Usama ibn Zayd

Usama ibn Zayd ibn Haritha al-Kalbi, "the Beloved, son of the Beloved", kunya Abu Muhammad — or it is said Abu Zayd. His mother Umm Ayman, the Prophet's nurse ¹.

Ibn Sa'd said: Usama was born in Islam, and the Prophet died while he was twenty. Ibn Abi Khaythama said: eighteen ¹.

The Prophet had appointed him over a great army; he died before it set out, and Abu Bakr dispatched it ¹.

Umar used to honour and esteem him, preferring him in the stipend over his own son Abdullah ibn Umar ¹.

Usama held aloof from the civil strifes after Uthman's killing until he died late in Mu'awiya's caliphate. He had dwelt at al-Mizza in Damascus's countryside, then returned and settled at Wadi al-Qura, then came down to Medina and died there at al-Jurf. Ibn Abd al-Barr authenticated that he died in 54 AH ¹.

Of the Companions Abu Hurayra and Ibn Abbas related from him, and of the great Tabi'in Abu Uthman al-Nahdi and Abu Wa'il among others; his virtues are many and his hadiths famous ¹.