The merits of Az-Zubair bin Al-'Awwam رضي الله عنه

Narrated Marwan bin Al-Hakam:

`Uthman bin `Affan was afflicted with severe nose-bleeding in the year when such illness was prevelant and that prevented him from performing Hajj, and (because of it) he made his will. A man from Quraish came to him and said, "Appoint your successor." `Uthman asked, "Did the people name him? (i.e. the successor) the man said, "Yes." `Uthman asked, "Who is that?" The man remained silent. Another man came to `Uthman and I think it was Al-Harith. He also said, "Appoint your successor." `Uthman asked, "Did the people name him?" The man replied "Yes." `Uthman said, "Who is that?" The man remained silent. `Uthman said, "Perhaps they have mentioned Az-Zubair?" The man said, "Yes." `Uthman said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, he is the best of them as I know, and the dearest of them to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ."

حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي مَرْوَانُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ، قَالَ أَصَابَ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ رُعَافٌ شَدِيدٌ سَنَةَ الرُّعَافِ، حَتَّى حَبَسَهُ عَنِ الْحَجِّ وَأَوْصَى، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ قَالَ اسْتَخْلِفْ‏.‏ قَالَ وَقَالُوهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ‏.‏ قَالَ وَمَنْ فَسَكَتَ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ ـ أَحْسِبُهُ الْحَارِثَ ـ فَقَالَ اسْتَخْلِفْ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ وَقَالُوا فَقَالَ نَعَمْ‏.‏ قَالَ وَمَنْ هُوَ فَسَكَتَ قَالَ فَلَعَلَّهُمْ قَالُوا الزُّبَيْرَ قَالَ نَعَمْ‏.‏ قَالَ أَمَا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّهُ لَخَيْرُهُمْ مَا عَلِمْتُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ لأَحَبَّهُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏

Narrated Marwan bin Al-Hakam:

While I was with `Uthman, a man came to him and said, "Appoint your successor." `Uthman said, "Has such successor been named?" He replied, "Yes, Az-Zubair." `Uthman said, thrice, "By Allah! Indeed you know that he is the best of you."

حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، سَمِعْتُ مَرْوَانَ، كُنْتُ عِنْدَ عُثْمَانَ، أَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ اسْتَخْلِفْ‏.‏ قَالَ وَقِيلَ ذَاكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ، الزُّبَيْرُ‏.‏ قَالَ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنَّكُمْ لَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ خَيْرُكُمْ‏.‏ ثَلاَثًا‏.‏

Narrated Jabir:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Every prophet used to have a Hawari (i.e. disciple), and my Hawari is Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam."

حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ ـ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

‏ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ حَوَارِيًّا، وَإِنَّ حَوَارِيَّ الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْعَوَّامِ ‏

‏‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair:

During the battle of Al-Ahzab, I and `Umar bin Abi-Salama were kept behind with the women. Behold! I saw (my father) Az-Zubair riding his horse, going to and coming from Bani Quraiza twice or thrice. So when I came back I said, "O my father! I saw you going to and coming from Bani Quraiza?" He said, "Did you really see me, O my son?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Who will go to Bani Quraiza and bring me their news?' So I went, and when I came back, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) mentioned for me both his parents saying, "Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you."'

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا ‏{‏عَبْدُ اللَّهِ‏}‏ أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، قَالَ كُنْتُ يَوْمَ الأَحْزَابِ جُعِلْتُ أَنَا وَعُمَرُ بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، فِي النِّسَاءِ، فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِالزُّبَيْرِ، عَلَى فَرَسِهِ، يَخْتَلِفُ إِلَى بَنِي قُرَيْظَةَ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، فَلَمَّا رَجَعْتُ قُلْتُ يَا أَبَتِ، رَأَيْتُكَ تَخْتَلِفُ‏.‏ قَالَ أَوَهَلْ رَأَيْتَنِي يَا بُنَىَّ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ‏.‏ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ يَأْتِ بَنِي قُرَيْظَةَ فَيَأْتِينِي بِخَبَرِهِمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقْتُ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعْتُ جَمَعَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَبَوَيْهِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ فِدَاكَ أَبِي وَأُمِّي ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated `Urwa:

On the day of the battle of Al-Yarmuk, the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said to Az-Zubair, "Will you attack the enemy vigorously so that we may attack them along with you?" So Az-Zubair attacked them, and they inflicted two wounds over his shoulder, and in between these two wounds there was an old scar he had received on the day of the battle of Badr When I was a child, I used to insert my fingers into those scars in play.

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ النَّبِيِّ، صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالُوا لِلزُّبَيْرِ يَوْمَ الْيَرْمُوكِ أَلاَ تَشُدُّ فَنَشُدَّ مَعَكَ فَحَمَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَضَرَبُوهُ ضَرْبَتَيْنِ عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ، بَيْنَهُمَا ضَرْبَةٌ ضُرِبَهَا يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ‏.‏ قَالَ عُرْوَةُ فَكُنْتُ أُدْخِلُ أَصَابِعِي فِي تِلْكَ الضَّرَبَاتِ أَلْعَبُ وَأَنَا صَغِيرٌ‏.‏