Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada‘), stayed in Madinah. During this stay, many delegations came and met the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he would praise and thank Allah Ta‘ala for the success of his mission.

During this period, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prepared Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd radi Allahu anhu with seven hundred soldiers and ordered that they ride through the region of Balqa’ and the Palestinian land of Darum. This army set out; this event took place in Rabi‘ al-Awwal of the 11th year of Hijrah. However, the army had only reached the place of Jurf, three miles away, and had set up camp there, when concerning news about the illness of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam caused them to halt and await the outcome. Allah Ta‘ala’s decree manifested, and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away. Thereafter, this army became the first military expedition of the caliphate of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu.

The background of this blessed hadith is as follows: Sayyiduna Zayd bin Harithah radi Allahu anhu was sent as the commander of the Muslim army in the Battle of Mu’tah in 8 AH, where he was martyred. He was the freed slave of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and before the new ruling of the Shari‘ah, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had adopted him as a son.

Sayyiduna Harith bin ‘Amr al-Azdi radi Allahu anhu went with a letter from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to the governor of Busra, but Shurahbil bin ‘Amr al-Ghassani killed him. To avenge this, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prepared an army of three thousand (3,000) and entrusted its command to Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd radi Allahu anhu, who was eighteen or twenty years old at the time. On this occasion, some people criticized the youth of the commander and delayed joining the expedition, due to which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam uttered the above-mentioned hadith. Upon hearing this, the noble Companions gathered around Sayyiduna Usamah radi Allahu anhu and joined his army, which then set out and camped at Jurf, three miles from Madinah. However, due to alarming news about the illness of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, they could not proceed further and were compelled to remain there awaiting Allah Ta‘ala’s decree. Life did not permit, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam met his Creator before the conclusion of this expedition. When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu assumed the reins of the caliphate, the very first thing he did was to dispatch Sayyiduna Usamah radi Allahu anhu against the enemies of Islam, and they returned waving the banner of victory.

In this hadith, the greatness and virtue of Sayyiduna Usamah radi Allahu anhu is mentioned, that he was deemed suitable for leadership and was declared the most beloved and righteous by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Imam Nawawi said: This hadith shows that it is permissible to appoint a freed slave as a commander and to give him precedence over the Arabs. It is also known from this that a youth can be made commander over elders, because when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away, Sayyiduna Usamah radi Allahu anhu was eighteen or twenty years old. This hadith also proves that, due to some benefit, a less virtuous person can be made commander over a more virtuous one. In these ahadith, the great virtues of Sayyiduna Zayd and Sayyiduna Usamah radi Allahu anhuma are mentioned. (Sharh Muslim: 2/283)