Abdullah bin Zubayr رضى الـلـه عـنهما

Young Companions

ʿAbdullah b. Zubayr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما

Uways Yamin Attari

Dear readers, today we shall read about the life of the young Companion, ʿAbdullah b. Zubayr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما.

A brief introduction

He is the son of Zubayr b. ʿAwwam and Lady Asmāˈ, nephew of Lady ʿĀˈishah, maternal grandson of Sayyidunā Abū Bakr, nephew of Lady Khadījah, and paternal grandson of Lady Ṣafiyyah.

He was born in the month of Shawwāl in 2 AH. After Hijrah, he was the first child of the Muhājirīn.[1]

What happened after his birth?

Lady Asmāˈ رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا brought ʿAbdullah b. Zubayr to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and placed the newborn child in his lap. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had a date brought to him, which he then chewed and placed in the mouth of the young Companion. This means the first thing to enter his stomach was the holy saliva of Allah’s final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then rubbed his palate with a date and prayed for Allah to have mercy upon him.[2]

The honour of being named by the Prophet

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم affectionally passed his blessed hand over him and granted him the name ʿAbdullah.[3]

Dear Islamic brothers, we should take our newborn children to pious people and ask them to pray for them and even name them. Blessings will be attained this way – اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه.

An oath of allegiance at seven years old

Both aged seven, ʿAbdullah b. Zubayr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ and ʿAbdullah b. Jaʿfar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما came to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, who smiled upon seeing them. He then moved his blessed hand forward, and both these young Companions took an oath of allegiance upon it.[4]

The number of hadith he narrated

He narrated thirty-three hadith in total.[5]

The reward earned by praying in al-Masjid al-Ḥaram

ʿAbdullah b. Zubayr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates of how Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Besides al-Masjid al-Ḥaram, offering salah in this masjid of mine is a thousand times greater than salah offered in other masjids. One salah performed in al-Masjid al-Ḥaram is a hundred thousand times greater than salah in this masjid of mine.”[6]

His passing

When the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم passed away, he was but nine years of age.[7]

He himself was martyred at the age of 71 on the 17^th of Jumāda al-Ūlā 73 AH.[8]

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم