As'ad b. Zurara: Difference between revisions

'''Abū Umāma Asʿad b. Zurāra''' (ابوامامة اَسْعَد بن زُرارة) (d. 1 /A.H - 623) was a [[sahaba]] of Prophet Muhammad (s) and among the first people of [[Yathrib]] who converted to [[Islam]]. He was titled as As’ad al-Khayr. He preached Islam in [[Medina]]; it is said he destroyed the [[idols]] and performed [[prayers]] alongside other Muslims. He was appointed as the [[naqib]] (deputy) of [[Banu Najjar]] by [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] after [[the second pledge at al-Aqaba]]. As’ad and Prophet Muhammad (s) had a mutual friendship. When As’ad had died, Prophet Muhammad (s) performed the [[funeral prayer]] on his body and buried him in [[Al-Baqi’ cemetery]]. It is said the 143rd verse of [[Al-Baqara]] was revealed on the status of a number of Prophet’s sahaba especially As’ad ibn Zurara.

As’ad b. Zurara was among the first people of [[Yathrib]] who converted to Islam in [[Mecca]], prior to [[the migration of Prophet Muhammad (s) to Medina]]. As’ad was a companion of Prophet Muhammad (s) from [[Khazraj]]; he was a monotheist in [[Jahiliyya]] (ignorance) era.

According to [[Sira]] (Prophet’s biography) sources, different stories are stated on the first meeting between As’ad b. Zurara and Prophet Muhammad (s). However, the origin of all these narrations goes back to the meeting between people of Yathrib and Prophet Muhammad (s) at al-Aqaba.

According to the Ibn Sa’d’s narration, when the conflict between the tribes of [[Aws]] and [[Khazraj]] reached its peak, As’ad and Dhakwan ibn Abd al-Qays came from Yathrib to Mecca, because they heard about Muhammad (s). After a meeting with him, they both converted to Islam. Then they returned to Yathrib and preached Islam. After some time along with a number of people of Yathrib, they came to Prophet (s) to take an [[oath of allegiance]], which is known as the first pledge of al-Aqaba.

===As’ad al-Khayr===

As’ad b. Zurara was known as As’ad al-Khayr because he was among the first who brought Islam to Medina.

People of Yathrib came to Prophet Muhammad (s) in different groups to take an oath of allegiance, Banu Najjar, the relatives of As’ad, claimed As’ad was the first one who took the oath of allegiance to Prophet (s). After [[the second pledge at al-Aqaba]] Prophet Muhammad (s) chose a [[naqib]] (deputy) for each tribe, who were supposed to preach Islam and take the responsibility in matters related to their own tribe. As’ad b. Zurara was among the twelve deputies chosen by Prophet Muhammad (s). According to one narration, As’ad was appointed as Naqib al-Nuqaba (the chief deputy).

==As’ad b. Zurara and Prophet Muhammad (s)==

As’ad’s speech at the night before the allegiance at al-Aqaba and also the time that Prophet Muhammad (s) entered [[Quba]] and Medina represent his faith in Prophet (s). Whenever Prophet Muhammad (s) came to Quba, As’ad went to meet him and performed [[jima’a (congregation) prayers]] leading by Prophet (s).

On the other hand, Prophet Muhammad (s) was fond of him, so that when he arrived in Medina, he asked about As’ad. When As’ad became ill, prophet (s) paid a visit to him and provided treatment for him.

After As’ad b. Zurara returned to Medina, he started preaching Islam. As it is said, he destroyed the [[idols]] in the city and performed [[prayers]] along with other Muslims. It is also said he was the first one who performed the first [[Friday’s Prayer]]. However historiographers (Sira writers) have debates on the matter that As’ad b. Zurara preached Islam and performed prayers in Medina. According to the narrations by Ibn Ishaq, after the first pledge of al-Aqaba, Prophet Muhammad (s) sent [[Mus’ab ibn Umayr]] to Medina in order to teach [[the holy Quran]] to people. And in the second pledge of al-Aqaba Mus’ab along with Ansar came to [[Mecca]] to have a meeting with Prophet Muhammad (s).

While other narrations declared that Mus’ab ibn Umayr went to Medina after the second pledge of al-Aqaba. Therefore, it seems Mus’ab was responsible for teaching Quran and As’ad b. Zurara was responsible for performing prayers. When Mus’ab came to Medina, he settled in As’ad’s house to carry out his duties.

The information about As’ad b. Zurara after the migration of Prophet Muhammad (s) to Medina is highly limited. As’ad became ill a few months after the migration of Prophet (s) to Medina. The treatment was not effective and he passed away in al-Shawwal before the building of [[Al-Masjid al-Nabawi]] (Prophet’s mosque) was finished. Prophet Muhammad (s) attended his funeral ceremony and also provided financial support for it. He also performed funeral prayer on his body, which was the first funeral prayer in Medina by Prophet Muhammad (s). He was buried in [[al-Baqi’ cemetery]]; it is said he was the first one who was buried there.

After As’ad had passed away, [[Banu Najjar]] came to Prophet Muhammad (s) and asked for a new Naqib (deputy) for their tribe. Prophet said: I would be the Naqib of your tribe, which made Banu Najjar immensely proud.

==Verses Revealed about As’ad==

# A number of sahaba had passed away before the [[Qibla]] was switched to Mecca, including As’ad ibn Zurara. Meanwhile several leaders of Jews cast doubts on the prayers of those sahaba who already passed away. Subsequently it raised question for As’ad’s family and a number of [[sahaba]] about the prayers of departed Muslims. Therefore, the 143rd verse of [[Al-Baqara]] was revealed:

Wa ma kana Allahu liyudi’a imanakum inna Allaha binnasi laraufu Rahim (Never would Allah make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people most surely full of kindness Most Merciful.) Al-Baqara 143

# It is narrated from Muqatil ibn Sulayman, that the 102nd and 103rd verses of Al-Imran were revealed about the conflict between Tha’laba ibn Ghanam and As’ad ibn Zurara. However according to the reasons stated below, it seems attributing theses verses to Tha’laba and As’ad is not correct. Here is the story and its review:

Tha’laba ibn Ghanam from the tribe of Aws and As’ad b. Zurara from the tribe of Khazraj began a conflict on glorifying their own tribes. Tha’laba said Khuzayma Dhu al-Shahadatayn, Hanzala Ghasil al-Malaika and Asim ibn Thabit who supported Islam and Sa’d ibn Mu’adh (whose decision on Banu Qurayza was accepted by Allah) are all from our tribe. As’ad said: Ubay ibn Ka’b, Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Zayd ibn Thabit and Abu Zayd (who carried and memorized Quran) and Sa’d ibn Ubada, the chief of Ansar, all are from our tribe. Subsequently, it led to a dispute which caused an armed conflict between the tribes.

Ya ayyuha al-ladhina Amanu ittaqu Allaha haqqa tuqatihi wa la tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun. Wa’ tasimu bihabli Allahi jamian wa la tafarraqu wa dhkuru ni’mata Allahi alaykum idh kuntum a’ada’an fa’allafa bayna qulubikum fa asbahtum bini’matihi ikhwanan wa kuntum ala shafa huftatin min al-Nar fa anqadhakum minha kadhalika yubayyinu Allahu lakum ayatihi la’llakum tahtadun. (O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam. And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that by His grace ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of fire and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make his signs clear to you: that ye may be guided.)

If we consider some of the statements mentioned above, they took place after the demise of As’ad b. Zurara (1 A.H), then it would be incorrect to attribute this story to him. For instance, [[Hanzala]] was martyred in [[the battle of Uhud]]; also the story on [[Banu Qurayza]] and [[Sa’d ibn Mu’adh]] took place in the 5th century A.H. possibly it is related to Sa’d, As’d’s brother, who was a hypocrite according to one narration.