be safe.” And so, Sa‘d^(ra) went and the Holy Prophet^(sa) was able to sleep for a short while.’” (Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 279)

(Friday Sermon - July 24, 2020 )

Participation in Battles

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) participated in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophet^(sa), including the Battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Battle of Khaybar and the Conquest of Mecca. He was one of the most skilled archers from among the companions of the Holy Prophet^(sa). (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 105, Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1990)

Regarding Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), it is mentioned in a narration that at one point during one of the battles in which the Messenger^(sa) of Allah was also present, nobody was left with the Messenger^(sa) of Allah except Hazrat Talha^(ra) and Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra). (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fazail al-Sahaba, Hadith no. 2415)

Whilst describing the circumstances of departing for military campaigns with the Holy Prophet^(sa), Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) states, “We would leave for a battle together with the Holy Prophet^(sa) and our condition would be such that we would not have anything available to eat except leaves of trees. Our condition was such that our passing of stool resembled the droppings of a camel or goat.”

In other words, it was very dry and not soft at all. In another narration it is mentioned that he said, “Our food in those days used to be the branches of a Babul tree.” Babul is a type of tree that has many thorny branches. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Fazail al-Sahaba al-Nabi, Hadith no. 3728), (Jami’ Tirmidhi, Abwaab-ul-Zuhd, Hadith no. 2366)

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was the first person who shed blood in the way of Allah. He was also the first person to shoot an arrow in the cause of Allah. This incident is from the Battle of Hazrat Ubaidah bin Harith. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab-ul-Sunnah, Hadith no. 131), (Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 607, Dar-ul-Jeel, Beirut) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 453, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2003)

Its details are as follows:

An expedition took place during Rabi-ul-Awwal of 2 AH, which is called the Battle of Hazrat Ubaidah bin Harith. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) has written in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin:

“In the beginning of the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the Holy Prophet^(sa) dispatched a company of the Muhajireen, comprising of 60 men mounted on horses or camels, in the leadership of a close relative, Ubaidah bin al-Harith Muttalibi. The objective of this campaign was to forestall the attacks of the Quraish of Mecca. As such, when Ubaidah bin al-Harith and his companions covered some ground and arrived close to Thaniyyatul-Murrah (Thaniyyatul-Murrah is the name of a place situated between Mecca and Medina which the Holy Prophet^(sa) passed through during his migration), they suddenly noticed that 200 armed young men had set up camp in the command of Ikramah bin Abi Jahl. The two parties encountered one another and a few arrows were exchanged in a confrontation. However, this group of idolaters then stood down from further conflict due to the fear that the Muslims probably had hidden reinforcements at their disposal and consequently, the Muslims did not pursue them. Although, two individuals from the army of the idolaters named Miqdad bin Amr^(ra) and Utbah bin Ghazwan^(ra) fled from the command of Ikramah bin Abi Jahl and joined the Muslims. It is written that they set out with the Quraish for this very purpose, so that they could find an opportunity to join the Muslims. The reason being that they were Muslims at heart, but could not migrate out of fear of the Quraish due to their weakness.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), p. 328), (Mu‘jamul Buldan, Vol. 2, pp. 99-100, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

In Jumadi-ul-Ula 2 AH, the Holy Prophet^(sa) assembled a party of eight Muhajireen under the command of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) and sent them to Kharrar to obtain intelligence about the Quraish. Kharrar is an area in the Hijaz, located near Ju‘fah. They reached there but did not confront the enemy. (Mu‘jamul Buldan, Vol. 2, pp. 400, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut) (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), pp. 329-330)

Then there is mention of the Sariyyah Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahsh^(ra), which took place at the end of Jumadi-al-Akhir 2 AH. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) also took part in this battle. With reference to Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, it is narrated as such:

“Upon observing these very threats, the Holy Prophet^(sa) decided that the movements of the Quraish should be surveyed from a closer distance, so that all the necessary intelligence with respect to them may be available on time and Medina was safeguarded from all kinds of sudden attacks. Hence, for this purpose, the Holy Prophet^(sa) assembled a party of eight Muhajireen. As an act of wisdom, the Holy Prophet^(sa) selected such men for this party who were from the various tribes of the Quraish, so that it was easier to obtain intelligence with regard to the hidden conspiracies of the Quraish. The Holy Prophet^(sa) appointed his paternal cousin, Abdullah bin Jahsh^(ra) as the commander of this party … upon ordering this sariyyah, the Holy Prophet^(sa) did not even inform the commander of this party as to where he was being sent and for what purpose. Rather, upon their departure, the Holy Prophet^(sa) handed him a sealed letter and said, ‘This letter contains necessary instructions for you. When you cover a distance of two days’ travel from Medina, open the letter and act in accordance with the stipulated instructions.’

“When they had journeyed a distance of two days from Medina, Abdullah^(ra) opened the instructions of the Holy Prophet^(sa), which were as follows: ‘Go forth to the Valley of Nakhlah between Mecca and Ta‘if and obtain information on the Quraish and return with news therefrom.’

“At the bottom of this letter, the Holy Prophet^(sa) had written that after the objective of this mission became known, if anyone from among his companions was hesitant in accompanying this party and desired to return, then permission would be granted to do so. Abdullah^(ra) read out this guidance to his companions who unanimously affirmed, ‘We happily present ourselves for this service, none of us shall return.’ Then, this party proceeded to Nakhlah. Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) and Utbah bin Ghazwan^(ra) lost their camels en-route and were separated from their companions. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to relocate their companions. The party of eight was now left with only six people.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) has mentioned an orientalist, Mr. Margoliouth who has stated this narration and attempted to create doubt by claiming that they intentionally let their camels loose and used this as an excuse to remain behind.  Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) writes with regard to Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) and his companion:

“Each and every life event of these devotees of Islam who were ready to sacrifice their lives is a testimony to their valour and devotion. One of them was martyred at the hands of the disbelievers in the campaign of Bir-e-Ma‘unah, while the other distinctly participated in many dangerous battles and ultimately became the victor of Iraq.

“Therefore, to doubt the sincerity of such people, especially when that doubt is founded on self-concocted notions, is the work of Mr. Margoliouth alone. It is ironic that in his book, Mr. Margoliouth claims that he has written this book being completely free from prejudice.

“In any case, this small community reached Nakhlah and became engaged in their work. With the thought of concealing their classified mission, some of them shaved their heads, so that travellers etc. would not be alarmed in any way and so that they would consider them as being such people who had come with the intention of Umrah. However, they had only just arrived there, when suddenly a small caravan of the Quraish also happened to arrive, which was travelling from Ta‘if to Mecca and both parties encountered each other.” The situation was such that despite their desire not to and even though it was against their own will and the instructions of the Holy Prophet^(sa), the Muslims finally decided that the caravan should be attacked and the people of the caravan should either be taken captive or killed. Therefore, they launched an attack in the name of Allah and as a result, one man from the disbelievers was killed and two were taken captive. However, the fourth individual unfortunately escaped and the Muslims were unable to apprehend him, and in this way, their decision proved unsuccessful. “Thereafter, the Muslims seized the goods of the caravan and swiftly returned to Medina with the captives and the spoils … However, when the Holy Prophet^(sa) found out that the Companions had attacked the caravan, he was extremely displeased and said:

مَااَمَرْتُکُمْ بِقِتَالٍ فِی الشَّھْرِ الْحَرَامِ

“‘I have not given you permission to fight in the sacred month.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) refused to accept the spoils … On the other hand, the Quraish also raised a huge hue and cry that the Muslims had violated the sanctity of the Sacred Month, since the person who had been killed, Amar bin al-Hadhrami, was a chieftain himself.” All the while, the disbelievers came to Medina to secure the release of their captives. “However, until now, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) and Hazrat Utbah bin Ghazwan^(ra) had not returned. On their account, the Holy Prophet^(sa) greatly feared that if the Quraish happened to seize them, they would not release them alive. Hence, for this reason, the Holy Prophet^(sa) refused to release the captives until they returned and said, ‘When my men safely reach Medina, I will release yours.’ Therefore, when they both reached Medina, the Holy Prophet^(sa) released both captives … However, from among these two captives, one individual was so deeply impressed during his stay at Medina, that he became a Muslim and was later martyred at Bi‘r-e-Ma‘unah.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), pp. 330-334)

Whilst describing the circumstances prior to the commencement of the conflict on the occasion of the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) writes in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin:

“The Holy Prophet^(sa) began to swiftly advance towards Badr and when he neared Badr, motivated by some feeling, which narrations have not disclosed, the Holy Prophet^(sa) seated Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra)  behind himself and proceeded ahead of the Muslim army. At that time, the Holy Prophet^(sa) encountered an old bedouin, from whom the Holy Prophet^(sa) gathered during the course of conversation that the army of the Quraish had reached very close to Badr. Upon hearing this news, the Holy Prophet^(sa) returned and dispatched Hazrat Ali^(ra), Zubair bin al-Awwam^(ra)  and Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) to gather information. When these people arrived at the Valley of Badr, suddenly they noticed that a few Meccans were collecting water from a spring. These Companions attacked this party, taking captive an Abyssinian slave and brought him to the Holy Prophet^(sa) … Then, the Holy Prophet^(sa) gently enquired himself, ‘At this time, where is the army positioned?’ He responded, ‘On the opposite side of the hillock before you.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) enquired, ‘How many men are there in the army?’ He responded, ‘A multitude, but I am unaware of the exact figure.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘Alright, then tell me how many camels are slaughtered daily for consumption?’ ‘Ten’, he responded. The Holy Prophet^(sa) turned to the Companions and said, ‘It seems as if they are a force of 1,000 men.’ This estimate actually turned out to be correct.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), pp. 355-356)

With regard to the bravery of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) during the Battle of Badr, there is a narration that despite being on foot, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was fighting with the same valour as the cavaliers. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 104, Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon 1990)

This is why Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was given the title “Faris-ul-Islam”, i.e., the Cavalier of Islam. (Umdatul Qari Sharah Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, p. 305, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

During the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was among those few companions who remained steadfast alongside the Holy Prophet^(sa) in the moment of confusion. (Khutbat-e-Tahir [Jalsa Salana speech prior to his Khilafat in 1979], p.337)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^(rh) mentioned the following incident during the Battle of Uhud of Utbah bin Abi Waqas, the brother of Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) who was fighting on the side of the idolaters and who launched an assault on the Holy Prophet^(sa):

“Utbah was that wretched person who launched a fierce attack upon the Holy Prophet^(sa) and broke two of his lower teeth and greatly wounded his blessed countenance. When ‘Utbah’s brother, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) who was fighting for the Muslims heard of this malicious act of Utbah, he was filled with the desire to exact revenge. He said, ‘The eagerness I had to kill my brother was perhaps greater than any other desire I had in my life. Whilst breaking through ranks of the enemies, twice I went out in search of this evildoer to make him perish at my own hands and thus satisfy my heart’s desire. But every time he saw me, he would avoid me similar to the evasion of a fox. The third time I wished to advance through, the Holy Prophet^(sa) very graciously said to me, “O servant of Allah, do you desire to lay down your life?” and thus I ended my pursuit in accordance with the wish of the Holy Prophet^(sa).’” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, [Jalsa Salana speech prior to his Khilafat in 1979] p. 346)

Whilst describing the moment when there only remained a few steadfast companions near the Holy Prophet^(sa) on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) has written:

“The Holy Prophet^(sa) would hand arrows to Sa‘d^(ra) himself and Sa‘d^(ra) would continue to shower the enemy with arrow upon arrow. At one instance, the Holy Prophet^(sa) addressed Sa‘d^(ra) saying, ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed upon you – go on shooting arrows!’ Even to the very end of his life, Sa‘d^(ra) would recall these words of the Holy Prophet^(sa) with great pride.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), p. 495)

In one of the narrations, it is mentioned that Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) relates, “On the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^(sa) took out arrows from his quiver, scattered them out for me and said, ‘Shoot the arrows! May my parents be sacrificed for you!’” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 4055)

Hazrat Ali^(ra) relates, “I never heard the Holy Prophet^(sa) offer this prayer of his parents being sacrificed for anyone but Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas.”

On the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said to Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), “May my parents be sacrificed for you! Continue to fire arrows O mighty youth! Continue to fire arrows!” (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Kitab-ul-Manaqib, Hadith no. 3753)

Here, it is also worth mentioning that a note has been added that in history, aside from Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), the name of Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam^(ra) is also found regarding whom the Holy Prophet^(sa) said:

فِدَاکَ اَبِیْ وَاُمِّیْ

“May my parents be sacrificed for you!” This is a narration from Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Fazail al-Sahaba al-Nabi, Hadith no. 3720)

Mentioning the incident of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) relates that on the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^(sa) made reference to both of his own parents, saying may they be sacrificed for Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra). Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) relates that there was a man from among the idolaters who had caused trouble for the Muslims. The Holy Prophet^(sa) said to him, i.e., to Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), “Shoot arrows! May my parents be sacrificed for you!” Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) says, “I shot one arrow that did not have an arrowhead, into his side [of the idolater], as a result of which he died and he was left exposed from his lower region. I saw that the Holy Prophet^(sa) expressed happiness. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fazail al-Sahaba, Hadith no. 2412)

In another narration, this incident has been recorded in the following manner that this idolater, whose name is mentioned as Hibban in the books of history, shot an arrow that struck Hazrat Umme Ayman in the lower region of her body, whilst she was occupied in providing water for the wounded. Upon this, Hibban began to laugh. The Holy Prophet^(sa) gave an arrow to Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), which struck the throat of Hibban. He fell backwards leaving him exposed, as result of which the Holy Prophet^(sa) smiled. (Al-Isaba, Vol. 3, p. 64, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)

Regarding this hadith [saying of the Holy Prophet^(sa)], which is from Sahih Muslim, the Noor Foundation has translated it and added an explanatory note, which is very adequate and appropriate. It states that this joy of the Holy Prophet^(sa) was as a result of the favour of Allah in that He removed a dangerous enemy from the path with an arrow that did not even have an arrowhead. (Sahih Muslim, Vol. 13, p. 41, Noor Foundation)

In one narration, it is mentioned that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) fired one thousand arrows. (Roshan Sitari, Ghulam Bari Saif, Vol. 2, p. 71)

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas was among those companions, who on the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah also signed on the treaty. (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), p. 769)

On the occasion of the conquest of Mecca, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) held one of the three flags of the Muhajireen. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 105, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Willingness to Give Charity

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) fell ill on the occasion of Hajjat-ul-Wida [the farewell pilgrimage]. Mentioning this, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) relates:

“I fell ill in Mecca and was close to death. The Holy Prophet^(sa) came to visit me. I said to him, ‘O Messenger^(sa) of Allah! I have a great abundance of wealth and only one daughter as the inheritor. Am I permitted to give two-thirds away as charity? The Holy Prophet^(sa) replied in the negative. I asked may I give half as charity? The Holy Prophet^(sa) answered in the negative. I asked if I may give one-third as charity? The Holy Prophet^(sa) agreed to this, but said that even this was too much. Following this, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘Leaving your offspring in an affluent state is better than leaving them in poverty and for them to have to beg from people. You will be rewarded for whatever you spend, so much so that you will be rewarded even for the morsel of food you give to your wife to eat.’ I said, ‘O Messenger^(sa) of Allah! Will I be left behind in my migration?’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘Even if you are left behind, your status and rank will be elevated by the deeds you will perform to seek the pleasure of Allah. I am certain that you will remain alive after my passing.’ He further said, ‘So much so that some nations will benefit from you and some people will suffer loss.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Faraidh, Hadith no. 6733)

In another narration, it is mentioned that after this, the Holy Prophet^(sa) prayed in the following words:

“O Allah! Enable my companions to fulfil the purpose of their migration and do not permit them to return unsuccessful.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Janaiz, Hadith no. 1295)

There is a narration in which Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) relates, “When I fell ill, the Holy Prophet^(sa) came to visit me and asked, ‘Have you left a will?’ I replied, ‘Yes’. The Holy Prophet^(sa) asked, ‘How much [have you left]?’ I replied, ‘All my wealth has been left in the way of Allah.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) asked, ‘What have you left for your children?’ I replied, ‘They are in a state of affluence.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘Then pledge one tenth as your will.’ Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) narrates that he continued saying this and the Holy Prophet^(sa) continued replying in the same manner.”

In other words, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) wished to give a greater amount in charity, while the Holy Prophet^(sa) was advising to give less, to the extent that he permitted him to give one-third and even that was a substantial amount. (Sunan al-Nisai, Kitab-ul-Wasaiyyah, Hadith no. 3661)

In any case, those who have knowledge of this and those in the field of jurisprudence [fiqh] have deduced from this narration that no more than a third of one’s wealth can be given away as part of one’s will. (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Abwaab-ul-Wasaiyyah, Hadith no. 2116)

Regarding this matter, Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“Ahadith also support that after one has taken out their expenses, giving away the remaining wealth in its entirety is not an Islamic injunction.  Thus, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said:

یَجِیْءُ اَحَدُکُمْ بِمَالِہٖ کُلِّہٖ یَتَصَدَّقُ بِہٖ وَیَجْلِسُ یَتَکَفَّفُ النَّاسَ اِنَّمَا الصَّدَ قَۃُ عَنْ ظَھْرِ غِنًی

“‘Some of you bring all their wealth and donate it for charity [sadaqah], but then go around begging from others. Charity ought to be given on surplus wealth.’

“Similarly, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said:

إِنْ تَذَرْ وَرَثَتَکَ أَغْنِیَاءَ خَیْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَذَرَہُمْ عَالَۃً یَتَکَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ

“‘It is better for you to leave your heirs in an affluent state rather than leaving them destitute so they are not left having to seek wealth from others.’

“Similarly, it is narrated in the hadith that Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) sought permission to distribute two-thirds of his wealth but the Holy Prophet^(sa) forbade him. He sought to distribute half but the Holy Prophet^(sa) stopped him from that as well. Then he sought permission to distribute a third of his wealth upon which the Holy Prophet^(sa) granted permission, saying, ‘You can give a third, though even a third is a large amount:

اَلثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ کَثِیرٌ

“Thus, the notion that Islam commands any wealth which exceeds one’s needs ought to be distributed [as part of their will], is completely against Islam and is contrary to the practice of the Companions^(ra). This is because according to the practice, the Companions^(ra) there were some who, at the time of their demise, bequeathed a wealth amounting to hundreds of thousands to their heirs as part of their inheritance.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 2, p. 494)

It is stated in one narration that Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas relates, “When I fell ill in Mecca, the Holy Prophet^(sa) came to visit me. When he placed his hand on my chest, I felt the coolness of his hand upon my heart. Placing his hand, he said, ‘You have an ailment of the heart. Go to Harith bin Kaladah, brother of Banu Thaqif; he is a physician. Tell him to take seven Ajwa dates from Medina and crush them along with their pits and give it to you to drink as a medicine.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 108, Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

It is stated in one narration that the Holy Prophet^(sa) appointed a specific person in Mecca to tend to Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) and stressed the fact that if Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) passed away in Mecca, he should not be buried there, but instead he should be brought to Medina to be buried. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 108, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Huntsman for the Holy Prophet^(sa)

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) relates an incident of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) regarding hunting:

“The Holy Prophet^(sa) would not hunt himself, rather it is proven through a hadith that he would have others hunt for him. Thus, during one expedition, he called Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) and said, ‘Look, there is a deer, shoot it with an arrow.’ When he was about to shoot the arrow, the Holy Prophet^(sa) lovingly placed his chin on Hazrat Sa‘d’s^(ra) shoulder and said ‘O Allah! Make him attain his target successfully.’” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, p. 124)

Conqueror of Lands

Allah the Almighty enabled Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) the honour of conquering Iraq.

Once, during the Battle of Khandaq, the Companions^(ra) went to the Holy Prophet^(sa) and said that there was a boulder in the ditch which would not break. The Holy Prophet^(sa) went and struck the boulder thrice with a pickaxe and with every blow, the boulder crumbled slightly; the Holy Prophet^(sa) proclaimed “Allahu Akbar” [Allah is the greatest] in a loud voice and the Companions^(ra) also followed in raising the slogan. During this incident, while striking one of the blows, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, “I have been shown the white palaces of Midian falling.” What he saw was fulfilled at the hands of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra). (Roshan Sitarey, Ghulam Bari Saif, Vol. 2, p. 79)

There were two great powers in the surroundings of Arabia; the Persian and the Byzantine empires. Much of Iraq was under the control of the Chosroes and his royal palaces were situated in Midian. The famous battles of Midian, Qadisiyyah, Nahawand, and Jalula were fought under the leadership of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra).

The background to Midian is that it is located by the Tigris River, a little south of Baghdad in Iraq. Since many cities were established here one after the other, the Arabs gave it the name of Midian, meaning a cluster of cities. Qadisiyyah was also a city in Iraq where a famous battle was fought between the Muslims and the Persians, known as the Battle of Qadisiyyah. Present day Qadisiyyah is located 15 farsakh [approximately 50 miles] from Kufa. Nahawand is a city located in present day Iran and is seventy kilometres south of Hamadan, the capital of the region. Jalula is a city in present day Iraq which is located near the eastern corner of the Tigris River. A battle between the Muslims and the Persians was fought here. It was named Jalula because the city became filled with the corpses of Iranians.

In Iraq, during the Caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra), Hazrat Musanna bin Haritha^(ra) sought permission to attack as the Persians constantly caused trouble on the border. Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) granted permission and sent a large army with Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed^(ra) to assist. When Hazrat Abu Ubaidah^(ra) submitted to Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) for reinforcements in Syria, Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) sent Hazrat Khalid^(ra) to help him and Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed^(ra) appointed Hazrat Musanna^(ra) to deputise in Iraq. However, as soon as Hazrat Khalid^(ra) left Iraq the campaign lost momentum. When Hazrat Umar^(ra) became the Caliph, he returned attention towards the campaign in Iraq. Hazrat Musanna^(ra) had consecutively rendered defeat to enemies in Buwaib and other battles and taken hold of a large expanse of land in Iraq. At that time, Iraq was under the control of the Chosroes. When the Persians saw the strength of Muslims in battle and their consecutive victories, it opened their eyes. They replaced their queen, Buran Dukht, with Yazdegerd, the true heir of Chosroes. Upon ascending the throne, he immediately united all the powers of the Iranian empire and kindled a fire of fury and revenge in the entire nation against Muslims. Under these circumstances, Hazrat Musanna^(ra) was forced to retreat from the Arabian border. When Hazrat Umar^(ra) came to know of these incidents, he sent emissaries throughout Arabia, who delivered passionate addresses calling on the Muslims to take a stand against Chosroes. The result was that it stirred emotions in Arabia and resulted in people hearkening from all directions, ready to present themselves for the sake of Islam with their lives in the palms of their hands, [as it were]; flocking to the royal court of the Caliphate.

Bravery and Fearlessness

Hazrat Umar^(ra) sought counsel as to who should be appointed to lead this expedition. Upon the suggestions of the people, Hazrat Umar^(ra) prepared to lead it himself, however Hazrat Ali^(ra) and other prominent companions were against this. Subsequently, Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid’s^(ra) name was proposed but in that very instance, Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf^(ra) stood up and said, “O Leader of the Faithful! I know just the individual for this expedition.” Hazrat Umar^(ra) enquired who it was and Hazrat Abdur Rahman^(ra) bin Auf proposed the name of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra). Upon this, everyone agreed with the proposal of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra). Regarding Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), Hazrat Umar^(ra) stated:

اِنَّہٗ رَجُلٌ شُجَاعٌ رَامٍ

“He is a brave and fearless man; and an excellent archer.”

Hazrat Musanna^(ra) was waiting for Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) along with 8,000 brave soldiers at Zi Qar, which is a place situated between Kufa and Wasit, but during this, he passed away. [Prior to his demise] He had appointed his brother Hazrat Muana^(ra) as the commander of the army. According to the instructions he had received, Hazrat Muana^(ra) met Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) and conveyed to him the message of Hazrat Musanna^(ra). Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) took an assessment of the strength of his army which consisted of approximately 30,000 soldiers. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) organised the army by dividing them under each flank and also appointed an officer for both. They then proceeded ahead and besieged Qadisiyyah. The Battle of Qadisiyyah took place towards the end of 16 AH. The disbelievers numbered approximately 280,000 and also had 30 elephants and the Iranian army was under the command of Rustam. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) invited the disbelievers to Islam and for this he sent Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu‘ba^(ra). In response, Rustam stated that the Muslims were enduring hardship and they were only doing this in order to alleviate their condition. Therefore, he said he would grant them provisions in such abundance that it will be plentiful for them. Hazrat Mughirah^(ra) replied that they had answered the call of God’s Messenger^(sa) and were inviting them to profess belief in the One God and His Prophet^(sa). If they were to accept this invitation, then it would be better for them, otherwise the matter between them would be settled by the sword, i.e., a battle. It was they [Iranians] who instigated the battle; the Muslims on the other hand did not want to fight and in fact called them towards Islam, but since they insisted on fighting, hence the Muslims said in that case the matter would be settled by the sword.

Upon hearing this, Rustam became enraged and since he was an idolater, he said, “I swear by the sun and the moon, before the light of day, we shall begin the battle and will destroy all of you.”

Hazrat Mughriah^(ra) replied:

لَاحَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّۃَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰہِ

“Allah alone is the source of all power.”

After saying this, he mounted on his horse. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) had received instructions from Hazrat Umar^(ra) that they were to first invite them to Islam. Therefore, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) sent a delegation which included the famous poet and cavalier, Hazrat Amr bin Ma‘di Karib^(ra) and Hazrat Asha‘th bin Qais Kindi^(ra). When they saw Rustam, he enquired where they were going, to which they replied that they were going to meet with his King [Wali]. Thereafter, this detailed conversation took place between the two. The members of this delegation stated that the Holy Prophet^(sa) had promised them that they would be granted control of his land. In reply, Rustam asked for a basket full of dirt and said, “Here you go, you can place our land on top of your head.”

Hazrat Amr bin Ma‘di Karib^(ra) quickly stood up and placed the basket of dirt in his sack and stated that this was to serve as a sign to indicate that they would indeed take control of their land. Thereafter, they went to the royal court of the King of Iran and conveyed to him the message of Islam. The king became enraged and ordered them to leave his royal court and also stated that had they not come as emissaries, he would have had them killed. He then ordered Rustam to teach them a lesson they would never forget. It was a Thursday, after the Asr prayer when the battle commenced. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) raised the slogan of “Allahu Akbar” [Allah is the greatest] three times and upon reciting this for the fourth time, the battle began. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was unwell at the time and sat on an elevated secure post in the fortress of Udhaib, directing his forces. (Roshan Sitarey, Ghulam Bari Saif, Vol. 2, pp. 79-82) (Atlas Fatuhat-e-Islamiyyah, p. 81, p. 100, p. 188, p. 126) (Mu‘jam-ul-Buldan, Vol. 4, p. 333, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) has also narrated this incident as follows:

“During the time of Hazrat Umar^(ra), Yazdegerd, the grandson of Khosrow Parviz ascended to the throne and began to make extensive preparations to fight against the Muslims. In response to this, Hazrat Umar^(ra) sent an army under the command of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra). Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) chose Qadisiyyah as the location for battle and also sent a map of the area to Hazrat Umar^(ra). Hazrat Umar^(ra) expressed his approval of the location but along with this instructed that it was his duty to first send a delegation to the King of Iran and invite him to accept Islam. And so, upon receiving this instruction, he sent a delegation to meet Yazdegerd. When this delegation arrived at the royal court of the King of Iran, he asked his translator to enquire why they had come. When he asked them this question, Hazrat Nu‘man bin Muqarrin^(ra), who was the leader of the delegation, stood up and after mentioning about the advent of the Holy Prophet^(sa), said, ‘The Holy Prophet^(sa) has commanded us to spread the message of Islam and invite the entire world to the true faith. In accordance to this commandment, we are here before you and invite you to Islam.’ Yazdegerd became infuriated at this reply of his and said, ‘You are a nation that are like wild beasts and who eat carrion. If it is owing to hunger and scarcity of provisions that has compelled you to fight then I am willing to grant all of you with enough provisions of food and drink that you will be able to comfortably live for the rest of your lives.’ Even though he was the one to instigate the fighting, he was yet still levelling the accusation against the Muslims. In any case, he further stated, ‘I shall also provide you with clothes and you can take all of these provisions and return to your country. Furthermore, withdraw your men who are protecting your borders and allow me to continue expanding my territory as I please. Why would you want to endanger your lives by engaging in a battle with us?’

“When he finished saying what he had to say, Hazrat Mughirah bin Zurrarah^(ra) stood up on behalf of the Muslim delegation and said, ‘Whatever you have said about us is absolutely true. Indeed, we were a nation like wild beasts and would eat carrion. We would even eat snakes, scorpions, locusts and lizards. However, Allah the Almighty bestowed His blessings upon us and sent His Messenger^(sa) to guide us. We accepted him and acted in accordance to what he said and as a result, a revolutionary change has taken place within us. Thus, those ills which you have spoken of no longer remain in us and we are not going to be tempted by anything you offer. The battle between you and us has now commenced and the matter will be settled in the battlefield. The temptation of offering worldly wealth and material cannot deter us from our objective.’

“When Yazdegerd heard this, he became extremely angry and told one of his servants to go and bring a sack of soil. When the sack of soil arrived, he called the leader of the Muslim delegation to step forward and said that since they had rejected his offer, therefore they would receive nothing except for a sack of soil. The companion earnestly stepped forward and lowered his head and had the sack of soil placed on his back. He then sharply stood up and they all swiftly made their way out from the royal court. Whilst departing from there, he loudly said to the fellow members of the delegation, ‘Today, the king of Iran has handed us the soil of his land with his own hands.’ They then mounted their horses and raced off. When the king heard this, he was shocked and ordered the servants of his royal court to go after them and bring back the sack of soil because giving them the soil of his land with his own hands was a bad omen. However, by then they had travelled far off into the distance.

“In the end, it turned out exactly as they had said and within a few years, Iran came under Muslim rule. How did this extraordinary change come about within the Muslims? This is because the Quranic teachings brought about a revolutionary change in their morals and conduct. It brought an end to their lowly way of life and instead, elevated them to possess the most excellent morals and character. As a result of this they were able to spread the message of Islam to the world and by following the teachings of Islam, they were able to convert others as well to become true Muslims. They were never overawed by any kind of fear, danger or power.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6, pp. 204-205)

(Friday Sermon - August 14, 2020 )

Abu Mihjan al-Thaqafi

During the battle, Hazrat Salama bint Hafsa^(ra), the wife of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), saw a prisoner who was shackled in chains and expressed immense longing to participate in the battle. His name was Abu Mihjan al-Thaqafi. He also happened to arrive at the [location of the battle] after Hazrat Umar^(ra) expelled him [from the city] due to him drinking alcohol. However, after being guilty of drinking alcohol again, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) punished him with lashes and tied him in chains.

Abu Mihjan requested Zahrah, who was a maidservant of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), to open his chains so that he could participate in the battle. He stated, “By Allah, if I survive, I will return and put on the chains again.” The maidservant accepted his request and opened the chains. Abu Mihjan mounted the horse of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) and headed towards the battlefield. Penetrating the rows of the enemy, he headed towards the big white elephant and attacked it. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was observing all of this at the time and said, “Although the horse belongs to me, however, the one riding it appears to be Abu Mihjan al-Thaqafi.” As mentioned previously, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) could not actively participate in the battle due to illness, but he was supervising from further afield. In any case, the fighting continued for three days. When the battle came to an end, Abu Mihjan al-Thaqafi returned and put on his chains again. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) released Abu Mihjan saying, “If you drink alcohol again, I shall hand out a severe punishment.” Abu Mihjan promised never to drink again. According to another narration, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) wrote about the entire incident to Hazrat Umar^(ra), upon which Hazrat Umar^(ra) said, “If he repents from drinking alcohol again, then he should not be punished.” Upon this, Abu Mihjan swore to never drink again and Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) set him free. (Ashra Mubashra, Bashir Sajid, pp. 850-851)

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) has narrated the details of this incident in the following manner. In the previous narration, it was mentioned that the maidservant released him. However, Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) writes:

“Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was among the very special companions of the Holy Prophet^(sa). During the period of Hazrat Umar’s^(ra) Khilafat, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was appointed as the commander of the Muslim army against the Persian army. Suddenly, he developed an abscess on his thigh, which is referred to as “gambhir” in our [Urdu] language. It persisted for a long time and he tried all kinds of treatments but to no avail. Eventually, he thought that if he remained bedbound and the army saw that their commander was absent, they would become downhearted. Hence, he had a tree deck constructed just like people in this country [the Indian subcontinent] do for the security of their orchards. He used to climb up to the deck with the help of his men so that the Muslim army may be able to see him and be assured that their commander was with them. During those days, he came to know that an Arab [Muslim] chief had consumed alcohol.”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) further writes:

“Although alcohol was forbidden in Islam, but the Arabs were extremely addicted to it. And once someone is addicted to something, withdrawal can be very difficult. This particular chief had only accepted Islam two or three years before this incident.”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states that when one has a habit, it does not go away easily.

In any case Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was informed that this Muslim Arab chief had drunk alcohol and so he imprisoned him. In those days, there were no formal prisons. Whoever was to be imprisoned would be locked in a room and someone would be appointed to watch over them. Hence, this Muslim Arab chief was also locked in a room and someone was appointed to guard the door.”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) further writes:

“The year in which this battle took place is known as the ‘Year of Trial’ in Islam in Islamic history. The reason for this is that the Muslims suffered great losses during this battle. At one point, the horses of the Muslim army fled from the elephants of the opponents. There was a river nearby and the horses plunged into it. Since the Arabs did not know how to swim, consequently hundreds of Muslims drowned and died. For this reason, that year is known as the ‘Year of Trial’. Nevertheless, this Muslim Arab chief was locked in a room. The Muslim soldiers would return from the battle, sit near his room and mention to one another that the Muslims suffered great losses during the battle. He would be greatly pained upon hearing this and express his grief over the fact that he was unable to partake in the battle on this occasion. He certainly had a weakness and as a result drank alcohol, but nevertheless he was a very courageous and passionate man. Hearing about the losses the Muslims suffered during the battle, he would start to pace up and down in the room just as a lion paces back and forth in the cage. Whilst pacing up and down, he would recite a couplet which means, ‘Today was the opportunity for you to defend Islam and display your courage; however, you remain behind imprisoned.’

“Hazrat Sa‘d’s^(ra) wife was a very courageous woman. One day, she passed by his room and heard these couplets. She saw that no one was standing guard. And so, she approached the door and whilst addressing the prisoner, she said, ‘Do you know that Sa‘d^(ra) has imprisoned you! If he finds out that I released you, he will certainly hold me accountable. However, I wish to set you free so that you may help Islam according to your desire.’ He replied, ‘You can release me whenever the battle commences and I promise that I will immediately return to this room after the end of each day.’ This lady was also passionate for Islam and had an ardent desire to protect it. Hence, she released him. And so, he partook in the battle and fought with such courage as a result of which the Muslim army advanced ahead instead of retreating. Sa‘d^(ra) recognised him and later said, ‘The individual I imprisoned for drinking alcohol was present in the battle today. Even though he had covered his face, I recognised him by the manner in which he was fighting and his physical stature. I will search for the individual who released him and I will punish him severely.’ In other words, he was going to severely punish the individual who had unchained him. When Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) uttered these words, his wife became angry and said, ‘Do you not feel ashamed that you are sitting on the deck upon a tree and have imprisoned the individual, who fearlessly enters the rows of the opposing army and does not care for his life? I released this person! You may do as you please. I set him free and you may now do as you please.’”

Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) mentioned the details of this incident in one of his addresses to the Lajna [auxiliary organisation of the women] and stated that women in Islam made extraordinary achievements. Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) then reminded Ahmadi women that they should be mindful of these examples even today. (Quroon-e-Ula ki Musalman Khawatin ka Namuna, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 25, pp. 428 -430)

Hazrat Khansaa^(ra); Poetess and Devotee

Another account of the sacrifices offered by women, which also has the reference to Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), is as follows:

A well-known poet and female companion from the Ansar tribe of Banu Sulaym, Hazrat Khansaa^(ra) devoted her four sons during this battle in the cause of Allah. Hazrat Khansaa’s^(ra) husband and brother had passed away when she was young. Hazrat Khansaa^(ra) raised her children with great care and effort. In the morning of the last day of the battle of Qadisiyyah, before the battle commenced, Hazrat Khansaa^(ra) addressed her children and said, “My dear sons! You have happily accepted Islam and migrated out of your own will. By that Being, besides Whom there is none worthy of worship, I have not allowed any shame to befall your lineage and ancestors! Remember that the abode of the Hereafter is better than this transient world. My dear sons, prepare yourselves, remain steadfast, fight shoulder to shoulder and fear God! When you see that the battle is fierce and in full force and when the cavalry has determined to stand its ground, you should race into the battlefield in order to adorn your lives in the Hereafter.”

Thus, acting in accordance with the instruction of Hazrat Khansaa^(ra), her sons took the reins of their horses, recited verses which are traditionally quoted during the times of battle [in order to arouse the spirit of the soldiers], galloped onto the battlefield and they fought bravely until they were martyred. Before evening fell on that day, the Islamic flag was raised over Qadisiyyah. Hazrat Khansaa^(ra) was informed that all four of her sons were martyred, upon which she said, “I am grateful to Allah that He has granted them martyrdom. I am proud that they were sacrificed in the cause of the truth. I am certain that Allah the Exalted will grant us an abode in the shade of His mercy.”

Victory at the Battle of Qadisiyyah

After gaining victory over Qadisiyyah, the Muslim army was then granted victory in Babylon, which is an ancient city of modern-day Iraq and which has been mentioned by the Holy Quran in relation to Harut and Marut. This place was where Kufa is now situated. This is what has been mentioned in the introduction for the names of the cities. It is further written that they reached the historical city of Kusa, which is where Nimrod imprisoned Hazrat Abraham^(as). The prison was still intact at that time. When Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) reached that place and saw the prison, he recited the following verse of the Holy Quran:

تِلْکَ الْاَیَّامُ نُدَاوِلُہَا بَیْنَ النَّاسِ

“And such days We cause to alternate among men [that they may be admonished].” (Surah al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.141)

As they journeyed further from Kusa, they reached a place named Bahra Sheer. According to Mu‘jam-ul-Buldan, which also explains the names of the cities, the name of this place was Bahuri Seer, situated to the west of the Tigris River, near the Iraqi city of Midian, and in the outskirts of Baghdad. This is where the hunting lion of Chosroes was kept.

So when the army of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) had reached close by, this beast was unleashed upon them. With its thunderous growl, the lion launched its attack upon the army. Hashim bin Abi Waqas^(ra), the brother of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) who was the commander of the frontline, struck the lion in such a manner that it collapsed on the spot. The Battle of Midian also took place during this expedition. Midian was the headquarters of Chosroes where his white palaces were located. Between the Muslims and Midian was the Tigris River. The Iranians had completely destroyed the bridge of the river. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) then said, “O Muslims, the enemy has taken refuge with the river, so let us now swim across the river.” Having said this, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) led the horse in the river and the soldiers followed their commander by also taking their horses in the river and in this way, the army of the Muslims crossed the river. Having witnessed these extraordinary scenes, the Iranians began wailing with fear and fled immediately thinking some spirits had come. As the Muslims advanced, they took control of the city and the palaces of Chosroes and in this way, the prophecy of the Holy Prophet^(sa) came to fulfilment. This [prophecy] was revealed to the Holy Prophet^(sa) as he struck the boulder with the pickaxe whilst digging the ditch prior to the Battle of the Ditch, when he said, “I have been shown the white palaces of Midian falling.” Hence, having seen these palaces in a derelict state, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) recited the following verses of Surah al-Dukhan:

كَمْ تَرَکُوْا مِنْ جَنّٰتٍ وَّ عُیُوْنٍ۔ وَّ زُرُوْعٍ وَّ مَقَامٍ کَرِیْمٍ۔ وَّ نَعْمَۃٍ کَانُوْا فِیْہَا فٰکِہِیْنَ۔ کَذٰلِکَ وَ اَوْرَثْنٰہَا قَوْمًا اٰخَرِیْنَ

“How many were the gardens and the springs that they left behind! And the cornfields and the noble places! And the comforts wherein they took delight! Thus [it was destined to be]. And We made another people inherit these things.” (Surah al-Dukhan, Ch.44: V.26-29)

Thereafter, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) wrote to Hazrat Umar^(ra) seeking permission to advance further, to which Hazrat Umar^(ra) replied that he should suffice with what was at hand and attention should be given to establishing law and order in the conquered lands. Hence, by establishing Midian as the headquarters, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) began his efforts to strengthen the administration and he carried this out in an excellent manner.

Construction of Kufa

He formed the census of Iraq and marked out the boundaries of the territory; he arranged for the wellbeing and comfort of the public and by way of his excellent planning and carrying out his duties, he proved that God Almighty had favoured him not only with the art of war, but also with administrative expertise.

People think that after conquering a land, the Muslims did not take care of its people; on the contrary, whenever they conquered a city, they took greater care of them than all who came before them. Then there was the construction of Kufa. Owing to the fact that the climate of Midian was not suitable for the Arabs, with the permission of Hazrat Umar^(ra), Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) had the Arabs dwell in a new city, wherein the Arab tribes were allocated their own quarters. A large mosque was built in the city centre, which could accommodate 40,000 worshippers at a time. Kufa was in fact a military garrison, and so it was made the dwelling place for 100,000 soldiers.

Further details of this are that after remaining in Midian for some time, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) realised that the climate had greatly affected the Arabs. Hazrat Umar^(ra) was informed of this and the instruction was given to find a suitable nearby land that they could inhabit and once the Arabs settle there, it should be made the administrative headquarters.

In accordance with this, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) left Midian, chose a suitable land near the borders and laid the foundations for a vast city named Kufa and then settled the Arab tribes there, each to their own quarters. In the centre, a large mosque was constructed which had space for 40,000 worshippers. He also had the building for the treasury constructed near the mosque and his own palace too, which was known as Qasr-e-Sa‘d. (Roshan Sitarey, pp. 84-88), (Sair al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, pp. 117-118) (Mujam-ul-Buldan, p. 56) (Mujam-ul-Buldan, Vol. 1, p. 610)

Battle of Nahawand

Then there is the Battle of Nahawand where in 21 AH, the Iranian forces began preparations to fight the Muslims in the Ajam of Iraq, i.e., the part of Iraq which belonged to the Persians. In order to regain control of the lands conquered by the Muslims, 150,000 Iranian warriors had gathered in opposition to them in Nahawand.

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) informed Hazrat Umar^(ra) about this and after taking counsel from those of experience and understanding, he appointed an Iraqi, Hazrat Nu‘man bin Muqqarin Muzni^(ra) as the commander of the Muslim army.

At the time, Hazrat Nu‘man^(ra) was in Kaskar, which is situated between Nahrawan and the edge of the Tigris River near Busra and in which there were many towns and villages. So as it were, Hazrat Umar^(ra) instructed him to reach Nahawand.

In comparison to the Iranian army of 150,000, the Muslim army comprised of only 30,000. Whilst passing through the ranks of the army, Hazrat Nu‘man^(ra) gave certain instructions and said that if he was to be killed, Huzaifah would take command of the army and if he too were to be slain, then so and so would be handed command of the army. In doing so, he named seven individuals one after the other.

Thereafter, he supplicated to God Almighty saying, “O Allah, grant honour to Your religion, help Your servants and grant the rank of martyrdom to Nu‘man first and foremost.” According to another narration, he prayed, “O Allah, I pray You grant me the pleasure of my eyes through such a victory in which lies the honour of Islam and my martyrdom.” When the battle commenced, the Muslims fought with such bravery that they had conquered the battlefield before the sun could even set and in this battle Hazrat Nu‘man^(ra) was martyred.

Abu Lu‘lu Feroz was captured in this battle and was given as a slave to Hazrat Mughira bin Shu‘bah^(ra). This is the same person who later attacked Hazrat Umar^(ra) and martyred him. Hazrat Umar^(ra) wrote a letter to the Amir of Nahawand stating that if God Almighty was to grant victory to the Muslims, then the khumus (1/5) of the spoils of war should be set aside for the treasury and the rest should be distributed amongst the Muslims. But if this army was to be defeated, then the belly of the earth was better than what lay above it, i.e., the grave.

False Allegations

Once, during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umar^(ra), some people of the Banu Asad tribe complained about the manner in which Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) offered Salat. They complained to Hazrat Umar^(ra) that Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) did not lead the Salat in the correct manner. Hazrat Umar^(ra) then sent Hazrat Muhammad^(ra) bin Maslamah to investigate the matter, but he found the allegations to be false. Nonetheless, owing to certain reasons and wisdom, Hazrat Umar^(ra) recalled Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) to Medina. (Roshan Sitarey, Vol. 2, pp. 88-90) (Sharah Zarqani, Vol.4, p. 539, Dar-ul-Kutb-ul-ilmiyyah, Beirut) (Mujam-ul-Buldan, p. 292)

This has been mentioned in Sahih Bukhari as follows.

Hazrat Jabir bin Samurah^(ra) relates that the people of Kufa complained to Hazrat Umar^(ra) about Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) and so, Hazrat Umar^(ra) removed him from his duties and appointed Hazrat Ammar^(ra) as the governor.

Among the complaints the residents of Kufa made against Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), they also said that he did not lead Salat in a correct manner. Hazrat Umar^(ra) summoned him and said “O Abu Ishaq” – Abu Ishaq was the title of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) – “these people say that you do not lead the Salat in a correct manner.” Abu Ishaq (i.e., Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra)) replied, “By God, I lead Salat just as the Holy Prophet^(sa) used to – nothing less. While leading Isha, I would make the first two rak‘ats long and the last two shorter.” Hazrat Umar^(ra) said, “Abu Ishaq, this is exactly what I thought of you,” meaning this was exactly as he expected him to do.

Then Hazrat Umar^(ra) sent one, or a few men with him to Kufa, so that they may ask the residents of Kufa about him. There was not a single mosque which they did not visit in order to ask about Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) – they went to every mosque and people complimented Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra). At the end, they went to the mosque of the Banu Abbas tribe. There, a man known as Osama bin Qatadah and his title was Abu Sa‘ida, he stood up and said, “Since you have taken an oath from us, the truth is that Sa‘d would not accompany the army and would not distribute the wealth equally, nor was he just in his decisions.”

These were the allegations that were levelled against Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra). Upon hearing this, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) said, “By God, I pray for three things; that O my Allah! If this servant of yours (i.e., the person who levelled these allegations) is a liar, has stood out of ostentation and for fame, extend his life, increase his needs and make him repeatedly face trials.”

After this, whenever someone would inquire from that person who had levelled these allegations, he would say that he had become very frail and in a feeble condition. [He would say] that he was stricken with hardship; the prayer of Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) against him had been fulfilled, meaning he was suffering the consequences of the false allegations he had levelled. Abdul Mulk would say, “I have seen him afterwards, and his condition was such that due to old age, his eyebrows had sunk over his eyes. It was surprising to see that despite this, his level of morality was so low that he would approach young girls in the streets and would make gestures at them with his eyes.” This entire incident is recorded in Bukhari. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Adhan, Hadith no. 755)

In any case, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) was deeply hurt by these allegations and said, “I was the first from among the Arabs to launch an arrow for the cause of Islam, and we would go alongside the Holy Prophet^(sa) for battles, in such conditions where we had nothing to eat except the leaves of the trees. Our condition was such that we would pass stool that would resemble the excrement of camel or like that of goats (i.e., completely dry) and now the situation is such that the Banu Asad ibn Khuzaima wish to teach me the etiquettes of Islam. If such is the case, then I have been unsuccessful and all my deeds have been wasted and the people. The people of Banu Asad have gone to Hazrat Umar^(ra) and spoken ill of me by saying that I do not lead the Salat in the correct manner.” This narration is also found in Bukhari. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Fazail al-Sahab al-Nabi, Hadith no. 3728) (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Zuhd, Hadith no. 2365, 2366)

The Electoral Committee

In 23 Hijri when Hazrat Umar^(ra) was attacked with an attempt to take his life, people asked him to nominate someone for Khilafat [after him]. Upon this, Hazrat Umar^(ra) appointed a board for the selection of Khilafat which included Hazrat Uthman^(ra), Hazrat Ali^(ra), Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf^(ra), Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), Hazrat Zubair bin Awwam^(ra) and Hazrat Talha bin Ubaidallah^(ra). Hazrat Umar^(ra) said that any one of these [companions] should be selected as the Holy Prophet^(sa) had given them all the glad tidings of heaven.

Then he said, “If Khilafat is given to Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, then he should be the Khalifa, otherwise whichever one of you becomes the Khalifa should continue to seek help from Sa‘d as I did not discharge him [from his duties] for being inept of doing work, nor due to any dishonesty.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fazail al-Sahab al-Nabi, Hadith no. 3700) (Sahih al-Bukari, Kitab-ul-Janaiz, Hadith no. 1392)

Adopted a Life of Solitude

When Hazrat Uthman^(ra) became the Khalifa, he made Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) the governor of Kufa once again. He worked in this capacity for three years, after which, due to some reason, he had a disagreement with Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud^(ra), who at the time was in-charge of the bait-ul-mal [treasury], as a result of which Hazrat Uthman^(ra) discharged him from his duties. After being discharged he adopted a life of solitude in Medina. When disorder and dissension against Hazrat Uthman^(ra) began, he remained in solitude. (Sair-ul-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 120)

It is related in one narration that during the time of discord, Hazrat Sa‘d’s^(ra) son asked Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) as to what had kept him from going for Jihad. Upon this, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) replied, “I will not fight until you bring me a sword which can distinguish between a believer and a disbeliever,” because Muslims were now fighting amongst each other. It is also related in another narration that Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) said, “Bring me a sword that has eyes, lips and a tongue and can tell me that so and so is a believer and so and so is a disbeliever; until now, I have only fought against disbelievers.” (Al-Tabqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 106, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut 1990)

There is a narration in Sunan al-Tirmidhi which relates that Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) said regarding the discord that began during the time of Hazrat Uthman^(ra), “I bear witness that the Holy Prophet^(sa) said that surely a time would come when there would be disorder, during which one who remains sitting would be better than the one who stands and one who stands would be better than the one who walks and the one who walks would be better than the one who runs,” meaning one was not to take part in the dissension but to try and stay away from it. Someone asked what they should do if the discord entered their homes. He replied, “Become like the ibn Adam [sons of Adam].” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwaab-ul-Fitn, Hadith no. 2194)

With reference to ibn Adam, the Holy Quran states that one should defend themselves, but they should not fight one another with the intent to kill. This incident is mentioned in the Holy Quran and it seems that this is the same example that Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) gave.

While mentioning the great efforts of the Companions^(ra) to end the discord that started during the Khilafat of Hazrat Uthman^(ra), Hazrat Musleh Maud^(ra) states:

“Though the Companions^(ra) would not be given the opportunity to gather with Hazrat Uthman^(ra), they were not heedless to their duties. According to what was pertinent at the time, they had distributed their work into two parts: those who were in their advanced years and elderly and who had moral influence on the masses would spend their time advising others and those who did not have such influence or were younger, they worked for the protection of Hazrat Uthman^(ra).” He continues to write, “Amongst them, at the forefront in working to eliminate the discord were Hazrat Ali^(ra) and Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), the victor of Persia.” (Islam Mein Ikhtilafat ka Aghaz, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 4, p. 321)

After Hazrat Uthman^(ra), during the Khilafat of Hazrat Ali^(ra), Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) remained in solitude. According to one narration, when the dispute between Hazrat Ali^(ra) and Amir Muawiyyah^(ra) increased, Amir Muawiyyah^(ra) wrote letters to three companions to seek their help against Hazrat Ali^(ra): Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar^(ra), Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), and Hazrat Muhammad bin Maslamah^(ra). Upon this, all three refused. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) sent the following couplets to Amir Muawiyyah^(ra) [in response]:

مُعَاوِیَ دَاؤُکَ الدَّاءُ الْعَیَاءُ

وَ لَیْسَ لِمَا تَجِیْءُ بِہٖ دَوَاءُ

اَیَدْعُوْنِیْ اَبُوْ حَسَنٍ عَلِیٌّ

فَلَمْ اَرْدُدْ عَلَیْہِ مَا یَشَاءُ

وَ قُلْتُ لَہٗ اَعْطِنِیْ سَیْفًا بَصِیْرًا

تَمِیْزُ بِہِ الْعَدَاوَۃُ وَالْوَلَاءُ

اَتَطْمَعُ فِی الَّذِیْ اَعْیَا عَلِیًّا

عَلٰی مَا قَدْ طَمِعْتَ بِہِ الْعَفَاءُ

لَیَوْمٌ مِنْہُ خَیْرٌ مِّنْکَ حَیًّا

وَ مَیْتًا اَنْتَ لِلْمَرْءِ الْفِدَاءُ

The translation is, “O Muawiyyah! You have a severe disease. There is no cure for your illness. Can you not understand even this much, that Abu Hassan (i.e., Hazrat Ali^(ra)) asked me to fight, but I did not listen even to him, and I asked him to give me a sword which can see and can distinguish for me the difference between friend and foe. O Muawiyyah! Do you hope that the one who did not listen to Hazrat Ali’s^(ra) request to fight will listen to you? Even though a single day from the life of Hazrat Ali^(ra) is better than your entire life and death, yet you call unto me against such a person.” This incident is related in a narration from Usdul Ghabah. (Usdul Ghaba fI Ma‘rifat al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 455, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut Lebanon)

It is stated in one narration that once, Amir Muawiyyah asked Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra), “What stops you from speaking ill of Abu Turab?” This was the title of Hazrat Ali^(ra); Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) would never speak ill of him. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) said, “There are three things which the Holy Prophet^(sa) said regarding him – if even one of those things was said about me, it would be dearer to me than red camels. Due to these three things, I will never speak ill of him (i.e., Hazrat Ali^(ra)).

“The first is that once, the Messenger^(sa) of Allah left Hazrat Ali^(ra) behind during an expedition. Upon this, Hazrat Ali^(ra) submitted, ‘O Messenger^(sa) of Allah! Will you leave me with the women and children?’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) replied, ‘Are you not happy at the fact that your connection to me is the same as that of Aaron^(as) with Moses^(as), except with the difference that you will not be granted the status of prophethood after me.’ The second thing was on the occasion of the Battle of Khaybar, when the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘I will give the flag of Islam to such a person who loves Allah and His Messenger^(sa) and Allah and His Messenger^(sa) love him.’ At the time, we all desired that the flag be given to us for we all had love for the Holy Prophet^(sa), however the Holy Prophet^(sa) asked for Hazrat Ali^(ra) to be brought forward. He did not give it to any of us, but instead said to call for Hazrat Ali^(ra). Hazrat Ali^(ra) came and he was experiencing an ailment in his eyes at the time. The Holy Prophet^(sa) put his blessed saliva from upon his eyes and gave him the flag of Islam. On that day, Allah granted the Muslims victory.

“The third aspect he mentioned was that when this verse was revealed,

فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَکُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَکُمْ

(The translation is as follows: “Say [to him], ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women.’” [Surah al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.162])

“the Holy Prophet^(sa) called Hazrat Ali^(ra), Hazrat Fatima^(ra), Hazrat Hassan and Hazrat Hussain^(ra) and said, ‘O Allah! These are members of my family.’” This is a narration from Tirmidhi. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwab-ul-Manaqib, Hadith no. 3724)

Demise

Mus‘ab, the son of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), states:

“When my father was close to his demise, he had placed his head on my lap, at which point tears began to well up. Seeing my condition, he said to me, ‘O my son! What is it that makes you cry?’ I replied, ‘Your imminent demise and the fact that after your passing, I find that there is nobody equal to you.’ At this, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) replied, ‘Do not cry over me, Allah the Almighty will never punish me and I am from among the dwellers of paradise.’”

Some people raise allegations that such and such stated that he would enter paradise; how is this possible. In this incident, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) stated that he was from among those who would enter paradise. He then further stated, “Allah the Almighty will reward the believers for their good deeds they performed for the sake of Allah. As for the disbelievers, Allah the Almighty will lessen their punishment on account of their virtuous deeds. However, when those deeds become exhausted, He will punish them once again. Every person should seek the reward for those deeds they performed.” (Al-Tabqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 108-109, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1990)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas’^(ra) son states:

“I asked my father, ‘Your treatment towards the Ansar is different to everyone else.’ He replied, ‘O my son! Is there anything in your heart against them?’” He asked his son that upon seeing his treatment towards the Ansar, did he have anything in his mind about it? His son replied: “‘No, but this treatment astonishes me.’ Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) replied, ‘I heard the Holy Prophet^(sa) say that only the believers will befriend them [i.e. the Ansar] and the hypocrites will harbour malice against them. Thus, for this reason I have close ties with them.’” (Usdul Ghaba fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 456, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon)

Jarir relates that on one occasion, he went to visit Hazrat Umar^(ra). Hazrat Umar^(ra) enquired about Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra), to which he replied, “I have seen that despite wielding powerful authority in his governance, he is the most honourable person. He is the least strict in his dealings and is like a benevolent mother for the people. He gathers provisions for them just like ants gather provisions. In battles he is the bravest and the most beloved from among all of the Quraish.” (al-Sahaba fi Tamyeez al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, p. 64, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1995)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) passed away in 55 AH and at the time of his demise, he was slightly over 70 years old. According to some narrations, he was 74 years old, whereas according to other narrations, he was 83 years old. (Al-Tabqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 110, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1990) (al-Istiab fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahab, Vol. 2, p. 610, Dar-ul-Jeel, Beirut)

There is a difference of opinion as to the year of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas’^(ra) demise – the different narrations range from 51 AH to 58 AH; however, the majority have stated his year of demise as 55 AH. (Usdul Ghaba fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 456, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon)

At the time of his demise, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) bin Abi Waqas left behind 250,000 dirhams as part of his will. (Al-Tabqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 110, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1990)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) passed away in Aqeeq, which was situated seven miles from Medina or 10 miles from Medina. According to some narrations, it is stated that people brought his body to Medina on their shoulders and the funeral took place in Masjid al-Nabawi. His funeral was led by Marwan bin Hakam, the governor of Medina at the time and the noble wives of the Holy Prophet^(sa) were also present for the funeral prayers. He was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi. (Usdul Ghaba fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 456, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon) (Al-Tabqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 110, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1990) (al-Istiab fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahab, Vol. 2, p. 610, Dar-ul-Jeel, Beirut)

The following narration is in regard to the funeral of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra): Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair^(ra) relates on the authority of Hazrat Aisha^(ra) that when Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) passed away, the noble wives of the Holy Prophet^(sa) requested for the funeral to be brought into the mosque so that they (i.e. the wives of the Holy Prophet^(sa)) could also offer the funeral prayer. Thus, the funeral was brought and placed in front of their quarters as they requested so they could offer the funeral prayers. Later, the funeral was taken through the Bab al-Janaiz, which was close to where people would sit. News reached the noble wives of the Holy Prophet^(sa) that people disapproved of this by saying that funerals were not permitted inside the mosque. When Hazrat Aisha^(ra) learnt of this, she said, “People are quick to pass judgement about matters which they do not have knowledge of. People have criticised our action that we asked for the funeral to pass through the mosque, whereas the Holy Prophet^(sa) offered the funeral prayer of Suhail bin Baida inside the mosque.” This is a narration of Sahih Muslim. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Janaiz, Hadith no. 973) (Al-Tabqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 109, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1990)

When he was close to his demise, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) stated in his will for his grave to be dug and for a hollow cavity of brick to be placed over him, just as it was made for the Holy Prophet^(sa). This is also a narration of Sahih Muslim. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Janaiz, Hadith no. 966)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^(ra) was the last of the Muhajireen to pass away among the men. At the time of his demise, Hazrat Sa‘d Abi Waqas^(ra) took out a woollen cloak and stated for him to be buried in this because he had worn this cloak during the Battle of Badr. He stated that he had kept the cloak especially for this time (i.e. for his burial). (Usdul Ghaba fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 456, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon)

In Sirat Khataman Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) writes:

“In the era of Hazrat Umar^(ra) as well, when stipends were fixed for the Companions, those who had taken part in Badr especially received a larger stipend. Even the Companions themselves would feel just pride on account of their participation in the Battle of Badr.

“Therefore, Mr [William] Muir writes:

“‘These Companions of Badr were the peerage of Islam. “Bring me here the garment in which I went forth to Bedr [sic]; for this end have I kept it laid up unto this day.” So spake Sa‘d, the youthful convert of Mecca, now about to die at fourscore years of age. Crowned with renown as the conqueror of Persia, the founder of Cufa [sic], and the Viceroy of Irac [sic], his honours were all cast into the shade by the glory of having shared in the battle of Bedr. In his eyes, the “garment of Bedr” was the highest badge of nobility, and in it would he be carried to his grave’”. (Sirat Khataman Nabiyyin, Vol. 2, pp. 168-169 [English Translation])

From the earlier narration, wherein it was mentioned that Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) built a palace, questions may arise in one’s mind about this. The answer to this is that towards the end of his life, Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) remained in seclusion and the attire he chose [for his burial] was the cloak he wore in the Battle of Badr. Furthermore, the time he spent in seclusion prior to this incident also testifies to his humility and simplicity.

Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) states, “When I took part in the Battle of Badr, I only had one daughter.” From other narrations we find that at the time of Hajjat-ul-Wida, he also had one daughter. Subsequently, Allah the Almighty blessed him with many children. Hazrat Sa‘d^(ra) married a total of nine times throughout his lifetime and he was blessed with 34 children – 17 girls and 17 boys. (Roshan Sitarey, pp. 98-99) (Al-Isaba, Vol. 5, p. 219, Umar bin Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)