Mus`ab ibn `Umair

Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr also known as Muṣʿab al-Khayr ("the Good")

Early life Mus‘ab ibn Umair was born to the Banu Abd al-Dar branch of the Quraysh tribe. Mus‘ab was the son of Umayr ibn Hashim and Khunas bint Malik, and his parents were wealthy. Mus'ab became interested and went to this house to find out more about Islam. As a result of hearing the reciting of the Qur'an and the preaching of Muhammad, he converted. However, one day, Uthman ibn Talha saw him entering Al Arqam's house and joining the Muslim prayers. The news spread and eventually reached his mother, who chained him in their house with the intention of making him recant. Mus'ab was confident in his faith and would not renounce it. Muhammad advised him to join the companions who were emigrating to Abyssinia so that he would not be harassed again. to prepare the city for the forthcoming Hijra after the first pledge with the ansar. A man of Medina named Asad ibn Zurarah assisted him. After they had preached Islam, many residents of Medina were converted, including Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, Usayd ibn Hudayr and Sa'd ibn Ubadah. The Medinan converts were known as Ansars ("helpers"). However, many early Muslim sources indicate that no serious fighting was expected, and the future Caliph Uthman stayed behind to care for his sick wife Ruqayyah, the daughter of Muhammad. Salman the Persian also could not join the battle, as he was still not a free man.

Many of the Quraishi nobles, including Amr ibn Hishām, Walid ibn Utba, Shaiba, and Umayah ibn Khalaf, joined the Meccan army. Their reasons varied: some were out to protect their financial interests in the caravan; others wanted to avenge Ibn al-Hadrami, the guard killed at Nakhlah; finally, a few must have wanted to take part in what was expected to be an easy victory against the Muslims. Amr ibn Hishām is described as shaming at least one noble, Umayah ibn Khalaf, into joining the expedition.

Death in the Battle of Uhud

In the Battle of Uhud in 624 CE, Muhammad assigned Mus'ab ibn Umayr to carry the Muslim flag. During the battle, some Muslims, who were under the impression that the battle was over, left their positions on the battlefield, Mus'ab was attacked, and his right hand was severed holding the flag, but he continued to repeat the words of the Quran, and took the flag in his left hand. When his left hand was severed he took hold of it with his arms but never let the flag fall. "Muhammad is only a Messenger of God. Messengers have passed away before him." (Qur'an, 3:144) Eventually Musab was fatally wounded by Ibn Qami'ah Khabbab ibn al-Aratt narrated: Muhammad stood beside Musab's body and recited: "Among the believers are men who have been true to what they have pledged to God. The Messenger of God testifies that you are martyrs in the sight of God." When Mus'ab's wife, Hammanah bint Jahsh, heard about the death of her brother and maternal uncle, she replied, "To Allah we belong and to him we will verily return. I ask Allah's forgiveness for him." But when she heard about the death of her husband Mus'ab, she shouted and cried.