Sad ibn Abi Waqqas

Sad ibn Abi Waqqas (600-675 CE) was one of the ten companions promised Paradise and one of the earliest converts to Islam. He accepted Islam at the age of seventeen, making him one of the youngest early Muslims. He was from the Banu Zuhrah clan of the Quraysh and was a maternal uncle of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet is reported to have said about him, 'This is my uncle; let anyone show me his uncle.'

Sad was the first person to shoot an arrow in the cause of Islam and participated in all the major battles alongside the Prophet, including Badr, Uhud, and the Trench. His greatest military achievement came as the commander of the Muslim forces at the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah in 636 CE, where the vastly outnumbered Muslim army defeated the mighty Sassanid Persian Empire. This victory opened the way for the Islamic conquest of Persia and changed the course of history. Sad also founded the city of Kufa in Iraq, which became one of the most important centers of Islamic learning.

Sad was known for the acceptance of his supplications (dua). The Prophet specifically prayed, 'O Allah, answer Sad's supplication,' and people were cautious of earning his displeasure. He served as governor of Kufa and was one of the six-member council appointed by Umar to select the next caliph. He withdrew from the civil strife (fitna) that followed Uthman's assassination, choosing neutrality. He was the last of the ten promised Paradise to die, passing away in 55 AH (675 CE) at his estate outside Medina.