Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd رضی اللہ عنہما

Bright Stars

Sayyidunā Usāmah b. Zayd رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا

Mawlana Adnan Ahmad Attari Madani

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Whoever loves Allah and His Messenger should love Usāmah too.”^[1]

Dear Islamic brothers! Sayyidunā Usāmah’s رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ father is the famous Companion Sayyidunā Zayd b. Ḥārithah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, and his mother is the foster mother of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, by way of wet nursing; Sayyidah Umm Ayman رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا.^[2] He was born and brought up in Makkah, and he did not consider any religion besides Islam. He performed the migration with his father Sayyidunā Zayd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ.^[3] He was tall, his nose was thin and raised, and he was of dark complexion.^[4] He was cheerful and amiable, skilled in handling administrative matters, intelligent and courageous.^[5]

Court of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

In the presence of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was like a beloved family member.^[6] The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم expressed great love for him. There were several occasions when the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم kept Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ with him. Here are some examples:

* In the year 7 AH, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم travelled to Makkah to perform ꜤUmrah. Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was also seated on the camel behind the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and they entered Makkah like this.^[7]

* In the year 8 AH during the Conquest of Makkah, he was seated behind the beloved Prophet                 صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم upon a conveyance.^[8] On this occasion, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم entered the holy KaꜤbah accompanied by Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ.^[9]  The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked him for a bucket of water. Moistening the cloth himself, he participated in washing away the images in the KaꜤbah.^[10]

* In the year 10 AH during the farewell Hajj, after staying at ꜤArafah, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم waited for Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ and delayed his journey to Muzdalifah. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم blessed him with the opportunity to ride behind him on the conveyance on the way to Muzdalifah.^[11]

Commander of an Army

In 11AH, during Ṣafar, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم despatched an army of 700 mujahideen, which included Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ and other senior Companions رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُم, under the leadership of Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ,. However, the army returned when the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم passed away.^[12] Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was 18 or 19 years old^[13] when Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ sent him again as the leader of the same army. The army departed and after 35 days, Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ returned as a successful commander.

Court of Sayyidunā ꜤUmar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

Whenever Sayyidunā ꜤUmar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ saw him, he would say, “O leader! Peace be upon you.” Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ asked why he said this, and Sayyidunā ꜤUmar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ explained, “I will continue to call you ‘leader’ because you were our (army’s) leader at the time when the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم passed away.”^[14]

During the reign of Sayyidunā ꜤUmar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, he set a stipend of 3,500 dirhams for Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, and 3,000 dirhams for his son Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh. His son asked, “You gave preference to Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ even though I fought in battles he did not.” Sayyidunā ꜤUmar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ said, “Indeed! Usāmah was more beloved to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم than you, and Usāmah’s father was more beloved to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم than your father. I gave preference to the Prophet’s beloved over my beloved.”^[15]

Love for his mother

Sayyidunā Usāmah b. Zayd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ loved his mother very much. During the reign of the third Caliph of Islam, Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān b. ꜤAffān رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, the price of a date tree reached 1,000 dirhams. Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ cut off the top of a tree, extracted its pulp and fed it to his mother. Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ asked why he did this, and he replied, “My mother told me she had a desire to eat it. If I have the capability of getting what she wants, I present it to her.” (It is said that eating the pulp within a date tree is helpful for treating tuberculosis.)^[16]

Court of Amīr MuꜤāwiyah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

Sayyidunā Amīr MuꜤāwiyah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ respected him greatly. During old age, Sayyidunā Usāmah visited Sayyidunā Amīr MuꜤāwiyah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, who seated him next to himself and treated him with utmost honour and respect.^[17]

Habits

He fasted every Monday and Thursday. A slave said to him, “You have become weak, but you still fast on these specific days.” Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ replied, “The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم fasted on these two days.”^[18] One day, he lay down near the door leading to the blessed resting place of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and recited poetry in a loud voice. Once, he prayed next to the blessed resting place of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, whereupon Marwān passed by and asked, “Are you praying next to the grave of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم?” Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ answered, “I love the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.” Marwan said something extremely evil and left. Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ followed him and said, “O Marwan! You are a person who habitually utters nonsense and deliberately too.”^[19]

Residence and Death

Sayyidunā Usāmah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ owned properties in the valley of Al-Qurā, which he would occasionally travel to.^[20] He took up residence in a large town in the suburbs of Damascus called Mizzah and then settled in the valley of al-Qurā between Madinah and Syria. Thereafter, he travelled to Madīnah to reside there. In 54 AH, he passed away in Juruf (3 miles away from Madinah).^[21]

Narrations

Sayyidunā Usāmah b. Zayd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ reported 128 Aḥādīth. Of these, 15 are agreed upon in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. One hadith is in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī alone and two are in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim alone.^[22]