I say: In the same way, the Prophet had Usāmah ride behind him on his she-camel when he left ʿArafāt for Muzdalifah, as we noted in the account of the Farewell Pilgrimage. More than one scholar has recorded that Usāmah—may Allah be pleased with him—took part in none of ʿAlī’s campaigns, and that he apologized to ʿAlī for what the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—had said to him after he killed the man who had declared, “There is no god but Allah.”

The Prophet said:

“Who will stand for you against ‘There is no god but Allah’ on the Day of Resurrection? Did you kill him after he had said, ‘There is no god but Allah’? Who will stand for you against ‘There is no god but Allah’ on the Day of Resurrection?!” … the ḥadīth. (1)

Numerous virtues have been related about Usāmah—may Allah be pleased with him. He was dark-skinned like the night, flat-nosed, pleasant and handsome, tall, eloquent, learned, and devout. His father was the same, except that he was extremely fair-skinned, which led some ignorant people to cast aspersions upon Usāmah’s lineage. When Mujazziz al-Mudlijī passed by the two of them while they were sleeping under a blanket so that only their feet showed—Usāmah’s black feet and Zayd’s white feet—he said, “Glory be to Allah! Some of these feet are from some of those.” The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—was delighted by this.

He entered upon ʿĀʾishah beaming, the joy clear on his face, and said:

“Did you not see that Mujazziz has just looked at Zayd ibn Ḥārithah and Usāmah ibn Zayd and said, ‘Some of these feet are from some of those’?” (2)

Because the Prophet approved of and rejoiced at this, jurist-traditionists such as al-Shāfiʿī and Aḥmad ruled, on the basis of this ḥadīth, that the testimony of physiognomists (qāʾifah) is admissible in cases of mixed or uncertain lineage, as is explained in its proper place.

In short, Usāmah—may Allah be pleased with him—died in 54 AH, the date judged sound by Abū ʿUmar. (4) Others said he died in 58 or 59 AH, and it has also been said that his death followed the killing of ʿUthmān; Allah knows best. All six canonical collections transmit ḥadīth from him.

Among the Companions is Aslam—some say Ibrāhīm, others Thābit, and still others Hurmuz—better known as Abū Rāfiʿ the Copt. (6) He embraced Islam before Badr but did not witness the battle, for he was in Mecca with his masters, the family of al-ʿAbbās. He used to carve arrow-shafts, and his encounter with the wretch Abū Lahab when news of Badr arrived has already been mentioned—praise be to Allah. He later emigrated and was present at Uḥud and every engagement thereafter. A skilled scribe, he wrote for ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib in Kūfah, as related by al-Mufaḍḍal ibn Ghassān al-Ghalābī. He also witnessed the conquest of Egypt in ʿUmar’s time.

Abū Rāfiʿ had first belonged to al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, who gave him to the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet set him free and married him to his maidservant Salmā, who bore him children. Abū Rāfiʿ was in charge of the Prophet’s personal effects.