Sa'd ibn Mu'adh explained

Saʿd ibn Muʿādh al-Ansari
Arabic: سعد بن معاذ الأنصاري
Birth Date: 590 CE
Birth Place:Medina, Hejaz, Arabia
Death Date: 627 CE (aged 37)
Death Place:Medina, Hejaz
Death Cause:Wounds in the Battle of the Trench
Spouse:Hind bint Simak
Family:Banu Aws from (Zahran)
Known For:Being a companion of Muhammad

Saʿd ibn Muʿādh al-Ansari (Arabic: سعد بن معاذ الأنصاري) was the chief of the Aws tribe in Medina and one of the prominent companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He died shortly after the Battle of the Trench.

Family

Sa'd was born in Medina 590 CE, the son of Mu'adh ibn al-Numan, of the Abdul-Ashhal clan of the Aws tribe, and of Kabsha bint Rafi, of the Jewish Banu al-Harith clan of the Khazraj tribe.[1] His siblings were Aws (apparently the eldest), Iyas, 'Amr, Iqrab and Umm Hizam.[2]

He married his brother Aws's widow, Hind bint Simak,[2] who was his agnatic second cousin.[1] Her brother had been chief of the Aws tribe until he was killed at the Battle of Bu'ath in 617.[1] They had two sons, Amr and Abdullah.[1]

As'ad ibn Zurarah, chief of the al-Najjar clan of the Khazraj, was Sa'd's maternal first cousin.[1] Usayd ibn Hudayr was his wife's fraternal nephew,[1] and was also said by al-Waqidi to have been Sa'd's first cousin.[1]

Biography

Acceptance of Islam

Sa'd was among the leading figures among the Ansar, as Muhammad had called the people of Aws and Khazraj from Medina who converted to Islam. He converted at the hands of Mus'ab ibn Umair. His conversion led to the immediate conversion of his entire subtribe of the Aus, the Banu Abdul-Ashhal:

Confrontation with Abu Jahl and the start of Badr hostilities

Before the Battle of Badr, Sa'd had visited Mecca once to perform his Umrah with his non-Muslim friend Umayyah ibn Khalaf, when they came across Abu Jahl. They argued, and as it became heated, Sa'd threatened Abu Jahl with preventing his safe passage through Medina if he stopped the Muslims from performing the pilgrimage in Mecca.Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:

Battle of Badr

The Muslims originally expected a much smaller Meccan force and were surprised by the large Meccan Army so Muhammad called Shura:

Battle of Uhud

Sa'd was one of the few companions who remained on the battlefield, when the Meccans led by Khalid bin Walid counterattacked and he continued to fight on until he was finally forced to retreat away from the Meccans. In fact, Sa'd was the last Muslim Mus'ab ibn 'Umair met (Sa'd by that time had disengaged the Meccans) when he chided other Muslims for retreating and ferociously attacked the Meccans resulting in his brutal martyrdom at the hands of the Meccans. He later met up with Muhammad and was part of the small contingent Muslims defending him.

Sa'd's brother 'Amr and his stepson (nephew) al-Harith ibn Aws were both among those who were killed at Uhud.[1]

Battle of Trench and Qurayza

After the Battle of the Trench in 627 (5 AH), when Medina was unsuccessfully besieged by the Meccan army, the Banu Qurayza had treacherous dealings with the enemy.[3] Later the Muslims laid siege to their stronghold and the Banu Qurayza surrendered.

Several members of the Banu Aws pleaded for their old Jewish allies and agreed to Muhammad's proposal that one of their chiefs should judge the matter. The Banu Qurayza appointed Sa'd, and declared they would agree with whatever was Sa'd's verdict.[4] [5] Other sources say that Muhammad appointed Sa'd.[6] Sa'd pronounced that all the men should be put to death, their possessions to be distributed among Muslims, and their women and children to be taken as captives.

Death

Sa'd had been wounded in the same Battle of Trench and was on the verge of death. Sa'd succumbed to the wounds and died after returning to Medina.

Legacy

He dutifully served as a member of the Muslim community and even commanded military campaigns for Muhammad during his lifetime. Saad is said to have been a stern, just and passionate man, willing to impulsively fight for what he believed in. In Muslim history, he is well regarded as a noble companion who enjoyed a close relationship with Muhammad.

Even after his death Muhammad made constant references praising him:

According to one Hadith, Muhammad bestowed him a title of "Siddiq al-Ansar", (rightful man of Ansar or truthful man of Ansar), which according to later era scholars of Hadith, were counterpart of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, a Siddiq which hailed from Muhajirun.

Notes and References

  1. Muhammad ibn Saad. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir vol. 3. Translated by Bewley, A. (2013). The Companions of Badr. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.
  2. Muhammad ibn Saad. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir vol. 8. Translated by Bewley, A. (1995). The Women of Madina. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.
  3. "Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar, Chapter Al-Ahzab Invasion
  4. Mohammed Abu-Nimer . A Framework for Nonviolence and Peacebuilding in Islam . Journal of Law and Religion . 15 . 1–2 . 247 . 2000–2001 . 10.2307/1051519. 1051519 . 155651903 .
  5. Book: Hashmi , Sohail H. . Buchanan, Allen E . Moore, Margaret . States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries . Cambridge University Press . 2003.
  6. Watt, Muhammad, Prophet and Statesman, p. 172