زَيْدُ بْنُ حَارِثَة
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Zayd ibn Harithah
He chose to stay · Early Muslim · Commander at Mu'tah
may Allah be pleased with him
Of Kalb; enslaved in Arabia before Islam · Makkah and Madinah, up to 8 AH
Taken as a boy and sold into slavery, he was found by his family years later and chose not to go home with them. He is the only Companion named in the Qur'an, and he was the first of the three commanders killed at Mu'tah.
Known for
His family came to take him home, and he chose to stay
He is the only Companion named in the Qur'an
He was among the very first to accept Islam
He commanded at Mu'tah and was the first of the three killed
Story
His story in moments
Short episodes from his life, in order. Read one at a time.
In full
Life & legacy
Makkah
Zayd was of the tribe of Kalb. He was taken as a boy on a journey with his mother, sold, and ended up in Makkah in the household of Khadijah, who gave him to the Prophet ﷺ.
His family found him years later and came to buy him back. What happened then is set out in the moment below.
He was freed and, in the practice of the time, taken as a son — and was called Zayd ibn Muhammad for a period. That form of adoption was later ended, and he was called by his father's name again. The Qur'an addresses the matter directly, and names him in doing so; he is the only Companion named in it.
Madinah and Mu'tah
He emigrated to Madinah and was given command of a number of expeditions — more than most, and the sources treat that as a settled fact about how he was regarded.
In 8 AH he was named first of three commanders for the expedition to Mu'tah, with Ja'far ibn Abi Talib to take over if he fell and Abdullah ibn Rawahah after him. He was killed there, and so were the other two.
His son Usamah was later given command of an expedition himself, while still very young.
How the sources describe him
He preferred one household to his own family, and said so in front of both
He was repeatedly given command
Connect
People around him
Family
His wife, and the mother of his son Usamah.
Alongside
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion
He chose to stay with him rather than return to his family, and was freed by him.
Named to take command at Mu'tah after him. Both were killed there.
Full timeline
- Before the revelation began
His family come to buy him back, and he chooses to stay
- The first years of the revelation
Accepts Islam among the first in Makkah
- The Madinan years
Given command of expeditions from Madinah
- 8 AH
Killed at Mu'tah, first of the three commanders
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.
The Qur'anالقرآن الكريم
Qur'an
Sahih al-Bukhariصحيح البخاري
Hadith collection · Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari
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
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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