Aqdam أقدام

Companion of the Prophet ﷺ

ثابت بن قيس بن شماس

رضي الله عنه

Thabit ibn Qays

Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas al-Harithi al-Khazraji al-Ansari

Thabit ibn Qays, the Ansari orator of the Prophet who feared for his deeds and was promised Paradise: humility and courage, with hadith citations.

  • Khatib Rasul Allah (Orator of the Messenger of Allah)
  • Khatib al-Ansar
A day in his footsteps
  • Family and tribeBanu al-Harith, Khazraj (Ansar)
  • BornMedina (date unknown)
  • Died633 CE / 12 AH (Battle of al-Yamama)
  • Resting placeal-Yamama, central Arabia (fell in battle)
  • Counted amongAnsar

Introduction

Thabit ibn Qays was a leading man of the Ansar from the Khazraj clan of Banu al-Harith in Medina. He was known for his speech and was the Prophet's orator on public occasions, answering delegations on his behalf.

He was a man with a naturally loud voice, and when the verse commanding believers not to raise their voices above the Prophet's was revealed, he shut himself in his house, grieving, because he feared his deeds were wasted. The Prophet sent a message that he was not from the people of the Fire but from the people of Paradise.

After the Prophet's death, Thabit joined the campaign against the false prophet Musaylima. At Yamama in 12 AH he perfumed himself, took his place in the line, and fought until he was killed. The Prophet had already named him among the excellent men of the community.

The story

  1. Early Medina period

    Became a leading orator of the Ansar and spokesman for the Prophet in delegations.

    Read the wording
    Sahih al-Bukhari 4373Sahih
    Arabic text

    … الَّذِي أُرِيتُ فِيهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ، وَهَذَا ثَابِتٌ يُجِيبُكَ عَنِّي". ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ عَنْهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلْتُ عَنْ قَوْلِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم" إِنَّكَ أُرَى الَّذِي أُرِيتُ فِيهِ مَا أُرِيتُ". فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ" بَيْنَا أَنَا نَائِمٌ رَأَيْتُ فِي يَدَىَّ سِوَارَيْنِ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، فَأَهَمَّنِي …

    “this is Thabit bin Qais who will answer your questions on my behalf”

    Grade: Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari)

  2. c. 9 AH

    Shut himself in his house after the revelation of Quran 49:2 until the Prophet gave him glad tidings of Paradise.

    Read the wording
    Sahih al-Bukhari 3613Sahih
    Arabic text

    … مَا شَأْنُكَ فَقَالَ شَرٌّ، كَانَ يَرْفَعُ صَوْتَهُ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ، وَهْوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ. فَأَتَى الرَّجُلُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا. فَقَالَ مُوسَى بْنُ أَنَسٍ فَرَجَعَ الْمَرَّةَ الآخِرَةَ بِبِشَارَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، فَقَالَ " اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْ لَهُ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، وَلَكِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ …

    “You are not from the people of Fire, but from the people of Paradise”

    Grade: Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari)

  3. 632 CE / 11 AH

    Marched against Musaylima after the Prophet's death.

  4. 633 CE / 12 AH

    Killed at the Battle of al-Yamama after famously refusing to give ground.

    Read the wording
    Sahih al-Bukhari 2845Sahih
    Arabic text

    … عَمِّ مَا يَحْبِسُكَ أَنْ لاَ تَجِيءَ قَالَ الآنَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي. وَجَعَلَ يَتَحَنَّطُ، يَعْنِي مِنَ الْحَنُوطِ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَجَلَسَ، فَذَكَرَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ انْكِشَافًا مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَقَالَ هَكَذَا عَنْ وُجُوهِنَا حَتَّى نُضَارِبَ الْقَوْمَ، مَا هَكَذَا كُنَّا نَفْعَلُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، بِئْسَ مَا عَوَّدْتُمْ أَقْرَانَكُمْ. رَوَاهُ حَمَّادٌ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ …

    “Clear the way for me to fight the enemy”

    Grade: Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari)

A day in their footsteps

4 small, repeatable practices from Thabit ibn Qays's life. Each comes with the Arabic text and English wording of its source, and links to read the full report.

  1. Taking the adab of the Prophet's presence seriously

    When Allah revealed the command not to raise voices above the Prophet's or speak loudly to him, Thabit, who was loud-voiced, took it as a personal warning and withdrew in sorrow, fearing his good deeds had been cancelled.

    Try this today

    Lower your voice and your ego in front of the Qur'an, the Prophet's words and knowledgeable people.

    Sit with this

    Do you lower your voice when the Quran or the Prophet's words are spoken?

    Sources

    Quran 49:2Quran

    يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَرْفَعُوٓا۟ أَصْوَٰتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ ٱلنَّبِىِّ وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا۟ لَهُۥ بِٱلْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَن تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَٰلُكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ

    “Lift not up your voices above the voice of the Prophet”

    Surah Al-Hujuraat

    Sahih al-Bukhari 3613Sahih

    … مَا شَأْنُكَ فَقَالَ شَرٌّ، كَانَ يَرْفَعُ صَوْتَهُ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ، وَهْوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ. فَأَتَى الرَّجُلُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا. فَقَالَ مُوسَى بْنُ أَنَسٍ فَرَجَعَ الْمَرَّةَ الآخِرَةَ بِبِشَارَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، فَقَالَ " اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْ لَهُ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، وَلَكِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ …

    “all his good deeds have been annulled”

    Grade: Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari)

  2. Fearing for his own deeds

    He did not argue that his sincerity would save him; he sat with his head down in his house worrying about what he had done. The Prophet's reply, that he is from the people of Paradise, came as mercy to a man who feared Allah.

    Try this today

    Fear Allah, but never let that fear become hopelessness.

    Sit with this

    Does your fear of Allah lead you to hope, or to despair?

    Source

    Sahih Muslim 119Sahih

    … بَيْتِهِ وَقَالَ أَنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ. وَاحْتَبَسَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَعْدَ بْنَ مُعَاذٍ فَقَالَ" يَا أَبَا عَمْرٍو مَا شَأْنُ ثَابِتٍ أَشْتَكَى". قَالَ سَعْدٌ إِنَّهُ لَجَارِي وَمَا عَلِمْتُ لَهُ بِشَكْوَى. قَالَ فَأَتَاهُ سَعْدٌ فَذَكَرَ لَهُ قَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ثَابِتٌ أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ …

    “Thabit b. Qais confined himself in his house”

    Grade: Sahih (Sahih Muslim)

  3. Speaking for the truth when called

    Thabit stood with the Prophet when Musaylima came to Medina and was designated as the one who would answer the false claimant on the Prophet's behalf. He was known as the orator of the Messenger of Allah.

    Try this today

    If you have a gift for speaking, use it for truth and for those who cannot speak.

    Sit with this

    Could a gift you have be used to speak for those who cannot?

    Source

    Sahih al-Bukhari 4378Sahih

    … اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعَهُ ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسِ بْنِ شَمَّاسٍ، وَهْوَ الَّذِي يُقَالُ لَهُ خَطِيبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَفِي يَدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَضِيبٌ، فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ فَكَلَّمَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مُسَيْلِمَةُ إِنْ شِئْتَ خَلَّيْتَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الأَمْرِ، ثُمَّ جَعَلْتَهُ لَنَا بَعْدَكَ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم" لَوْ سَأَلْتَنِي …

    “Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas who was called the orator of Allah's Messenger”

    Grade: Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari)

  4. Preparing for death with dignity

    At Yamama, Anas saw Thabit lifting his clothes and applying hunut (perfume used for the shroud) to his body before he joined the row. When the Muslims began to break, he said that they had not done this in the Messenger's time, called out against the habits they had picked up from their enemies, and fought until he was killed.

    Try this today

    Keep your courage, composure and your manners even when things start to fall apart around you.

    Sit with this

    How would you want to carry yourself when things fall apart?

    Source

    Sahih al-Bukhari 2845Sahih

    … عَمِّ مَا يَحْبِسُكَ أَنْ لاَ تَجِيءَ قَالَ الآنَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي. وَجَعَلَ يَتَحَنَّطُ، يَعْنِي مِنَ الْحَنُوطِ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَجَلَسَ، فَذَكَرَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ انْكِشَافًا مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَقَالَ هَكَذَا عَنْ وُجُوهِنَا حَتَّى نُضَارِبَ الْقَوْمَ، مَا هَكَذَا كُنَّا نَفْعَلُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، بِئْسَ مَا عَوَّدْتُمْ أَقْرَانَكُمْ. رَوَاهُ حَمَّادٌ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ …

    “Clear the way for me to fight the enemy”

    Grade: Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Virtues

  • The Prophet named Thabit ibn Qays among the excellent men of the community: What an excellent man is Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas.

    “what an excellent man is Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas”

    Arabic text

    … صلى الله عليه وسلم " نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ عُمَرُ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ أُسَيْدُ بْنُ حُضَيْرٍ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسِ بْنِ شَمَّاسٍ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ مُعَاذُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْجَمُوحِ". قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ إِنَّمَا نَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ …

    Jami at-Tirmidhi 3795Sahih

  • The Prophet sent word that Thabit was not from the people of the Fire but from the people of Paradise.

    “You are not from the people of Fire, but from the people of Paradise”

    Arabic text

    … مَا شَأْنُكَ فَقَالَ شَرٌّ، كَانَ يَرْفَعُ صَوْتَهُ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ، وَهْوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ. فَأَتَى الرَّجُلُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا. فَقَالَ مُوسَى بْنُ أَنَسٍ فَرَجَعَ الْمَرَّةَ الآخِرَةَ بِبِشَارَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، فَقَالَ " اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْ لَهُ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، وَلَكِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ …

    Sahih al-Bukhari 3613Sahih

Sayings and moments

  • At Yamama: Clear the way for me to fight the enemy; we would never do so in the company of Allah's Messenger.

    “We would never do so (i.e. flee) in the company of Allah's Messenger”

    Arabic text

    … عَمِّ مَا يَحْبِسُكَ أَنْ لاَ تَجِيءَ قَالَ الآنَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي. وَجَعَلَ يَتَحَنَّطُ، يَعْنِي مِنَ الْحَنُوطِ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَجَلَسَ، فَذَكَرَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ انْكِشَافًا مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَقَالَ هَكَذَا عَنْ وُجُوهِنَا حَتَّى نُضَارِبَ الْقَوْمَ، مَا هَكَذَا كُنَّا نَفْعَلُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، بِئْسَ مَا عَوَّدْتُمْ أَقْرَانَكُمْ. رَوَاهُ حَمَّادٌ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ …

    Sahih al-Bukhari 2845Sahih

Words on this page

Ansarالأنصار
"The Helpers": the Muslims of Madinah, from the Aws and Khazraj tribes, who welcomed and sheltered the Prophet ﷺ and the emigrants from Makkah.
Hadithحديث
A report of what the Prophet ﷺ said, did or approved, passed down through a chain of narrators.
Madinahالمدينة
The city, formerly Yathrib, to which the Prophet ﷺ migrated and where the first Muslim community was built.

The full glossary

Sources and review

Hadith numbers follow sunnah.com. Each report links to sunnah.com, and, where the numbering matches, to al-Hadees or HadithUnlocked as well. Quran verses link to quran.com, Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tanzil. The Arabic is taken from the hadith editions and trimmed around the quoted words, so read the full report at the source before relying on it. Grades are the ones those editions give.

This page is pending scholar review. It was compiled from public sources, and its citations were last checked on 7 October 2026. If you notice a mistake or a missing source, please tell us.

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