Miqdaad bin al-Aswad
His father’s name is Amir Bahrani, and since Aswad bin Abd-e-Yaghoos had adopted him, he came to be known as Miqdaad bin al-Aswad. His ‘kuniyyať’ was Abu Ma’bad.
This distinguished man was foremost among those who embraced Islam and was one of the Chief companions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). He was one of the four pillars of Islam. He was a man of a very high rank and exalted position. His devoutness and bravery cannot be stated in words. Sunnis and Shias are all unanimous in recounting his virtues and high moral excellence. It is related that the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said that Allah had ordered him to love four persons and he loved those persons. People asked him who they were. He said, ‘Ali (a.s.) Miqdaad, Salmaan and Abuzar (a.r.)’. His wife was ‘Ziaah’ binte Zubair bin Abdul-Muttalib, daughter of the Holy Prophet’s uncle.
Miqdaad fought in all the Holy wars side by side with the Holy Proph-et of Allah (s.a.w.a.). He was one of those four persons sons of whom Paradise is very fond. Traditions in his praise are so many that they cannot be re-lated here. It would be sufficient to narrate here a tradition about him which Shaikh Kashi (r.a.) quotes from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.). The Holy Imam (a.s.) said,
People turned renegades except three persons namely, Salmaan, Abuzar and Miqdaad.
Miqdaad died in the year 33 A.H. in Jaraf, which is at a distance of one ‘farsakh'[1] from Medina. His body was lifted on shoulders and carried to Baqee, where he was laid to rest. That his grave is in Shahrwan has no basis. Of course, it is possible that it is the grave of Miqdaad Sayuri, or a grave of one of the Sheikhs of Arabia.
One of the strange things is that, although Miqdaad had an exalted po-sition, his son ‘Ma’bad’ was a perverted person. In the battle of Jamal (Camel) he was in Ummul Momineen Ayesha’s army, and was slain. When Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) was crossing the dead, and he passed by Ma’bad’s body, he said, ‘May Allah show His mercy to his father. If he had been alive his opinion would have been sounder than his son’s.’ Ammaar-e-Yasir, who was accompanying the Holy Imam (a.s.) said, ‘Thanks to Allah. He gave him his due and put him to an ignoble death. I swear by Allah, O Ameerul Momineen! That I never hesitate to kill any father or son, who has deviated from the truth.’ The Holy Imam (a.s.) said; ‘May Allah show His mercy to you and give you a good recompense.’
