Sa‘id ibn Zayd is one of the ten promised Paradise and holds a great status in the hearts of Muslims. He was one of the early companions who embraced Islam. He accepted Islam before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ began teaching people Islam in the house of Al-Arqam. His full name is Saeed ibn Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl. His father, Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, was one of the Hunafa—those who sought the pure monotheistic faith of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) before the Prophet ﷺ was sent. He would not sacrifice to idols, nor would he eat carrion or blood. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said when Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl’s name was mentioned: ”May Allah forgive him and have mercy on him, for he died upon the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).” Sa‘id ibn Zayd, the noble Companion, married Fatimah bint Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with her), the sister of the noble Companion Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). He initially kept his faith secret out of fear of the persecution of Quraysh and of his cousin Umar ibn Al-Khattab (before his conversion to Islam). Nevertheless, Allah willed that the heart of Umar ibn Al-Khattab be opened to Islam in the house of Sa‘id ibn Zayd.
Hijrah of Sa‘id ibn Zayd
Sa‘id ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), the noble Companion, migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah for the sake of Allah with his wife, Fatimah bint Al-Khattab. He was among the early emigrants who reached Al-Madinah before the Prophet ﷺ arrived, and he stayed with Rifa‘ah ibn Abd Al-Mundhir. He did not migrate to Abyssinia; rather, he waited until the Prophet ﷺ permitted the migration to Al-Madinah, then he migrated with his wife, Fatimah bint Al-Khattab (the sister of Umar ibn Al-Khattab).
Jihad of Sa‘id ibn Zayd
Sa‘id ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) participated in all the battles during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ. He witnessed the Battle of Uhud, the Battle of the Trench (Al-Khandaq), and the Pledge of Ridwan, among others. However, he did not attend the Battle of Badr, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had sent him on a mission at the head of a small expedition (sariyyah) alongside Talhah ibn Ubaydullah to gather information about a Quraysh caravan coming from Syria. When Sa‘id and Talhah returned, they found that the Battle of Badr had already taken place, so they did not take part in the fighting. Nevertheless, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ allotted him his share of the spoils and his reward.
He participated in jihad during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and those who came after them. Sa‘id ibn Zayd also witnessed the Battle of Yarmouk and the conquest of Damascus. Abu Ubaydah appointed him as its governor. However, Sa‘id ibn Zayd did not accept this position and sent a letter to Abu Ubaydah asking him to appoint someone else who would be willing to take on this responsibility. Historical records mention little about him during the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan or the tribulations that occurred in the time of Ali ibn Abi Talib. After the reconciliation between Al-Hasan and Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, he gave allegiance to Mu‘awiyah, but he did not pledge allegiance to his son, Yazid.
Virtues of Sa‘id ibn Zayd
1- Abdur Rahman ibn Al-Akhnas said that when he was in the mosque, a man mentioned Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). So Sa’id ibn Zayd got up and said: I bear witness to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that I heard him say: ”Ten persons will go to Paradise: The Prophet (ﷺ) will go to Paradise, Abu Bakr will go to Paradise, Umar will go to Paradise, Uthman will go to Paradise, Ali will go to Paradise, Talhah will go to Paradise: Az-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam will go to paradise, Sa’d ibn Malik will go to Paradise, and Abdur Rahman ibn Awf will go to Paradise. If I wish, I can mention the tenth. The People asked: Who is he: So he kept silence. The again asked: Who is he: He replied: He is Sa’id ibn Zayd.”
2- Sa‘id ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) held a noble and distinguished status among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said:
”The position of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Sa‘d, Sa‘id, Talhah, Al-Zubayr, and Abdu-Rahman ibn Awf with the Prophet ﷺ was one and the same. They would stand before him in battle and follow him in prayer.”
The Death of Sa‘id ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him)
Sa‘id ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away in Al-Aqiq during the caliphate of Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. This occurred in the year 50 AH; it is also reported as 51 AH or 52 AH. He lived for over seventy years. His body was then taken to Al-Madinah, where he was buried. Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas and Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) performed the funeral prayer for him.
