Introduction
Usamah ibn Zayd was the son of Zayd ibn Harithah, the Prophet's freed slave and adopted son, and of Umm Ayman, who had cared for the Prophet in his childhood. Born into Islam, he grew up in the Prophet's household and became known as his beloved. The Prophet would sit Usamah on one thigh and his grandson al-Hasan on the other and ask Allah to be merciful to them both.
As a youth he took part in the later campaigns, including Hunayn and the conquest of Makkah. At around eighteen the Prophet appointed him commander of an army in the final days of his life. Some criticised the choice of one so young; the Prophet answered that Usamah was as worthy of command as his father had been.
Usamah's hadith are valued for their careful detail: the Prophet's condolence to the bereaved, the prohibition of fleeing a plague, and the lesson that the law applies equally to all. He also taught from his own regret at killing a man who said the shahadah.
The story
c. 612-618 CE
Born in Makkah to Zayd ibn Harithah and Umm Ayman.
8 AH / 630 CE
Accompanies the Prophet at the conquest of Makkah, and enters the Ka'bah with him.
Read the wording
Sahih al-Bukhari 468Sahih Arabic text
… مَكَّةَ، فَدَعَا عُثْمَانَ بْنَ طَلْحَةَ، فَفَتَحَ الْبَابَ، فَدَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَبِلاَلٌ وَأُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ طَلْحَةَ، ثُمَّ أُغْلِقَ الْبَابُ، فَلَبِثَ فِيهِ سَاعَةً ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا. قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ فَبَدَرْتُ فَسَأَلْتُ بِلاَلاً فَقَالَ صَلَّى فِيهِ. فَقُلْتُ فِي أَىٍّ قَالَ بَيْنَ الأُسْطُوَانَتَيْنِ. قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ فَذَهَبَ عَلَىَّ أَنْ …
“the Prophet, Bilal, Usama bin Zaid and `Uthman bin Talha entered the Ka`ba”
8 AH
Takes part in an expedition against Huraqah of Juhaynah, where he kills a man who said the shahadah and is reproached by the Prophet.
Read the wording
Sahih al-Bukhari 4269Sahih Arabic text
… رَجُلاً مِنْهُمْ، فَلَمَّا غَشِينَاهُ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. فَكَفَّ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، فَطَعَنْتُهُ بِرُمْحِي حَتَّى قَتَلْتُهُ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " يَا أُسَامَةُ أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ" قُلْتُ كَانَ مُتَعَوِّذًا. فَمَا زَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَسْلَمْتُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ …
“Did you kill him after he had said "La ilaha ilal-Lah?"”
11 AH / 632 CE
Appointed commander of an army against the Byzantine border; some people criticise his youth.
Read the wording
Sahih al-Bukhari 4250Sahih Arabic text
قَالَ أَمَّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أُسَامَةَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ، فَطَعَنُوا فِي إِمَارَتِهِ، فَقَالَ " إِنْ تَطْعَنُوا فِي إِمَارَتِهِ، فَقَدْ طَعَنْتُمْ فِي إِمَارَةِ أَبِيهِ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ، وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ كَانَ خَلِيقًا لِلإِمَارَةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ، وَإِنَّ هَذَا لَمِنْ أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ بَعْدَهُ".
“he deserved to be a Commander”
c. 54 AH / c. 674 CE
Dies near Madinah (sources differ).
A day in their footsteps
6 small, repeatable practices from Usamah ibn Zayd's life. Each comes with the Arabic text and English wording of its source, and links to read the full report.
Fasting Mondays and Thursdays, even in old age
Travelling to Wadi al-Qura looking for his camels, Usamah still fasted on Mondays and Thursdays. When his freedman asked why he fasted as an old man, he said the Prophet did, because deeds are presented to Allah on those days.
Try this today
Fast Monday and Thursday so that your deeds are presented while fasting.
Sit with this
Which of Monday and Thursday could you fast this week?
Source
Sunan Abi Dawud 2436Sahih … لِمَ تَصُومُ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَيَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ وَأَنْتَ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَيَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " إِنَّ أَعْمَالَ الْعِبَادِ تُعْرَضُ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَيَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ". قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ كَذَا قَالَ هِشَامٌ الدَّسْتَوَائِيُّ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبِي …
“The works of the servants (of Allah) are presented (to Allah) on Monday and Thursday”
Patience and entrusting loss to Allah
Usamah narrated how the Prophet answered a message about his dying grandchild: 'whatever Allah takes is His, whatever He gives is His, and everything has a set term, so be patient and seek reward.' The Prophet's eyes still shed tears.
Try this today
Say the words of patience at a loss, and let the tears fall.
Sit with this
Do you know the words of patience to say when loss comes?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 1284Sahih … وَيَقُولُ" إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلٌّ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى، فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ". فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ تُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِ لَيَأْتِيَنَّهَا، فَقَامَ وَمَعَهُ سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ وَمُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ وَأُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ وَزَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ وَرِجَالٌ، فَرُفِعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الصَّبِيُّ وَنَفْسُهُ تَتَقَعْقَعُ ـ …
“Whatever Allah takes is for Him and whatever He gives, is for Him”
Accepting correction and learning from regret
After he killed a man who said 'La ilaha illa Allah' in battle, the Prophet repeated his rebuke so many times that Usamah wished he had become Muslim only that day. He later told the story against himself, even though he had explained that the man spoke only to save himself.
Try this today
Be quick to accept correction and restrain yourself from judging the heart.
Sit with this
Are you quick to judge what is in someone else's heart?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 4269Sahih … رَجُلاً مِنْهُمْ، فَلَمَّا غَشِينَاهُ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. فَكَفَّ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، فَطَعَنْتُهُ بِرُمْحِي حَتَّى قَتَلْتُهُ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " يَا أُسَامَةُ أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ" قُلْتُ كَانَ مُتَعَوِّذًا. فَمَا زَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَسْلَمْتُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ …
“The Prophet (ﷺ) kept on repeating that so often”
Standing for equal justice
When Quraysh asked Usamah to intercede for a noble woman who had stolen, the Prophet rebuked the idea: the nations before were destroyed for favouring the powerful, and he would apply the penalty even to his own daughter.
Try this today
Do not seek to bend the rules for the well-connected.
Sit with this
Do you expect the rules to bend for the well-connected?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 3733Sahih … عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها أَنَّ امْرَأَةً مِنْ بَنِي مَخْزُومٍ سَرَقَتْ، فَقَالُ��ا مَنْ يُكَلِّمُ فِيهَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمْ يَجْتَرِئْ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ، فَكَلَّمَهُ أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، فَقَالَ " إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَ إِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الشَّرِيفُ تَرَكُوهُ، وَإِذَا سَرَقَ الضَّعِيفُ قَطَعُوهُ، لَوْ كَانَتْ فَاطِمَةُ لَقَطَعْتُ …
“I would cut even the hand of Fatima”
Serving the Prophet on the road
At Hajj, Usamah rode behind the Prophet and poured water for his wudu, and asked about prayer when they stopped at the mountain pass; the Prophet answered that the place of prayer lay ahead.
Try this today
Serve those you travel with; do small tasks without being asked.
Sit with this
Whom do you travel with that you could quietly serve?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 1669Sahih … الأَيْسَرَ الَّذِي دُونَ الْمُزْدَلِفَةِ أَنَاخَ، فَبَالَ ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَصَبَبْتُ عَلَيْهِ الْوَضُوءَ، فَتَوَضَّأَ وُضُوءًا خَفِيفًا. فَقُلْتُ الصَّلاَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ " الصَّلاَةُ أَمَامَكَ". فَرَكِبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى أَتَى الْمُزْدَلِفَةَ، فَصَلَّى ثُمَّ رَدِفَ الْفَضْلُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَدَاةَ جَمْعٍ. قَالَ كُرَيْبٌ …
“I poured water for his ablution”
Following the plague guidance
Usamah narrated the Prophet's guidance on plague: do not enter a land where it has spread, and do not leave a land where it appears, fleeing from it.
Try this today
Follow safe and sound public health guidance in an outbreak.
Sit with this
Do you follow sound public health guidance as part of your faith?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 3473Sahih … صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الطَّاعُونِ فَقَالَ أُسَامَةُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم" الطَّاعُونُ رِجْسٌ أُرْسِلَ عَلَى طَائِفَةٍ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَوْ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ، فَإِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ بِهِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلاَ تَقْدَمُوا عَلَيْهِ، وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلاَ تَخْرُجُوا فِرَارًا مِنْهُ". قَالَ أَبُو النَّضْرِ" لاَ يُخْرِجُكُمْ إِلاَّ فِرَارًا …
“if you hear of its spread in a land, don't approach it”
Virtues
The Prophet took Usamah and al-Hasan on his thighs and asked Allah to be merciful to them as he was.
“Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to put me on (one of) his thighs”
Arabic text
… الْحَسَنَ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الأُخْرَى، ثُمَّ يَضُمُّهُمَا ثُمَّ يَقُولُ " اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُمَا فَإِنِّي أَرْحَمُهُمَا". وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ التَّيْمِيُّ فَوَقَعَ فِي قَلْبِي مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ، قُلْتُ حَدَّثْتُ بِهِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَلَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ مِنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، فَنَظَرْتُ فَوَجَدْتُهُ عِنْدِي مَكْتُوبًا فِيمَا …
Sahih al-Bukhari 6003Sahih
The Prophet said Usamah was one of the dearest people to him, as his father had been.
“he was one of the most beloved persons to me”
Arabic text
قَالَ أَمَّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أُسَامَةَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ، فَطَعَنُوا فِي إِمَارَتِهِ، فَقَالَ " إِنْ تَطْعَنُوا فِي إِمَارَتِهِ، فَقَدْ طَعَنْتُمْ فِي إِمَارَةِ أَبِيهِ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ، وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ كَانَ خَلِيقًا لِلإِمَارَةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ، وَإِنَّ هَذَا لَمِنْ أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ بَعْدَهُ".
Sahih al-Bukhari 4250Sahih
Sayings and moments
Usamah said he wished he had not embraced Islam before that day, so heavy was the Prophet's rebuke.
“I wished I had not embraced Islam before that day”
Arabic text
… رَجُلاً مِنْهُمْ، فَلَمَّا غَشِينَاهُ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. فَكَفَّ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، فَطَعَنْتُهُ بِرُمْحِي حَتَّى قَتَلْتُهُ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " يَا أُسَامَةُ أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ" قُلْتُ كَانَ مُتَعَوِّذًا. فَمَا زَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَسْلَمْتُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ …
Sahih al-Bukhari 4269Sahih
Words on this page
- Hadithحديث
- A report of what the Prophet ﷺ said, did or approved, passed down through a chain of narrators.
- Hajjالحج
- The pilgrimage to Makkah in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, required once in a lifetime of every adult Muslim who is able.
- Ka'bahالكعبة
- The cube-shaped House of Allah at the centre of the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, which Muslims face in prayer.
- Madinahالمدينة
- The city, formerly Yathrib, to which the Prophet ﷺ migrated and where the first Muslim community was built.
- Makkahمكة
- The city of the Ka'bah, where the Prophet ﷺ was born and revelation began.
- Qurayshقريش
- The leading tribe of Makkah, to which the Prophet ﷺ belonged, and which opposed him for most of his mission.
- Shahadahالشهادة
- The declaration of faith: there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
- Wuduالوضوء
- The ritual washing of the face, arms, head and feet before prayer.
Related companions
- زيد بن حارثةZayd ibn HarithahFreed slave raised in the Prophet's household, an early Muslim and commander martyred at Mu'tah; the only Com…
- أم أيمن (بركة)Umm Ayman (Barakah)The Prophet's nurse and freed servant, who loved him as a son and wept when revelation ceased.
- الحسن بن عليal-Hasan ibn AliThe Prophet's grandson, called a leader of the youth of Paradise, who chose peace and the unity of the Muslim…
- عبد الله بن عمرAbdullah ibn UmarSon of Umar and brother of Hafsa; renowned for following the Prophet's every action, his night prayer, his ge…
Sources and review
- Usama ibn Zayd - Wikipedia (dates and campaigns) (opens in a new tab)
- Hadith texts via the open Hadith API mirroring sunnah.com numbering (opens in a new tab)
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.