The Shining Stars: 12 - Sayyidunā Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas

Outline

Introduction
The Beginning
Who is Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas
S’ad ibn Abi Waqqas’ Relationship with the Prophet
Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas Embraces Islam
Sa‘ad and His Mom After His Islam
Sa‘ad After Migrating to Madinah
Sa‘ad in the Caliphates of Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman
The Household of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas
The Virtues of Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas
The Passing of Sa’d
Sa’d’s Narration of Hadith
12 Facts About Sa’d bn Abi Waqqas
The Takeaway

Bismillah… in the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent

Introduction

At the teenage age of 17, he accepted Islam, and not only did he become a devoted Muslim, he also became a respected and heavy weight figure among the companions of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.

He was one of the first to embrace Islam. And he was among many companions who were granted a glad tiding of paradise in their life. As much as he loved his mother and was kind towards her, he loved Allah and His Messenger more. Thus, he had to make to boldest and the most difficult decision a Muslim can ever make. That is to choose between Allah on one hand, and one’s mother on the other.

Yes, you’ve guessed right. He was Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu. Sayyidunā ‘Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas is our Shining Star of this episode of The Shining Stars Series (TSS) brought to you by GSalam.Net and Al-Bushra by GSalam.

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The Beginning

In the episode of Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu we learnt that after he accepted Islam, he made wise use of his networking to invite some influential and respected personalities to Islam. The first six he succeeded in inviting, later became heavy weight, each, in the cause of propagating Islam. This includes

Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwām
‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān
Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Ubaydillah
Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas
Abū ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ, and
‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf.

With that Sayyidunā Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu became one of the first 10 to accept Islam. And he comes at number 9 in the Shining Stars Series. He comes after:

But wait! Who is ‘Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ?

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Who is Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas

Sayyidunā Abū Isḥāq is popularly known by his birth name, Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ. However, not many know that Abū Waqqāṣ is not the real of his father. His real name is rather Malik ibn Wuhayb. With that Sa‘ad’s full name goes as

سَعْدُ بن مَالِك بنُ وُهَيبٍ بنُ عبد مَنَاف بن زُهْرة بن كلاب بن مُرَّة بن كعب بن لُؤَيْ بن غالب بن فهر بن مالك بن النضر

Sa‘ad ibn Mālik ibn Wuhayb ibn Abd Manāf ibn Zuhrah ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka’b ibn Lu’ay Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr.

His mother was Ḥamnah bint Sufyān ibn Umayyah ibn ‘Abd Shams ibn Abd Manāf ibn Quṣay.

It’s reported that, Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas was born in Makkah, 17 years before Islam. That means at the point of his Islam, he was 23 years younger than the Prophet, ṣallā Allāhu’ alayhi wa sallam, 20 years younger than Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, 16 years younger than Zayd ibn Ḥārithah, 13 years younger than Abdul-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, and 7 years older than ‘Ali ibn Abī Tālib. raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhum ajam'īn.

Now that we know his real name was Sa‘ad ibn Malik, it’s worth noting, that there were a few Sa‘ad ibn Mālik among the companions. But only one of them was Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ. So, ensure to verify whenever you encounter Sa’d ibn Mālik in your readings or studies.

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Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas’ Relationship with the Prophet

You still remember that his name is Sa‘ad ibn Mālik ibn Wuhayb. This Wuhayb, Sa‘ad’s grandfather was a paternal uncle to Sayyidah Āminah bint Wahb, the mother of our Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This means, Abū Waqqāṣ and Sayyidah Āminah were cousins. Thus, Sa‘ad in today’s context was a cousin to the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. However, as per the Arab culture, the Prophet referred to him as his maternal uncle. Since he was related to his late mother.

The Prophet would walk with Sa‘ad to the ḥalaqah, and would say:

هَذَا خَالِي، فَلْيُرِنِي امْرُؤٌ خَالَهُ

“This is my uncle, let one of you show me his uncle.”

As a sign of love and respect for his mother, he’s treating his mother’s nephew as his uncle.

This expression had always boosted the confidence of Sayyidunā Sa‘ad among the companions of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.

He closeness to the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam was such that Sayyidunā ‘Umar raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu said: “Once Sa‘ad tells you something about the Prophet, then don’t ask anyone else.”

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Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas Embraces Islam

There’re two main incidents that led Sa‘ad to Islam. One of them is what we mentioned that he was among those whom Sayyidunā Abū Bakr raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu succeeded in inviting to Islam. The other is, prior to his encounter with Abū Bakr, Sayyidunā Sa‘ad had a dream, where he saw himself in a deep darkness where he could see nothing. While in the darkness, he saw the moon and then started following the trace to the moon. When he reached there he looked around to see who had reached there before him. He was surprised to see Zayd ibn Ḥārithah, ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib and Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq raḍiya Allāhu ’anhum. He asked them, “how long have you guys been here?” And they said, “we’ve just arrived.”

The next morning he learned the Prophet was calling people to Islam, secretly. And that was the turning point for the then 17-year-old teenager.

Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqas was one of four children to his mum. His other siblings were ‘Āmir ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, ‘Utbah ibn Abī Waqqāṣ and ‘Umayr ibn Abī Waqqāṣ. However, Sa‘ad was the most beloved of all of them to the mother. Was there any reason or secret behind that? Yes, indeed. He was the most kind towards her.

Unfortunately, to the surprise of Sa’ad and perhaps to your surprise as well, when he embraced Islam, the good relationship he had with his dear mother took another turn.

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Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas and His Mom After His Islam

Sa‘ad’s mum, Ḥamnah, wanted to count on her son’s niceness and kindness towards her to stop him from Islam. She was surprised to be faced with firmness and clarity by her most beloved son.

Despite that, she never doubted his love for her. So, she decided to go on a hunger strike, in the hope that Sa‘ad will change his mind about Islam.

When Sa‘ad knew about her hunger strike, he came to her and said:

“Mum, maybe you know, that if you have 100 souls, and lost them one after another so that I’ll leave my religion, I won’t do so. So, it’s up to you, to break your strike or hold on to it.”

It’s only then that she realized she’s failed in her mission to influence Sa‘ad’s decision regarding Islam. Thus, she decided to eat and drink. But the love she had for him turned 360 degrees from loving dearly to extreme hate and curse. Despite that, Sa‘ad continued to be kind towards her.

This must have been unimaginably painful for Sa‘ad. And so would it be for any one with sense of humanity. But when you have to choose between eternal goodness and the temporal goodness of following the desires of a fellow human, even if it happens to be one’s mother’s, then the choice will go for eternal goodness.

The good news, is that Allah acknowledged Sa‘ad’s action and descended a verse in Sūrah al-‘Ankabūt (29:8), that will remain as guide and reminder for us all until the last day comes. The verse reads:

وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا ۖ وَإِن جَـٰهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِى مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَآ ۚ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿﴾ـ

“We have enjoined man to show kindness to his parents. But if they bid you associate with Me something about which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me you shall all return, and I shall tell you about all that you have done.”

The question is, had you been in Sa‘ad position, would you have had the guts the gather the courage of Sa‘ad? Mind you, others were not able to be the same during that time? For instance, Abū Lahab ordered his two sons, ‘Utbah and ‘Utaybah to divorce the two daughters of the Prophet, Ruqayyah and Ummu Kulthūm raḍiya Allāhu ’anhumā and they did.

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Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas After Migrating to Madinah

When the Prophet instructed the companions to migrate to Madinah, the then Yathrib, Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas was among the first to join in the journey to Madinah. That was in the first year of hijrah. Since then, and he had been a devoted figure, and fierce warrior of Islam.

In the Madīnah brotherhood exercise, Sa‘ad was partnered with Sa’ad ibn Mu’ādh raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.

Afterwards, he participated with the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam in the battles of Badr, Uḥud, al-Khandaq, al-Khaybar and al-Aḥzāb. As well as in all the other the battles that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam participated in.

He was one of the two who stood by the Prophet in the Battle of Uḥud when everyone run for their life. The other companion was Sayyidunā ‘Abdul Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.

Sayyidunā Sa‘ad also witnessed the treaty of Al-Ḥudaybiyah, and was one of those who participated in the allegiance with the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam under the tree. He was also there during the conquer of Makkah, as one of the three who carried the flags of the Muhājirīn.

According to Sayyidunā ‘Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu, there’re six companions with whom he’s certain that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam was pleased at the time of his passing. And Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas is one them.

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Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas in the Caliphates of Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman

There’s not much mentions of Sa‘ad during the Caliphate of Abū Bakr. But he was a cabinet member in the caliphate of Sayyidunā ‘Umar raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu.

He was among the six-member committee whom Sayyidunā ‘Umar nominated from which one was to be elected to succeeded him as the Caliph. This committee consisted of:

‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān
‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf
‘Ali ibn Abī Tālib
Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwām
Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas
Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh

To find out how the process of electing the successor of Sayyidunā ‘Umar took place, read or watch the episode of Sayyidunā ‘Abdul-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf, raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.

Moving on, Sayyidunā ‘Umar also did indicate, that “if Sa‘ad was elected, that would be good. But if not, whoever is elected should reach out to Sa‘ad for advice, opinions and consultations.

True enough, Sayyidunā ‘Uthman raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu looked up to him as he included him in his cabinet.

When Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān was assassinated, Sayyidunā ‘Ali became the Caliph. He was opposed by Sayyidunā Mu’āwiyah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu. Therefore, two camps were formed to fight one another, and that served as the first internal fitnah the Ummah had to deal with since the passing of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.

Seeing this and rightly identifying it as fitnah, Sayyidunā Sa‘ad chose to avoid it altogether. He refused to take side.

When he was asked to take a stance between Ali and Mu’āwiyah, Sa‘ad replied that he can only fight, if he’s given a sword that will be able to distinguish between the right side from the wrong side between the fighting parties. With that, he remained out of the entire fitnah.

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The Household of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas

Reports indicate that Sayyidunā Sa‘ad had experienced 12 or more marriages in his life and had had 34 or more children. Following is a list of his wives and his children with them:

1. Salmā bint Khaṣafah

‘Umayr jnr,
‘Umar,
‘Imrān,
Ummu ‘Amr,
Umm Ayyūb,
Umm Isḥāq,

2. Ibnatu Shihāb ibn ‘Abdullāh

Isḥāq snr,
Umm al-Ḥakam snr.

3. Māwiyyah bint Qays

‘Umar,
Muḥammad,
Ḥafṣah,
Umm al-Qāsim,
Umm Kulthūm

4. Umm ‘Āmir bint ‘Amr

‘Āmir,
Isḥāq jnr,
Ismā'īl,
Umm ‘Imrān

5. Zabad bint al-Ḥārith

Ibrāhīm,
Mūsā,
Ummu al-Hakam jnr,
Ummu ‘Amr,
Hind,
Umm al-Zubayr,
Umm Mūsā,
‘Āishah

6. Salmā

‘Abdullāh

7. Khawlah bint ‘Amr

Muṣ'ab

8. Ummu Hilāl bint Rabī'

‘Abdullāh jnr.,
Bujayr

9. Ummu Ḥakīm bint Qāriḍ

‘Umayr,
Ḥamnah

10. Ṭaybah Bint ‘Āmir

Ṣāliḥ

11. Ummu Ḥujayr

‘Uthman, Ramlah

12. Qīlah

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The Virtues of Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas

Here are five virtues of Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu:

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was Among the First to Accept Islam

Although Sa’ad believed that he was the third or fourth person to accept Islam, reality and data indicates otherwise. What is certain, however is that he was among the first ten to embrace Islam.

This may be seen or taken lightly. But to create certainty about the significance of being among the first to accept Islam, let one pause for a while and reflect on how long it takes him to subscribe to an idea, opinion, movement or concept when there’s only a few to none who have subscribed to it. Furthermore, this decision was a life changing one. The implications of which include severing his relationship between him and his dear ones, as dear as his biological mother.

So yes, Sa‘ad was among the first 10 to accept Islam. And he was only 17!

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was One of the 10 Given Glad Tiding of Paradise

Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu was one of the 10 given glad tidings of Jannah in one ḥadīth while they were still alive. Imām al-Tirmidhī reports from the narration of Sayyidunā ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam once said:

أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعُمَرُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعُثْمَانُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعَلِيٌّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَطَلْحَةُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَالزُّبَيْرُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَسَعْدٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَسَعِيدٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ.ـ

Abu Bakr is in Paradise, ‘Umar is in

Paradise, ‘Uthmān is in Paradise, ‘Ali is in Paradise, Ṭalḥah is in Paradise, Al-Zubayr is in Paradise, ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf is in Paradise, Sa’d bin Abī Waqqāṣ is in Paradise, Sa’īd is in Paradise, and Abu ‘Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah is in Paradise.”

The Prophet Prayed for Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas

The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam prayed for Sa‘ad, to be a good archer, and that his du’a is accepted, when he ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

اللَّهمَّ سدِّد رميتَه وأجِب دعوتَه.ـ

“O Allah, straighten the throw of his arrow, and accept his supplication.”

And these two were granted for Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ. Thus, his du’as were seemingly accepted. And an arrow he threw at an enemy in a battle never missed. Also, as much patient he was of a person, the du’a he made against those who character assassinated him were seen to take immediate effect.

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas Was a Fierce Warrior

Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu was known to be one of the fiercest warriors among the companions of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. It’s not surprising if we remember that he grew up as a horse rider, archer and dealer in swords and arrows.

Perhaps, this skillset enabled him to persevere in the battle of Uḥud and stay to be one of two, by side of the Prophet, ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.

Fidāka Abī wa Ummī

It’s common for the companions to pledge devotion for the Prophet by expressing readiness to sacrifice their mothers and fathers for him… For instance, a companion would say, “Bi Abī anta wa Ummī yā Rasūlallāh…” or “Fidāka Abī wa Ummī.”

In return, the Prophet also used to say the same to his companions. But he usually used “sacrificed” his father. And one of the few for whom he combined both his father and mother was Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ. Among them was also Sayyidunā al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.

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The Passing of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas

Reports indicate that Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu passed on 55 years after the hijrah of the Prophet. If that’s the case then we can conclude that he died at the age of 95, contrary to the 85 that’s been indicated in many references.

At the time his passing, Sayyidunā Sa‘ad raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu asked for a folded cloth that he kept for long. He asked to be clothed and buried in that cloth. Because that was what he wore during the battle of Badr.

It’s interesting to know that Sayyidunā Abū Isḥāq, Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ was the last among the Muhājirīn to depart this world to be by Allah’ side subḥānahū wa ta’ālā.

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Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas' Narration of Hadith

Sa’ad narrated 15 ḥadīth that were agreed upon by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim, 5 that were solely narrated by Al-Bukhārī and 18 by Muslim. He has 77 aḥādīth that were classified in the Musnad of Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Following is a selection of seven of some of his narrations:

Hadith #1

Imam Al-Tirmidhī reports from the narration of Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, who said:

عَادَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَنَا مَرِيضٌ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ أَوْصَيْتَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ بِكَمْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ بِمَالِي كُلِّهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَمَا تَرَكْتَ لِوَلَدِكَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ هُمْ أَغْنِيَاءُ بِخَيْرٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَوْصِ بِالْعُشْرِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَمَا زِلْتُ أُنَاقِصُهُ حَتَّى قَالَ ‏”‏ أَوْصِ بِالثُّلُثِ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ‏”‏

“The Messenger of Allah came to visit me while I was sick. He said: ‘Do you have a will?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘For how much?’ I said: ‘All of my wealth, for the cause of Allah.’ He said: ‘What did you leave for your children?’” He (Sa’d) said: “They are rich in goodness.’ He said: ‘Will a tenth.’” He (Sa’d) said: “He (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) continued decreasing it until he said: ‘Will a third, and a third is too great.’”

Hadith #2

Imām al-Bukhārī and Muslim report from the narration of Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam says: ‏

“‏مَنِ ادَّعَى إِلَى غَيْرِ أَبِيهِ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ أَبِيهِ، فَالجَنَّةُ عَلَيْهِ حَرَامٌ‏”

“He who (falsely) attributes his fatherhood to anyone besides his real father, knowing that he is not his father, will be forbidden to enter Jannah.”

Hadith #3

Imām Muslim reports from the narration of Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu that he heard the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam saying:

إِنَّ اَللَّهَ يُحِبُّ اَلْعَبْدَ اَلتَّقِيَّ, اَلْغَنِيَّ, اَلْخَفِيَّ

“Allah loves the pious, rich maxim, who doesn’t show off or has hypocrisy.”

Hadith #4

Imām al-Bukhārī reports from the narration of Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu who says:

نَثَلَ لِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كِنَانَتَهُ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ فَقَال: ارْمِ فِدَاكَ أَبِي وَأُمِّي‏‏.‏

The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam took out a quiver (of arrows) for me on the day of Uhud and said, “Throw (arrows); let my father and mother be sacrificed for you.”

Hadith #5

Imām al-Nasā’ī reports from the narration of Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam says:

‏قِتَالُ الْمُسْلِمِ كُفْرٌ وَسِبَابُهُ فُسُوقٌ

“Fighting a Muslim is Kufr and defaming him is evildoing.”

Hadith #6

Imām Abū Dāwūd reports from the narration of Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam says:

‏مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ الْمُؤَذِّنَ وَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا غُفِرَ لَهُ

“If anyone says when he hears the Mu'adhdhin : “And I testify that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and that Muhammad is His servant and Apostle: I am satisfied with Allah as lord, with Muhammad as apostle and with Islam as religion”, he will be forgiven.”

Hadith #7

Imām Abū Dāwūd also reports from the narration of Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam says:

‏مَنْ تَصَبَّحَ سَبْعَ تَمَرَاتِ عَجْوَةٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّهُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ سَمٌّ وَلاَ سِحْرٌ

“Whoever takes seven dates of ‘Ajwah in the morning will not suffer from any harm that day through poison or magic.”

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12 Facts About Sa’d bn Abi Waqqas

Here are 12 facts you may want to remember about Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu:

Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ was among the first 10 accept Islam
Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ was only 17 when he embraced Islam.
Sayyidunā ‘Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ was one of those whom Abu Bakr succeeded in inviting to Islam.
He was a man of great determination.
Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ participated in the Battle of Badr.
Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ participated in the Battle of Uḥud.
He also witnessed Hudaybiyah.
Sayyidunā Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ was one of the 10 given glad tidings of Paradise in one hadith.
He was one of the 6-member committed tasked to elect the third caliph of Islam.
He was a person of answered du’a.
The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam would explicitly indicate how proud he was with the kinship of Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ.
He was the last among the Muhājirīn to pass on.

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The Takeaway

Sayyidunā Abū Isḥāq, Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ did not become a caliph in the Ummah. However, he was a person with the calibre of a caliph. This virtue is in addition to the fact that he was among the people of the battle of Badr, whom Allah has forgiven all their sins. He was also among the first batches of Muslims in Islam, with whom Allah is pleased and whom He has forgiven. Above all that, Sa‘ad was given the glad tiding of paradise by name.

We live in a time of great confusion… a time full of lots of fitnah that surrounds us from all angles. If there’s one thing to learn from the life of Sayyidunā Abū Isḥāq, Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, it’s the fact that you are not obliged to be involved in every single disagreement that surfaces. Learn from Sa‘ad how to stay away, keep to yourself in times of fitnah, unless you have a sword that can distinguish between the right and wrong sides of the disagreeing or fighting parties.

This was Sa‘ad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ. The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam was pleased with him at the point of his passing. This is what makes him a Shining Star, the Shining Star we should as parents look up, and teach our children to look up to, seek inspirations from their life stories, and follow in their footsteps.

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Until we meet in the next episode to take a look at another Shining Star, I leave you in Allah’s protection.

Allāh knows best.
Allāhu Ḥāfiẓ 🙂

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