The Book of the Merits of the Companions

كتاب فضائل الصحابة رضى الله تعالى عنهم

Chapter 5: The Virtues Of Sa'd Bin Abi Waqqas (RA)

'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) lay on bed during one night and said

Were there a pious person from amongst my companions who should keep a watch for me during the nightt? She said: We heard the noise of arms, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Who is it? And Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas said: Allah's MesseDger. I have come to serve as your sentinel. 'A'isha said: Allah' s Messenger (ﷺ) slept (such a sound sleep) that I heard the noise of his snoring.

'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) laid down on bed during one night on his arrival at Medina and said

Were there a pious person from amongst my Companions who should keep a watch for me durin. the night? She (A'isha) reported: We were in this state that we heard the clanging noise of arms. lie (the Holy Prophet) said: Who is it? He said: This is Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him: What brings you here? Thereupon he said: I harboured fear (lest any harm should come to) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), so I came to serve as your sentinel. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoked blessings upon him. He then slept. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Rumh with a slight variation of wording.

'Abdullah b. 'Amir b. Rabi reported A'isha as saying

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went to bed one night; the rest of the hadith is the same.

`Abdullah b. Shaddad reported that he heard `Ali saying

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not gather his parents except in case of Sa`d b. Malik that he said to him on the Day of Uhud: Shoot an arrow, may my father and mother be taken as ransom for you.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Ali through another chain of transmitters.

Sa'd b Abi Waqqqs said

Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) gathered his parents for me on the Day of Uhud.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Yabyl b. Sa'id with the same chain of transmitters.

'Amir b. Sa'd reported oLi the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) gathered for him on the Day of Uhud his parents when a polytheist had set fire to (i. e. attacked fiercely) the Muslims. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said to him

(Sa'd), shoot an arrow, (Sa'd), may my mother and father be taken as ransom for you. I drew an arrow and I shot a featherless arrow at him aiming his side that lie fell down and his private parts were exposed. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) laughed that I saw his front teeth.

Mus'ab b. Sa'd reported on the authority of his father that many verses of the Qur'an had been revealed in connection with him. His mother Umm Sa'd had taken oath that she would never talk with him until he abandoned his faith and she neither ate nor drank and said

Allah has commanded you to treat well your parents and I am your mother and I command you to do this. She passed three days in this state until she fainted because of extreme hunger and at that time her son whose name was Umara stood up and served her drink and she began to curse Sa'd that Allah, the Exalted and Glorions, revealed these verses of the Holy Qur'an:" And We have enjoined upon a person goodness to his parents but if they contend with thee to associate (others) with Me of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not" (xxix. 8) ; Treat thein with customary good in this world" (xxxi. 15). He also reported that there fell to the lot of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) huge spoils of war and there was one sword in them. I picked that up and came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Bestow this sword upon me (as my share in the spoils of war) and you know my state. Thereupon he said: Return it to the place from where you picked it up. I went back until I decided to throw it in a store but my soul repulsed me so I came back and asked him to give that sword to me. He said in a loud voice to return it to the place from where I had picked it up. It was on this occasion that this verse was revealed:" They asked about the spoils of war" (viii. 1). He further said: I once fell ill and sent a message to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). He visited me and I said to him: Permit me to distribute (in charity) my property as much as I like. He did not agree. I said: (Permit me to distribute) half of it. He did not agree. I said: (Permit me to distribute) the third part, whereupon he kept quiet and it was after this (that the distribution of one's property in charity) to the extent of one-third was held valid. He further said: I came to a group of persons of the Ansir and Muhajirin and they said: Come, so that we may serve you wine, and it was before the use of wine had been prohibited. I went to them in a garden and there had been with them the roasted head of a camel and a small water-skin containing wine. I ate and drank along with them and there came under discussion the Ansr (Helpers) and Muhajirin (immigrants). I said: The immigrants are better than the Ansar, that a person picked up a portion of the head (of the camel and struck me with it that my nose was injured. I came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and informed him of the situation that Aliah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed verses pertaining to wine:" Intoxicants and the games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (divining by) arrows are only an uncleanliness, the devil's work" (v. 90).

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Simak and the hadith transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba (the words are)

When they intended to feed her (Sa'd'. s mother), they opened her mouth with the help of a stick and then put the feed in her mouth, and in the same hadith the words are: He struck the nose of Sa'd and it was injured and Sa'd had (the mark) of wound on his nose.

Sa'd reported

This verse was revealed in relation to six persons and I and Ibn Mas'ud were amongst them. The polytheists said to him (the Holy Prophet): Do not keep such persons near you. It was upon this that (this verse was revealed):" Drive not away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening desiring only His pleasure" (vi. 52).

Sa'd reported

We were six men in the company of Allah's Messenger (, nay peace be upon him) that the polytheists said to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ): Drive them away so that they may not be overbold upon us. He said: I, Ibn Mas'ud and a person from the tribe of Hudhail, Bilal and two other persons, whose names I do not know (were amongst such persons). And there occurred to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) what. Allah wished and he talked with himself that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed:" Do not drive away those who call their Lord morning and evening desiring to seek His pleasure."

Chapter 6: The Virtues Of Talhah And Az-Zubair (RA)

Abu 'Uthman reported on one of the days when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was fighting and none remained with him save Talha and Sa'd.

Jabir b. Abdullah reported

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) exhorting people on the Day of the Battle of the Ditch to fight. Zubair said: I am ready (to participate). He then again exhorted and he again said: I am ready to participate. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Behold. for every Prophet there is a helper and my helper is Zubair.

Jabir reported this hadith through another chain of transmitters.

'Abdullah b. Zubair reported on the Day of the Battle of the Trench

I and Umar b. Abu Salama were with women folk in the fort of Hassan (b. Thabit). He at one time leaned for me and I cast a glance and at anothertime I leaned for him and he would see and I recognised my father as he rode on his horse with his arms towards the tribe of Quraizah. 'Abdullah b. 'Urwa reported from Abdullah b. Zubair: I made a mention of that to my father, whereupon he said: My son, did you see me (on that occasion)? He said: Yes. Thereupon he said: By Allah, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) addressed me saying: I would sacrifice for thee my father and my mother.

'Abdullah b. Zubair reported

When it was the Day of the Battle of the Ditch I and 'Umar b. Salama were in the fort in which there were women, i. e. the wives of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) ; the rest of the hadith is the same.

Abu Huraira reported

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was upon the mountain of Hira, ' and there were along with him Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman. 'Ali, Talha, 'Zubair, that the mountain stirred; thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Be calm, there is none upon you but a Prophet, a Fiddle (the testifier of truth) and a Martyr.

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was on the mountain of Hira' that it stirred; thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said

Hira! be calm, for there is none upon you but a Prophet, a Siddiq, a Shahid, and there were upon it Allah's Prophet (ﷺ), Abu Bakr, 'Umar, Uthman, 'Ali, Talha, Zubair, Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas (Allah be pleased witli them).

Hisham reported on the authority of his father ('Urwa b. Zubair) that A'isha said

BY Allah, both fathers of yours are amongst those who have been men. tioned in this verse:" Those who responded to the call of Allah and the Messenger after the misfortune had fallen upon thein".