عَبَّادُ بْنُ بِشْر
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Abbad ibn Bishr
Ansari of Aws · Kept praying through the arrows · Killed at Yamamah
may Allah be pleased with him
Aws — Banu Abd al-Ashhal, of Madinah · Madinah, up to 12 AH
An Ansari known for how much of the night he spent in prayer. Standing guard once, he was struck by arrows while reciting and would not break off until he had finished, then woke his sleeping companion. He was killed years later at the Battle of Yamamah.
Known for
He was known among the Ansar for how much of the night he spent in prayer
Standing guard at night on a military expedition, he was struck by arrows while praying and did not break off his recitation
He had taken the first turn at watch and was praying when a man watching the camp shot at him. He drew out each arrow as it struck and continued reciting until he had completed the portion he was reading, and only then woke the companion sleeping beside him.
Asked afterwards why he had not woken his companion sooner, he answered, in substance, that he had been in the middle of a passage of Qur'an and did not want to break it off
He was killed at the Battle of Yamamah, fighting Musaylimah's forces
Story
His story in moments
Short episodes from his life, in order. Read one at a time.
In full
Life & legacy
Aws, and a life of prayer
Abbad ibn Bishr was of Banu Abd al-Ashhal, a clan of Aws in Madinah — the same clan as Sa'd ibn Mu'adh. He is named among those present at Badr and in the Prophet's ﷺ later campaigns, and is remembered above all for the amount of the night he spent in prayer.
The night on watch, and Yamamah
On one expedition he was set to keep watch overnight together with another companion, taking the first turn while the other slept. What happened while he stood that watch is set out in the moment below.
Years later, after the Prophet ﷺ had died, he was killed at the Battle of Yamamah, fighting against Musaylimah's forces.
How the sources describe him
Devotion to prayer was central to how he was remembered
He stayed at his post under fire rather than break away from it
Connect
People around him
Alongside
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion
He served among the Ansar in the Prophet's ﷺ campaigns, including the expedition where he was struck by arrows while standing guard in prayer.
Both were of Banu Abd al-Ashhal, of Aws, companions from the same clan in Madinah.
Full timeline
- Before the Hijrah
Accepts Islam with the rest of Banu Abd al-Ashhal, after Sa'd ibn Mu'adh's decision
- The Madinan years
Stands guard at night and is struck by arrows while praying
- 12 AH approximate
Killed at the Battle of Yamamah
Part of
Sources & review
Draft content — undergoing reviewThis content was written for SahabaMate and has not yet been checked by a reviewer against the works below. Treat it as a starting point, not a citation.
Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة
Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى
Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd
Siyar A'lam an-Nubalaسير أعلام النبلاء
Classical biography · Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi
As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyahالسيرة النبوية
Classical biography · Ibn Hisham, from the recension of Ibn Ishaq
Companions of the Prophet
Modern biography · Abdul Wahid Hamid
SahabaMate editorial summary
Editorial summary
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