سَعِيدُ بْنُ زَيْد
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Sa'id ibn Zayd
Early Muslim · Cousin of Umar · Muhajir
may Allah be pleased with him
Quraysh — Banu Adi · Makkah and Madinah, up to about 51 AH
An early Muslim whose father had rejected idolatry a generation before there was anything to convert to. He and his wife — Umar's sister — were Muslims before Umar was, and he lived quietly through the decades that followed.
Known for
Named among the Ten given glad tidings of Paradise
He and his wife accepted Islam early, before Umar did
His wife was Fatimah bint al-Khattab, Umar's sister. Umar was also his cousin — their fathers were brothers.
His father had rejected idolatry before Islam came
Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl refused to eat what had been sacrificed to idols and said he was looking for the religion of Ibrahim. He died before the revelation began.
He missed Badr and was given a share regardless
He and Talhah had been sent out of Madinah on a task and returned after the fighting was over.
Story
His story in moments
Short episodes from his life, in order. Read one at a time.
In full
Life & legacy
Makkah
Sa'id was of Banu Adi, Umar's clan. His father, Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, had spent his life refusing the religion of his own people without having anything to put in its place, and died before the revelation began.
Sa'id accepted Islam in the earliest years, as did his wife Fatimah bint al-Khattab. The biographies place Umar's own turn towards Islam at their house, though the versions of that account differ and it belongs to the sira layer rather than the hadith collections.
He emigrated to Madinah with the community.
Later years
He took part in the campaigns of the Madinan decade after Badr, and in the fighting in Syria that followed the Prophet's ﷺ death.
He held no governorship and appears rarely in the accounts of the decades after, which is itself the most consistent thing the sources say about him. When the community divided he was among those who stayed out of it.
He died at al-Aqiq, outside Madinah, and was carried into the city to be buried.
How the sources describe him
He held no office and sought none
He was already there before it was safe to be
Connect
People around him
Alongside
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion
An early Muslim of Makkah, from Banu Adi.
His cousin and his wife's brother. Sa'id and Fatimah were Muslims before Umar was.
Sent out of Madinah with him on the task that made them both miss Badr.
Full timeline
- The early Makkan years
He and Fatimah bint al-Khattab accept Islam in Makkah
- 2 AH
Sent out of Madinah with Talhah and misses Badr
- The campaigns in Syria, from 13 AH
Takes part in the fighting in Syria
- Around 51 AH approximate, reports differReports give 50, 51 and 52 AH.
Dies at al-Aqiq and is buried in Madinah
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.
Sahih al-Bukhariصحيح البخاري
Hadith collection · Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari
Jami' at-Tirmidhiجامع الترمذي
Hadith collection · Muhammad ibn 'Isa at-Tirmidhi
As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyahالسيرة النبوية
Classical biography · Ibn Hisham, from the recension of Ibn Ishaq
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى
Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd
Tarikh ar-Rusul wa'l-Mulukتاريخ الرسل والملوك
Classical history · Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari
Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة
Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani
Siyar A'lam an-Nubalaسير أعلام النبلاء
Classical biography · Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi
SahabaMate editorial summary
Editorial summary
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