Thawban, freedman of the Prophet
ثوبان مولى النبي
A well-known Companion said to be of the Hakam ibn Sa'd of Himyar, or from the Sarat; the Prophet bought and freed him, and he served him until his death, then lived in al-Ramla and Homs, where he died in 54 AH.
At a glance
- Roles
- Companion
- Counted among
- Sunni
- Era
- The Prophetic Era · The Rashidun Caliphate
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
Place in the story
- CompanionTradition
Sunni (transmitted)
Roles are dated and sourced; the museum describes the act and attributes the judgement.
Summary
Thawban, client of the Messenger of God, "a famous Companion" — it is said he is of the Arabs, Himyari of Him ibn Sa'd Humayr, or it is said of al-Sarat 1.
His freeing and service
The Messenger of God bought him then freed him, and he served him until the Prophet died; then he moved to al-Ramla, then Hims, and died there in 54 AH — said Ibn Sa'd and others 1.
What is related from him
Ibn al-Sakan relates from Yusuf ibn Abd al-Hamid that he met Thawban, who told him the Prophet prayed for his household — Thawban asked: am I of the People of the House? On the third time he said: "yes, so long as you do not stand at a gate begging, nor go to an emir to ask of him" 1.
Abu Dawud relates from Thawban, who said: the Messenger of God said: "who will pledge to me never to ask people anything, and I pledge him Paradise?" Thawban said: I — and he never asked anyone for anything 1.
People and things also explored
Emancipation of enemy slaves upon fleeing to Muslim linesAbu Bakra Nufay' ibn al-HarithAbu FakihaBilal ibn RabahSalman al-FarisiSumayya bint KhayyatUmayya ibn KhalafUmm Ayman (Baraka bint Tha'laba)
Sources
- al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-sahaba — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, p. 191
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Thawban, freedman of the Prophet”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/thawban-mawla-al-nabi/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.