Sad ibn Muadh

Sad ibn Muadh (591-627 CE) was the chief of the Aws tribe in Medina and one of the most prominent leaders among the Ansar (the Muslims of Medina who supported the Prophet). He accepted Islam through the preaching of Musab ibn Umayr, whom the Prophet had sent to Medina before the Hijrah. When Sad converted, the entire Banu Abdul-Ashhal clan of the Aws followed him into Islam, making his conversion one of the most consequential in early Islamic history.

Sad was a steadfast supporter of the Prophet and played crucial roles in several events. At the Battle of Badr, when the Prophet consulted the companions about engaging the enemy, Sad gave a passionate pledge of support on behalf of the Ansar, assuring the Prophet of their absolute loyalty. At the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq) in 5 AH, Sad was struck in the arm by an arrow and suffered a severe wound. Despite his injury, he prayed that Allah would allow him to live long enough to see the matter of Banu Qurayza resolved.

After the Battle of the Trench, when Banu Qurayza surrendered, the Prophet appointed Sad as the arbiter of their fate. Sad ruled that the fighting men who had committed treason should be executed and the women and children taken as captives. The Prophet said that Sad's judgment matched the judgment of Allah from above the seven heavens. Shortly after, Sad's wound reopened and he died. The Prophet said that the Throne of Allah shook at the death of Sad ibn Muadh, a testament to his extraordinary status.