Said ibn Zayd

Said ibn Zayd (c. 593-673 CE) was one of the ten companions explicitly promised Paradise by the Prophet ﷺ (the Asharah Mubashsharah). He holds a unique distinction in Islamic history: his father, Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, was among the Hunafa — those who rejected the idolatry of pre-Islamic Arabia and sought the pure monotheism of Ibrahim AS before the coming of the Prophet ﷺ. Said himself was among the very earliest Muslims, having accepted Islam before the Prophet began his public mission in the House of al-Arqam. He was a brother-in-law of Umar ibn al-Khattab, having married Umar's sister Fatimah bint al-Khattab. It was at their home that Umar went in his famous rage intending to harm the Muslims, only to find his sister and her husband reciting the Quran — an encounter that led directly to Umar's conversion to Islam, one of the most consequential events in early Islamic history. Said participated in most of the major battles of early Islam, though he missed the Battle of Badr as he was on a mission for the Prophet ﷺ at the time. He served as a military commander in the later campaigns and was appointed governor of Damascus by Umar during the early caliphate. He is among the lesser-discussed of the Asharah Mubashsharah, yet his status is of the highest rank, and his early commitment to Islam — even before the Prophet's public call — marks him as one of the forerunners of the faith. He died around 51 AH / 673 CE and is buried in the Hijaz.