Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas

Who is Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas?

He is Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas Mālik ibn Uhayb ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Zuhrah ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr ibn Kinānah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyās ibn Muḍar ibn Nizār ibn Ma‘d ibn ‘Adnān.

He belonged to the Banu Zuhrah tribe, which is the same clan as Āminah bint Wahb, the mother of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet took pride in this maternal connection. It was reported that once, as the Prophet was sitting with a group of his companions and saw Sa’d approaching, he said to them:

“This is my uncle—let someone show me his uncle!”

Sa’d was born in Mecca, 23 years before the Hijrah (migration to Medina). He grew up in the Quraysh tribe and worked in arrow-making and crafting bows, a trade that naturally suited a life of archery, hunting, and military raids. He spent much of his time mixing with the youth and elites of Quraysh, learning about the world through interactions with pilgrims coming to Mecca during the Hajj season, each with their own cultures, goals, and perspectives.

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas Family

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas was the son of Malik ibn Uhayb, a man from the Quraysh tribe, though not much is detailed about him in historical records. His mother was Hamada bint Sufyan bin Umayya, who also belonged to a respected family within Quraysh.

Wives

Among Sa’d’s known wives was Mawiyyah bint Qays al-Kalbiyyah, a woman from the Banu Kalb tribe. She is historically significant as the mother of Umar ibn Sa’d.

Another of his wives was Salma bint Khasafah, who is believed to have been from a noble Qurayshi lineage, although less is documented about her life. Like many men of his time, especially those of high status, Sa’d likely had multiple wives throughout his life, but the names of the others have not been preserved in historical sources.

Children

The most well-known of Sa’d’s children is Umar ibn Sa’d, who is unfortunately remembered for leading the army that fought against Imam Hussain at the Battle of Karbala, a deeply painful and controversial event in Islamic history.

Sa’d had other sons and daughters as well, but their names and biographies were not widely recorded in early Islamic texts.

Grandchildren of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas

Sa’d’s most notable descendant is through his son Umar ibn Sa’d. Historical texts mention that Umar had multiple children, but they are not as prominently documented, especially compared to the political and religious impact Umar himself had through his involvement at Karbala.

Some possible grandchildren may have held administrative or military roles under the Umayyad Caliphate, since the family retained some influence in Kufa and other parts of Iraq after Sa’d’s death.

Unfortunately, no individual names of his grandchildren are widely preserved in early biographical or hadith literature, and they don’t seem to have played major roles in Islamic history that reached the prominence of their grandfather or even their father (for better or worse).

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 the 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.