Abdullah ibn Zubayr

Abdullah ibn Zubayr (622-692 CE) was the first child born among the Muslim emigrants (Muhajirun) in Medina after the Hijrah. He was the son of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr, making him the grandson of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq from his mother's side. His birth was a cause of great joy among the Muslims, who had been concerned by a rumor that the Jews had placed a curse preventing Muslim children from being born in Medina. The Prophet himself performed the tahnik (softening a date and placing it in the newborn's mouth) for Abdullah.

Abdullah grew up to be a man of exceptional courage, piety, and devotion to worship. He was known for his lengthy prayers and fasting, and it was said that when he stood in prayer, he was so still that birds would land on him thinking he was a pillar. He participated in the conquest of North Africa and fought bravely in numerous campaigns. After the death of Yazid ibn Muawiyah in 683 CE, Abdullah declared himself caliph in Mecca, and his authority was recognized across most of the Muslim world, including the Hijaz, Egypt, Iraq, and parts of Syria.

Abdullah's caliphate lasted nearly nine years until the Umayyad general al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf besieged Mecca in 73 AH (692 CE). During the siege, the Kaaba was damaged by catapult fire. Abdullah fought with extraordinary bravery to the very end and was killed in the fighting. His mother Asma, then nearly one hundred years old, urged him to die with honor rather than surrender. His tragic end is one of the most poignant episodes in early Islamic history.