Sa'd ibn Ubada

Sa'd ibn Ubada ibn Dulaym al-Ansari al-Khazraji, "chief of the Khazraj", kunya Abu Thabit and Abu Qays. His mother Amra bint Mas'ud had companionship and died in the Prophet's time in year 5 AH ¹.

Sa'd witnessed Aqaba and was one of the deputies; his presence at Badr is disputed — Bukhari affirms it ¹. Ibn Sa'd said he made ready to go out but fell ill and stayed, and the Prophet said: "he was indeed eager for it" ¹.

Ibn Sa'd said he wrote Arabic and excelled at swimming and shooting, so he was called "al-Kamil" (the complete one); he was famous for generosity, as were his father, grandfather and son. They had an aṭm (great bowl) proclaimed each day: "whoever desires fat and meat, let him come to the aṭm of Dulaym ibn Haritha"; and Sa'd's dish circulated with the Prophet among his wives' houses ¹. Al-Daraqutni related in al-Askhiya' that Sa'd used to say: "God, grant me glory — there is no glory without deeds, and no deeds without wealth; God, little does not suffice me nor can I suffice on it" ². From Ibn Sirin: when the people of the Suffa took their evening leave, one man would take one of them, another would take two — but Sa'd would take eighty ².

Muqsim said from Ibn Abbas: the Messenger of God had two banners at every battle — the Muhajirun's banner with Ali, and the Ansar's banner with Sa'd ibn Ubada ¹.

Ahmad relates from Qays ibn Sa'd that the Prophet visited them in their home and greeted them, then raised his hand and said: "God, set Your blessings and mercy upon the house of Sa'd ibn Ubada" ². Abu Ya'la relates from Jabir: "may God reward the Ansar well on our behalf — especially Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Haram and Sa'd ibn Ubada" ².

Ibn Hajar says "his story of holding back from pledging to Abu Bakr is famous" — for details see Saqifat Bani Sa'ida ². He went out to Syria and died in Hawran in year 15 AH — or it is said year 16 ². It is said his grave is at al-Maniha, a village of Damascus in the Ghuta; from Sa'id ibn Abd al-Aziz, that he died at Busra, the first town of Syria to be conquered ².

His sons Qays, Sa'id and Ishaq and his grandson Shurahbil ibn Sa'id related from him; of the Companions, Ibn Abbas and Abu Umama ibn Sahl; and al-Hasan and Isa ibn Fa'id related from him indirectly ².