Sayyiduna Hudhaifa reported that the people of Najran came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said: ”Allah’s Messenger, send along with us a man of trust; whereupon he said: I would definitely send to you a man of trust, a man of trust in the true sense of the term. Thereupon his Companions looked up eagerly and he sent Abu Ubaida b. Jarrah.” This Hadith is a testimony to the great status of the noble Companion Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarrah that was said by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). His name is related to the most prominent incidents in the Islamic history, starting from the battle of Badr to the great conquest of the Levant. He is an exceptional companion with noble morals and unmatched courage. Also, he was an unprecedented military leader. He is among the ten who were promised Paradise was Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarrah, whom the Prophet ﷺ sent to Najran to teach its people Islam and the Qur’an, and to judge among them with justice and fairness. It was narrated by Sayyiduna Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Abu Bakr is in Paradise, Umar is in Paradise, Uthman is in Paradise, Ali is in Paradise, Talhah is in Paradise, Az-Zubayr is in Paradise, Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf is in Paradise, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas is in Paradise, Sa’eed bin Zaid is in Paradise, and Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah is in Paradise.”
His Conversion to Islam and Migration to Madinah
His full name is Amir ibn Abdullah ibn al-Jarrah al-Fihri al-Qurashi, and he is known as Abu Ubaidah ibn Al-Jarrah. He was known as the Trustworthy of the Ummah, the Commander of Commanders, and the Conqueror of the Levant, a noble Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ). Abu Ubaidah ibn Al-Jarrah was among the first to embrace Islam. It was mentioned that Uthman ibn Maz‘un, Ubaydah ibn Al-Harith, Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf, Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Asad, and Abu Ubaidah ibn Al-Jarrah went together to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He presented Islam to them and informed them of its teachings, so they all embraced Islam at the same hour, and that was before the Prophet ﷺ entered the house of Al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was a slender man, with a thin face, light beard, and tall stature. He was slightly stooped and bent in the back, and he had lost his two front teeth, which had fallen out completely. He used to dye his hair and beard with henna and katam (a dark plant dye). Abu Ubaidah migrated twice — once to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and once to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. Abu Ubaidah migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, where he stayed with Kulthum ibn al-Hidam al-Awsi. After the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) arrived in the city of migration, he established brotherhood between the Muhajirun (emigrants) and the Ansar (helpers). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) established a bond of brotherhood between him and Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh.
His Jihad and Heroic Deeds
During the Battle of Badr, the father of Abu Ubaidah ibn Al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) confronted his son in combat. Abu Ubaidah tried to avoid him, but when his father persisted, he faced him and killed him. Then Allah the Exalted revealed a verse about him on that occasion, Surah Al-Mujadilah: 22;
”You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those – He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him – those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, the party of Allah – they are the successful.”
(لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ ۖ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ)
In each phase of Sayyiduna Abu Ubayda Ibn Al-Jarrah’s life, there is a lesson to learn and a traits to be characterized with. His sacrifice at the Battle of Badr reflected his unwavering loyalty to Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), even when faced with the most difficult personal trials. His story stands as a shining example of true faith, sincerity, and devotion — qualities that earned him the noble title given by the Prophet (ﷺ): “The Trustworthy of this Nation.” In the next part, we will explore his remarkable leadership in the conquests of the Levant and his final days that marked the end of one of the greatest lives in Islamic history.
