Saints

Ali Zayn al-Abidin

al-Sajjad

One of the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt; the fourth imam of the Twelvers. His full name was Abu'l-Hasan 'Alî b. al-Husayn b. 'Alî b. Abî Tâlib . His mother was Shahrbânû, the daughter of Yazdegerd III, the last ruler of the Sasanians. He was born at Medina around the year 38 (659), the sources differing. Because he prostrated much he was also called al-Sajjâd and Sayyid al-sâjidîn ; but the best known of his epithets is Zayn al-'Âbidîn . At Karbalâ he could not take part in the fighting because he was ill, and for that reason he survived; the Umayyad commander 'Umar b. Sa'd protected him from being killed. In order to be safe from the harm of tyrannical rulers he entered no religious or political faction; he passed his life in learning and worship. He died at Medina in Rabî' al-awwal of the year 94 (December 712). His Circle of Influence — He was counted the greatest jurist of his age and took knowledge from Companions such as Ibn 'Abbâs and Umm Salama. Among his students al-Zuhrî and Sufyân b. 'Uyayna are named. Thirteen sons are recorded for him, of whom Muhammad al-Bâqir is the fifth imam of the Twelvers and Zayd the figure from whom the Zaydiyya takes its name. His Works — The al-Sahîfa al-sajjâdiyya , on prayers and matters of belief, and the Risâlat al-huqûq , on rights and duties, are attributed to him. His Tomb and Complex — He was buried in the cemetery of Jannat al-Baqî'. The tombs and gravestones at the Baqî' were demolished in 1806 by Su'ûd b. 'Abd al-'Azîz; the structures later rebuilt were destroyed again in 1926 in the time of 'Abd al-'Azîz b. Su'ûd. Today there is neither tomb nor gravestone in the cemetery, and the ground continues to be used for burial.

MedineDied 94 AHView

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir

Baqir al-Ilm

One of the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt; the fifth imam of the Twelvers and the fourth of the Ismailis. His full name was Abû Ja'far Muhammad b. 'Alî b. Husayn b. 'Alî b. Abî Tâlib . He was born at Medina on 3 Safar or 1 Rajab of the year 57 (16 December 676 or 10 May 677). His mother was Fâtima bint Hasan; thus his descent reaches 'Alî on both the father's and the mother's side. The epithet al-Bâqir means one who splits knowledge open and reaches its depths, one of vast learning. As a small child he witnessed the event of Karbalâ on 10 Muharram of the year 61 (680). He undertook no actual movement against Umayyad rule, and he did not support the rising of his brother Zayd b. 'Alî either. He passed his life at Medina in learning. He died at Medina in Dhu al-Hijja of the year 114 (January-February 733). His Circle of Influence — Sunnî and Shî'î sources agree that he was a great scholar. Among his teachers and those in his circle of learning 'Atâ b. Abî Rabâh and Ibn Shihâb al-Zuhrî are named, together with Abû Hanîfa. He had seven children by Umm Farwa bint Qâsim, Umm Hakîm bint Asad and two concubines; his son Ja'far al-Sâdiq , who is among those who transmitted from him, is held to be his successor. His Works — The chief text attributed to him is the Tafsîr of Abu'l-Jârûd , which his student Abu'l-Jârûd wrote down from what he dictated and which was transmitted by way of Abû Basîr; its content has been partly preserved through its entry into the commentary of 'Alî b. Ibrâhîm al-Qummî. His Tomb and Complex — He was buried in the cemetery of Jannat al-Baqî'. The tombs and gravestones at the Baqî' were demolished in 1806 by Su'ûd b. 'Abd al-'Azîz; the structures later rebuilt were destroyed again in 1926 in the time of 'Abd al-'Azîz b. Su'ûd. Today there is neither tomb nor gravestone in the cemetery, and the ground continues to be used for burial.

MedineDied 114 AHView

Aisha bint Abi Bakr

Mother of the Believers

The wife of the Prophet, mother of the believers, and the greatest woman scholar of the first century of Islam. She was born at Mecca in the fourth year of the prophetic mission (614). Her father was Abû Bakr al-Siddîq and her mother Umm Rûmân bint 'Âmir. Her marriage contract was concluded at Mecca before the Hijra; the marriage began at Medina in Shawwâl of the second year of the Hijra (April 624). Though at first she could not adapt to the climate of Medina, she soon recovered. On campaign she rendered such services as carrying water, bringing news and tending the wounded at Uhud; she witnessed the Treaty of Hudaybiya and accompanied the Messenger of God on the Farewell Pilgrimage. When she was left behind by the caravan on the return from the expedition against the Banû Mustaliq (626-627) and came back to Medina with Safwân b. Mu'attal, the hypocrites spread a slander about her; in this affair, known as the incident of the ifk , verses 11-21 of Sûrat al-Nûr were revealed and cleared her. After the death of the Messenger of God in the year 632 she remained a widow for forty-seven years and never married again. She died on the night of 17 Ramadân of the year 58 (14 July 678), at the age of sixty-five or sixty-six. Her Circle of Influence — The number of hadiths she transmitted is 2210 , which places her fourth among the Companions who transmitted most (the muksirûn ). Of these, 297 hadiths appear in the Sahîh collections of al-Bukhârî and Muslim, and 174 of them are found in both works together. She did not confine herself to what she transmitted but reasoned from it and derived rulings; she was counted a jurist and an exegete, and the leading jurists of her age consulted her, especially on the law of inheritance. Her Tomb and Complex — A great crowd attended her funeral; by her own bequest she was buried in the Jannat al-Baqî' at Medina. The tombs and gravestones at the Baqî' were demolished in 1806 by Su'ûd b. 'Abd al-'Azîz; the structures later rebuilt were destroyed again in 1926 in the time of 'Abd al-'Azîz b. Su'ûd. Today there is neither tomb nor gravestone in the cemetery, and the ground continues to be used for burial.

MedineDied 58 AHView

Uthman ibn Affan

Dhu al-Nurayn

The third of the Rightly Guided Caliphs; he is known by the epithet Dhu'l-Nûrayn (possessor of the two lights) because he married two daughters of the Prophet. His full name was Abû 'Abdillâh 'Uthmân b. 'Affân b. Abî al-'Âs b. Umayya al-Qurashî al-Umawî . He was born at Tâ'if in the year 579, six years after the Event of the Elephant. His father 'Affân was among the wealthy merchants of Quraysh and died in the age of ignorance; his mother Arwâ bint Kurayz was the daughter of Umm Hakîm, the Prophet's paternal aunt. His lineage joins that of the Prophet at 'Abd Manâf b. Qusayy. In his youth he came to be among the leading merchants of Mecca. Through the guidance of Abû Bakr he went to the Messenger of God and became a Muslim, and he was among the first ten Muslims . He married Ruqayya, a daughter of the Messenger of God, and emigrated with her to Abyssinia in the first party in the year 615. He was given the patronymic Abû 'Abdillâh after the son who was born and died there. A year later he emigrated to Medina. After Ruqayya died in 625-626 he was married to Umm Kulthûm, another daughter of the Messenger of God; when she too died in the year 631 he was called Dhu'l-Nûrayn . As the Muslims set out for Badr, the Prophet asked him to remain at Medina at the side of the ailing Ruqayya. Before Hudaybiya he was sent to Mecca as an envoy; when his return was delayed the rumour spread that he had been killed, and the Messenger of God took the pledge on his behalf at the Pledge of Ridwân . When drinking water grew scarce at Medina he bought the well of Rûma for 35.000 dirhams and endowed it to the Muslims. He gave the greatest support to the Jaysh al-'Usra prepared for the expedition of Tabûk. When 'Umar was wounded he entrusted the choice of a caliph to a council of six — 'Uthmân, 'Alî, 'Abd al-Rahmân b. 'Awf, Sa'd b. Abî Waqqâs, Talha and Zubayr — and 'Abd al-Rahmân b. 'Awf, acting as arbiter, gave him the pledge; his caliphate spanned the years 644-656. In this period the greater part of Iran was conquered; Yazdegerd III, the last ruler of the Sasanians, was killed in the year 651. Raids into Khurâsân began, Alexandria was recovered in North Africa, and the advance ran from Tripoli to Ifrîqiya; Mu'âwiya made Cyprus tributary in 648-649. In the naval battle called Dhât al-Sawârî a Muslim fleet of 200 ships defeated a Byzantine fleet of 500 ships in the years 652-655. His most lasting act was the copying of the Qur'an . The text gathered in the time of Abû Bakr he had reproduced in five or seven copies, in order to forestall the disputes arising from differences of recitation, and sent one copy each to Mecca, Basra, Kûfa, Damascus, Yemen and Bahrain. In the last years of his caliphate opposition arose in Kûfa, Basra and Egypt. Groups coming from these regions entered Medina and besieged his house; at the end of a siege reported to have lasted between about twenty days and two months he was killed while reciting the Qur'an, at the age of eighty-two (Rajab of the year 35 / 18 June 656). 146 hadiths are transmitted from him. His Tomb and Complex — The rebels prevented his burial; through the efforts of his wife Nâ'ila he was buried in secret between the sunset and night prayers with very few present. His grave is at Medina beside the Jannat al-Baqî', at the place called Hashsh Kawkab . A dome had been built over his grave in 601 (1205) in the time of Saladin. The tombs and gravestones at the Baqî' were demolished in 1806 by Su'ûd b. 'Abd al-'Azîz; the structures later rebuilt were destroyed again in 1926 in the time of 'Abd al-'Azîz b. Su'ûd. Today there is neither tomb nor gravestone in the cemetery, and the ground continues to be used for burial.

MedineDied 35 AHView

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

First Caliph

The closest Companion of the Prophet and the first caliph; he is known by the epithet al-Siddîq . His full name was Abû Bakr al-Siddîq 'Abdullâh b. Abî Quhâfa 'Uthmân b. 'Âmir al-Qurashî al-Taymî . The epithet Siddîq was given him by the Prophet, because he believed without hesitation in reports of the unseen — and in the event of the ascension in particular. As soon as he heard of the Prophet's mission he went to him and became one of the first Muslims. He was the occasion for the conversion of many notables of Quraysh such as 'Uthmân, Talha, Sa'd and Zubayr. He bought from their masters, at great cost, many Muslim slaves and strangers — men, women, the weak and the helpless — and set them free. He was the Prophet's companion on the emigration; when the pursuers came to the mouth of the cave of Thawr and Abû Bakr grew afraid, the Prophet consoled him. After the Prophet's death he brought the Ansâr at the Saqîfa to accept that there must be a single caliph; the Companions, taking account of his closeness to the Prophet, chose him as caliph. The principal events of his caliphate were: the wars of the ridda (against Tulayha, Musaylima the liar and Sajâh), the campaigns for the conquest of Syria and Iraq , and the collection of the Qur'an into a single codex . He died on 22 Jumada II 13 (August 634) at the age of sixty-three. His Poetry and Sufi Line — He is presented as a modest, mild-tempered and just personality. During his caliphate he distributed the revenues of the treasury so equally that there was no need to guard the treasury at all. His Tomb and Complex — He was buried at Medina beside the grave of the Prophet (the Rawda-i Mutahhara).

MedineDied 13 AHView

Fatima al-Zahra

Daughter of the Prophet

Daughter of the Prophet, wife of Ali, mother of Hasan and Husayn; buried secretly at night per her will. The exact location is unknown.

MedineDied 11 AHView

Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim

Grandfather of the Prophet

The grandfather of the Prophet; the chief of Quraysh and the man who brought Zamzam to light again. His original name was Shayba . His father was Hâshim and his mother Salmâ of the Banu'l-Najjâr. He was born at Medina and remained with his mother until the age of eight; then his uncle Muttalib brought him to Mecca. The Meccans, seeing the boy in a modest guise, called him 'Abd al-Muttalib , that is, the servant of Muttalib, and the name remained with him. His uncle Muttalib raised him and left the leadership of the tribe to him before his death. Following a dream he saw, he found the well of Zamzam , which the Jurhum had closed up beside the Ka'ba; and he kept his right over it despite the objection of Quraysh. In this way the siqâya , the giving of water to the pilgrims, passed to him. In the years when he suffered for want of male children he vowed that if he were given ten sons he would sacrifice one of them. When this came about the lot fell on his son 'Abdullâh; he ransomed him with 100 camels. He negotiated with Abraha when the latter came to destroy the Ka'ba. He was known for his truthfulness and justice. Towards the end of his life he gave up the worship of idols and the drinking of wine, and forbade circumambulating the Ka'ba naked; he believed in the one God and in the hereafter. According to the common report he died at Mecca at the age of eighty-two (577). At his death the city mourned for days, the shops were closed, and elegies were composed for him. His Circle of Influence — He had ten sons by five wives, among whom are named 'Abdullâh , the father of the Prophet, and 'Abbâs . He showed the care that was due to his grandson Muhammad, orphaned by the death of his father 'Abdullâh; and he entrusted his keeping after himself to his son Abû Tâlib . His Tomb and Complex — He was buried in the Hajûn cemetery at Mecca, beside his ancestor Qusayy.

MekkeDied 577View

Abdullah ibn Muhammad

Son of the Prophet

The Prophet's younger son from Khadija, called al-Tayyib and al-Tahir; died young. Buried in Jannat al-Mu'alla (unmarked).

MekkeView

Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad

Son of the Prophet

The Prophet's eldest son from Khadija; died young. The kunya "Abu al-Qasim" derives from him. Buried in Jannat al-Mu'alla (unmarked).

MekkeView

Khadija bint Khuwaylid

First believer, Mother of the Believers

The first wife of the Prophet and one of the first Muslims ; she was the first person to support Islam with her wealth and her trust. She was born in 556 at Mecca. Her father Khuwaylid b. Asad was among the notables of Quraysh; her mother was Fâtima bint Zâ'ida. Both lines join the Prophet's lineage through Qusayy and Lu'ayy b. Ghâlib. Before Islam she was called Tâhira (the pure) for her virtue. Before the Prophet she had two marriages: first to Abû Hâla Hind b. Zurâra, then to 'Atîq b. 'Âbid al-Makhzûmî. After her second husband's death she formed trading partnerships with people she trusted; she made her proposal to the Prophet upon what she had heard of his integrity and character. When they married she was forty and the Prophet about twenty-five. The dower was 500 dirhams (in one report 400), or according to some sources twenty camels. The marriage was contracted through the negotiation of her uncle 'Amr b. Asad with Abû Tâlib. When the Prophet returned trembling from Hira after his encounter with Gabriel, it was Khadîja who reassured him: she said, "By God, God will never disgrace you" , and enumerated his care for his kin, his truthfulness and his help to the needy. She then took him to her cousin Waraqa b. Nawfal , a Christian scholar, who confirmed that the one who had come was Gabriel and that he was a prophet. Khadîja thereupon said, "I testify that you are the Messenger of God." She is one of the first three Muslims, together with the Prophet and 'Alî b. Abî Tâlib. During the roughly three years (617-620) in which Quraysh besieged the Muslims in the quarter of Abû Tâlib she endured the hardship alongside him and spent her wealth for the cause of Islam. Her children were: Qâsim (who lived only two years; the Prophet took the kunya Abû'l-Qâsim from him), Zaynab , Ruqayya , Umm Kulthûm and Fâtima ; also Tayyib and Tâhir, who died before the prophetic mission — some sources count these two as the same child. She died on 10 Ramadan (19 April 620), about three years before the emigration. About a month after her death the Prophet's uncle Abû Tâlib also died; that year came to be called the year of sorrow (senetü'l-hüzn). Her Circle of Influence — The Prophet took no other wife during her lifetime, and after her death he never forgot her. The source relates that Gabriel brought her greetings from God and from himself and gave her the good tidings of a palace of pearl in Paradise. The Prophet's words about her are summed up thus: she believed when people disbelieved; she confirmed him when people denied him; she supported him with her wealth when no one gave; and God granted him children through her. It is related that when her sister Hâla asked leave to enter, the Prophet was moved because her voice resembled Khadîja's. Her Tomb and Complex — She was buried in the Hajûn cemetery (later known as Jannat al-Mu'allâ ). The shrine erected over her grave by Süleyman the Magnificent was demolished in 1926, when Mecca came under Saudi administration.

MekkeDied 619View

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq

Founder of Ja'fari jurisprudence

One of the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt; the sixth imam of the Twelvers and the figure from whom the Ja'farî school takes its name. His full name was Abû 'Abdillâh Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Bâqir b. 'Alî Zayn al-'Âbidîn . His descent reaches 'Alî on the father's side and Abû Bakr on the mother's side: his mother Umm Farwa was the daughter of Qâsim b. Muhammad, the grandson of Abû Bakr. He was born at Medina in the year 80 (699) or 83 (702). The best known of his epithets is al-Sâdiq ; he was also called al-Sâbir, al-Fâdil, al-Tâhir and al-'Âtir. He received his first education from his father Muhammad al-Bâqir and his grandfather Zayn al-'Âbidîn. Choosing to keep away from the political pressure of his age he withdrew from politics entirely, occupied himself with learning at Medina, and opposed the risings of his cousins. He died in the year 148 (765). His Circle of Influence — Among those who were formed in his circle of teaching are named Mâlik b. Anas, Sufyân al-Thawrî, Abû Hanîfa and Jâbir b. Hayyân; he thus touched the tradition both of jurisprudence and of the natural sciences. After his son Ismâ'îl died before him the Shî'a divided into two branches, the Ismâ'îlîs and the Twelvers. His Works — Texts such as the Misbâh al-sharî'a , the Tafsîr al-Qur'ân and the Kitâb al-Jafr have been attributed to him; the source, however, states that these attributions are to a large extent doubtful. His Tomb and Complex — He was buried in the cemetery of Jannat al-Baqî'. The tombs and gravestones at the Baqî' were demolished in 1806 by Su'ûd b. 'Abd al-'Azîz; the structures later rebuilt were destroyed again in 1926 in the time of 'Abd al-'Azîz b. Su'ûd. Today there is neither tomb nor gravestone in the cemetery, and the ground continues to be used for burial.

MedineDied 148 AHView

Halima al-Sa'diyya

Wet-nurse of the Prophet

From the Banu Sa'd tribe, the Prophet's wet-nurse. The prevailing view places her grave in Jannat al-Baqi (unmarked).

MedineView

Prophets

Prophet Muhammad

Messenger of Allah

The last of the prophets. His lineage, Muhammad b. 'Abdullâh b. 'Abd al-Muttalib b. Hâshim b. 'Abd Manâf , runs through Quraysh up to 'Adnân. He was born at Mecca; two separate computations are given for the date of his birth (see the note below). His father 'Abdullâh had died before he was born; he lost his mother Âmina also while still a child. He grew up first in the care of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib and, after his death, in that of his uncle Abû Tâlib. He began to trade with his uncle. It is reported that he was twenty-five years old when he married Khadîja bint Khuwaylid. The first revelation came within the last ten days of Ramadân of the year 610 , at Hirâ: on the night the angel came, towards dawn, with the first five verses of the sûra al-'Alaq . The call continued in secret for about three years; then the message was given openly. He emigrated to Medina on 1 Rabî' al-awwal / 13 September 622. At Medina, immediately after the emigration, the mu'âkhât was put into effect: each of the emigrants was declared the brother of a Muslim of the Aws or the Khazraj. A document was drawn up with the inhabitants of the city and the city-state was thereby organised. The chief expeditions: Badr , on 17 Ramadân of the second year of the Hijra (13 March 624); Uhud , on 7 or 11 Shawwâl of the third year (23 or 27 March 625); the Trench , towards the end of Shawwâl of the fifth year (March 627). The Treaty of Hudaybiya was made at the beginning of Dhu al-Qa'da of the sixth year, and it was agreed that the peace should last ten years. The conquest of Mecca took place on 20 Ramadân of the eighth year. The Farewell Pilgrimage was made in the tenth year of the Hijra. He died at Medina on Monday 13 Rabî' al-awwal 11 / 8 June 632. His Tomb and Complex — After the emigration, on 12 Rabî' al-awwal (24 September 622), the building of the Mosque of the Prophet was begun at Medina; the ground belonged to two orphans named Sahl and Suhayl and was bought for ten dinars, though some sources say it was given. The Prophet was buried in the room of 'Â'isha; this is known as the Blessed Chamber . The room was taken into the mosque in the enlargement carried out by the Umayyad caliph al-Walîd b. 'Abd al-Malik in 706-707. The Rawda al-Mutahhara is the space between the Prophet's house and his pulpit, about 22 × 15 metres, described in a hadith as one of the gardens of paradise. The Qubbat al-khadrâ , the Green Dome over the chamber, was first built in wood by Sultan Qâytbây, and was then built in stone during the Ottoman rebuilding of 1850-1861, in the time of Sultan Abdülmecid, and painted green.

MedineDied 11 AHView

Abdullah ibn Jahsh

Martyr of Uhud

A Companion; the commander of the first raiding party in the history of Islam and one of the martyrs of Uhud. His full name was 'Abdullâh b. Jahsh b. Ri'âb b. Ya'mar al-Asadî . He was the son of the Prophet's paternal aunt ; that is, he stood close to the Prophet's family circle. Before the Prophet took refuge in the House of Arqam he became a Muslim together with two of his brothers, and he took part in both of the emigrations to Abyssinia; he later emigrated to Medina with his family. The Prophet declared him a brother of 'Âsim b. Thâbit. In the seventeenth month after the emigration the Prophet appointed him commander of the raiding party he sent to Nakhla. His force met a Qurayshî caravan, seized it and killed the caravan's leader 'Amr b. al-Hadramî . Abdullah set aside a fifth of the booty for the Prophet, although the verse on this had not yet been revealed. This expedition is among the events in which the Muslims for the first time shed an enemy's blood and took booty. Because it occurred in a sacred month there was debate about it, but the source records that the relevant Qur'anic verse confirmed that they were in the right. He took part in the battles of Badr and Uhud; he was martyred at Uhud at about the age of forty (3/625). His Tomb and Complex — He was buried in the martyrs' cemetery of Uhud, in the same grave as his maternal uncle Hamza .

MedineDied 3 AHView

Mus'ab ibn Umayr

First teacher of Islam

The first teacher in the history of Islam; the standard bearer of the Emigrants at Badr and of all the Muslims at Uhud. His full name was Abû 'Abdillâh (Abû Muhammad) Mus'ab b. 'Umayr b. Hâshim al-Qurashî al-'Abdarî . He was the child of a wealthy family of Banû 'Abd al-Dâr , one of the main clans of Quraysh, which held the office of standard-bearer in the age of ignorance. He was among the first Muslims. His father and mother imprisoned him for having become a Muslim and brought various pressures to bear to turn him from his path, but could not make him give up his religion. In the fifth year of the prophetic mission he emigrated to Abyssinia with the first party; a short time later he returned with twenty-eight others. At the request of the people of Medina the Prophet appointed him as the first teacher in the history of Islam . At Medina he stayed in the house of As'ad b. Zurâra and brought about the conversion of such well-known figures as Usayd b. Hudayr and Sa'd b. Mu'âdh. He carried the standard of the Emigrants at Badr and that of all the Muslims at Uhud. At the battle of Uhud he never left the Prophet's side, continuing in his office as standard-bearer, and was mortally wounded by the sword strokes of Ibn Qami'a and martyred there (3/625). He was married to Hamna, the sister of the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh. The Prophet praised his sacrifice and noted that he had abandoned the comforts of this world for the sake of faith. His burial without a proper shroud left such a mark among the Companions that his example was remembered in times of plenty.

MedineDied 3 AHView

Qusayy ibn Kilab

Ancestor of the Quraysh

The chief who gathered Quraysh at Mecca and united the services of the Ka'ba in his own hand; the fourth ancestor of the Prophet on the father's side. His original name was Zayd . The epithet Qusayy , from the root qasw meaning to be far off, was given to him because he grew up in a distant land. After returning to Mecca he married Hubbâ, the daughter of Hulayl b. Hubshiyya of the tribe of Khuzâ'a, and took over the services of the Ka'ba from his father-in-law. With the help of the tribes of Kinâna and Qudâ'a he assumed the government of Mecca. Because he brought together in Mecca the scattered branches of Quraysh he was called al-Mujammi' , the gatherer. In the year 440 he founded the Dâr al-Nadwa , the assembly place where the Meccans deliberated on their common affairs. He gathered into his own charge the chief offices connected with the Ka'ba and the pilgrimage: the qiyâda (command of the army), the liwâ (bearing of the standard), the hijâba (keeping the key of the Ka'ba), the nadwa (presidency of the council), the siqâya (giving water to the pilgrims) and the rifâda (feeding the pilgrims). His children were 'Abd al-Dâr, 'Abd Manâf, 'Abd al-'Uzzâ, 'Abd Qusayy and his daughter Hind; the lineage of the Prophet reaches him by way of his son 'Abd Manâf. He died around the year 480. His Circle of Influence — The order he established at Mecca continued in the form of the sharing out of the offices of the Ka'ba and of the government of the city among the branches of Quraysh from generation to generation; the Dâr al-Nadwa remained the decision-making centre of the city until the rise of Islam. His Tomb and Complex — He was buried in the Hajûn cemetery at Mecca and his grave became a place of visitation.

MekkeDied 480View

Ibrahim ibn Muhammad

Son of the Prophet

The Prophet's son from Maria; died around 16-18 months old. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi (unmarked).

MedineDied 10 AHView

Riyad (Cübeyle)Died 12 AHView

Martyrs of al-Yamama (Aqraba)

The hafiz martyrs

The Companions who fell as martyrs in the time of Abu Bakr, in 12/633, at the place called 'Aqraba' in al-Yamama, in the battle against the forces of Musaylima, chief of the Banu Hanifa, who had claimed prophethood. This record does not concern a single person but commemorates the company of those martyred on that day. According to the sources, Musaylima had the Prophet's envoy Habib ibn Zayd al-Ansari killed and occupied Hajr. When the forces the caliph Abu Bakr had sent under 'Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl and Shurahbil ibn Hasana were defeated, new troops were dispatched under Khalid ibn al-Walid . The two armies met at a place in al-Yamama called 'Aqraba'; Musaylima's army appears to have been three or four times larger. The Muslim army at first fell back, but before the resistance of the Emigrants and Helpers, said to number about 2500, Musaylima took refuge in his garden, the Hadiqat al-Rahman , surrounded by high walls. The Muslims entered the garden and killed Musaylima; the garden was afterwards called Hadiqat al-mawt (the Garden of Death). The fighting was extremely bloody and both sides suffered heavy losses. According to the article YEMÂME, more than 600 martyrs fell in this battle, 70 of them Emigrants and 70 Helpers; other reports give 700, 1200 or 1700. The article MÜSEYLİMETÜLKEZZÂB states that the Muslims are reported to have lost 2200, of whom 700 were memorisers of the Qur'an ( huffaz ), and that exaggerated figures are also given on this point. Foremost among the martyrs is Zayd ibn al-Khattab , elder brother of 'Umar through their father. He accepted Islam before 'Umar, was among the first emigrants to Medina, took part in Badr, Uhud, the Trench and all the other campaigns, and was present at the Pledge of Ridwan. At al-Yamama he carried the banner of Islam; he killed al-Rajjal, Musaylima's closest man, and when he saw the Muslim army on the point of breaking, he plunged into the enemy ranks and fought until he was martyred (Rabi' al-awwal 12 / May-June 633). 'Umar used to say: "May God have mercy on my brother Zayd; he surpassed me in both good things: he became a Muslim before me and was martyred before me." Pilgrim caravans coming from the east used the al-Yamama road when passing through Najd and would visit the tomb of Zayd ibn al-Khattab, martyr of the battle of al-Yamama ('Aqraba'), which remained standing until the middle of the XVIII century.

Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib

Chief of the Martyrs

The paternal uncle and milk-brother of the Prophet; he is known by the epithets Seyyidüşşühedâ (lord of the martyrs) and Esedullah (the lion of God). His full name was Abû 'Umâra (Abû Ya'lâ) Hamza b. 'Abd al-Muttalib b. Hâshim . His mother was Hâla bint Wuhayb. He was born around 569-570. He became a Muslim in the second or the sixth year of the prophetic mission. According to the report, when he learned that Abû Jahl had insulted the Prophet he grew angry and openly accepted Islam, saying "I adopt the religion of Muhammad" . The title Esedullah was given him for the extraordinary courage and fighting ability he showed for the sake of Islam. At the battle of Badr he fought with great courage; coming forward for single combat he killed Shayba b. Rabî'a and helped bring about the death of 'Utba b. Rabî'a. At the battle of Uhud, after killing thirty-one men, he was speared and martyred by Wahshî b. Harb , who had hidden behind a rock (3/625). The Meccan polytheists, and Hind bint 'Utba in particular, had promised Wahshî his freedom in fulfilment of a vow of vengeance. When the Prophet saw him in that state he grieved deeply and said, "No one has been afflicted as you have been afflicted" . Although he swore that he would kill seventy of the polytheists, the verse that was revealed turned him towards patience. His Tomb and Complex — The Prophet performed his funeral prayer; he was buried in his own clothes, two and three at a time. His grave was dug by Abû Bakr, 'Umar, 'Alî and Zubayr. He lies in the martyrs' cemetery of Uhud ; he was placed in the same grave as his sister's son Abdullah b. Jahsh. His tomb was built by the mother of the Abbasid caliph al-Nâsir li-Dîn Allâh.

MedineDied 3 AHView

Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib

Uncle and protector of the Prophet

The paternal uncle and protector of the Prophet; the chief of the clan of Hâshim. His full name was Abû Tâlib 'Abd Manâf b. 'Abd al-Muttalib b. Hâshim al-Qurashî al-Hâshimî . His father 'Abd al-Muttalib entrusted to him the care and protection of his grandson Muhammad, then eight years old. The chieftaincy of the Banû Hâshim remained in his charge until his death; he did what he could for his nephew's upbringing. On a trading journey to Syria the monk Bahîrâ told Abû Tâlib that his nephew was the prophet promised in the Gospel ; upon this he returned to Mecca. When the Prophet began to preach openly, Abû Tâlib stood against the polytheist Quraysh; he said that he would never surrender him to them, and called upon the sons of Hâshim and Muttalib for support. During the boycott the family was obliged to live for a long time in hardship around the quarter of Abû Tâlib. At the time of his death the Prophet asked his uncle at least to pronounce the profession of faith; Abû Tâlib did not accept, saying that the polytheists might mock him for it. He died in 619-620 at Mecca. Since this came about a month after the death of Khadîja, that year was called the year of sorrow . His Poetry and Sufi Line — He is known as a Meccan poet. His Lâmiyya ode, composed to protect the Prophet against Quraysh, consists of ninety-four couplets.

MekkeDied 619View

Hafsa bint Umar

Mother of the Believers

Daughter of Umar, wife of the Prophet; the first written codex of the Qur'an was kept with her. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi (unmarked).

MedineDied 45 AHView

Umar ibn al-Khattab

al-Faruq

The second of the Rightly Guided Caliphs; he is known by the epithet al-Fârûq . His full name was Abû Hafs al-Fârûq 'Umar b. al-Khattâb b. Nufayl b. 'Abd al-'Uzzâ al-Qurashî al-'Adawî . He accepted Islam in the sixth year of the prophetic mission (616). There are two reports: in one he became a Muslim while his sister was reading Sûrat Tâ-Hâ; in the other he resolved to become a Muslim on hearing verses 41-46 of Sûrat al-Hâqqa. The epithet Fârûq means the one who separates truth from falsehood ; there are reports that it was given him by the Prophet, by the Muslims, or by the People of the Book. At the emigration he left Mecca for Qubâ at the head of a party of twenty, together with his brother Zayd, his wife and his son Abdullah. He was designated successor by Abû Bakr; on 22 Jumada II 13 (23 August 634) he received the oath of allegiance in the Prophet's Mosque and became the second of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (634-644). The principal acts of his caliphate were: the conquests — the battle of Qâdisiyya (15/636), the battle of Yarmûk (15/636), the victory of Nihâwand (21/642) and the completion of the conquest of Egypt; the dîwân organisation — a systematic arrangement for distributing the fay' revenues among the Muslims; the Hijrî calendar — brought into use, at 'Alî's proposal, in Rabî' I of the year 16, with Muharram taken as the first month; and the conquest of Jerusalem — he received the keys of the city from the patriarch Sophronios and granted safe conduct in 17/638. Abû Lu'lu'a Fîrûz al-Nihâwandî , the slave of Mughîra b. Shu'ba, wounded him with a dagger (23/644). On his deathbed he asked that the caliph be chosen by a council. He died on 26 Dhu al-Hijja 23 (3 November 644). His Poetry and Sufi Line — He took nothing from the treasury beyond his need and lived like an ordinary Qurashî. At night he would walk the streets of Medina to check on public order, and when he saw the needy he himself carried help to them from the treasury. 'Â'isha's saying is conveyed in the source thus: "When 'Umar is mentioned, justice is mentioned." His Tomb and Complex — He was buried at Medina in the Rawda-i Mutahhara, beside Abû Bakr.

MedineDied 23 AHView