One day, Jamīlah bint Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ—may Allah be pleased with them both—entered upon Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the successor of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Out of honor and respect, Abu Bakr spread his own cloak for her to sit upon.
At that moment, Umar ibn al-Khattab entered and was surprised by what he saw. He asked:
“Who is this, O successor of the Messenger of Allah, for whom you have spread your cloak?”
Abu Bakr replied:
“This is the daughter of a man who is better than both you and me—except for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
ʿUmar asked:
“And who is he?”
Abu Bakr replied:
“A man who has already taken his seat in Paradise, while you and I remain behind… This is the daughter of Sa’d ibn al-Rabi’.”
Yes—Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ, the lion of the Day of Battle of Uhud.
Let us journey through the gardens of history to know this remarkable man and how he attained such a lofty station.
Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ and his cousin, Abdullah ibn Rawahah, were among the twelve leaders present at the Pledge of Aqabah.
On that night, Ibn Rawāḥah asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
“O Messenger of Allah, stipulate for your Lord and for yourself whatever you wish.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“I stipulate for my Lord that you worship Him alone and associate nothing with Him, and I stipulate for myself that you protect me as you protect yourselves and your families.”
Ibn Rawāḥah then asked:
“And what will we receive if we fulfill this?”
The Prophet ﷺ answered with one word:
“Paradise.”
The moment Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ heard the word Paradise from the blessed lips of the Messenger ﷺ, he cried out joyfully:
“A profitable bargain, O Messenger of Allah! A profitable bargain! By Allah, we will neither withdraw from it nor seek to cancel it!”
Regarding such believers, Allah revealed:
“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise.” (Quran 9:111)
From that day onward, Saʿd remained true to his pledge. He never hesitated in serving Islam, striving with his wealth, his strength, and his life.
He fought bravely at Battle of Badr, and when the Day of Uhud arrived, he fought with unmatched courage, seeking the martyrdom that filled the hearts of the Companions.
As Paradise seemed to draw near, Saʿd cast aside the weight of this world. He threw off his armor, broke the sheath of his sword, and rushed into the enemy ranks like a blazing star. None stood before him except that he either fled or fell.
Seeing the devastation he brought upon them, the polytheists gathered against him from every side. Spears, arrows, and swords struck him relentlessly.
Still he fought.
Until his wounds overwhelmed him.
Until his noble body collapsed upon the battlefield—bearing seventy wounds from spears, swords, and arrows.
When the battle ended, the first thing the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked was:
“What happened to Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ? Who will find him for me?”
Ubayy ibn Ka’b volunteered and searched among the slain until he found Saʿd, barely alive.
He called out to him several times until finally he said:
“O Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sends you his salām and asks: How do you find yourself?”
At the mention of the Messenger ﷺ, Saʿd’s face lit up.
He said:
“Convey my salām to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and tell him:
Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ has found the fragrance of Paradise.
And say to him:
May Allah reward you with the best reward ever given to a Prophet on behalf of his nation.
And convey my salām to my people, the Ansār, and tell them:
By Allah! You have no excuse before Allah if harm reaches your Prophet while even one of you still lives and can blink an eye.”
Then his voice faded…
His heart grew still…
And Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ رضي الله عنه returned to his Lord as a martyr.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard his words, he turned toward the qiblah, raised his hands, and supplicated:
“O Allah, meet Saʿd ibn al-Rabīʿ while You are pleased with him.”
Then he said:
“May Allah have mercy on him. He was sincere to Allah and His Messenger—both in life and in death.”
If you have finished reading, send blessings upon Muhammad ﷺ.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 