Saeed ibn Zaid (rtam): An Answer to His Father’s Prayer

One of the lessons of Surah al-Kahf is that children will benefit from the legacy of their pious parents, especially the Duas made by them, which will help children in achieving success in this life and the next. The story of Saeed ibn Zaid (rtam), one of the earliest converts, is the result of his father’s Zaid ibn Amr’s quest for the truth.

Zaid bin Amr spent his life intuitively practising monotheism. Both his children grew up in this environment and witnessed the persecution their father bore for the sake of truth and the efforts he made to rid the society of ills such as infanticide. Therefore, they were receptive to Islam and immediately accepted it.

Startling Facts

• Both Saeed bin Zaid (rtam) and his sister Atikah (rtaf) were among the earliest Muslims. Saeed bin Zaid (rtam) accepted Islam through Abu Bakr’s (rtam) efforts.
• A member of the powerful Adiy tribe, he is described as tall, dark, and hairy.
• He was a humble and respected Makkan even before Islam, with a placid nature that made no enemies. This was why he did not fear persecution and did not migrate to Abyssinia.
• He was married to Fatimah bint Khattab (rtaf), Umar’s (rtam) sister. Coincidentally, Atikah bint Zaid (rtaf) became Umar’s (rtam) wife. His wife was also known as Umaimah or Umm Jamil.
• Both Saeed (rtam) and his wife played a pivotal role in Umar’s (rtam) conversion to Islam. Even though he had come to kill them, it was at their house and under their guidance that he accepted Islam.
• Saeed (rtam) and Talhah bin Ubaydullah (rtam) had been sent as scouts to monitor the movements of Abu Sufyan’s caravan and so missed participating in the Battle of Badr. However, the Prophet (sa) shared the war booty with them, as he did with Uthman (rtam), indicating that they were regarded as veterans of Badr because actions are judged only by intentions.
• He spent his life as an active but obscure soldier, refusing positions of power and authority. His father travelled to Damascus in search of Allah’s (swt) guidance, and Saeed (rtam) played a pivotal role in conquering Damascus.
• Umar (rtam) made him the governor of Damascus, but he was dedicated to worship and uncomfortable in the public eye. The authority and power vested in him took him away from the worship and focus he craved. Therefore, he resigned from his post within a few months and requested Umar (ratam) to appoint someone suitable in his place.
• He is one of the ten blessed companions promised Paradise by the Prophet (sa). This is not an exhaustive list, but it includes ten of the earliest and most eminent Companions.
• He died in the outskirts of Madinah, but Sad bin Abi Waqqas (rtam) and Abdullah bin Umar (rtam) brought him back to Madinah to be buried in the graveyard of Baqee.
• He narrated thirty Hadeeths, eight of which are included in Bukhari.

Points to Ponder

• The Hadeeth listing the Ashara Mubashara (ten blessed Companions) is narrated by Saeed ibn Zaid (rtam) himself, but it is a mark of his humility that he named only nine of the Companions and did not name himself as the tenth Companion.
• He was one of the blessed people whose Duas never went unanswered. During the reign of the Caliph Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan, his neighbour alleged that he had usurped part of her land. Outraged at the audacity of this claim, since he himself had heard the Prophet’s (sa) warning about the punishment for unjustly claiming another’s property, he appealed to Allah (swt) to make her blind and to make her home her grave, if she was lying. Even though we are enjoined to forgive, this incident teaches us that an oppressed person can make such a Dua, especially if justice is not being served. Since there is no veil between the Dua of the oppressed and Allah (swt), Allah (swt) accepted his Dua, and not only did the woman become blind, but she fell in the well of her own home and died.
• He lived a long life and was one of the last Companions to die. Unfortunately, he witnessed the rise of conflict within the Ummah and to avoid it, he moved to the outskirts of Madinah, where he died.
• Saeed bin Zaid (rtam) is a prime example of how children become Sadaqah Jariyah for their parents. Along with Umar (rtam), he went to seek permission from the Prophet (sa) to pray for his father’s forgiveness and was overjoyed, when the Prophet (sa) confirmed Zaid ibn Amr (rtam) as a believer.

We learn from the example of this pair of siblings that a sound upbringing, which focuses on being mindful of Allah (swt) and trying to undo the ills in society, leads to our own status in the Hereafter being elevated. Saeed bin Zaid (rtam) believed in and exemplified all that his father spent his life searching, yearning, and praying for.