Abdullah ibn Shaddad said: ”I heard Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, say: I did not hear the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), peace and blessings be upon him, saying ‘May my father and mother be your ransom’ to anyone after Saad . I heard him say to him, ‘May my father and mother be your ransom.” It is reported that Saad ibn Abi Waqqas was among the earliest to embrace Islam—either the third or the seventh companion to do so—when he was no more than 17 years old. He said about himself: “No one embraced Islam except on the same day that I embraced it. For seven days I remained, and indeed I was one-third of Islam.” He was a great companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), one of the ten promised Paradise, and the first to shoot an arrow in defense of Islam. His full name is Abu Ishaq Saad ibn Abi Waqqas Mālik ibn Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manāf. He was also among the Prophet’s maternal uncles, and later, Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, appointed him as one of the six members of the Shura council entrusted to choose the next Khalifah. He was present in all the battles alongside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), including Badr, Uhud, the Trench, and other decisive battles of the Muslims.
Saad’s early conversion to Islam
It was reported that the reason behind Sayyiduna Saad ’s conversion to Islam is that he saw a dream that encouraged him to embrace Islam. His daughter, Ayshah, narrated that he said:
“Before I embraced Islam, I saw in a dream that I was in complete darkness, unable to see anything. Then a radiant moon appeared and shone for me, and I followed its light. I saw that those who had reached the moon before me were Zayd ibn Harithah, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Abu Bakr. It was as if I asked them, ‘When did you arrive here?’ They replied, ‘Just now.’ Soon after, I learned that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was secretly calling people to Islam. I met him in Shi‘b Ajyād after he had prayed ‘Asr, and there I embraced Islam—none having preceded me except them.”
The conversion of Sayyiduna Saad ibn Abi Waqqas was marked by great hardship and trials. He himself said, that the next Ayah was revealed about him;
”But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.” (Surah Luqman:15).
وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ۖ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
Saad ibn Abi Waqqas said: “I used to be a dutiful son to my mother. When I embraced Islam, she said: ‘O Saad, what is this new thing I see you have adopted? Either you abandon this religion of yours, or I will neither eat nor drink until I die, and then people will reproach you saying: O killer of his mother.’ I said: ‘Do not do that, my mother, for I will never leave this religion for anything.’ She refrained from eating for a day and a night until she became exhausted. Then she refrained for another day and night, and her suffering became severe. When I saw that, I said: ‘O my mother, by Allah, if you had a hundred souls and they departed one by one, I would never abandon this religion of mine for anything. So if you wish, eat, and if you wish, do not eat.’ So she ate.”
Abu Nu‘aym narrated from Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, who said: “We were a people who endured the hardship and difficulty of life in Makkah with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When we were tested with affliction, we acknowledged it, persevered through it, and remained patient with it. I remember once being with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Makkah; I went out at night to relieve myself, and I heard a crackling sound beneath my urine. It turned out to be a piece of camel hide. I took it, washed it, burned it, placed it between two stones, then crushed it and drank it with water. That sustained me for three days.
Saad’s migration to Madinah
Sayyiduna Saad was among the early emigrants to Madinah, and his migration took place before the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib said: “The first to come to us were Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr and Ibn Umm Maktum, and they used to teach the people the Qur’an. Then came Bilal, Saad, and ‘Ammar ibn Yasir. After that, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab arrived with twenty companions of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and then the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) himself came.” When Saad migrated along with his brother ‘Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas from Makkah to Madinah, they stayed in the house of their brother ‘Utbah ibn Abi Waqqas, which he had built among Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf. ‘Utbah had shed blood in Makkah and fled, taking refuge among Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf, and that was before the Prophetic mission. Sayyiduna Saad had many remarkable stands that demonstrated his courage and support for this religion. Among these is what was narrated by Ayishah (may Allah be pleased with her). She said: “When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) arrived in Madinah, he stayed awake one night. He said: ‘If only a righteous man from among my companions would guard me tonight.’ While we were in that state, we heard the clattering of weapons. He asked: ‘Who is that?’ It was Saad ibn Abi Waqqas. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘What brought you here?’ He replied: ‘A fear for the safety of the Messenger of Allah came to my heart, so I came to guard you.’ Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) supplicated for him and went to sleep. Ayishah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) slept until I heard his snoring.”
His Battles
Sayyiduna Saad ibn Abi Waqqas took part in all the battles alongside the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). He was present at the Battle of Badr, and at Uhud, where he stood firm when others retreated. He also witnessed the Battle of the Trench, pledged allegiance at Hudaybiyyah, and was present at Khaybar and the Conquest of Makkah, on which occasion he carried one of the three banners of the Muhajirun. He was among the skilled archers, being the first to shoot an arrow in the cause of Allah, and one of the horsemen who guarded the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) during his expeditions. He showed a great valor at the Battle of Uhud. Abu Uthman narrated: “On some of the days when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was fighting, none remained with him except Talhah and Saad, according to their narration.” They fought with the utmost intensity in defense of the Prophet (ﷺ), and this was at the Battle of Uhud. Saad was also among the most skilled archers of the Arabs.
Saad, The Commander of the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
Saad ibn Abi Waqqas was appointed commander of the Muslim armies in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah. He entrusted overall command of the battle to Khalid ibn ‘Arfatah, placed Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Bajali over the right flank, and Qays ibn Makshuh over the left. Qays and al-Mughira ibn Shu‘bah had arrived with reinforcements sent by Abu ‘Ubaydah from al-Sham, after they had witnessed the Battle of Yarmuk. The Muslims numbered between seven and eight thousand, while Rustam (the Persian commander) led sixty thousand men. Saad led the Muslims in the Zuhr prayer, then addressed them, admonished them, encouraged them, and recited the verse:
”And We have already written in the book [of Psalms] after the [previous] mention that the land [of Paradise] is inherited by My righteous servants.” (Al-Anbiya’ 21:105) وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ
Afterwards, Saad pronounced the takbir four times, and at the fourth, the Muslims advanced to fight. They battled until nightfall, with many killed from both sides.The following day, they returned to their positions and fought throughout the day and much of the night. On the third day, the fighting was just as fierce, and that night became known as the Night of Rumbling. On the fourth day, the battle intensified. The Muslims endured great hardship from the Persian war elephants, as the Arab horses were terrified of them, but the companions killed the elephants and their riders, gouging out the elephants’ eyes. Many brave warriors distinguished themselves, such as Tulayhah al-Asadi, ‘Amr ibn Ma‘di Karib, al-Qa‘qa‘ ibn ‘Amr, Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Bajali, Dhirar ibn al-Khattab, Khalid ibn ‘Arfatah, and others of their caliber. At midday on this fourth day—known as the Day of al-Qadisiyyah, which was a Monday in Muharram, the fourteenth year after the Hijrah—a strong wind blew, uprooting the Persian tents and overturning Rustam’s elevated throne. He hastily mounted his mule and tried to flee, but the Muslims caught and killed him. The Persians were routed, with about forty thousand slain. Around 2,500 Muslims were martyred. The Muslims then entered al-Mada’in, the Persian capital.
They captured vast amounts of wealth and weaponry. Saad ibn Abi Waqqas sent one-fifth of the spoils and the glad tidings to the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Meanwhile, ‘Umar anxiously awaited news of al-Qadisiyyah. He would ask every traveler from Iraq about it and would even walk outside Madinah, hoping for news. One day he saw a rider approaching from a distance. He went out to meet him and asked about the battle. The man replied: “Allah granted victory to the Muslims at al-Qadisiyyah, and they gained abundant spoils,” and he continued speaking, unaware that he was addressing the Caliph. As they approached Madinah, people began greeting ‘Umar as Commander of the Faithful. The rider then realized who he was speaking to and said: “May Allah have mercy on you, O Commander of the Faithful! Why did you not tell me that you are the Caliph?” ‘Umar replied: “There is no blame on you, my brother.”
His Death
He was the last of the Muhajirun to pass away. When death approached him, he called for a coarse woolen cloak of his and said: “Shroud me in this, for I once faced the polytheists in it on the Day of Badr, and I had kept it for this purpose.” He died during the caliphate of Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan in the year 55 AH. His body was carried to Madinah on the shoulders of men, and Marwan ibn al-Hakam—who was then governor of Madinah—led the funeral prayer over him. He was, at the time of his death, in his seventies.
