Zayd bin Arqam (r.a.)

Hz. Zayd lost his father when he was very young and became an orphan. Abdullah bin Rawaha took care of him. He stayed with Abdullah bin Rawaha for a long time. When Abdullah bin Rawaha became a Muslim, he became a Muslim at a very young age.

Hz. Zayd could not take part in the Battle of Badr and Uhud because he was very young. However, he took part in all battles and wars after that. He fought heroically.

During the Battle of Bani Mustaliq, in which the Prophet also took part, Abdullah bin Ubayy started to talk against the Prophet and Muslims. Hz. Zayd was also there. When he heard those words that were full of mischief, he could not help intervening. He said to Abdullah bin Ubayy, “I swear by Allah that you are the mean and cursed one in your tribe. Muhammad (pbuh) was made honorable by Allah, who is the most gracious.” When Abdullah bin Ubayy heard it, he got very offended and said to him, “I swear by Allah that I will not love you at all from now on.” When Hz. Zayd said that he was going to tell the Messenger of Allah about what he heard, Abdullah bin Ubayy changed his attitude and said, “O my brother’s son! Keep quiet! I was only joking!”

Zayd b. Arqam did not heed him. He regarded it as an important duty to tell the Messenger of Allah about this munafiq, who tried to cause mischief among Muslims. He went to the Prophet and told him whatever he heard from Abdullah b. Ubayy. The Prophet believed in Zayd but in order to search the issue he said to Zayd, “I hope you do not say so because of you are angry with Ibn Ubayy.” Zayd said, “No! I swear by Allah that I heard them from him.” The Messenger of Allah asked again, “You may have misheard.”Zayd said, “No. O Messenger of Allah! I am telling the truth. It is not wrong.” The Prophet continued asking, “Can somebody else have told you this about him?” Zayd said,“ No. I swear by Allah that I heard those words exactly from him.

There were many Companions with the Messenger of Allah at that time. They got very angry with Abdullah bin Ubayy due to his words. Some of them even offered the Prophet to kill him. The Prophet did not approve it. He sent for Abdullah bin Ubayy in order to listen to the issue from him. Meanwhile some Companions got angry with Zayd and asked him, “Why did you inform the Prophet about it?” Hz. Zayd said, “I swear by Allah that if I had heard those from my own father, I would have told the Messenger of Allah about it.”

After a while, Abdullah bin Ubayy arrived. The Prophet asked him, “Did you utter those words?” Abdullah bin Ubayy did not confess; he denied it: “I swear by Allah, who sent you the book, that I did not utter any of those words. Zayd told you a lie. I do not know anybody closer than you among the people here who will be a means of Allah’s putting into Paradise.” After this talk, the Prophet ordered the army to set off.

The settlement of the issue like that embarrassed Hz. Zayd. He could not approach the Messenger of Allah due to his embarrassment. He said to those who wanted to speak to him about the issue, “I hope that Allah will send revelation to his Prophet and tell him who is lying.” He also prayed Allah as follows: “O Allah! Send your Prophet the revelation that will confirm what I say!”

After a tiring journey, the mujahids arrived in Madinah. Allah Almighty sent down verses 1-8 of the chapter of al-Munafiqun. Those verses confirmed Zayd. The last verses of this revelation are as follows:

“They are the ones who say, “Spend nothing on those who are with Allah’s Messenger, to the end that they may disperse (and quit Madinah). But to Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth; but the Hypocrites understand not. They say, “If we return to Madinah, surely the more honorable (element) will expel there from the meaner.” But honor belongs to Allah and His Messenger, and to the Believers; but the Hypocrites know not.“

When those verses were sent down the Messenger of Allah called Zayd, held his ear and said, “Here is the young man who fulfilled his duty in the way of Allah through his ear! O Zayd! Allah confirmed what you had said!”

After that, nobody believed in Abdullah bin Ubayy. When something like that happened, they scolded and condemned him. The Prophet said to those who wanted Ubayy to be killed, “If I had had him killed, there would have been chaos.” For, he was the leader of his tribe. Everybody liked and respected him. If the Prophet had not migrated to Madinah, he would have been the ruler of Madinah.

When Hz. Zayd became ill, the Prophet (pbuh) visited this young Companion and asked about his health. Once, Hz. Zayd’s eye got ill. The Prophet visited him and prayed for him. When his eye got well, the Prophet asked Zayd, “What would you do if your eyes remained like that?” Hz. Zayd answered in reliance to Allah, “I would show patience and put up with its hardship.” His reliance pleased the Messenger of Allah . The Prophet said, “If you died after your patience, you would definitely go to Paradise.”

Hz. Zayd learned a lot of things from the Messenger of Allah. The Muslims applied to him about religious issues. He answered their questions and gave them advice.

Hz. Zayd, who narrated about 90 hadiths, died in Kufa in the 68th year of the Migration. One of the hadiths that he narrated is as follows:

“I am leaving you two things, each of which is more valuable than the other. If you cling to them, you will not go astray after me. They are the book of Allah, which is like a rope extending down from the sky to the earth and my progeny (Ahl al-Bayt). Those who cling to them will never leave the right path until they come to me near the Pool of Kawthar. Never turn your back on these two things.”