Have Faith and Be Strong!: AZ-ZUBAIR IBN AL-AWWAM (MAY ALLAH PLEASE WITH HIM)

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS AND THE MOST MERCIFUL

Az-Zubair Ibn Awwam was one of the early followers of Islam and was born to a family blessed with the light of Islam as his aunt Khadījah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the first who accepted the message that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) brought, and his mother Safiya too accepted Islam in the beginning. Zubair was from among the one who was blessed by the Messenger of Allah with the glad tidings of Paradise in this world itself. Zubair was an able businessman and a courageous warrior who valiantly participated in the battles fought for Islam. He was so upright and honest that Umar Ibn Khattab appointed him member of the six-member committee, from among whom the next caliph was supposed to be elected.

One of the many qualities of Zubair was that throughout his life he spent his wealth in the way of Allah and used it as a means to attain the pleasure of Allah. He gave away his wealth so generously that he died not only penniless, but in debt as well. His trust in Allah was unshakable and utterly transcendent as at the time of death he told his son, “My son, my greatest worry is my debt, so sell our property, and pay off my debt. If you are not able to, then seek help from my Maula (protector).” ”Who is your Maula?” his son asked. Zubair said, “Allah. Allah is my Maula.” He was a kind of man who never gave preference to worldly gains over truth.

Zubair accepted Islam during the period of secret preaching when he was in his early teens and since then he never budged to the demands of people asking him to come back to the religion of his forefathers. He was persecuted and tortured so intensely that he was left with no choice but to migrate to Abyssinia. Before he accepted Islam, Naufil, his uncle, was very affectionate and kind to him, but as soon as Naufil learnt of his reversion he became restless and hostile towards him. It is reported that Naufil would wrap him up into a mattress and lit fire around him. In this condition when he would choke because of smoke, Naufil used to ask, “Are you ready to come back to your ancestral religion or not?” “No, never,” the teenager Zubair used to reply firmly, “It is quite impossible for me now to give up the religion of Allah. I must die as a Muslim and not as an infidel.” Zubair was made to suffer for believing in one true God. However he trusted his Lord and remained steadfast and showed no signs of remorse over it.

Zubair was a warrior who never became reluctant for fighting and joined all the battles with the Messenger of Allah. Since his childhood, he was tough and brave and during his teens when he heard the rumour that the Messenger of Allah was assassinated, he immediately withdrew his sword and rushed straight away to the house of the Messenger to confirm the claim, only to find out that the news was rumour. Seeing Zubair with his sword in the hand and face red, the Messenger enquired, “What is the matter?” to which he replied, “thanks to Allah that you are quite safe and secure. May my parents be sacrificed for you, I heard the rumour that the idolaters had made you captive or even martyred you.”

The Messenger then asked, what if the rumour was true, to which Zubair replied, “By Allah I would have alone declared war against the whole of Makkah. I would have preferred to die than to live after you were murdered.” Hearing this, the Messenger said, “This is the first sword raised for the cause of Allah and His Prophet.”

Zubair was a man of courage and strength and was always ready to expose himself to danger for the sake of Allah and His Messenger. During the Battle of Trench (Khandaq), when the non-believers took a siege of Madina and Muslims were facing an extremely dangerous situation, the Messenger of Allah asked who would bring the news of the people of Madina; Zubair without any hesitation raised the hand and said he would. The Messenger asked the question three times and every time Zubair raised the hand. The Messenger of Allah was so pleased with Zubair that once he said, every prophet used to have a hawari (disciple), and my hawari is Zubair Ibn Awwam.

On one occasion the Messenger is reported to have said, “Zubair and Talha are my companions in Paradise.” It was Zubair who along with Ali Ibn Abu Talib stormed the castles of traitor Banu Quraidha and caused them to surrender. His body was full of scars and wounds so much so that once during Hajj, when he was wearing Ihram with his chest exposed, someone said to him, I have never seen before a body like yours, to which Zubair replied, “None of these wounds has happened except when I was in the company of Prophet Muhammad, fighting in the Cause of Allah.”

The true mettle of Zubair came into light on the Day of Uhud, when the Muslims were defeated. The day battered their morale as 70 Companions were martyred in the battle, and most of them badly injured. It was at this situation that the Messenger of Allah called upon the Muslims to gather strength and head once again for the war as Abu Sufian was coming back to attack Madina to completely annihilate the Muslims, considering their lost morale after the defeat at Uhud. Zubair responded to the call of the Messenger despite being wounded and along with Abu Bakr led the Muslims for the second clash; however the second clash did not materialise.

Zubair joined the army of Ayesha at the Battle of Camel and had the impression that he was fighting for the just cause as there was a lot of misinformation spread by the enemies of Islam. However, when he got to know the truth, he immediately withdrew from the war without thinking of its consequences. He was later assassinated while he was performing prayers. He died a death which the real Momin would swoon over.

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