The ten promised jannah

Abdullah bin Uthman b. Amir¹ of House Taym² of Quraysh, more commonly known as Abu Bakr al-Siddīq. The first khalifah after the Prophet (peace be upon) and the closest companion of the Prophet. He was born after the year of the elephant³. He was a friend of the Prophet before prophet-hood, the first man to accept Islam, and beloved to the Prophet⁴. He accompanied the Prophet on the hijrah and is referred to in the Quran as the second of the two⁵. He fought in all the wars alongside the Prophet including Badr, Uhad and Tabuk. He was with him in the final pilgrimage. He was of noble lineage, the father of Aysha (the wife of the Prophet) and trader by occupation. He spent most his money in the path of Allah⁶ especially in freeing many Muslim slaves⁷. He was a man of principle, deep insight, and unflinching resolve. He brought many into Islam including the majority of the asharah⁸. He was selected as the first khalifah⁹ after the Prophet which marked the beginning of the Rashidun era. He reaffirmed the central authority of Islam by crushing the rebels and pretenders in the Riddah war and expanded the Muslim reach into Syria and Mesopotamia. His reign lasted 2 years and 3 months and he died in 13 AH aged 63. May Allah Almighty be pleased with him. (cf. al-Isabah fi tamyiz al-Sahabah)¹⁰

Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas (Malik) b. Wuhayb of House Zuhrah from Quraysh. His mother was Hamnah bt. Sufyan b. Umayyah of House Abd Shams. One of the earliest Muslims.¹¹ A great warrior and a skilled archer. He fought in all the wars in the Prophet’s era and was the first to ever shoot an arrow in battle from the Muslim’s side. In the Rashidun era, he was the general in charge of the Iraq campaign against the Sassanids which he conquered. He led the army in the Battle of Qadsiyyah, conquered Mada’in and laid the foundation of Kufa. He was also appointed the governor of Kufa during the reigns of the rightly guided Khalifas, Umar Faruq and Uthman Ghani, for a period. He was selected by Umar as one of the six candidates for becoming or electing the next  khalifah. He died in c. 55 AH. (cf. al-Isabah fi tamyiz al-Sahabah)

Sa’id b. Zayd b. Amr b. Nufayl of House Adi from Quraysh. One of the earliest Muslims (sabiqun). He was not present in the Battle of Badr as he was sent on a scouting mission.¹² The Prophet gave him a share of the spoils of Badr.¹³ He fought in all the wars in the Prophet’s era including Uhad. He would be directly in front of the Prophet in battle and directly behind him in salah.¹⁴ He was also present in the Battle of Yarmuk and during the conquest of Damascus. He prefered the battlefield over administration although he would later serve as the governor of Kufa, He was married to Fatimah bt. Khattab, the daughter of Umar b. Khattab, and was instrumental in bringing him into Islam. He died c. 50 AH aged 70 plus some years. (cf. al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah)

1. Amir b. Amr b. Ka’b b. Sa’d b. Taym
2. Taym b. Murrah b. Ka’b b. Lu’ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr b. Malik b. Nadr b. Kinanah
3. 2 years and 6 months after the year of the elephant, making him younger than the prophet
4. cf. Baghawi
5. Surah Tawbah: 40
6. He had 40,000 dirhams before Islam, 5,000 when he came to Madina. Aisha narrates he neither left a dirham nor a dinar when he passed away.
7. Bilal b. Rabah and six others
8. The ten promised paradise. Namely, Usman b. Affan, Zubayr b. Awwam, Abdur Rahman b. Awf, Talhah b. Ubaydullah and Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas
9. Lit successor. A title bestowed leader of the Muslims
10. This entry is by Ml. Fahim Uddin
11. Third or fourth man to accept Islam.
12. al-Isabah
13. Ibn Ishaq et al.
14. al-Isabah