Islamic Figures: Sa'd ibn Mu'adh (who was escorted by angels ‎and for whom the Throne of the Most Merciful trembled)‎

The Companion whose death caused the Throne of the Most Merciful to shake and for whom the angels escorted him was Sa'd ibn Mu'adh ibn al-Nu'man from the Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal al-Awsi tribe. He was the leader of the Aws tribe despite his young age. His father was Mu'adh ibn al-Nu'man ibn Imru' al-Qays ibn Zayd ibn 'Abd al-Ashhal, the chieftain of the 'Abd al-Ashhal clan. His mother was Kabsha bint Rafi' ibn Mu'awiya, from the Khazraj tribe. He married Hind bint Simak, the widow of his brother Aws ibn Mu'adh, and God blessed him with two sons from her: 'Amr and 'Abdullah.

Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was a fair-skinned, tall, handsome man with a beautiful face, wide eyes, and a fine beard. He embraced Islam before he reached thirty years of age, at the hands of Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, the Prophet's envoy and preacher in Yathrib (Medina). Sa'd ibn Mu'adh had come to Mus'ab looking sullen, angry, and roaring, intending to rebuke him and dissuade him from his mission. But it took only a few words and blessed verses from the Book of God, recited to him by Mus'ab ibn 'Umair, the devout believer and sincere caller to Islam, for Sa'd ibn Mu'adh's condition to be completely transformed. He embraced Islam and became, alongside Mus'ab, one of the greatest callers to Islam. God granted him a great victory, spreading Islam in Medina and preparing it to receive the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as the capital of the new Islamic state and the residence of the noblest of creation, the master of messengers, our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). When Sa'd ibn Mu'adh embraced Islam, he stood before his people and said, "O sons of 'Abd al-Ashhal, how do you regard me among you?" They replied, "You are our leader in virtue and our right-hand man (our right arm upon whom we rely)." He said, "Then I will not speak to any of your men or women until you believe in God and His Messenger." He said, “By God, there was not a man or woman left in the house of Banu Abd al-Ashhal who did not embrace Islam” (Ibn Ishaq). Thus, through this great act, Yathrib was prepared to become Medina, the Prophet’s migration destination, and the center of his call and state.

When the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions migrated there, the houses of Sa’d ibn Mu’adh’s people were open to the migrants, and their wealth was at their disposal without any obligation or reckoning. And the words of God Almighty were true of them: “And those who, before them, had homes (in Al-Madinah) and had adopted the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Bani An-Nadir), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful” (Surat Al-Hashr 9)

And the days pass and events unfold. The great Battle of Badr and the star of Saad bin Muadh—this great young man—shine once again through great actions that reflect his greatness, sound judgment, and foresight. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, set out with a group of about three hundred and thirteen men, lightly armed, seeking a trade caravan belonging to the Quraysh, to recover some of the money and goods left behind by the emigrants in Mecca. But God Almighty willed that the situation should change, and the Muslims found themselves facing an army that outnumbered them many times over in equipment and numbers. And the words of God Almighty were revealed concerning them: “And [remember] when God promised you one of the two groups—that it would be yours—and you wished that the one without arms would be yours. But God intended to establish the truth by His words.” And (remember) when Allah promised you (Muslims) one of the two parties (of the enemy i.e. either the army or the caravan) that it should be yours, you wished that the one not armed (the caravan) should be yours, but Allah willed to justify the truth by His Words and to cut off the roots of the disbelievers (i.e. in the battle of Badr) (Surat Al-Anfal: 7-8). Here, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, consulted the Companions, wanting to see their resolve to fight and wanting to know the opinion of the Ansar, whose pledge of allegiance to him at the Second Pledge of Aqaba stipulated protecting him within the city, without mentioning fighting outside it. Then Sa`d, may God be pleased with him, stood up and uttered words that history has recorded in letters of light, words that embodied the truth of a promise, a covenant, faith, the resolve of men, and the greatness of the soul: “O Messenger of God, we have believed in you and affirmed your truthfulness, and we bear witness that what you have brought is the truth. We have given you our pledges and covenants of obedience and submission. So proceed, O Messenger of God, as you wish, for we are with you. By Him Who sent you with the truth, if you were to lead us across this sea and plunge into it, we would plunge in with you. Not a single man among us would hold back. We do not fear meeting our enemy tomorrow; we are patient in war and steadfast in battle, and perhaps God will show you through us what will gladden your heart. So lead us forth with God’s blessing.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, rejoiced at these words, and his companions gave him glad tidings of victory.

Sa'd also participated in the Battle of Uhud with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and he stood firm with the Messenger of God in the fighting when the Muslims turned away from him.

During the Battle of the Trench, Sa'd was struck by an arrow that severed his jugular vein. The one who shot him was a man from Quraysh named Hayyan ibn Qays ibn al-'Arfah. Sa'd said, "O God, if You have left anything of the war with Quraysh, then let me live to fight it, for there is no people I would rather fight for Your sake than those who harmed Your Prophet, rejected him, and expelled him. O God, if You have ended the war between us and them, then grant me martyrdom, and do not let me die until my eyes are gladdened by the fate of Banu Qurayza." The tribe of Banu Qurayza broke their treaty with the Muslims by joining the confederate tribes who besieged Medina during the Battle of the Trench, and they requested two thousand men from Quraysh and Ghatafan to attack the Muslims. This was a betrayal at a critical time for the Muslims, as they were besieged by enemies from the outside, and the Banu Qurayza attempted to attack their women and children from within.

No sooner had the Battle of the Trench ended than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called upon his companions to fight the Banu Qurayza for breaking their covenant with the Muslims and allying themselves with the Quraysh during the Battle of the Trench. The Muslims besieged the fortresses of the Banu Qurayza for 25 days until they sent a message requesting peace and accepting the judgment of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, who had been their ally in pre-Islamic times.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent for Sa'd, who was brought on a donkey, exhausted from his wound. The Prophet said to him, "Advise me concerning these people." Sa'd said, "If I were in charge of them, I would kill their warriors and take their women and children captive."

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, you have advised me concerning them as God commanded me." Sa'd was returned to Medina to the tent that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had pitched for him in the Prophet's Mosque so that he could visit him soon. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) cauterized his arm. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Sa'd at the time of his death. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) found Sa'd's hand bleeding profusely, so he went to him and embraced him until he died. Abu Bakr and Umar wept, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) grieved. He grasped his beard, for the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) never shed tears for anyone, but when he grieved, he grasped his beard. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed over Sa'd, and he was carried and buried in al-Baqi'. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) witnessed his burial. Those who lowered him into his grave were his nephew al-Harith ibn Aws ibn Mu'adh, Usayd ibn Hudayr, Abu Na'ila Silkan ibn Salama ibn Waqsh, and Salama ibn Salama ibn Waqsh. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh died in the year 5 AH, a month after the Battle of the Trench. Anas ibn Malik narrated: When the funeral procession of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was being carried, the hypocrites said, "How light his funeral procession is!" This was because of his judgment concerning the Banu Qurayza. When this reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said, "The angels were carrying him." (Source: Sahih al-Tirmidhi; Hadith classification: Sahih). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "This is the one (meaning Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him) for whom the Throne trembled, the gates of Heaven were opened, and seventy thousand angels witnessed his passing. He was squeezed in the grave, then it was released." (Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar; Source: Sahih al-Nasa'i; Hadith classification: Sahih). In another narration, the Throne of the Most Merciful shook at the death of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh (narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah; source: Sahih Muslim; hadith classification: Sahih). This shaking is known to have occurred, but its nature is unknown.

Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said, "The grave has a squeezing; if anyone were to escape it, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh would have escaped it." (Source: Musnad Umar; Hadith classification: Its chain of narration is Sahih). It was narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, "A silk robe was gifted to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he used to forbid silk." The people were amazed by it, so he said, "By the One..." By the soul of Muhammad, the handkerchiefs of Sa`d ibn Mu`adh in Paradise are better than this. Sa`id said, on the authority of Qatadah, on the authority of Anas: Ukaydir of Dumat al-Jandal (the ruler of Dumat al-Jandal, one of the Arab Christians) presented a gift to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. (Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Hadith classification: Sahih). And in the words of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace: The handkerchiefs

Sa`d ibn Mu`adh will have something better in Paradise than this. This is an indication from him, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, that the least that Sa`d ibn Mu`adh, may God be pleased with him, will have in Paradise—that is, the handkerchiefs used to wipe hands and other things from dirt and grime—will be better than this silk: that is, the silk of the robe that was gifted to the Messenger of God. For in Paradise there is that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived. “No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do” [Surat As-Sajdah: 17].