Hearts of Gold: The Inspiring Tales of the Sahaba RA

#9:;ABDULLAH IBN AL-ZUBEYR: (رضي الله عنه) THE KNIGHT OF ALLAH

For every Muslim, it is necessary to have faith and trust in the Companions of the Prophet. Allah forbid, if those who call themselves Muslims fail to have trust in the Companions, they will have lost their connection to the Sunnah and the principles of Islam. Such a person will be devoid of Iman. From amongst the signs of the Day of Judgement, one sign is that the latter people of this Ummah will speak ill of the preceding generations. Verily, the respect and love for the Companions is indeed love and respect for Islam, and disrespect and enmity towards the Companions is indeed disrespect and enmity for Islam

It is very unfortunate that both Muslims and non-Muslims historians have come up with misinterpretations of 'Abdullah b. Zubayr and his stand against the Umayyads.
This is natural due to the fact it is possible to justify the Umayyad rule on the one hand and Ibn al Zubayr's revolt against Mu'awiya for having turned the office of the caliphate into a hereditary position. What is not acceptable is the fabrication of some hadiths to supporting historical facts.

A blessed child in his mother's womb was he, when his mother passed over the burning desert sand leaving Makkah for Al-Madiinah on her emigration route. While still unborn, "Abdullah was to emigrate with the Muhaajiruun. His mother Asmaa' (May Allah be pleased with her) had hardly reached Qubaa', when she began to suffer labor pains.

His birth was good tidings for the Muslims and an unpleasant answer to the Jews. At the time there were no births for the emigrants, and a rumour ran through the streets of Madinah. Whispers of foes who said, those who migrated from Makkah were bewitched; no children were being born to them. The Muslims began to become afraid that the sorcery that the jews had placed upon them was true. So when Asma bint Abu Bakr (ra) entered Madina carrying her baby son, Abdullah Ibn Zubair (ra), the first child born in Islam after hijrah, his birth dispelled the rumours and lifted the spirits of a community arriving in a new land.

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) named him Abdullah - the slave of Allah. He ﷺ performed the Tahnik (the Islamic tradition of putting juice of a chewed date in a child's mouth and pronouncing the adhan in its ears.) The prophet then supplicated to Allah and invoked blessings on him. The Muslims were very happy and took him to his grandfather Abu Bakr who carried him. They followed him and they raised him and recited Takbir around Madinah, saying Allah is the Greatest proving that this call that the jews had made was false. They rejoiced glorifying Allah, for every life is decreed by Allah alone.

Imagine being born into this world amongst the companions of the Mercy of the World. The first nourishment you receive as a baby coming from dates the Beloved of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasalaam) has chewed. The one who names you is the Seal of Allah's Prophets. Hence, it is appropriate to say that the barakah on Ibn Zubayr was instilled since his birth. He is one among the blessed children Sahabas.

Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr had matrilineal and patrilineal links to both the family of the Prophet and the family of Abu Bakr. His paternal grand-mother Safiyyah was the Prophet's maternal aunt, the first Muslim to kill an infidel in service to Allah. Khadijah, the Prophet's wife, was the paternal aunt of his father al-Zubayr ibn Al Awwam. His mother Asma, a very wise woman, was the elder daughter of Abu Bakr and elder sister of A'isha.

So, with such a privileged birth and nobility as well as his upbringing, it is no wonder he became the staunchest defender of the house of the Prophet and the office of the caliphate. He stood in opposition to the house of Umayyad, won the support of Kalb, an Umayyad tribe, and worked very hard to seize power from the Umayyads.

Abdullah was close to our noble prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, this is because Mother of the believers Aisha, his maternal aunt may Allah be pleased with her, loved him so much that she was known as mother of Abdullah. It was reported on the authority of Urwah, may Allah be pleased with him: "Aisha did not love anyone after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and Abu Bakr As-siddiq as she did ibn Al-Zubair, and I have not seen my father and Aisha supplicating for anyone as they did for Ibn Al-zubair" (from Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nehaya, vol. 8)