The First Blood Shed for the Cause of Islam

Muhammed bin Ishaaq (rahimahullah) narrates:

The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would (in the early days of Islam) go into the valleys when performing Salaah so that they would be able to keep their Salaah hidden from the disbelievers (and thus avoid persecution). Once, while Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was with a group of Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) in one of the valleys of Makkah Mukarramah, a group of disbelievers discovered them and began to condemn the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and criticize their Deen. This led to a fight breaking out between these Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and the disbelievers, during which Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) inflicted a head wound to one of the disbelievers by striking his skull with the jaw bone of a camel. This was the first fight (from the beginning of Islam wherein the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) wounded the kuffaar and) in which blood was shed for the cause of Islam. (Usdul Ghaabah 2/308)

Hijrah

When Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and his brother, Hazrat ‘Umair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the two sons of Abu Waqqaas, performed Hijrah from Makkah Mukarramah to Madinah Munawwarah, they stayed in the home and orchard of their brother, ‘Utbah bin Abi Waqqaas. ‘Utbah had built his home among the Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Auf clan. ‘Utbah had shed a person’s blood in Makkah Mukarramah and had thus fled to Madinah Munawwarah where he settled among the Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Auf clan. This was before the incident of Bu‘aath (the battle between the Aws and Khazraj tribes of Madinah Munawwarah). (ibn Sa’d 3/103)

Note:

1. Hazrat ‘Umair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the brother of Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), was martyred in the Battle of Badr at the age of sixteen. (Isaabah 4/602)

2. ‘Utbah bin Abi Waqqaas did not accept Islam. In fact, he was responsible for breaking a portion of the blessed tooth of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) during the Battle of Uhud. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had cursed him and before the year could terminate, he died on disbelief. (Isaabah 5/197)

Abu ‘Uthmaan (rahimahullah) narrates that Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said:

The following verse of the Qur’aan Majeed was revealed in my regard:

وَ وَصَّیۡنَا الۡاِنۡسَانَ بِوَالِدَیۡہِ حُسۡنًا ؕ وَ اِنۡ جَاہَدٰکَ لِتُشۡرِکَ بِیۡ مَا لَیۡسَ لَکَ بِہٖ عِلۡمٌ فَلَا تُطِعۡہُمَا ؕ

We have enjoined upon man kindness to parents. And if they (your disbelieving parents) force you to join partners with Me (in My worship) that of which you do not have knowledge, then do not obey them.

I was very obedient to my mother. When I accepted Islam, she said, “O Sa’d! What is this religion that you have innovated? You will either leave this religion, or I will neither speak to you, nor eat nor drink until I die. You will then bear the blame of my death as people will call you ‘the one who killed his mother’.” I replied, “O my mother! Do not do this! I will not leave this religion of mine for anything!”

My mother then remained for one day and night (and according to some narrations, three days and nights) without eating or drinking until she became extremely weak. When I saw her in this condition, I said to her, “O my mother! By Allah! Know that if you had a hundred lives and you lost them all, one by one, I would not leave my religion. If you wish, then eat. Otherwise, do not eat.” When the mother of Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) saw his determination and devotion to Islam, she realized that he would never renounce Islam and she thus began to eat.

(Siyar A’laam min Nubalaa vol.3 pg. 69, Saheeh Muslim #1748)

Dream Before Accepting Islam

Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) narrates:

Prior to accepting Islam, I had a dream in which I saw that I was in absolute darkness and was unable to see anything. Suddenly, a moon illuminated the night and I began to follow it. In the dream, I saw those who had preceded me to this moon. I could see Hazrat Zaid bin Haarithah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat ‘Ali bin Abi Taalib (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). I asked them, “When did you arrive here?” They replied, “Just this moment.” I later on learnt that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was secretly inviting to Islam. I thus met him in the valleys of the mountains of Makkah Mukarramah. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had just performed Salaah. I then accepted Islam, and none besides these Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) had preceded me in accepting Islam (Note: This Sahaabi mentioned this according to his knowledge. Otherwise, it is proven in other narrations that there were a few other Sahaabah who accepted Islam before him).”

(Usdul Ghaabah vol. 2 pg. 309)