Zubayr ibn al-Awam (594-656) was a sahabi of Muhammad and a general of the Rashidun Caliphate.
Biography[]
Zubayr ibn al-Awam was born in 594 in Mecca, the son of Awwam ibn Khuwaylid and Safiyyah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib, a nephew of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, and a first cousin of Muhammad. His mother beat him when he was young, saying that she wanted him to be strong in batle. Abu Bakr converted him to Islam, making him the fifth male convert, and he informed the Muslims of the victory of the Negus of Abyssinia over the rebels while the Muslims were exiled to East Africa. After the return to Arabia, Zubayr fought in many battles, slaying Yasir the Jew at the Battle of Khaybar. He was also one of the leaders of the army that triumphantly entered Mecca in 630. Zubayr proceeded to serve the Rashidun Caliphate as a general under Abu Bakr, fighting at the Battle of Yarmouk and leading Amr ibn al-'As' reinforcements in Egypt in 640. He hoped to be the next caliph after the assassination in 655, and he teamed up with Talhah in the First Fitna. Zubayr was murdered by Amr ibn Jurmuz in 656 during the Battle of the Camel while praying, being stabbed through the neck while prostrating in prayer.
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