سعد بن أبي وقّاص
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
The Archer of Islam
Quick Facts
Birth
c. 595 CE, Makkah
Tribe
Quraysh — Banu Zuhrah
Relationship
Maternal relative of the Prophet ﷺ
Major Role
Commander; conqueror at al-Qadisiyyah
Death
c. 674 CE (55 AH), Madinah
The first man to shoot an arrow in the cause of Islam, Sa'd was a young believer whose mother tried to starve him back to disbelief. Decades later he led the army that opened Persia at al-Qadisiyyah.
Biography Timeline
Early Islam & His Mother
He believed at about seventeen. When his mother swore to neither eat nor drink until he left Islam, he honoured her yet held to his faith — and the Qur'an affirmed kindness to parents without obeying them in disbelief.
The Archer
At Uhud the Prophet ﷺ gathered arrows for him, saying, 'Shoot, Sa'd — may my father and mother be sacrificed for you.' No companion was honoured with both parents mentioned together in this way.
The Answered Supplication
The Prophet ﷺ prayed that God would answer Sa'd's supplications, and he was known ever after as one whose prayers were answered — a trust he feared to misuse.
Al-Qadisiyyah & Kufa
Under Umar he commanded the great victory at al-Qadisiyyah, opening the way into Iraq and Persia, and founded the city of Kufa. In later strife he kept deliberately neutral, refusing to raise his sword against fellow Muslims.
Later Life & Death
One of the last of the Ten to pass, he died near Madinah around 674 CE and was buried in al-Baqi'. He is remembered for prowess, piety and restraint alike.
Authentic Narrations
ارمِ سعد، فداك أبي وأمي.
“Shoot, Sa'd — may my father and mother be sacrificed for you.”
Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
ورد أن النبي ﷺ سمّى عشرة من أصحابه من أهل الجنة: أبو بكر، وعمر، وعثمان، وعليّ، وطلحة، والزبير، وعبد الرحمن بن عوف، وسعد بن أبي وقاص، وسعيد بن زيد، وأبو عبيدة بن الجراح.
“It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ named ten of his companions as people of Paradise: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, al-Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Sa'id ibn Zayd, and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah.”
Jami' al-Tirmidhi (Sahih)
Historical Sources
- ✦Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
- ✦al-Tabari, Tarikh