Talha bin Ubaydullah (R.A)

Hz. Talha bin Ubaydullah, who was praised and complemented by Allah and His Messenger many times due to his heroism and unmatched virtues and whose heroism during the Battle of Uhud has always been mentioned admiringly, was one of the closest Companions of the Messenger of Allah, one of the prominent people of the period of Four Caliphs and one of the unchanging and distinguished members of the consultation assemblies. He is a distinguished Companion that devoted his life to Allah and His Messenger. The Prophet gave him the glad tidings of endless bliss in this world; thus, he became one of the ten peoplewho were promised Paradise (ashara al-mubashshara) when he was alive.     

Hz. Talha became a Muslim after a journey. He was in Basra for trade when he heard from a priest that Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) had declared his prophethood. He searched this news as soon as he returned to Makkah. He talked to Hz. Abu Bakr, who was the first Muslim. He went to the Messenger of Allah together with Hz. Abu Bakr. At this first meeting, the light of guidance entered his heart. He joined the Muslims. [1]

Then, the tortures and pressures of the polytheists started. His brother, who was a polytheist, was one of the leading people who put pressure on him. He was kept hungry and thirsty for days. They made him walk around by tying his hands around his neck. He was insulted. However, he put with those troubles patiently thanks to the strength coming from his belief and did not give up his belief.  

After migrating to Madinah, the Prophet made Hz. Talha and Ubayy bin Kab brothers. 

Hz. Talha did not join the Battle of Badr because the Prophet had sent him with Said bin Zayd to obtain information about the caravan of the polytheists headed by Abu Sufyan. He did not take part in the war due to this duty but the Prophet gave him his share from the booty obtained at the Battle of Badr.

The heroism of Hz. Talha during the Battle of Uhud became proverbial. When the polytheists started to attack the Messenger of Allah with might and main in order to kill him, he was one of those who formed a wall of flesh around the Prophet. He promised that he would die but would not leave the Prophet. When the polytheists attacked very severely, the Messenger of Allah said,  

"Who will resist them?" Hz. Talha said,

"I will."

However, the Prophet did not allow him. A Companion from Ansar stood up and started to fight. He was martyred. Another group of polytheists attacked. The Messenger of Allah asked the same question. Hz. Talha said,

"I will. O Messenger of Allah !"

The Prophet did not allow him. A Companion from Ansar stood up and started to fight. He was martyred. When the third group arrived, the Prophet allowed him to fight. Hz. Talha fought heroically and repulsed the group of the polytheists. 

During the most terrifying moment of the battle, the Prophet asked Hz. Talha,

"Will you protect my body with your body and sacrifice yourself for me? Hz. Talha said,

"O Messenger of Allah! May my body be sacrificed for you!" And he kept his promise.

Hz. Talha's body was wounded in several places but he did not leave the Prophet. Once, he fainted due to blood loss. The Messenger of Allah said to Hz. Abu Bakr to take care of him. When Hazrat Abu Bakr sprinkled some water on his face, Hazrat Talha came round. His first question was,

"What is the Messenger of Allah doing?" Hz. Abu Bakr said,

"Thank Allah, he is all right. He sent me to you."  Then, Talha said,

"Thank Allah! If the Prophet is alive, no misfortune is important for us!" Then, he went to the Messenger of Allah.

The Prophet prayed for him: "O Allah! Give him cure and strength." Thanks to the abundance of this prayer, Hz. Talha continued to fight as if nothing had happened. Then, Hz. Talha placed the Prophet on his shoulders and carried him to a high place.

Talha had seventy-five wounds in his body at Uhud. The Prophet named him "Talhatu'l-Khayr (Good Talha)" due to his sacrifice and heroism. He also said, "Paradise became wajib for Talha. He did something that will take him to Paradise.[2]

Hz. Talha narrates an incident that makes him very happy as follows:

"Once one of the Companions asked the Messenger of Allah who were the people that still waited in the following verse: ‘Among the Believers are men who have been true to their Covenant with Allah: of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme) and some (still) wait,'

The Prophet did not answer. The Companion repeated the question three times but he did not answer. Meanwhile, I entered the mosque with a green garment on me. When the Messenger of Allah saw me, he asked, 'Where is the person who asked the question?' He said, 'I am here.' The Messenger of Allah pointed to me and said, 'He is one of those who wait.'" [3]

Abu Talha joined the Battle of Khandaq, the Conquest of Makkah, the Battle of Hunayn and Tabuk and all of the expeditions that the Prophet joined.

Hz. Talha was a wealthy person. He was a merchant but after the Migration, he also worked in agriculture. However, he was very modest in eating, drinking and dressing. He made jihad with both his sword and his property. He joined the campaign in order to equip the army before the Expedition of Tabuk enthusiastically. He gave most of his wealth to the Messenger of Allah to use for the army of jihad and said,    

"This is a small present to you from Talha."

The Prophet became very happy due to his generosity and complemented him:

"O Talha! You are very munificent and generous."

Once Hz. Talha bought a water-well and endowed it for the believers who went to jihad so that they would not suffer thirst. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) gave him the nickname, "Talhatu'l-Jud [Tal­ha the Generous]" due to his heroism and generosity during the Battle of Hunayn.

Hz. Talha was a very hospitable person. Once he entertained two people who had just become Muslims. One of them was more zealous than the other. After a while, the zealous one died in a battle. The other died one year after him. After a while, Hz. Talha saw them in his dream. Both of them were waiting to enter Paradise. The one that died later was given permission to enter before the other one. 

In the morning, Hz. Talha told the Prophet about his dream. The Companions that were present there were astonished. They asked the Messenger of Allah about the wisdom behind it. The Prophet started to speak by asking them a question: 

"Did he not live one year longer than the other one did?" The Companions said,

"Yes, he did, O Messenger of Allah!"

The Prophet continued,

"Did he not fast in the month of Ramadan?" They said,

"Yes, he did."

"Did he not worship one year longer than the other one did?"

"Yes, he did."

When the Prophet received the answer "yes" to all of his questions, he said,

"Then, the difference between them is like the distance between the earth and the sky." [4]

Hz. Talha was a genial person. His geniality was felt more at home. He never rejected anybody who wanted something from him. He would thank for the smallest favor.   

Hz. Talha, who joined the Farewell Hajj, felt very sorry when the Prophet died. He was so sorry that he retired to a corner and started to weep sadly while the other Companions were negotiating about the caliph after the Prophet.

Paying allegiance to Hz. Abu Bakr for his caliphate, Hz. Talha served as a member of his consultation committee until he died. The Muslims applied to him for various issues. 

Two years later, Hz. Abu Bakr became ill. He started to talk to the prominent Companions about the caliph to come after him. When he asked Hz. Talha about his opinion, he said Hz. Umar was fitting for the caliphate as follows:

"The one that really deserves this post is Umar. When Allah Almighty asks you to whom you entrusted the work of Muslims, you can easily say, ‘I entrusted it to Hz. Umar.'"

During the caliphate of Hz. Umar, he continued his duty in the consultation committee. He expressed his sagacious views about the issues presented to the committee. 

For instance, when the issue of the distribution of the land that was conquered to the mujahids was being negotiated, Hz. Umar objected to the distribution because the land did not belong only to the mujahids that conquered it; it was the land of the generations to come. Hz. Talha supported the view of Hz. Umar regarding the issue and this view was accepted by the committee.

Hz. Talha was among the candidates of the caliph proposed by Hz.Umar before his death. He waived and voted for Hz. Uthman. He always supported Hz. Uthman against the mischievous activities of the munafiqs. However, the events developed so fast that it was impossible to stop them. The last part of the life of Hz. Talha was full of these incidents. He was killed by the munafiqs. When he reached the rank of martyrdom and attained his Lord after a life full of honor, he was 64 years old.  

Hz. Ali felt very sorry when he was killed. He approached his dead body and said, 

"O Talha! It is very difficult for me to bury you under the ground under the sky full of stars. I wish I had died 20 years ago and had not lived today."

May Allah be pleased with them!
___________________________

[1] Usdul-Ghaba, 3: 59.
[2] Tabaqat, 3: 217-220; Mustadrak, 3: 374; Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 22.
[3] Hilya, 1: 87; Ibn Abi Shayba, Musannaf, 12: 90.
[4] Musnad, 1: 163.

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Said bin Zayd (R.A)

The stars of the Prophet in sky of the guidance were appearing one by one. As each star appeared, the darkness of the ignorance started to disappear and the world got brighter. The luminous horizon that will bring happiness to man was becoming more and more distinct. One of the stars in the horizon was Hz. Said.

Hz. Said was a very active young man aged only 19 or 20. When he heard the divine call of the Prophet, he went to the presence of the Prophet with his wife without any hesitation and they became Muslims. The young couple became happy individuals of the true religion. They were the 12the and 13th Muslims. [1]

His family had a big role in Hz. Said's accepting Islam. His family was away from the customs of ignorance. His father, Zayd, was a very good man and he believed in the existence and oneness of Allah. He had the belief of oneness before the Prophet started to receive revelation. He was not a polytheist. He stated that he followed the religion of Hz. Ibrahim and said, "My deity is Ibrahim's Allah and my religion is Ibrahim's religion.

Zayd, had searched and found the religion called "Hanif", which was the belief of oneness then, and of which Hz. Ibrahim was a member. He went to Damascus for it. He met a Jewish scholar there. He wanted to accept the religion of Judaism but he said, "If you accept our religion, you will draw the wrath of Allah." Then, he said, "Accept the religion of Hanif, which is different from Christianity and Judaism and which is the religion of Ibrahim worshipping only Allah, if you can find it." When he heard the same things from a Christian scholar, Zayd declared that he had accepted the creed of oneness by saying, "O Lord! Witness that I have accepted the religion of Ibrahim (pbuh)." [2] One of those scholars said to Zayd, "The religion you are looking for here will emerge in your country." Zayd returned to Makkah and started to live in accordance with his belief. 

Once, Qurayshis organized a feast. The Prophet was invited to the feast but he did not eat the food served there. Zayd did not eat, either. He said, 

"I do not eat the meat of the animals you slaughter by the name of your idols. I will only eat those slaughtered by the name of Allah. Allah created sheep. He sent rain from the sky. He produced grass out of the ground. And you slaughter this animal by the name of other deities."

These words made the polytheists very angry. The polytheists who could not put up with the insults to their idols and who regarded it as the most unforgivable sin started to torture Zayd. The leader of those who tortured him was his uncle Khattab. He provoked young people and sent them to Zayd to beat him. He did not allow Zayd to enter Makkah. He would enter Makkah secretly at night. Zayd, who struggled for his belief on his own, died a short time before Hz. Muhammad started to receive revelation. 

When the Prophet was asked about the state of Zayd, he said,

"He will be resurrected as a single ummah on the Day of Judgment. He worshipped in the Era of Ignorance. He followed the religion of Hz. Ibrahim and he accepted Allah as one."

Upon the question of Hz. Umar and Said bin Zayd, the Prophet said they could pray for him. [3]

Hz. Said bin Zayd was the son of such a father. Hz. Said continued the struggle that he carried out alone together with the Prophet. He was a relative of the Prophet. Ka'b was an ancestor of both the Prophet and Hz. Said bin Zayd. He was also a cousin of Hz. Umar and his brother-in-law.

Hz. Said and his wife became Muslims before Hz. Umar. They had a big effect on Hz. Umar's being a Muslim. Acting upon the decision made by the polytheists, Umar set off in order to kill the Prophet. On the way, he found out that his sister and brother-in-law had accepted the religion of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh). Umar got furious and wanted to kill them first. He knocked on their door. Meanwhile, he heard a spiritual voice that he had never heard before. When the door opened, he shouted,

"What were you reading?"

Hz. Said, who was very excited, said,

"Nothing. We were just talking to each other loudly." However, Umar realized what was happening and knocked him down. He started to hit and kick him. He also slapped his sister Fatima, who ran to save her husband. She was in blood. Hz. Fatima could not bear it any longer, stood up and shouted:

"O Umar! Do whatever you can. My husband and I have become Muslims. We believe in Allah and His Messenger. We are not going to quit our religion."

When Umar saw the brave reaction of his sister, he showed mercy and asked them to give him what they were reading. Hz. Khabbab, who was hiding behind the curtain, came out and gave him the pages of the Quran they were reading. 

Hz. Umar could read and write. When he read the first verses of the chapter of Taha, he felt that his heart was softening. Then, he went to the Prophet and became a Muslim. [4]

Hz. Said was an unmatched believer who did not leave the Prophet even for a moment. He worked for Islam during its most troubled and hard period fearlessly and without feeling tired. He was one of the first Companions who migrated to Madinah with his wife after the migration of the Prophet. The Prophet made him brothers with Hz. Ubayy bin Ka'b from Ansar.

Hz. Said was near the Prophet in all battles except the Battle of Badr. Before the Battle of Badr, the Prophet had appointed him and Hz. Talha for reconnaissance. They were given the duty of checking the movements of the polytheists. When they returned to Madinah, they found out that the Muslims had won the Battle of Badr. They felt sorry that they could not take part in the battle but the Prophet accepted as if they had fought in the battle and gave their shares from the booty fully. [5]

In the battles that followed, they fought heroically together with the Prophet.

Hz. Said, who heard the glad tiding of eternal bliss from the tongue of the Prophet, spent his luminous and long life in the struggle for belief. He was so close to the Prophet that he was always around him like a moth. Said bin Jubayr expresses this closeness as follows: 

"Abu Bakir, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, Zubayr, Sa'd, Abdurrahman bin Awf and Said bin Zayd used to fight in front of the Messenger of Allah during the battle and pray behind him during the prayers." [6]

They always showed that they were loyal friends of the Prophet in all phases of their lives. 

After the death of the Messenger of Allah, Hz. Said, formed the most important link of the caravan of the Islamic service. He showed great effort in the selection of the caliphs. He exerted great efforts in order to prevent disagreement and conflicts. When he placed Hz Umar, who was the symbol of justice, in the grave next to the Prophet, he was shedding tears.

When somebody asked, "O Aba Awar! Why are you crying?", Hz. Said he was crying for his cause:

"I am crying for Islam. The martyrdom of Hz. Umar is a gap opened in Islam. This gap is not going to be closed until the Day of Judgment." [7] Thus, he expressed the unique place of Hz. Umar in the history of Islam.

Hz. Said had a great role in the Victory of Yarmuk and the Conquest of Damascus during the caliphate of Hz. Umar.  Hz. Said was the commander of a military unit when they encountered the Byzantine army in the Valley of Yarmuk. The Byzantine army suddenly attacked the left wing of the Islamic army. It looked as if the Byzantine army would defeat them. Hz. Said was among the commanders that preserved their places and persevered. He jumped off his horse and said,  

"Solemnity and recklessness make man attain honor in the world and mercy in the hereafter. We should try to attain both."

The mujahids were excited by his speech and played an important role in the Victory of Yarmuk. Their commander fought at the front and kneeled down when he was tired. The enemy panicked when Hz. Said killed the Byzantine commander. Making use of this panic, Hz. Said, attacked the center. Soon, the river behind them was full of the dead bodies of the enemy soldiers.[8]

After the Conquest of Damascus, Hz. Abu Ubayda, the commander of the army offered Hz. Said to become the governor of Damascus. Preferring serving to holding a post, Hz. Said wanted to make jihad; he said,

"O Abu Ubayda! I want to make jihad in the way of Allah. Give the post of governorship to another brother that you find appropriate."

Hz. Said served in the Islamic army of conquest for a long time. He played an important role in making the region of Iraq and Syria become parts of the Islamic land. Then, he travelled around these regions, and taught and trained people. He tried to prevent the gossips against Hz. Uthman and Hz. Ali. Mughira bin Shuba was the governor of Kufa. Once, Mughira was sitting in the biggest mosque of Kufa and people had gathered around him.  

Meanwhile, Hz. Said entered the mosque. The governor welcomed him with respect and made him sit next to him. Then, a man from Kufa entered the mosque and started to utter ugly words. Hz. Said could not realize what was happening and asked the governor,

"O Mughira! Against whom is this man talking?" Mughira said,

"Against Hz. Ali." When Hz. Said heard it, he became very sad and said to the governor,

"O Mughira! The Companion of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is insulted and condemned in your presence but you do not prevent him; you keep silent!" Hz. Said kept on speaking:

"I will report you a hadith that I heard from the Messenger of Allah with my own ears. The Messenger of Allah said, "Abu Bakr is in Paradise; Umar is in Paradise;  Uthman is in Paradise;  Ali is in Paradise; Talha is in Paradise;  Zubayr is in Paradise;  Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas is in Paradise." If it was necessary to mention the ninth one, I would mention him, too."

The next day, people gathered around Hz. Said and insisted on learning the name of the person he did not mention by vowing. Hz. Said could not put up with their insistence and said,

"Since you have vowed by the name of Allah, I will tell you: I am the ninth one."

Then, he said,

"It would be better for any of you to live with the Messenger of Allah and make his face dusty in jihad than all of the good deeds he would do if he lived as long as Noah." [9]

Hz. Said bin Zayd spent the last years of his long life in Aqiq near Madinah. He was engaged in agriculture there.

Once, a woman called "Awra binti Uways", whose land was next to his land, went to Marwan bin Hakam, the governor of Madinah and complained about him. She said,

"Said bin Zayd occupied some of my land. Take it from him and give it to me."

The governor sent a few people to investigate the issue. Hz. Said was in his land in Aqiq. The delegation mentioned him about the complaint. Said, whose place in Paradise was definite when he was alive, realized that he was wronged. He said to them, 

"Let me report you something that I heard from the Prophet: The Messenger of Allah said, 'If a person seizes a land that does not belong to him, that land will be wrapped around his neck on the Day of Judgment even if he is under the seventh floor of the earth. A person who dies for his property is regarded as a martyr.'"

Then, Hz. Said vowed that he did not violate the land of the woman. Then, he raised his hands and prayed as follows:

"O Allah! If this woman is lying, blind her eyes before she dies and make her well a grave for her!"

Allah Almighty heard the cry of the oppressed and accepted his prayer. The woman who slandered him became blind after a while. Then, she fell into the well in her garden while she was wandering around her house. The well became her grave. [10]

Hz. Said, who was mentioned by respect and mercy by the believers due to his exemplary life and his unbreakable connection with the Sunnah of the Prophet and who was a man of Paradise, died in the 51st year of the Migration at the age of 80. His dead body was washed by Hz. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas. His janazah prayer was led by Hz. Abdullah bin Umar. [11]

May Allah be pleased with him!
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[1] Usdul-Ghaba, 2: 306-307.
[2] Bukhari, Badu'l-Khalq: 149.
[3] Usdul-Ghaba, 2: 307.
[4] Usdul-Ghaba, 4: 54.
[5] Usdul-Ghaba, 2: 307.
[6] Usdul-Ghaba, 2: 308.
[7] Tabaqat, 3: 372.
[8] Asr-ı Saadet, 4: 281.
[9] Musnad, 1: 187.
[10] Hilyatu'l-Awliya, 1: 96-97.
[11] Tabaqat, 3: 385.

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Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (R.A)

One of the ten Companions who were given the glad tidings of Paradise while they were alive is Hz. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas. He became a Muslim through Hz. Abu Bakr. He was the eighth Muslim. He was a relative of the Prophet (pbuh) through his mother. The Prophet often complimented him saying, "This is my maternal uncle Sa'd. Is there anyone who as an uncle like him?"

Hz. Sa'd believed in Islam wholeheartedly. He was a soldier of belief and a warrior of Islam. However, his mother was disturbed because he became a Muslim, performed prayers, loved the Prophet and regarded his love as superior to everything. She talked to her son and wanted her to abandon Islam. When she could not dissuade him, she resorted to something else. She knew the weakest point of Hz. Sa'd. She asked,

"Do you not say that Allah orders you to take care of your relatives and to treat your parents well?" Hz. Sa'd said,

"Yes. Allah orders Muslims to do so."

His mother became hopeful when she heard this answer. She approached an idol that was at home and started to caress and love it. Then, she vowed by the name of idols:

"O Sa'd! I will not eat or drink anything unless you deny what Muhammad has brought." Then, she sat behind the idol. She did not eat or drink anything for a few days.

Hz. Sa'd loved his mother very much. He had great respect for her without fail. His mother knew it. That is why she did something like that. She thought she could make her son leave Islam. However, she was disappointed. She saw just the opposite. In a few days, she received the following determined answer from him:  

"O Mum. By Allah, if I had 100 lives and I lost them one by one, I would not abandon my religion. It is up to you to eat or not to eat."

She was frustrated when Hz. Sa'd showed this determined attitude and she had to stop her hunger strike.[1]

Thereupon, verse 8 of the chapter of al-Ankabut, which states that it is not permissible to obey a person even if that person is one's mother or father if this obedience necessitates disobedience to Allah: "We have enjoined on man kindness to parents: but if they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to join with Me (in worship) anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not. Ye have (all) to return to Me, and I will tell you (the truth) of all that ye did."

Soon after this incident, Hz. Sa'd's brother, Amir, also became a Muslim. Thus, the problem of Sa'd's mother doubled. She used the same tactics for Amir. She vowed that she would not sit under the shade and not eat or drink anything until Amir abandoned his religion. However, it was useless.

Not only his mother but also all of the polytheists opposed Hz. Sa'd. During that period, Makkan polytheists used to torture and insult the Muslims, whose number was very few. They would not allow them to worship easily. Therefore, Hz. Sa'd, Said bin Zayd (r.a.), Khabbab bin Arat and Ammar bin Yasir went to Abu Lub Valley in order to worship. When they started to make wudu and perform prayers, a group of polytheists saw them and approached them. They started to make fun of them and say that their worship was useless. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas could not put up with it any more. He tried to move them away with a bone of camel he found. He hit one of them on the head and made his head bleed. When the other Companions also took action, the polytheists started to run away. Thus, Hz. Sa'd obtained the honor of being" the first Companion to shed blood in the way of Allah". [2]

Hz. Sa'd, who also had the honor of "throwing the first arrow in the way of Allah", was a heroic mujahid of Islam. He was dying for fighting in the way of Allah. He caused great distress to the polytheists during the Battle of Badr. He was one of the Companions who formed a wall of flesh around the Prophet at the most dangerous moments of the battle during the Battle of Uhud. When the Prophet saw Hz. Sa'd's zealous struggle against the enemy, he gave the arrows he was holding to him and complimented him by saying,

"Throw O Sa'd! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you!" [3] The Prophet had not addressed anybody like that before.

On the same day, the Messenger of Allah prayed for him as follows:

"O Allah! Make his arrows hit the target and make his prayer acceptable!" [4]

Hz. Sa'd, who had took part in all battles together with the Prophet, went to Makkah for the Farewell Hajj. He became very ill there. The Messenger of Allah visited this distinguished Companion. Hz. Sa'd said,

"O Messenger of Allah! As you see, my illness got worse. I have a lot of wealth. I have no inheritors except my daughter. Shall I bequeath all of my wealth to the poor?"

The Prophet did not allow him to do so. However, he let Sa'd bequeath one-third of his wealth to the poor. Then, he said,

"One-third is all right. It is not a small amount. What you give away from your wealth is sadaqah. However, what you give to your family is also sadaqah. What your wife eats from your wealth is also sadaqah. Doubtlessly, it is better for you to bequeath your wealth to your family than making them beg money from others."

After this conversation, Hz. Sa'd said,

"O Messenger of Allah! You will return to Madinah. Am I going to stay here and die?"

The Prophet felt sorry about him. He told Sa'd not to feel sorry, that he will serve Islam a lot in the future and that many nations will accept Islam thanks to him. Then, he prayed of Sa'd as follows:

"O Lord! Cure Sa'd! O Lord! Cure Sa'd! O Lord! Complete my Companions' return from Makkah to Madinah!"[5]

Indeed, Hz. Sa'd got rid of that severe illness. He was appointed as the commander of the army during the caliphate of Hz. Umar. He conquered many places. He served as a means for many people to become Muslims. 

Hz. Sa'd was a lucky person who attained the consent of Allah and the position of becoming one of His special slaves. Once, when the Prophet was sitting in the mosque, he prayed as follows:

"O Allah! Let someone whom you love and who loves you enter the mosque now!"

Soon, Hz. Sa'd entered the mosque. [6] This glad tiding was superior to everything in the world for that great Companion.

Sa'd loved the Messenger of Allah wholeheartedly and did his best to prevent him from being harmed. During the first days after the Migration, the Jews of Madinah might have wanted to kill the Prophet. One day, Hz. Sa'd put on his sword and went to the presence of the Messenger of Allah. When the Prophet saw him like that, he asked,

"What is the matter? O Sa'd?"

"O Messenger of Allah! I feared that something bad might happen to you. Therefore, I came here to protect you. "

The Prophet was glad to hear it from him. Then, he prayed for Sa'd. [7]

Hz. Sa'd' brother, who was a polytheist, wounded the Prophet's face in the Battle of Uhud. Hz. Sa'd got furious.  He shouted,

"Utba! If I catch you, I will shed your blood like water."

Hz. Sa'd, who served the Prophet until he died and who never left him alone, became very sad when the Prophet died. 

He did his best in order to spread Islam like the other Companions.

Hz. Sa'd was a person who was very good at leading and controlling an army. Knowing this skill of Sa'd's, Hz. Umar appointed him as the commander of the army prepared for the conquest of Iran. Before the army set off, Hz. Umar addressed Hz. Sa'd as follows:

"O Sa'd! The fact that you are the maternal uncle of the Messenger of Allah should not make you feel conceited and should not prevent you from obeying the orders of Allah. Allah eliminates a bad deed through a good deed, not through a bad deed. All people are equal. Allah is their Lord; they are Allah's slaves. People attain Allah's bounties by obeying Him. Remember what you saw from the Messenger of Allah before he died and try to do them. For, the way to salvation is there. 

Your duty is hard. Nothing but honesty can save you. Make yourself and the people under your command accustomed to doing good deeds. Start everything with a good deed. Everything that becomes a custom has a beginning. Be careful. Patience is the beginning of all good deeds. Do not abandon patience when some troubles and misfortunes hit you. Patience teaches you to fear Allah. Fear of Allah is mainly in two things: Obeying Allah and avoiding sins. A person who obeys Allah by ignoring the ephemeral face of the world and by desiring the hereafter obeys Allah truly. Hearts are treasures of truths."

After listening to the valuable advice of Hz. Umar, Hz. Sa'd set off. After a tiring journey, they arrived in Iran. Hz. Sa’d did not want to fight the Iranians before calling them to peace and Islam. To this end, he formed a committee consisting of Arab tribe chiefs and some notables and sent them to the Shah of Iran. 

At that time, the capital city of Sasanids was Madayin. The people were waiting on the road to see them. The appearance of the members of the delegation was modest.  They did not have weapons and their horses did not have saddles. However, the nobility and majesty given by Islam were visible on their faces. They proceeded with a dignified attitude and a brave manner on the Iranian land. Their horses tromped the Sasanid land. 

Yazdegerd, the Shah of Iran, heard the footsteps of the horses and asked the people around him about the reason for this noise. They told him that a delegation of Muslims had arrived.

The Shah, who gave great importance to show-off and ostentation, ordered his men to decorate and embellish the palace. The palace was decorated soon. After the decoration was completed, the Islamic delegation was accepted. 

Without paying attention to the decorations and ostentation, the Islamic delegation entered the palace with their large gowns, turbans around their heads, whips in their hands and wearing boots. Yazdegerd was surprised when he saw the Islamic delegation in plain clothes; he was astonished when he saw their harsh attitudes and grim acts. 

Iranians used to interpret everything. They sought luck or ominousness behind everything. Yazdegerd, asked the delegation some questions:

"What is fabric called in Arabic?"

He received the answer "burd" from the delegation.  As soon as the Shah heard it, he said, "Chehan burd." He interpreted this word as Muslims would conquer the whole world. Then, he pointed to the whip in the hands of the Muslims and asked:

"What is that called in Arabic? 

He received the answer "Sawt". Yazdegerd interpreted a different meaning from it. He understood "sawt" as "suht". He said, "Pars suht". It meant, "They set Iran on fire."

The people around the Shah got tired of these bad interpretations and ominous meanings. However, they could not dare to object to the Shah. 

Then, Yazdegerd asked the delegation why they had come. Numan bin Muqarrin, the head of the delegation told him about the principles of Islam first. Then, he said, "We ask you to become Muslims. If you do not accept Islam, we offer you two things: You will either pay jizyah or agree to fight us."

Yazdegerd, who did not accept peace and Islam, started to talk conceitedly and boastfully:

"You forgot that you were the poorest and weakest nation. When there was mutiny among you, we used to send our governors near you and they would make you obey. How come you make us this offer?"

The delegation listened to the Shah's conceited words calmly. Then, Mughira bin Zarara came forward and made the following concise speech pointing to his friends:

"All of the members of this delegation are leaders of their tribes. They told you what was necessary but there are a few more things that need to be uttered. I will tell you about them. It is true that we used to be poor and in the wrong way. We used to fight one another. We used to bury our daughters alive. Eventually, Allah Almighty sent us a prophet. We objected to him first and refused him. In the end, he became victorious. He did everything in accordance with the order of Allah. He ordered us to inform people all over the world about this religion. He told us to treat those who became Muslims as if they were our brothers. He advised us to regard those who reject Islam but accept to pay jizyah as people of dhimmah. The sword will be decisive between us and those who do not accept any of these offers."

Those words infuriated Yazdegerd. He said:

"If it were permissible to kill messengers, I would definitely kill all of you." He ordered a basket full of soil to be brought. When the basket was brought, he asked who the most prestigious person in the delegation was. They showed Asim bin Amr. The people of the palace put the basket full of soil on the head of Asim as a sign of insult. When the delegation returned, Asim told this incident to Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas and interpreted this as follows:

"O Sa’d! I congratulate you on your victory. The enemy surrendered their land to us."

Hz. Sa’d did everything that was necessary to do before war; he invited the enemy to choose one of the three alternatives. The conceited Shah chose war. It became necessary to put the Shah in his place. He summoned all of the commanders at once and consulted them. Then, he ordered the hafizes to read the chapter of al-Anfal, which is about jihad

The hafizes recited the chapter with their beautiful voices. They both recited the chapter and taught it to the mujahids.  There was a spiritual atmosphere in the headquarters. The mujahids looked forward to fighting and defeating the conceited Iranian army. 

When the expected moment came, Hz. Sa’d addressed the mujahids as follows:

"If you work in the world with asceticism and taqwa and desire the happiness of the hereafter, Allah will give you happiness both in the world and hereafter.  Know it very well that war will not make your time of death come closer to you.  Act together. If you disperse and regard yourselves as few and weak, you will be defeated. If you do so, you will endanger your hereafter, too. After performing the noon prayer, I will utter takbir three times. Utter takbir with me. When I utter the fourth takbir, say, ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no power other than Allah)’ and attack." [8]

After a while, the two armies confronted. The mujahids started to attack by shouting "Allah, Allah!" They fought heroically. Many of them attained the rank of martyrdom. The Muslims won the war.  This war was recorded as "the Victory of Qadisiya". After this victory, Muslims achieved great victories one after another. They captured the rich treasures of the Shah of Iran. 

Hz. Sa’d informed Hz. Umar about the victory at once. He sent the treasure he obtained to Hz.Umar. He told Hz.Umar that he would be waiting in Madayin for his orders about what to do next. However, the climate of Madayin affected the mujahids. Many of them became ill. Hz. Sa’d informed Hz.Umar about the situation at once. 

Hz. Umar became very pleased when he heard this victory of Muslims'. He appreciated it when Sa'd sent the rich treasures of the Shah of Iran to Madinah without losing any time. He wrote Sa'd a letter to tell him what to do next. He asked Sa'd to build a new city. When Sa'd received this order, he built the city of Kufa. In return for Sa'd's success, Hz.Umar appointed him the governor of Kufa. Hz. Sa’d was a good administrator. He made himself loved by the people of Kufa soon. 

Hz. Sa’d received the prayer of the Prophet in the Battle of Uhud; so, he was a person whose prayers were accepted. Therefore, people avoided his curse. However, somebody slandered him. He said Sa'd did not distribute goods equally and that he did not lead the army in the battles. Hz.Umar heard about it. He sent somebody to inspect the issue. It turned out to be a slander. However, this incident affected this Companion, who was given the glad tidings of Paradise. He opened his hands to pray Allah as follows:

"O Allah! If he is lying, lengthen his life, increase his poverty and give him misfortunes."

After a while, everybody started to make fun of this man who was damned by Hz. Sa’d. He became blind. He suffered a lot of misfortunes. Thus, everybody believed that Sa’d was innocent. 

Hz. Sa’d was a Companion who was worthy of being the Caliph. After Hz. Uthman was martyred, many people said they wanted to choose him as the caliph. However, Hz. Sa’d did not accept these offers. He remained impartial related to the incident between Hz. Ali and Hz. Muawiyah. When they asked him why he did not support one of them, he said he would keep remaining impartial unless they brought a sword that would discriminate between an unbeliever and a believer.

Hz. Sa’d believed that everything that Allah preordained was good even if they seem ugly. He surrendered to qadar. Somebody who visited him said to him:

"You are a person whose prayer is accepted. Would it not be better for you to pray Allah and ask him to make your eyes see?"

Hz. Sa’d answered him as follows:

"Allah Almighty’s ordainment for me is better for me than my eyesight."

Sa’d was a person who had all good characteristics. He would not consent to anybody being backbited in his presence; he would silence anybody who tried to do so. Once, he had argued with Hz. Khalid. Somebody who visited him started to talk against Hz. Khalid. This disturbed him a lot and said,

"Do not criticize him so much. The disagreement between me and him does not make me split with him and approve what you say about him."

Hz. Sa’d, who played an important role in the conveying hadiths to us, reported 270 hadiths. One of them is as follows:

 "Wondrous is the affair of the believer for there is good for him in every matter and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If he is happy, he thanks Allah and there is good for him. If he is harmed, he shows patience and there is good for him. He gets rewards (thawabs) even when he gives his wife something to eat."[9]

Hz. Sa’d, who died in the 55^th year of the Migration, was enshrouded by the shirt he wore during the battle of Badr. His death upset Muslims a lot. 

May Allah be pleased with him!
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[1] Muslim, Fadail as-Sahaba: 43; al-Isaba, 2: 292.
[2] al-Isaba, 2: 290.
[3] Muslim, Fadail as-Sahaba: 41.
[4] Mustadrak, 3: 500.
[5] Tabaqat, 3: 144; Muslim, Wasaya: 8; Musnad, 1: 168.
[6] Mustadrak, 3: 499.
[7] Muslim, Fadail as-Sahaba: 39.
[8] Hayatu's-Sahaba, 1: 329.
[9] Musnad, 1: 173.

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Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah (R.A)

Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah, who was one of the 10 luckiest people who were given the glad tidings of Paradise when they were alive, was one of the first people who accepted Islam. His names was "Amir,"; his nickname was "Abu Ubayda". He was known as "Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah" based on his grandfather. His ancestors and the ancestors of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) unite in the seventh generation.  

Hz. Prophet praised him as follows: "Every ummah has a trustworthy person. The most trustworthy person of this ummah is  Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah." [1]. As it is known, one of the nicknames of the Prophet is "al-Amin (the Trustworthy)". With this hadith, the Prophet gave an attribute that belonged to him to Abu Ubayda.

When the people of Yemen asked the Prophet to send them a person to teach them Islam and the Sunnah, the Messenger of Allah sent Abu Ubayda to them.

When he became a Muslim, he had to leave his family at a very young age. His father, who was a polytheist, did not allow him to stay in his house. He tried to practice his religion under very hard circumstances in his house. When migration to Abyssinia became possible, he migrated to Abyssinia in order to get rid of the oppression and torture of the polytheists. Then, he migrated to Madinah and rejoined the Messenger of Allah there. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) established the bonds of brotherhood between Ansar and Muhajirs, he made Abu Ubayda brothers with Sa’d bin Muadh of Madinah.

Hz. Abu Ubayda, who was a brave Companion and a heroic mujahid, was together with the Prophet in all battles. He exerted great efforts during the Battle of Badr, which was the most important battle of Islam. He was among the believers and his father was among the polytheists. He was against his father. His father was looking for him and looking for an occasion to kill him. Abu Ubayda moved from place so as not to shed the blood of his father, who was a polytheist. However, it was very difficult and he had to sacrifice his father for his religion. Thereupon, the following verse was sent down: "Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred." [2]

During the Battle of Uhud, the polytheists attacked the Prophet, wounded his face and broke one of his teeth. Two links that broke off his helmet pricked his face. When Hz. Abu Ubayda saw the Messenger of Allah like that, he could not bear and removed the links from the Prophet's face through his teeth. Meanwhile, two of his front teeth were broken. [3]

He joined all of the battles with the Prophet after that. He displayed great sacrifices in all battles. 

Abu Ubayda was a person with a very clean heart. When, the Messenger of Allah gave him an order, he would sacrifice his life to fulfill that order.  During the Expedition of Salasil, Abu Ubayda did not object to Amr when he asked him to join him with his men and be under his command. He reminded him the following statement of the Messenger of Allah, "Do not conflict with Amr Ibn As." He said to Amr, "Even if you do not obey me, I will obey you."

When Hz. Prophet sent him to Khabat Expedition, he set off with 300 Companions. When their food finished, they had to do with 200 dates for a few days. When they ran out of all food and reached the coast they saw that a big fish had washed up on the shore. They ate it for several days. He returned from the expedition with all of his men safe and sound after fulfilling their duty.

After the death of the Messenger of Allah, the believers regarded Hz. Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu Ubayda appropriate for the caliphate. Hz. Prophet stated the following for Abu Ubayda after Hz. Abu Bakr and Umar: "He is such a good man. …" [4] Hz. Abu Bakr held Hz. Umar and Abu Ubayda with his hands and offered one of them to be chosen as the caliph. However, they waived their rights and decided to nominate Hz. Abu Bakr as the caliph.

Hz. Abu Ubayda came to the fore among the ummah with his administration, sagacity, wisdom and intelligence. Hz. Umar regarded him as the person that deserved to be the caliph.

When Hz. Abu Bakr became the caliph, he appointed Abu Ubayda to conquer Damascus and the land around. The Islamic Mujahids under the command of Abu Ubayda conquered Homs and Damascus up to Antioch. Besieging Jerusalem after that, Abu Ubayda made the people of Jerusalem accept to sign a contract and to surrender.  However, the people of Jerusalem said they would sign the peace contract only if Umar came. Abu Ubayda sent a person to Madinah and invited Umar to Jerusalem. Hz. Umar left Hz. Ali as his deputy and set off. After a long tiring journey that lasted for days, he arrived in Jerusalem. He received the key to Jerusalem.[5]

During the caliphate of Hz.Umar, there was a drought once. Hz. Umar asked help from the governors. The first one to help him was Hz.Abu Ubayda. Hz. Abu Ubayda, who was the governor of Damascus, took 4000 loads of grains to Madinah and distributed them among the Muslims around Madinah.

Hz. Abu Ubayda led a very plain and modest life. His criterion regarding the issue  was the following hadith of the Prophet: "The ones that I love among you the best and are closest to me are those who will reach me as I left them." [6]

During his caliphate, Hz. Umar went to Damascus and the places around it in order to inspect the epidemic of plague. He asked the notables of Damascus who gathered around him, "Where is my brother Abu Ubayda?" they said, "He will arrive soon."  After a while, Hz. Abu Ubayda arrived on camelback. 

Hz. Umar asked Abu UUbayda to invite him to his house. He wanted to see how his governor lived with his own eyes. they arrived his home. When the Caliph entered his house, he saw a piece of armor and a few things. Thereupon, Hz. Umar asked him, "Do you not have anything else?" He said, "They are enough for my needs." Hz. Umar started to cry and said, "O Abu Ubayda, The world has changed everybody but not you." [7]

Abu Ubayda (r.a.) was a Companion who was a symbol of virtue in all aspects. He feared Allah a lot and always acted in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah. Fear of Allah was dominant in all of his deeds. He was very modest. He spoke as follows when he was the governor of Damascus:

"I am from Quraysh. However, when I see a person that is superior to me in terms of taqwa whether he has a red or black skin, I say, 'I wish I were in his body'."

Hz. Abu Ubayda was very generous. He would give away whatever he had to the poor. Once Hz. Umar sent him 4000 dirhams through an envoy and said to him, "Pay attention and find out how he will spend the money." When the envoy gave the money to Abu Ubayda, he distributed all of the money to the poor. 

Abu Ubayda (r.a.), who was adherent to his duty wholeheartedly and who was very enthusiastic with the love of the Messenger of Allah, looked after the people who were under his command as if they were his own children. His mercy and compassion encompassed not only Muslims but also Christians. Therefore, Christians served him and gave him information about the movements of the enemy by watching them. 

Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah, died of plague at the age of 58 in the 18th year of the Migration.

May Allah be pleased with him!
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[1] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 33.
[2] al-Mujadala, 22.
[3] Usdul-Ghaba, 3: 85.
[4] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 33.
[5] Asr-ı Saadet, 2: 66.
[6] Musnad, 1: 196.
[7] Isaba, 2: 254; Usdul-Ghaba, 3: 85.

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Abdur Rahman bin Awf (R.A)

Abdurrahman was one of the first eight people who became Muslims and the fifth person who became a Muslim through Hz. Abu Bakr (r.a.). He was born in the year of the Incident of Elephant and was at the same age as Hz. Prophet (pbuh).

His name was "Abdulkaaba" before Islam but the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) changed it as "Abdurrahman". He was one of the Muslims who received the honor of migrating to both Ethiopia and Madinah. 

A very nice and exceptional scene occurred after the Migration:

Makkan Muhajirs and Ansars of Madinah were declared brothers with the suggestion of the Prophet. Ansar made more sacrifices for their Makkan brothers than they would do for their own brothers; they shared their houses, money and property with them. Everybody became brothers and hugged each other with warm and fresh feelings.

Two of the people that the Prophet had declared brothers were Abdur­rahman bin Awf of Makkah and Sa’d bin Rabi’ of Madinah.  Sa’d said to Abdurrahman,

"My brother! I am the richest person in Madinah. Here is my property; take half of it. I have two wives; I will divorce the one that you like so that you can marry her."

Abdurrahman’s answer was as follows:

"My brother Sa’d! May Allah make your property and family blessed for you! Just show me the way to the market."

They showed Abdurrahman the way to the market. He went straight to the market and returned home after earning a lot of money. Afterwards, Abdurrahman received the Prophet's prayer for the abundance of property. He soon became so rich that once he gave away 700 camels and their loads on the way of Allah. He said, "I saw that even a stone that I held turned to gold and silver." [1]

Hz. Abdurrahman, who took part in the battle of Badr displayed great heroism. 

During the Battle of Badr, when the Prophet could not see him, he asked where he was. A Companion said:

"O Messenger of Allah! I saw him on the foot of the mountain. Many polytheists had gathered around him. I wanted to help him but when I saw you, I came here." The Prophet said,

"Do not worry about him because angels are helping him."

Then, the same Companion went to look for Abdurrahman and saw that he had killed seven people. 

He asked Abdurrahman, "Did you kill all of them?" Hz. Abdurrahman said:

"I killed these two people but somebody I had never seen before killed the others." Thereupon, the Companion said, 

"The Messenger of Allah told the truth."

One of the Companions who protected the Prophet with their bodies in the Battle of Badr was Hz. Abdurrahman. He was wounded 21 times in the battle. The injury he received in his leg disabled him and caused him to limp.

Hz. Abdurrahman did not want the Prophet to be harmed or injured in any way. Therefore, he never left him alone. Once, he saw the Prophet going somewhere alone. He worried that something might happen to him and started to follow him. The Messenger of Allah prostrated and remained like that for a long time. Hz. Abdur­rah­man feared that he might have died. He approached the Prophet. Just then, the Messenger of Allah sat up. When he saw Abdurrahman, he asked,

"What is the matter?" Hz. Abdurrahman said,

"O Messenger of Allah! You remained in prostration so long that I feared you might have died." The Prophet said, 

"Jibril arrived and said, ‘A person who utters salawat for you will receive the forgiveness and salutation of Allah Almighty.’ I prostrated in order to thank Allah for it." [2]

Hz. Abdurrahman spent most of his days fasting and went to hajj every year. He did not hesitate to spend his wealth, which he obtained thanks to the abundance of the prayer of the Prophet. Once, he gave away 40 thousand dinars, 500 horses and 500 camels for jihad. He lived plainly and modestly; he always laid tables for the poor in his house. [3]

According to a narration of Anas, once, some sounds were heard in Madinah. Hz. Aisha asked,

"What is this?" They answered,

"It is Abdurrahman bin Afw's caravan." Thereupon, Hz. Aisha said,

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say­,

 ‘I saw Abdurrahman bin Awf entering Paradise by crawling.’"

When Abdurrahman was told about it, he said:

"If I could, I would like to enter Paradise by walking." Then, he gave away that caravan with all of the goods in it to the poor. [4]

Abdurrahman (r.a.) sometimes received the prayers of the Messenger of Allah. Once, the Prophet prayed as follows:  "O Allah! Make, Abdurrahman drink from the fountains of Paradise!" On the other hand, this lucky Companion received the following compliment from the Prophet: "Ab­durrahman bin Awf is trustworthy both on the earth and in the sky."

Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.) was so generous in spending his wealth in the way of Allah, was so careful and sensitive about his worship, and was so brave and self-sacrificing in jihad but he sometimes remembered the Companions that were more self-sacrificing than him and cried due to his anxiety that he might not make enough preparation for the hereafter. 

Once, while he was eating at the table, he could not help saying,

"Mus’ab bin Umayr, who was better than me, was wrapped in a cardigan when he was martyred. When his head was covered by it, his feet were left uncovered and when his feet were covered by it, his head was left uncovered. When Hamza, who was better than me, was martyred, he was in the same state. I fear that I will take the rewards of my good deeds in this world and that nothing will be left to the other world."

Hz. Abdurrahman could not eat after these statements. [5]

In the 6th year of Migration, the Prophet appointed Abdurrahman to go to the tribe of Kalb in Dumatul-Jandal to tell them about Islam. Before Abdurrahman set off, the Prophet wrapped Abdurrahman’s turban with his own hands and gave him the standard of the army. Then he said,

"Go with the name of Allah in the way of Allah.  Act in accordance with the orders of Allah. Invite the tribe of Kalb to Islam. If they accept, marry the daughter of the leader of the tribe of Kalb."

Abdurrahman bin Awf conveyed the message of Islam so nicely there that the majority of the Christian tribes accepted Islam and the remaining tribes accepted to pay jizyah. [6]

Once, Hz. Abdurrahman was leading a prayer when the Messenger of Allah came and followed Abdurrahman in the prayer, which increased his virtue. The incident took place during the expedition of Tabuk. The Prophet had left the caravan. The time for the morning prayer was about to end. The Companions asked Hz. Abdurrahman to lead the prayer and followed him in the prayer. The Prophet arrived when they were bowing down at the end of the first rak'ah. He joined the congregation and performed the prayer under the leadership of Abdurrahman.  After they ended the prayer, the Prophet stood up and completed his prayer. When he ended his prayer, he said,

"You performed the prayer very well. Well done!" Thus, he complemented Abdurrahman. [7]

Hz. Abdurrahman was one of the people who were aware of the fact that it could be dangerous to be wealthy. He was worried about it. Once he went to Umm Salama, one of the wives of the Prophet, and told her about his worry and said,

"The muchness of wealth causes destruction. Therefore, I am worried." Umm Salama said,

"However, wealth spent in the way of Allah is not like that." Then, Abdurrahman felt relieved because he always spent his wealth in the way of Allah.

Hz. Abdurrahman (r.a.), read ayatul kursiyy whenever he entered his house and prayed as follows:"O Allah! Protect me from the stinginess of my soul." When they asked him, "Is there not anything else that you want to ask from Allah?", he would answer as follows:

"If I am protected from the stinginess of my soul, I will not commit theft, fornication or any other sins."

Hz. Abdurrahman was one of the most important assistants of both Hz. Abu Bakr and Hz. Umar. Both caliphs gave importance to his views and consulted him about important issues. 

After Hz. Umar was martyred, people saw the great sacrifice and waiver of Abdur­rah­man bin Awf. When it became clear that Hz. Umar would not survive the assassination, the notable ones among the Companions asked him to nominate someone for the caliphate. Hz. Umar said he thought one of the following people should be chosen: "Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, Hz. Talha, Hz. Uthman, Hz. Ali, Hz. Zubayr and Abdur­rahman bin Awf".

In the first consultation after the death of Hz. Umar, Abdurrahman made the following offer:

"Let three of us waive for the other three."

Thereupon, Hz. Zubayr, Hz. Talha and Hz. Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas waived in favor of Abdurrahman bin Awf. Then, Abdurrah­man waived and only two candidates were left: Hz. Ali and Hz. Uth­man.

Hz. Abdurrahman said to them:

"Let us give this duty to the one who will waive among you."

However, both of them kept silent. Thereupon, Abdurrahman said:

"Will you allow me to choose one of you? I will search who deserves it more and choose him."

Both Hz. Ali and Hz. Uthman accepted his offer.

Abdurrahman bin Awf consulted the Companions for three days and nights; consequently, he decided that Hz. Uthman should be the Caliph. Then, he called people and told them about his view. Then, he became the first person to pay allegiance to Hz. Uthman. Thereupon, everyone paid allegiance to Hz Uthman. [8]

Abdurrahman was one of the Companions that benefited from the knowledge of the Prophet the most. He reported many hadiths. Two of the hadiths he reported were as follows:

"If you hear that there exists plague in a place, do not go there. If plague breaks out in the place where you live, do not leave your place!" [9]

"If a woman performs five daily prayers, fasts in Ramadan, protects her chastity and obeys her husband, she will be addressed as follows: ‘Enter Paradise through any door you want.’" [10]

Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.) bequeathed that 400 dinars be given from his inheritance to each martyr of the Battle of Badr. The number of the martyrs of Badr was 100...

Abdurrahman died in the 21st year of the Migration at the age of 72. His janazah prayer was led by Hz. Uthman or according to another narration by Zubayr bin Awwam. May Allah make us follow their path!
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[1] Musnad, 1: 91.
[2] Usdul-Ghaba, 2: 416, 3: 314; Mektûbât (Letters), p. 148.
[3] Usdul-Ghaba, 3: 314-317.
[4] Tabaqat, 3: 93.
[5] Tabaqat, 1:403.
[6] Sirah, 2: 256.
[7] Musnad, 4: 247; Hz. Muhammed ve İslamiyet, 9: 196.
[8] Asr-ı Saadet, 1: 393-394.
[9] Bukhari, Tib: 30; Muslim, Salam: 98.
[10] Musnad, 1: 191.

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