Every nation has men who shaped its history and glory, standing as shining stars in its sky. Among these men in our Islamic nation is the Ansari companion, 'Ubada ibn al-Samit. This man pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ, vowing never to fear the blame of any critic when standing for the sake of Allah. He remained true to his covenant with Allah and His Messenger, becoming a renowned name among the Companions. He enjoyed a high status, serving as a leader, ambassador, teacher, interpreter of the Qur'an, judge, and a narrator of hadith. Many books of hadith contain his narrations, and he had numerous students in Sham, Egypt, and Palestine.
Name, Title, and Kunya
His full name is ‘Ubada ibn al-Samit ibn Qays ibn Asram ibn Fihr ibn Qays ibn Thalaba ibn Ghanm ibn Salim ibn ‘Awf ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf, of the Khazraj tribe of al-Ansar. His kunya (nickname) is Abu al-Walid al-Ansari.
Appearance and Dignity
‘Ubada was a pure Arab, dark-skinned, tall, and of large build. His son, al-Walid ibn ‘Ubada, said: "My father was a tall, large, and handsome man." Al-Nawawi described him in Tahdhib al-Asma', saying: "He was a virtuous, good man, tall, large, and handsome." Sa’id ibn ‘Afir said: "His height was ten spans."
Early Embrace of Islam and Status
‘Ubada ibn al-Samit was one of the earliest to embrace Islam. He was among the first of the Ansar to declare his faith in the tenth year of the Prophethood. Allah praised these individuals for their complete goodness. ‘Ubada lived during the best era of Islam, witnessing the entire mission of the Prophet ﷺ. He was among the early converts, witnessing the revelation and understanding the secrets of its interpretation and the objectives of the Shari’ah. He participated in all the major events with the Prophet ﷺ and was among those honored with the foremost ranks in every kind of goodness. He combined the virtue of companionship with the Prophet with the distinction of being one of the most prominent Companions, embracing the pure essence of Islam and tasting its sweetness. He lived on after the Prophet ﷺ during the most prosperous period until his death a year before the martyrdom of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). He had participated in all the major works of Islam. He was a man of justice, one of the leaders of the Companions, and one of their senior trustworthy figures and scholars.
‘Ubada held a high status among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ because he participated in all the major events with the Messenger of Allah. He was one of the group who took part in the first and second pledges of al-‘Aqaba, the Battle of Badr, Uhud, the Battle of the Trench, and the Pledge of Ridwan. He was one of the well-known brave men, eloquent speakers, and a distinguished scholar among the Companions. He was also among the trustworthy individuals.
His Call and Intellectual Activity
‘Ubada was one of those who pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ on the night of al-‘Aqaba and then returned to Madinah, spreading Islam there until there was not a single house in Madinah where the name of the Messenger of Allah was not mentioned. He continued his mission of spreading Islam in Sham, Palestine, and Egypt. He was as dedicated to fighting the enemy as he was to spreading Islam with wisdom and good counsel. He was among those who compiled the Qur'an during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah. He took on the responsibility of teaching the Qur'an during the Prophet’s time and after, showing great concern for studying the Qur'an and deriving legal rulings from it, as well as interpreting it.
Teaching the Qur'an
As one of the early Muslims, ‘Ubada benefited greatly from the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, especially regarding the Qur'an and its rulings. He taught the people of al-Suffah, a group of poor individuals who had no homes or clans in Madinah and lived in the mosque. They were named after the shaded area (al-Suffah) of the mosque where they resided. The Prophet ﷺ instructed him to teach these people without any compensation. When someone offered him a bow as a gift, the Prophet ﷺ said: "If you want to have a necklace of fire put on you, accept it." Hence, ‘Ubada’s teaching of the people of al-Suffah was an act of obedience and love for Allah and His Messenger. Due to ‘Ubada’s deep interest in and memorization of the Qur'an, he was one of the five Ansar who compiled the Qur'an during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ. When the Muslims conquered Sham, Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab sent him to Homs to teach them the Qur'an and impart religious knowledge.
Narration of Hadith
In addition to being known for teaching the Qur'an and its related rulings, ‘Ubada was also a famous hadith narrator. He was strict in adhering to the Sunnah and had a deep love for the Prophet ﷺ. His strong memory and love for the Prophet ﷺ made him keen on narrating hadiths. Many Companions and followers narrated from him, including Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, ‘Amr ibn al-Aswad al-Sakuni, Ru’ah ibn Zunba’, his sons al-Walid, Dawud, and ‘Ubayd Allah, as well as his grandsons Yahya and ‘Ubada, the sons of al-Walid, Anas ibn Malik, and Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, who were his peers. Among his other students were ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhayriz, Fadala ibn ‘Ubayd, Aws ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Thaqafi, al-Miqdam ibn ‘Amr ibn Ma’di Karib, Abu Umama al-Bahili, Rifa’a ibn Rafi’, Sharhabil ibn Hasana, Muhammad ibn al-Rabi’, al-Sunabihi, and a group of followers. This indicates that ‘Ubada had students in Egypt as well as others in Sham. After the conquest of Homs, he stayed there and established a home. He also spent time in Egypt, residing at times in Fustat and other times in Alexandria. During this time, he was a narrator of hadith and a teacher.
The significant role of the Companion ‘Ubada ibn al-Samit in narrating hadith is evident in the numerous hadiths attributed to him in most hadith collections. These hadiths cover a wide range of rulings and are all attributed to him, highlighting his important role during the time of the Prophet and his close companionship with him. Many of these hadiths contain phrases indicating direct contact with the Prophet ﷺ, such as "I heard the Messenger of Allah say" or "the Messenger of Allah said." He would often report events as an eyewitness, like his pledge to the Prophet during the pledge of al-‘Aqaba, his presence on the Day of ‘Arafa, and the events on the Day of Hunayn. ‘Ubada also contributed to Qur’anic interpretation, as some sources mention that he explained certain verses of the Qur'an, often basing his explanations on what he learned directly from the Prophet ﷺ.
Judiciary Role
The legal rulings narrated by ‘Ubada in the hadith attributed to him indicate his vast knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and Shari’ah law. He was appointed as a judge in Homs and Qinnasrin. Upon arriving in Homs, he stood before the people, gave a sermon, praised Allah, and prayed for the Prophet ﷺ before saying: "Indeed, this world is a fleeting enjoyment, from which both the righteous and the wicked benefit. But the Hereafter is a true promise, where a Mighty King will judge. You will be presented with your deeds: whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. This world has children, and the Hereafter has children. Be of the children of the Hereafter, not the children of this world, for every mother’s children will follow her on the Day of Judgment." He urged people to abandon worldly ambitions and strive for the Hereafter. After some time, he went to Palestine to serve as its judge, becoming the first to hold this position there until his death in 34 AH.
‘Ubada excelled not only in military, political, and constitutional matters, contributing to the general welfare of the Islamic state, but he was also of high standing in the fields of knowledge and scholarship. He held the most sacred scholarly roles of his time in three areas: Qur’anic interpretation, narrating hadiths and reports, and deriving legal rulings from the Shari’ah, issuing verdicts when no explicit text was available on the issue at hand.
This is the fragrant biography of one of the great men of Islam, raised in the cradle of Prophethood. They spread the light of Islam across the world with their intelligence, virtuous behavior, strong determination, and unwavering faith.
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