Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه was among the most noble and virtuous Companions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.
He was Saʿd ibn Mālik ibn Uhayb al-Zuhrī, from the clan of Banū Zuhrah, the maternal relatives of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, making him the Prophet’s second cousin through his mother’s side.
He was among the earliest to embrace Islām, accepting the message while still a youth, and he was known for his unwavering firmness upon the truth despite the severe pressure he faced from his family.
He himself said:
“No one accepted Islām except on the day I embraced the faith. I remained for seven days a third of Islām.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3521]
His mother attempted to force him to abandon Islām by threatening to starve herself, yet he remained steadfast, saying that even if she had one hundred souls and each departed, he would not leave his religion. Concerning this, Allāh revealed:
“But if they strive to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them, but accompany them in this world with kindness.”
[Qurʾān 31:15]
Sayyidunā Saʿd رضي الله عنه was the first to shoot an arrow in the path of Allāh and is counted among the earliest warriors of Islām.
The Prophet ﷺ honored him uniquely during battle, saying:
“Shoot, O Saʿd! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you.”
This immense honor, where the Prophet ﷺ combined both his father and mother in praise, was only reported for him and for Sayyidunā al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām رضي الله عنه among the Companions.
He participated in Badr, Uḥud, al-Khandaq, Khaybar, the Conquest of Makkah, and all the major campaigns alongside the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.
During the Conquest of Makkah, one of the three banners of the Muhājirīn was entrusted to him.
[Tārīkh Dimashq, 20/290]
On the Day of Uḥud, Allāh honored him with a remarkable and miraculous vision. He said:
“I saw on the right and left of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ two men wearing white garments whom I had never seen before nor after, meaning Jibrīl and Mīkāʾīl عليهما السلام.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2306]
He was among those who pledged allegiance under the tree at al-Ḥudaybiyyah, the people of Riḍwān, about whom Allāh said:
“Indeed, Allāh was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree.”
[Qurʾān 48:18]
At Khaybar, he was among those who stormed the fort, fighting side by side with the brave warrior, Sayyidunā ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه.
After the passing of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, Sayyidunā Saʿd رضي الله عنه became one of the greatest commanders of Islām.
During the caliphate of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه, he was appointed to lead the Muslim armies against the Persian Empire.
He commanded the decisive Battle of al-Qādisiyyah, in which Allāh granted victory to the Muslims over the Sāsānian forces, opening the lands of Persia to Islām. He later oversaw the establishment of Kūfah.
He was also among the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise and among the six men appointed by ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه to the council (shūrā) that would determine the next caliph.
Toward the end of his life, withdrew into seclusion in a palace he had built near Ḥamrāʾ al-Asad. He had adopted it as his residence, and it was there that he passed away. Thereafter, he was carried to Madīnah and buried therein.
His son Muṣʿab described his final moments, saying:
“My father’s head rested in my lap as life slowly escaped him, so I cried. He said, ‘Do not cry over me, for Allāh will not punish me and I am from the people of Jannah… Let every doer seek reward from the one for whom he acted.’”
[Tārīkh Dimashq, 20/364]
Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه passed away around 55 AH after a life filled with service to Islām.
May Allāh be pleased with Sayyidunā Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه, the skilled archer and one of the greatest commanders among the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 