Usama ibn Zayd

Usama ibn Zayd (615-674 CE) was the son of Zayd ibn Harithah, the Prophet's adopted son and freed slave, and Umm Ayman, the Prophet's childhood nursemaid. He was one of the most beloved people to the Prophet, who used to seat the young Usama on one knee and his grandson Hasan on the other, saying, 'O Allah, love them, for I love them.' The Prophet's affection for Usama and his father was well known among the companions.

Usama's most famous role came shortly before the Prophet's death, when Muhammad appointed the seventeen-year-old as commander of a major military expedition to the Byzantine frontier in Syria. Some companions were surprised by the appointment of such a young man over senior veterans, but the Prophet firmly defended his choice, just as he had previously defended the leadership of Usama's father Zayd. The army departed shortly after the Prophet's death, and Abu Bakr insisted on honoring the Prophet's command by sending the expedition. Usama's campaign was successful and returned victorious.

Usama was also notable for a significant incident in which the Prophet rebuked him for killing an enemy combatant who had declared the shahada (testimony of faith) during battle. The Prophet repeatedly asked Usama, 'Did you split open his heart to see if he was sincere?' This lesson became a foundational principle about the inviolability of anyone who professes Islam. Usama later settled in Medina and lived a quiet life of worship, declining involvement in the later civil conflicts. He passed away in 54 AH (674 CE).