Abu Ubaidah was Amir ibn Abdullah ibn al-Jarrah
al-Fihri. It is said that Fihr was the name of the Quraysh tribe, and he was
the first to be called by that name. His kunya (patronymic) was Abu Ubaidah ibn
al-Jarrah, after his grandfather. His lineage meets that of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) at Fihr ibn Malik. The Prophet was a
descendant of Ghalib ibn Fihr, and Abu Ubaidah was a descendant of al-Harith
ibn Fihr. His mother was Umaymah bint Uthman ibn Jabir al-Fihri (as mentioned
in Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi's "Jamharat Ansab al-Arab"). She lived to see
the advent of Islam and embraced it (Ibn Hajar).
Hind bint Jabir ibn Wahb was the wife of Abu
Ubaidah and the mother of his children. He had two sons: Yazid and Umayr.
Mus'ab al-Zubayri said, "The descendants of Abu Ubaydah and his brothers
have died out." It is possible that his two sons died in the plague while
still young, before having any children.
Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah embraced Islam before
the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the house of
al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. He was among a group of people who had already
converted to Islam (as recorded in Ibn Hisham's biography). He emigrated to
Abyssinia and then to Medina, where he participated in the Battle of Badr and
all subsequent battles alongside the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be
upon him). In Medina, he stayed with Kulthum ibn al-Hadm al-Awsi. It is said
that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) established a bond
of brotherhood between him and Abu Talha, and it is also said that it was
established between him and Zayd ibn Sahl ibn al-Aswad al-Khazraji, and it is
also said that it was established between him and Salim, the freed slave of Abu
Hudhayfa, and it is also said that it was established between him and Sa'd ibn
Mu'adh.
Books of military expeditions, history, and
exegesis relate that Abu Ubayda killed his father on the day of Badr while he
was still an unbeliever. It is also said that the verse of God Almighty,
"You will not find a people who believe in God and the Last Day loving
those who oppose God and His Messenger" (Al-Mujadilah 22), was revealed
concerning him. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud that he said:
This verse was revealed concerning Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah when he killed his
father at the Battle of Uhud, and concerning Abu Bakr when he called his son to
single combat at the Battle of Badr, and concerning Mus'ab ibn Umayr when he
killed his brother Ubayd ibn Umayr at the Battle of Uhud, and concerning Umar
when he killed his maternal uncle al-As ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughirah at the
Battle of Badr, and concerning Ali, Hamza, and Ubaydah who killed Utbah and
Shaybah, the sons of Rabi'ah, and al-Walid ibn Utbah at the Battle of Badr.
At the Battle of Uhud, he was among those who
stood firm on the battlefield when the Muslims were surprised by the attack of
the polytheists, and he was among those who defended the Messenger of God
(peace and blessings be upon him). It is mentioned that on the day of Uhud, he
removed the two rings of the chainmail that had pierced the Prophet's cheek
with his two front teeth, causing his two front teeth to be knocked out, thus
leaving him with a missing tooth. The word "al-ahtam" refers to
someone whose front teeth are broken at their roots.
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
learned that some tribes intended to raid the livestock grazing in a place
seven miles from Medina... Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah was sent with forty men to
Dhu al-Qissa in Rabi' al-Thani of the 6th year of the Hijra. They raided these
tribes, but the tribes fled into the mountains. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) captured one man and seized some of their livestock,
specifically worn-out clothes. He brought these items to Medina, where the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took a fifth of the spoils. The man
embraced Islam, so the Prophet released him.
When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings
be upon him) learned that a group from Quda'ah (an ancient Arab tribe whose
lineage is disputed by genealogists, some tracing them back to Himyar and
others to Ma'ad) had gathered and were planning to approach the outskirts of
Medina, he dispatched Amr ibn al-As with three hundred men in an army known as
the Army of Dhat al-Salasil in Jumada al-Thani of the 8th year of the Hijra to
subdue them and deter them from their plot. When our master Amr ibn al-Aas and
those with him from the people approached, he was informed that they had a
large gathering, so he sent to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and
grant him peace, to ask for his help. So he sent to him Abu Ubaidah ibn
al-Jarrah with two hundred men, and he sent with him the leaders of the
Muhajireen and Ansar, among them Abu Bakr and Umar, and he ordered him to join
Amr and that they should be together and not disagree. When Abu Ubaidah and his
reinforcements arrived, he wanted to lead the people in prayer, but Amr said,
"You have only come as reinforcements, and I am the commander." So
Abu Ubaidah obeyed him (narrated by Ibn Sa'd).
On the authority of Jabir ibn Abdullah: The
Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sent an expedition towards
the coast (the expedition of al-Khabt in the month of Rajab, 8 AH), and he
appointed Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah as their commander. They numbered three
hundred. When they were partway there, their provisions ran out, so Abu Ubaidah
ordered the army's provisions to be gathered. Jabir said: He would feed us a
little each day. Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated: We raided the army of al-Khabt
(i.e., the army that eats. (What falls from the leaves of the tree when it is struck),
and Abu Ubaidah was appointed, and we became very hungry. Then the sea cast up
a dead whale the likes of which we had never seen, called ambergris. We ate
from it for half a month. Then Abu Ubaidah took one of its bones, and a rider
passed under it. Abu Zubayr told me that he heard Jabir say: Abu Ubaidah said:
Eat. So when we arrived in Medina, we mentioned that to the Prophet, may God
bless him and grant him peace, and he said: Eat, it is sustenance. God brought
him out. “Feed us if you have any,” so some of them came to him and ate him.
(Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Hadith classification: Sahih). Abu Ubaidah was
appointed commander of military expeditions during the Prophetic era, which
demonstrates his military and administrative brilliance during the time of our
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
The story of the day of Saqifah Bani Sa’d
further illustrates the character of Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah. He went to the
Saqifah accompanied by Abu Bakr and Umar. His uniqueness and superiority in
leadership qualities are further demonstrated by Abu Bakr’s statement: “Pledge
allegiance to Umar or Abu Ubaidah.” And why not, when our Prophet Muhammad,
peace and blessings be upon him, described him as “the trustee of this nation”?
It was narrated on the authority of Lady Aisha, may God be pleased with her,
that she was asked: Who would the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant
him peace, have appointed as his successor if he had appointed him? She said:
Abu Bakr. Then she was asked: Then who after Abu Bakr? She said: Umar. Then she
was asked: Who after Umar? She said: Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, then she
stopped at this (Narrator: Aisha, Mother of the Believers; Source: Sahih
Muslim; Hadith classification: Sahih).
When Abu Bakr assumed the caliphate after the
death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), he prepared
four armies to conquer Syria: the army of Abu Ubaydah, the army of Yazid ibn
Abi Sufyan, the army of Shurahbil ibn Hasanah, and the army of Amr ibn al-As.
The overall command of these armies was given to Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah. Abu
Bakr assigned each army a specific region of Syria: Abu Ubaydah to Homs, Yazid
to Damascus, Shurahbil to Jordan, and Amr to Palestine.
Before Amr ibn al-As arrived with his army, the
Battle of Dathin took place in the year 13 AH. This was the first major battle
in the history of the conquest of Syria after the Battle of Mu'tah and the
expedition of Usamah ibn Zayd. It began in Wadi Arabah and ended at Dathin. The
Romans were defeated in Wadi Arabah, and the Muslims pursued them to a place
called al-Dubiyah, ten miles southeast of Rafah. From there, the Romans fled to
Dathin, but the Muslims caught up with them, defeated them, and scattered their
remnants. With this victory, the Muslims gained control of southern Palestine,
or the Gaza region.
Caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddiq decided to integrate
Khalid ibn al-Walid's army in Iraq with the Syrian armies. He wrote to him in
Muharram of the year 13 AH, instructing him to proceed secretly to Syria, meet
with the army of Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah and the Muslims under his command,
and take command of his troops. And our master Khalid wrote to Abu Ubaidah ibn
al-Jarrah: “A letter has reached me from the Caliph of the Messenger of God
ordering me to march to Syria… By God, I neither requested this nor desired it,
nor did I write to him about it. And you, may God have mercy on you, remain in
the position you were in; your command is not disobeyed, your opinion is not
contradicted, and no decision is made without you. You are a leader among the
leaders of the Muslims; your virtue is undeniable, and your opinion is
indispensable.”
The first fortified city conquered by the
Muslims after the arrival of our master Khalid with his army was Bosra (a
famous historical city in Syria), the capital (or center) of Hauran (southern
Syria and northern Jordan). This occurred on the twenty-fifth of Rabi'
al-Awwal, 13 AH. After Busra, Abu Ubaidah and Khalid ibn al-Walid proceeded to
besiege Damascus. Shurahbil remained in Busra, Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan in Balqa (a
geographical area in central Jordan generally known as the eastern Jordan
Valley highlands, located between the Zarqa River to the north and the Wadi
Mujib gorge to the south), and Amr ibn al-As in Palestine.
While Abu Ubaidah and Khalid were fighting
towards Damascus, the Romans marched from Homs with a large army towards Busra
to recapture it and cut off Abu Ubaidah and Khalid's forces from the rest of
the Muslim army. The large Roman army had encamped at Ajnadayn in southern
Palestine. Khalid and Abu Ubaidah decided to march to Ajnadayn, where the
larger Roman army was located, and to write to the other Muslim armies to
assemble there. At Ajnadayn (located in Palestine near the cities of.
In Ramla and Beit Jibrin, on Saturday, the 27th
of Jumada al-Ula, 13 AH, the decisive battle took place between the Roman army,
numbering approximately one hundred thousand, and the Muslim army, numbering
approximately thirty thousand. The Muslims were victorious, and the Romans
suffered a crushing defeat. News of the defeat reached Heraclius, who fled from
Homs to Antioch. After the Roman defeat at Ajnadayn, all of Palestine was
exposed to the Muslims. After the death of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq on the 21st of
Jumada al-Thani, 13 AH, Umar ibn al-Khattab appointed Abu Ubayda as commander
of the armies and of Syria, writing to him: "I have appointed you
commander of the Muslim community." The exact date of Abu Ubayda's
appointment is disputed among historians; some say it occurred during the siege
of Damascus, while others say it was during the Battle of Yarmouk. When our
master Khalid was dismissed from his governorship, he said: “The trustworthy
one of this nation has been sent over you” (Imam Ahmad, on the authority of Abd
al-Malik ibn Umayr). He said, “I heard the Messenger of God, peace and
blessings be upon him, say: ‘The trustworthy one of this nation is Abu Ubaydah
ibn al-Jarrah.’” Abu Ubaydah said, “I heard the Messenger of God, peace and
blessings be upon him, say: ‘Khalid is a sword from among the swords of God,
and what an excellent young man of the tribe!’”
Heraclius wanted to halt the advance of the
Muslims who had reached Damascus, so he amassed a large army in the vicinity of
Fahl (in the Jordan Valley near the Roman city of Pella, now called Tabaqat Fahl).
The Muslims confronted them with the bulk of their army in Syria, led by their
commander-in-chief, Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, on the 28th of Dhu al-Qi'dah, 13
AH. The two sides fought fiercely throughout the night and day. When the
following night fell, the Muslims captured the Roman commander and the one next
in command. They killed thousands of Romans, and only a few escaped. Fahl was
besieged, becoming the first city in the Levant to be besieged. Its inhabitants
sought safe passage in exchange for paying the jizya (tribute). Abu Ubaidah
appointed Sharhabil ibn Hasana as their governor, who remained in office until
his death in the plague of Amwas.
After the Battle of Fahl, Abu Ubaidah ibn
al-Jarrah led the Muslim armies from Jordan to Damascus and besieged it from
all sides for four months. The city was finally conquered at the beginning of
winter, on Sunday, the 15th of Rajab, 14 AH. The Muslims spent the remainder of
the cold season in Damascus. After winter ended, Abu Ubaidah and Khalid ibn
al-Walid marched to Homs to conquer it. On the way, they captured Baalbek, and
Abu Ubaidah granted its inhabitants a letter of safe passage. They then reached
Homs, which was conquered peacefully without resistance.
While Abu Ubaidah was in Homs, the Romans
amassed a vast army and marched towards southern Syria. When Abu Ubaidah
learned of the Romans' intentions, he gathered the Muslim leaders to consult
with them. They decided to withdraw from Homs and return to the conquered
territories of the Levant.
The next morning, Abu Ubaidah ordered the
Muslim army to depart from Homs to Damascus and returned to them the tribute
they had paid. The people of Homs then said, "May God return you to us,
and may God curse those Romans who ruled over us." Even if they had been
in charge, they would not have returned anything to us; rather, they would have
seized our wealth and taken whatever they could... Your rule and justice are
dearer to us than the injustice we endured.
After the Muslims withdrew from Homs, the Roman
armies entered the city and then moved south through the Beqaa Valley to
Baalbek. They did not head towards Damascus, where the Muslims had gathered,
but instead headed south towards the Hula Valley. The Muslims perceived the
Romans' advance as a flanking maneuver, intended to cut off the Muslim army's
retreat and trap it between their forces and territory not under Muslim
control. After consultation, the Muslim army commanders agreed to assemble at
Jabiyah and from there march towards the Yarmouk. The council convened at
Jabiyah, and opinions varied. Some advocated returning to the borders of Ayla
(Aqaba), while others preferred remaining where they were. Khalid ibn al-Walid
said, "By God, I believe that if we fight with numbers and
strength..." They are more numerous and stronger than us, and we have no
power against them, even though we fight them in the name of God and for God's
sake. Their entire army, even if they were all the people on earth, would not
avail them anything.” Then he addressed Abu Ubaidah, saying, “Give me charge of
what is beyond your door and leave me to deal with the people, for I hope that
God will grant me victory over them.” Abu Ubaidah said, “I have done so,” and
he turned away.. Abu Ubaidah Khalid established his authority as the overall
commander of the Muslim armies in Syria. Khalid devised the battle plan and
organized the Muslim troops against the Romans. It is said that he divided the
army into a right flank, a left flank, and a center. He adopted a new method of
mobilizing the army, the method of battalions or brigades, dividing it into
infantry and cavalry battalions. He thus divided the army into thirty-six
battalions, appointing Abu Ubaidah and Shurahbil ibn Hasanah as commanders of
the center battalions, Amr ibn al-As in command of the right flank battalions,
and Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan in command of the left flank battalions. Khalid
remained in the center under the banner of the Eagle, and he positioned the
archers on both flanks, placing the women behind the army. The battles lasted for
six days. The Muslim plan was to separate the Roman infantry from their cavalry
to keep the infantry under the control of the attacking Muslims. The Romans
retreated north towards the ford in Wadi al-Ruqad. (A tributary of the Yarmouk
River) on its eastern bank, and when the Roman infantry, in chains, moved to
the western bank, they began to fall in their thousands to al-Waqousa (one of
the villages belonging to the al-Khashniya district of the Quneitra Governorate
in the Golan Heights). The battle ended in a crushing defeat for the Romans and
a resounding victory for the Muslims. It was the greatest catastrophe to befall
the Byzantine Empire, after which Byzantine rule in the Levant collapsed.
Heraclius left Antioch saying, "Farewell, Syria, farewell of one who will
not return to you." The Battle of Yarmouk, which took place in Rajab of
the year 15 AH, is considered one of the greatest Muslim conquests. The
conquest of Yarmouk facilitated the conquest of Iraq and extended the conquest
movement to Egypt.
After Yarmouk, Khalid ibn al-Walid pursued the
remnants of the Byzantine army and reached Homs. Abu Ubaidah followed him and
headed to Homs. Khalid ibn al-Walid was then sent to Qinnasrin (located 25 km
(16 miles) southwest of Aleppo on the west bank of the Quweiq River). Abu
Ubaidah then traveled to Aleppo, where he found its inhabitants had fortified
themselves. They then requested peace and security for themselves, their
property, their city walls, and their homes. This was granted, with the
exception of a designated area for the mosque. Then he marched to Antioch,
which had remained Heraclius's residence and stronghold during the conquests.
Abu Ubaidah conquered it in 638 CE. He made peace with its inhabitants on the
condition of paying tribute and leaving. Some left, while others remained. When
Antioch was conquered, Umar wrote to Abu Ubaidah instructing him to appoint a
group of Muslims there, chosen for their good intentions and their role in
upholding public morality, and to station them there as outposts, ensuring
their stipends were not withheld. Abu Ubaidah learned that a Roman army had
gathered between Ma'arrat Misrin and Aleppo. He met them, dispersed their
forces, captured some of them, and seized booty. He conquered Ma'arrat Misrin
(a historical region in Syria, whose name is believed to derive from "Cave
of Rains" or "Rains" in Syriac; some suggest that
"Misrin" in Syriac means "rains") on the same terms as the
Aleppo peace treaty. Abu Ubaidah's cavalry then advanced as far as Buqa. The
villages of Juma, Sarmin, and Martahawan (in the Aleppo region) and Tizin were
conquered.
Abu Ubaidah conquered all of Qinnasrin (located
25 km (16 miles) southwest of Aleppo on the west bank of the Quweiq River
[historically known as the Pylos River]) and Antioch. He marched towards Goris
(a city and urban center in the municipality of Goris, located in the Syunik
province of southern Armenia in the Goris River valley). A monk from the city
met him, seeking peace on behalf of its inhabitants. Abu Ubaidah made peace
with him, then went to Goris and concluded a treaty with its people, granting
them the same terms he had given the people of Antioch.
Abu Ubaidah then reached Aleppo via the Sajur
River (which flows through the eastern Aleppo countryside), and sent a force to
Manbij. He then pursued Manbij and made peace with its inhabitants on terms
similar to those of Antioch. He dispatched Iyad ibn Ghanm... He then proceeded
to the region of Duluk and Ra'ban, making peace with its inhabitants on terms
similar to those of Manbij, stipulating that they must gather intelligence from
the Byzantines and correspond with the Muslims. Abu Ubaidah then marched until
he reached Arajin, and sent his vanguard to Balis or Barbalisus (an ancient
fortress and city located between Maskana and Tabqa at the eastern bend of the
Euphrates River). He dispatched Habib ibn Maslama with an army to Qasrin (the
ancient Byzantine city of Andarin near Hama in Syria, historically known as
"al-Qasrin"). Most of its inhabitants fled to the Manbij Bridge, the
Byzantine lands, and the Jazira region. Abu Ubaidah established a garrison in
Balis, settling there with some Arabs from the Levant who had converted to
Islam after the arrival of the Muslims in the Levant. He also settled some
people in Qasrin. Abu Ubaidah reached the Euphrates and then returned to
Palestine.. Abu
Ubaidah appointed Ubadah ibn al-Samit as his deputy in Homs before proceeding
to Jerusalem. Ubadah then went to Latakia and conquered it, and also conquered
the rest of the coast: Jableh and Tartus.
Jerusalem remained one of the last strongholds
behind whose walls the Romans fortified themselves. It was conquered during the
caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, and during the governorship of Abu Ubaidah
ibn al-Jarrah over Syria. After Abu Ubaidah finished conquering northern Syria,
he returned to Palestine. Amr ibn al-As was besieging Jerusalem, which had
become an isolated enclave surrounded by mountains. When Abu Ubaidah arrived,
the people of Jerusalem requested a peace treaty similar to those granted to
the other cities of Syria, and that Umar ibn al-Khattab be the one to negotiate
the treaty. Abu Ubaidah wrote to Umar ibn al-Khattab conveying the wishes of
the people of Jerusalem. Umar responded and came to Syria, and Jerusalem was
conquered in Rabi' al-Awwal of the year 16 AH. It was narrated on the authority
of Umar ibn al-Khattab, with a sound chain of transmission, on the authority of
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, who said: "I was with Abu Ubaidah in Syria during the
plague of Amwas. When the disease intensified and news of it reached Umar, he
wrote to Abu Ubaidah to summon him: 'Peace be upon you. To proceed: I have a
matter that I wish to discuss with you personally, and I have resolved
to...'" “If you look at my letter, do not put it down until you come to
me,” he said. Abu Ubaidah realized that he only wanted to get him out of the
plague, so he said, “May God forgive the Commander of the Faithful.” Then he
wrote to him, “O Commander of the Faithful, I know of your need for me, and I
am with a group of Muslims. I have no desire to leave them, and I do not want
to part from them until God decrees His will and judgment concerning me and
them. So release me from your command, O Commander of the Faithful, and let me
stay with my army.” When Umar read the letter, he wept. The people said, “O
Commander of the Faithful! Has Abu Ubaidah died?” He said, "No, as if it
were?"
Umar ibn al-Khattab later wrote to Abu Ubaydah,
instructing him to move the Muslims from the low-lying, waterlogged land to a
higher, more pleasant area. Umar said, "You have settled the people in a
low-lying area (from the word 'ghamaq,' meaning the corruption and stench of
the wind), so move them to a higher, pleasant area." The narrator (Abu
Musa al-Ash'ari) said: When his letter reached him, he called me and said,
"O Abu Musa, the letter from the Commander of the Faithful has arrived, as
you see. Go out and find a suitable place for the people to settle so that I
may follow you." I returned to my house to prepare for the journey, but I
found that my wife had been injured. I went back to him and said, "By God,
something has happened to my family." He said, "Perhaps your wife has
been injured?" I said, "Yes." He then ordered his camel to be
saddled. He was struck by the plague when he placed his foot in the stirrup. He
said, "By God, I have been afflicted!" Then he led the people until
they reached al-Jabiyah, and he lifted the plague from them.
However, Abu Ubaidah justified his remaining in
his post with "health, social, political, and leadership reasons, all of
which are organized by the religion in its system and serve as a supreme
example of trustworthy leadership. Abu Ubaidah is the trustworthy one of this
nation," as he explained his steadfastness, saying, "I am among a group
of Muslims, and I have no desire to leave them."
Currently, the shrine of Abu Ubaidah is located
in Ghor al-Balawneh on the main road that crosses the Jordan Valley from north
to south, forty kilometers from the city of Salt. Al-Zahir Baybars had built a
shrine over Abu Ubaidah's grave and endowed it with a waqf (religious
endowment) whose proceeds were designated for the muezzin (caller to prayer).
And the Imam.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated on the authority
of Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet Muhammad said: “Every nation has a
trustworthy person, and our trustworthy person, O nation, is Abu Ubaydah ibn
al-Jarrah.” Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said: “The trustworthy person is the reliable
and trustworthy one.” Muslim narrated on the authority of Anas: that the people
of Yemen came to the Messenger of God and said: “Send with us a man to teach us
the Sunnah and Islam.” He said: So he took Abu Ubaydah by the hand and said:
“This is the trustworthy person of this nation.” A group of narrators said:
Umar came to Syria, and the princes and dignitaries received him. He said:
“Where is my brother Abu Ubaydah?” They said: “He will come to you now.” So he
came on a camel with a halter tied with a rope. He greeted him and then said to
the people: “Leave us.” So he walked with him until he reached his house, and
he stayed with him. He did not see anyone in his house except His sword,
shield, and saddle—so Umar said to him, “If only you had acquired some
possessions,” or he said, “something.” He replied, “O Commander of the
Faithful, this will suffice to reach our destination (i.e., to be indifferent
to worldly matters and to be ascetic in them, not to abandon what is
permissible or to waste money, but rather to not be attached to them and not to
worry about what has passed of them, and to live with asceticism sufficient to
reach our destination (the end) without being burdened by them.”..
The burdens of this world.
Abu Ubaidah was the most handsome of men, with
a thin, prominent face, a sparse beard, and was tall. He was slightly stooped
(or slightly bent over) and missing his two front teeth. Al-Dhahabi said that
he used to dye his hair with henna and katam (a plant used as a natural dye to
darken hair (brown or black), usually mixed with henna to achieve a black color
or to improve hair strength and thickness). He had two braids.
It is narrated that Abu Ubaidah worked in
digging graves. Ahmad, Ibn Sa'd, and Al-Bayhaqi narrated on the authority of
Ibn Abbas that when they wanted to dig a grave for the Messenger of God (peace
and blessings be upon him), there were two men in Medina: Abu Ubaidah, who
would dig a trench, and Abu Talhah, who would dig a niche. Al-Abbas called for
two men. Ibn Sa'd also narrated on the authority of Abdullah ibn Abi Talhah
that they differed regarding the trench and the niche. They said to the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him): “O Allah, choose for Your Prophet (O Allah,
grant me the best in this matter, and make me the right choice in it, and
inspire me to do it, and make all good for me in it, and choose for me the best
of good things). Send for Abu Ubaidah and Abu Talhah, and whichever of them
comes before the other, let him do his work.” So Abu Talhah came and said: “By
Allah, I hope that Allah Almighty has chosen for His Prophet that he used to
see the grave and it pleased him.”
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