The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) preferring others over themselves

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Urwah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When I came into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I said: O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! This woman (my wife) has told me that you have granted me protection. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You are granted protection." I said: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without any partner, and that you are the servant of Allah and His Messenger; and you are the most devoted of people to kinship, the most truthful of people, and the most faithful of people in keeping promises. Ikrimah says: I was saying these words with my head lowered out of shame before him (peace and blessings be upon him). Then I said: O Messenger of Allah! Pray for my forgiveness for every enmity I showed against you, and for every expedition in which I took part intending the dominance of polytheism. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated: "O Allah, forgive Ikrimah every enmity he showed against me, and every expedition in which he took part intending to turn people away from Your path." I said: O Messenger of Allah! Command me to do the best thing you know, so that I may act upon it. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Say: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and Messenger; and strive in His path." Then Ikrimah said: O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, I will now spend in the path of Allah double whatever wealth I spent to turn people away from the path of Allah, and I will now show in the path of Allah double the effort I showed in the battles I fought in opposition to the religion of Allah. Then he strove hard in fighting until he was martyred at the Battle of Ajnadayn during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had appointed him, in the year of his Hajj, to collect the zakah of the tribe of Hawazin, and when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, Ikrimah was at that time at Tabalah (on that duty).

It is narrated from Habib bin Abi Thabit that Sayyiduna al-Harith bin Hisham, Sayyiduna Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl and Sayyiduna Ayyash bin Abi Rabi'ah (may Allah be pleased with them) were severely wounded on the day of Yarmuk. Al-Harith asked for water to drink, and he saw that Ikrimah was looking at him, so al-Harith said: Give this water to Ikrimah. Ikrimah saw that Ayyash bin Abi Rabi'ah was looking at him, so Ikrimah said: Give this water to Ayyash. So the water did not reach Ayyash or any one of them before they had all been martyred, without having even tasted it.