The First to Unsheathe His Sword in the Way of Allah
Hazrat Saeed bin Musayyib (ra) relates that Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam (ra) was the first to unsheathe his sword in the way of Allah. Once, Hazrat Zubair (ra) was resting in the valley of Mataabikh (the name of a place in Mecca) when all of a sudden, he heard that Muhammad (sa) had been killed. He left his house immediately whilst wielding his sword. The Holy Prophet (sa) walked past the place where Hazrat Zubair (ra) was resting and when he saw Hazrat Zubair (ra), he said to him, “Zubair, stop! What is the matter?”
He said that he heard someone saying that the Holy Prophet (sa) had been martyred. The Holy Prophet (sa) asked, “What could you have done even if I had been martyred?” Hazrat Zubair (ra) replied, “I swear by Allah, I had intended to kill every single person dwelling in Mecca.” At that moment, the Holy Prophet (sa) especially prayed for him. It is stated in one narration that the Holy Prophet (sa) prayed for Hazrat Zubair’s (ra) sword as well. Hazrat Saeed bin Musayyib (ra) says, “I am certain that Allah the Almighty will not let this prayer of the Holy Prophet (sa) go in vain.”
(Kitab Fazail-ul-Sahaba, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 2, p. 733, Fazail Zubair (ra) bin al-Awwam, Dar-ul-Ilm al-Taba‘a Wa al-Nashir al-Saudia, 1983) (al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 512, Zubair (ra) bin al-Awwam, Dar-ul-Jeel, Beirut, 1992) (Mu‘jam-ul-Buldan, Vol. 5, p. 171, Dar-ul-Kutub al-ilmiyyah, Beirut)