Written by: Hafiz Sher Muhammad
Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah Aamir bin Abdullah ibn al-Jarrah al-Qurashi al-Nahri al-Makki (RA) was among the early converts to Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"Indeed, every nation has a trustworthy person, and our trustworthy person, O nation, is Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah."
(Sahih Bukhari: 3744 and Sahih Muslim: 2419)
Sayyiduna Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (RA) narrates that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to the delegation from Najran:
"I will send to you a truly trustworthy person."
He then looked at his companions and sent Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (RA). (Sahih Muslim: 2420 and Sahih Bukhari: 3745)
Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (RA) also narrates that when the delegation from Najran came to debate, they said to each other: "Do not do this, by Allah! If he is truly a prophet, we will never succeed nor our descendants if we engage in debate with him." They then said, "Give us what we ask, and send with us a trustworthy person." The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"I will send with you a truly trustworthy person."
Looking at his companions, he said: "O Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, stand up." When he stood up, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"This is the trustworthy person of this nation."
(Sahih Bukhari: 4380)
Sayyiduna Anas (RA) narrates that when people from Yemen came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said:
"Send with us a man to teach us the Sunnah and Islam," he took the hand of Abu Ubaidah (RA) and said:
"This is the trustworthy person of this nation."
(Sahih Muslim: 2419/54, Darussalam numbering: 6253)
The greatness of a person whom the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) declares as truly trustworthy is immense! This also proves that the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions taught people the Quran and Sunnah, which is the true religion of Islam.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said through divine inspiration:
"Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah is in Paradise."
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 3747, with a sound chain of narration, Monthly al-Hadith: 19, p. 56)
Abdullah ibn Shaqiq narrates that he asked (Sayyida) Aisha (RA): "Who among the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) was the most beloved to him?" She replied: "Abu Bakr." I asked: "Then who?" She replied: "Umar." I asked: "Then who?" She replied: "Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah." I asked: "Then who?" She remained silent. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 3657, and he said: "This is a sound and authentic hadith," Sunan Ibn Majah: 102, with a sound chain of narration)
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"Abu Bakr is a good man, Umar is a good man, Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah is a good man, Usayd ibn Hudhayr is a good man, Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas is a good man, Mu'adh ibn Jabal is a good man, and Mu'adh ibn Amr ibn al-Jamuh is a good man."
(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 2, p. 419, hadith no. 9431, with a sound chain of narration, Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 3795, and he said: "This is a sound hadith")
Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (RA) was the leader of the army sent by the Prophet (ﷺ) for Jihad. The army found a large dead fish near the sea, which they ate for days, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) also ate from it. See Sahih Bukhari (4361, 4360) and Sahih Muslim (1935). Once, Sayyiduna Umar (RA) said:
"I wish this house was filled with men like Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah."
(Hilyat al-Awliya, vol. 1, p. 102, with a sound chain of narration)
In the year 18 AH, during the plague of Amwas, Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah (RA) fell ill and showed immense patience and steadfastness. See Kitab al-Zuhd by Ibn al-Mubarak (hadith no. 882, with a sound chain of narration, al-Harith ibn Umayrah al-Zubaidi al-Harithi is trustworthy). He passed away in the year 18 AH at the age of fifty-eight (58). May Allah be pleased with him.
Ibn Sa’d said:
"Abu Ubaidah embraced Islam before the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the house of al-Arqam. He migrated to Abyssinia during the second migration, returned (to Medina), and participated in Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, and all other battles alongside the Prophet (ﷺ)."
(Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd 7/384)
The mention of the last of the ten promised Paradise among the esteemed companions ends here.
Just as the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (ﷺ), was unique and unparalleled in the entire universe, no one from the Ummah can reach the rank of even an ordinary companion. We pray to Allah (SWT) to fill our hearts with love for Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah and all the companions (RA). Ameen.
Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah Aamir bin Abdullah ibn al-Jarrah al-Qurashi al-Nahri al-Makki (RA) was among the early converts to Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"Indeed, every nation has a trustworthy person, and our trustworthy person, O nation, is Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah."
(Sahih Bukhari: 3744 and Sahih Muslim: 2419)
Sayyiduna Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (RA) narrates that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to the delegation from Najran:
"I will send to you a truly trustworthy person."
He then looked at his companions and sent Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (RA). (Sahih Muslim: 2420 and Sahih Bukhari: 3745)
Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (RA) also narrates that when the delegation from Najran came to debate, they said to each other: "Do not do this, by Allah! If he is truly a prophet, we will never succeed nor our descendants if we engage in debate with him." They then said, "Give us what we ask, and send with us a trustworthy person." The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"I will send with you a truly trustworthy person."
Looking at his companions, he said: "O Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, stand up." When he stood up, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"This is the trustworthy person of this nation."
(Sahih Bukhari: 4380)
Sayyiduna Anas (RA) narrates that when people from Yemen came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said:
"Send with us a man to teach us the Sunnah and Islam," he took the hand of Abu Ubaidah (RA) and said:
"This is the trustworthy person of this nation."
(Sahih Muslim: 2419/54, Darussalam numbering: 6253)
The greatness of a person whom the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) declares as truly trustworthy is immense! This also proves that the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions taught people the Quran and Sunnah, which is the true religion of Islam.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said through divine inspiration:
"Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah is in Paradise."
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 3747, with a sound chain of narration, Monthly al-Hadith: 19, p. 56)
Abdullah ibn Shaqiq narrates that he asked (Sayyida) Aisha (RA): "Who among the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) was the most beloved to him?" She replied: "Abu Bakr." I asked: "Then who?" She replied: "Umar." I asked: "Then who?" She replied: "Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah." I asked: "Then who?" She remained silent. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 3657, and he said: "This is a sound and authentic hadith," Sunan Ibn Majah: 102, with a sound chain of narration)
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"Abu Bakr is a good man, Umar is a good man, Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah is a good man, Usayd ibn Hudhayr is a good man, Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas is a good man, Mu'adh ibn Jabal is a good man, and Mu'adh ibn Amr ibn al-Jamuh is a good man."
(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 2, p. 419, hadith no. 9431, with a sound chain of narration, Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 3795, and he said: "This is a sound hadith")
Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (RA) was the leader of the army sent by the Prophet (ﷺ) for Jihad. The army found a large dead fish near the sea, which they ate for days, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) also ate from it. See Sahih Bukhari (4361, 4360) and Sahih Muslim (1935). Once, Sayyiduna Umar (RA) said:
"I wish this house was filled with men like Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah."
(Hilyat al-Awliya, vol. 1, p. 102, with a sound chain of narration)
In the year 18 AH, during the plague of Amwas, Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah (RA) fell ill and showed immense patience and steadfastness. See Kitab al-Zuhd by Ibn al-Mubarak (hadith no. 882, with a sound chain of narration, al-Harith ibn Umayrah al-Zubaidi al-Harithi is trustworthy). He passed away in the year 18 AH at the age of fifty-eight (58). May Allah be pleased with him.
Ibn Sa’d said:
"Abu Ubaidah embraced Islam before the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the house of al-Arqam. He migrated to Abyssinia during the second migration, returned (to Medina), and participated in Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, and all other battles alongside the Prophet (ﷺ)."
(Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd 7/384)
The mention of the last of the ten promised Paradise among the esteemed companions ends here.
Just as the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (ﷺ), was unique and unparalleled in the entire universe, no one from the Ummah can reach the rank of even an ordinary companion. We pray to Allah (SWT) to fill our hearts with love for Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah and all the companions (RA). Ameen.