Zayd ibn Ḥāritha

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, never dispatched Zayd ibn Harithah with an army but that he appointed him commander over them. If he had lived after the Prophet, he would have appointed him as the Caliph.

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 25898

Introduction

Slavery in Mecca

Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him was purchased by a merchant of Mecca, Hakim ibn Hizam, who gave the boy as a present to his aunt, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا Allah be pleased with her. He remained in her possession until the day she married Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), when she gave Zayd as a wedding present to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) became very attached to Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him, to whom he referred as al-Ḥabīb (Arabic: ٱلْحَبِيْب, lit. ‘the Beloved’).^[4]: 6

Some years later, some members of Zayd[ra]’s tribe happened to arrive in Mecca on pilgrimage. They encountered Zayd and recognised each other, and he asked them to take a message home.

On receiving this message, Zayd’s father and uncle immediately set out for Mecca. They found Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) at the Kaaba and promised him any ransom if he would return Zayd to them. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) replied that Zayd should be allowed to choose his fate, but that if he wished to return to his family, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) would release him without accepting any ransom in exchange. They called for Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him, who easily recognised his father and uncle, but told them that he did not want to leave Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), “for I have seen something in this man, and I am not the kind of person who would ever choose anyone in preference to him.” At this, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) took Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him to the steps of the Kaaba, where legal contracts were agreed and witnessed, and announced to the crowds: “Witness that Zayd becomes my son, with mutual rights of inheritance.” On seeing this, Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him‘s father and uncle “were satisfied,” and they returned home without him.^[4]: 8–9

In accordance with the Arabic custom of adoption at the time, Zayd was thereafter known as “Zayd ibn Muhammad” and was a freedman, regarded socially and legally as Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)‘s son.^[4]: 9

Conversion to Islam

At an unknown date before 610, Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him accompanied Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to Ta’if, where it was a tradition to sacrifice meat to the idols. Near Baldah on their way back to Mecca, they met Zayd ibn Amr and offered him some of the cooked meat that Zayd was carrying in their bag.^[7][8] Zayd ibn Amr, an outspoken monotheist,^[9]: 99 replied, “I do not eat anything which you slaughter in the name of your stone idols. I eat none but those things on which Allah’s Name has been mentioned at the time of slaughtering.”^[10] After this encounter, said Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), “I never stroked an idol of theirs, nor did I sacrifice to them, until God honoured me with his apostleship.”^[7][8]

When Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) reported in 610 that he had received a revelation from the angel Jibril (Gabriel), Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him was one of the first converts to Islam. While Khadijah was the first Muslim of all in the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ),^[9]: 111 she was closely followed by her neighbour Lubaba bint al-Harith,^[4]: 201 her four daughters,^{[11]: 21, 25–26} and the first male converts, Ali, Zayd and Abu Bakr.^{[9]: 114–115}

The Hijrah

In 622, Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him joined the other Muslims in the Hijrah to Medina. Once settled in the new city, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) urged each Muslim to “take a brother in Religion” so that each would have an ally in the community. Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him was paired with Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)‘s uncle Hamza رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him. Hamza accordingly trusted his last testament to Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him just before his death in 625.^[9]: 234

A few months later, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) sent Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him back to Mecca to escort their families to Medina. The return party consisted of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)‘s wife Sawda رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا Allah be pleased with her, his daughters Umm Kulthum and Fatimah رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا Allah be pleased with her, his servant Abu Rafi, Zayd’s رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him wife Baraka and their son Usama, Abu Bakr’s wife Umm Rumman, his children Asma, Abdullah and Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا Allah be pleased with her, and a guide named Abdullah ibn Urayqit, and Abu Bakr’s kinsman Talhah also decided to accompany them.^{[4]: 171–172}

Military expeditions

Zayd was “one of the famous archers among the Prophet’s Companions.”^[4]: 10 He fought at Uhud, Trench and Khaybar, and was present at the expedition to Hudaybiyyah. When Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) captured Al-Muraysi, he left Zayd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him behind as governor in Medina.

Death in the Battle of Mu’tah and aftermath

Zayd ibn Harithah رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him led his final expedition in September 629 C.E. A Muslim force of 3,000 men set out to capture the Byzantine city of Bosra. However, a Byzantine force of “100,000 Greeks joined by 100,000 men from Lakhm and Judham and Al-Qayn and Bahra’ and Bali”^[9]: 532 intercepted them at a village called ‘Mu’tah’ in present-day Jordan. Zayd held the standard at the battle, until he was struck down by a spear-thrust^[6]: 33 and he bled to death.^[9]: 534 The other two leaders, Ja`far ibn Abī Tālib and `Abd Allāh ibn Rawāḥah, were also killed, and the Muslim army was routed.^{[9]: 534–535}

On hearing of Zayd’s رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ Allah be pleased with him death, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) went to the family. “The daughter of Zayd wept before the Messenger of Allah and the Messenger of Allah wept until he sobbed. Saad ibn Ubada said, ‘Messenger of Allah, what is this?’ He answered, ‘This is the yearning of the lover for the beloved.'”^[6]: 33

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