The Islam of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas - may Allah be pleased with him - saw in his dream that he was drowning in a sea. While he was trying to save himself from drowning, he saw a moon. Sa'd - may Allah be pleased with him - tried to reach it, and indeed, he reached it. Then, he saw that Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Zaid ibn Harithah - may Allah be pleased with them - had preceded him to this moon.
The next morning, he heard that Muhammad - peace be upon him - was calling to a new religion. He realized that the interpretation of his dream was to embrace the true religion. Sa'd - may Allah be pleased with him - was one of the early converts to Islam. He went to the Prophet - peace be upon him - while he was in the tribe of Bani Jazima and declared his Islam there. Some say he was the fourth person to embrace Islam, while others say he was the seventh, and Allah knows best.
Migration of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas to Medina
The esteemed companion, Sa'd, was among the first to migrate to the illuminated city of Medina. He arrived in Medina before the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and he migrated alongside the noble companions Ammar ibn Yasir and Bilal ibn Rabah, may Allah be pleased with both of them. Their migration followed the migrations of Mus'ab ibn Umair and Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum; may Allah be pleased with them.
Upon his arrival in Medina, Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him, resided in the house of his brother, Utbah ibn Abi Waqqas, who had a house in the city of Medina. When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, reached Medina, he established a brotherhood between the companions Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Mu'adh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with them both.
The Courage of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, was the first person to shoot an arrow in defense of Islam, which is a clear testament to his bravery. Here are some instances that demonstrate his courage in Islam:
- Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, was one of the knights of the Quraysh who protected the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in his battles.
- Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, appointed Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, to lead the campaign against Persia. Through Sa'd's leadership, the conquest of the Persian lands took place, as well as the victory at the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah.
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas' Retirement from Civil Unrest
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, regarding the civil unrest that would occur after the Prophet's demise. He reported that the Prophet said, "There will be a time of turmoil, and the one who remains seated during it is better than the one who stands, and the one who stands is better than the one who walks, and the one who walks is better than the one who runs. He (the narrator) added, 'I said, "What is your opinion about the one who is killed?" He said, "He in the cause of his religion, is a martyr; '" This hadith highlights the virtue of remaining in seclusion during times of strife.
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, the esteemed companion, chose to stay in seclusion during the civil unrest. His son, Amir, came to him and said, "O my father, why do you not take a leadership role during this turmoil?" Sa'd replied, "By Allah, I will not accept a leadership position until I am given a sword with which I can strike a believer and the news of it reaches him and he says, 'May Allah forgive Sa'd!'" He then mentioned that he heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, say, "Indeed, Allah loves the wealthy, silent, and pious person;
When the incident of the Battle of Siffin and the arbitration process with Abu Musa al-Ashari occurred, Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him, declined to participate and preferred to remain in isolation. This is noteworthy because Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was one of the six companions appointed to arbitrate among the conflicting parties. His choice to distance himself from such a contentious situation reflects his commitment to avoiding civil strife.
The Death of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, passed away in the area of Al-Aqiq, which is about seven miles from the city of Medina. This occurred during the caliphate of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with them both, in the year 55 AH (After Hijrah). He was buried in the famous cemetery of Al-Baqi in Medina, where many other notable companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, are also buried.
