Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir al-Jumahi

“Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir was a man who traded the pleasures of this world for the Hereafter, choosing Allah and His Messenger above all else.”

— [Historians]

The young Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir al-Jumahi was one of the thousands who answered the call of Quraysh’s leaders to gather in the open plains of Tan‘im, on the outskirts of Mecca. They had assembled to witness the execution of Khubaib ibn ‘Adi, one of the companions of Muhammad ﷺ, whom they had captured through treachery.

Sa‘id, full of youthful energy and vigor, pushed his way through the throngs of people, shoulder to shoulder, until he stood alongside the noblemen of Quraysh—men like Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and Safwan ibn Umayyah, who led the procession. From his vantage point, he could see the captive of Quraysh, bound in chains, as women, children, and young men shoved him toward the execution site. They were determined to take revenge on Muhammad (PBUH) by killing this man and avenging their dead from the Battle of Badr.

When the massive crowd reached the place designated for the execution, Sa‘id stood tall, watching as Khubaib was brought forward to the wooden cross. Through the deafening cries of women and children, he heard the prisoner’s firm and steady voice say:

“If you will allow me, let me perform two units of prayer before my death.”

Sa‘id saw Khubaib turn toward the Ka‘bah and begin his prayer. How beautiful and perfect those two rak‘ahs were! When he finished, Khubaib looked at the chieftains of Quraysh and said:

“By Allah, had I not reckoned that you would think that I was anxious, I would have prayed more.”

Then, before Sa‘id’s very eyes, his own people began torturing Khubaib while he was still alive. They cut pieces from his flesh, one after another, asking him:

“Would you not prefer that Muhammad were in your place while you were safe and sound among your family?”

Through his pain and the steady flow of his blood, Khubaib replied:

“By Allah, I would not wish to be safe and secure with my family while even a single thorn pricked Muhammad!”

The crowd erupted in a frenzy, waving their hands in the air and shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!”

Sa‘id then saw Khubaib lift his gaze toward the sky from atop the wooden cross and invoke Allah:

“O Allah, count them one by one, and do not leave a single one of them!”

Moments later, he breathed his last, his body bearing more wounds than could be counted from the relentless strikes of swords and thrusts of spears.

The people of Quraysh returned to Mecca, quickly moving on to other affairs. But amidst the chaos of life, one person did not forget Khubaib—not for a moment. The young Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir could not erase the image from his mind. He saw Khubaib in his dreams when he slept and in his imagination when he was awake. He saw him standing before the cross, praying his final two rak‘ahs, and he heard the echoes of his voice as he called upon Allah against Quraysh. A deep fear gripped Sa‘id—what if a bolt of lightning struck him? What if a rock from the heavens came crashing down upon him?

More than that, Khubaib had taught him something he had never known before.

He had taught him that true life is faith—a belief held so firmly that one is willing to struggle for it until death.

He had taught him that unwavering faith can work wonders and bring about miracles.

And he had taught him one more thing: that a man so dearly loved by his followers, to the point of preferring his life over their own, must surely be divinely supported.

It was then that Allah illuminated Sa‘id’s heart with Islam. He stood before the people and declared his disavowal of Quraysh’s sins and crimes. He renounced their idols and statues. And he embraced the religion of Allah.

After embracing Islam, Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir migrated to Madinah, where he remained close to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, accompanying him in the Battle of Khaybar and the campaigns that followed.

When the noble Prophet ﷺ passed away, Sa‘id continued as a steadfast warrior for Islam under the leadership of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab. He became a living example of a believer who had sold this world for the Hereafter, prioritizing Allah’s pleasure and reward over all worldly desires.

Both Caliphs recognized Sa‘id’s sincerity and piety, valuing his counsel and wisdom.

During the early days of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab’s caliphate, Sa‘id entered upon him and said:

“O ‘Umar, I advise you to fear Allah in your dealings with the people and not to fear the people in matters concerning Allah. Let your words never contradict your actions, for the best speech is that which is confirmed by deeds.

O ‘Umar, turn your face toward those whom Allah has placed under your care—whether they are near or far. Love for them what you love for yourself and your family, and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself and your family.

Venture into hardships for the sake of truth, and fear no blame in the cause of Allah.”

‘Umar responded, “Who is capable of such a task, O Sa‘id?”

Sa‘id replied, “A man like you—one whom Allah has entrusted with the affairs of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ, and between whom and Allah there is no barrier.”

Hearing this, ‘Umar invited Sa‘id to assist him in governance and said:

“O Sa‘id, I am appointing you as governor over the people of Homs.”

Sa‘id, reluctant to accept, pleaded: “O ‘Umar, I beg you in the name of Allah—do not test me with this responsibility!”

‘Umar, visibly angered, responded:

“Woe to you! You have placed this burden upon my shoulders, yet you now refuse to share in it?! By Allah, I will not release you from this duty!”

Thus, ‘Umar appointed him as governor of Homs.

Before sending him off, ‘Umar asked, “Shall we assign you a stipend?”

Sa‘id replied, “What would I do with it, O Commander of the Faithful? The allowance I receive from the treasury is more than enough for my needs.”

And so, he departed for Homs.

Some time later, a delegation from Homs came to visit ‘Umar. He asked:

“Write down the names of your poor so I may help fulfill their needs.”

They presented him with a list, and among the names, he found: “So-and-so, so-and-so, and Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir.”

‘Umar was astonished. “Who is Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir?”

They replied, “Our governor.”

‘Umar, even more surprised, asked, “Your governor is poor?!”

They said, “Yes, by Allah! Days pass without a fire being lit in his home.”

Tears welled up in ‘Umar’s eyes, streaming down his beard. He immediately prepared a pouch containing one thousand dinars and instructed the delegation:

“Give him my greetings and tell him: The Commander of the Faithful has sent you this money to help with your needs.”

When the delegation arrived with the pouch, Sa‘id looked at it and found it filled with gold coins. He recoiled in distress, saying:

“Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return!”

It was as if calamity had befallen him. His wife, alarmed, rushed to him and asked, “What has happened, O Sa‘id? Has the Commander of the Faithful died?”

He replied, “No—something even greater!”

She asked, “Have the Muslims suffered a great loss in battle?”

He said, “No—something even worse!”

She asked again, “What could be worse than that?”

He answered, “Worldly wealth has entered my home, seeking to corrupt my Hereafter. A great trial has descended upon me.”

His wife, still unaware of the dinars, simply said, “Then get rid of it!”

He asked, “Will you help me do so?”

She replied, “Yes.”

Without hesitation, he divided the gold into small pouches and distributed it among the poor Muslims.

Not long after, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) traveled to Greater Syria (Ash-Sham) to inspect its affairs. When he arrived in Homs—a city known as “Al-Kuwayfa” (the “Little Kufa”) because of its people’s frequent complaints about their governors, much like the people of Kufa—he was met by its residents, who came to greet him.

He asked them:

“How have you found your governor?”

They voiced their grievances against Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir and listed four complaints, each one seemingly more serious than the last.

‘Umar was deeply troubled. He had placed immense trust in Sa‘id and feared that he might have misjudged him. He said:

“I will bring him before you and question him. May Allah not disappoint my expectations of him.”

The next morning, Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir was summoned, and the people were gathered. ‘Umar turned to them and said:

“What are your complaints against your governor?”

They replied:

“He does not come out to us until late in the morning.”

‘Umar turned to Sa‘id and asked:

“What do you say to this, O Sa‘id?”

Sa‘id replied:

“By Allah, I disliked having to say this, but since I must, then know this: I have no servant to help my household, so I wake up every morning to knead dough for my family. I then wait for it to rise before baking it. After that, I perform ablution and go out to serve the people.”

‘Umar asked, “What else do you complain about?”

They said:

“He does not respond to anyone at night.”

‘Umar again turned to Sa‘id:

“What do you say to this?”

Sa‘id replied:

“By Allah, I disliked revealing this as well. But I have dedicated my day to serving the people and my night to worshiping Allah.”

‘Umar asked again:

“What else do you complain about?”

They said:

“One day each month, he does not come out to us at all.”

‘Umar asked, “What is the reason for this, O Sa‘id?”

Sa‘id replied:

“I have no servant, O Commander of the Faithful, and I own only the clothes I wear. On that day, I wash them and wait for them to dry before I can go out to the people.”

‘Umar then asked, “What else do you complain about?”

They said:

“From time to time, he faints and loses consciousness in the middle of a gathering.”

‘Umar turned to Sa‘id and asked, “What is this about, O Sa‘id?”

Sa‘id said:

“I witnessed the execution of Khubaib ibn ‘Adi when I was still a polytheist. I saw the Quraysh dismembering his body, taunting him, saying:

‘Would you not prefer that Muhammad were in your place?’

And he replied:

‘By Allah, I would not want to be safe among my family while even a thorn pricked Muhammad.’

Every time I remember that day—how I did nothing to help him—I fear that Allah will never forgive me. It is then that I lose consciousness.”

Upon hearing this, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said:

“All praise be to Allah, who did not disappoint me in my trust in you!”

Wanting to ease his hardships, ‘Umar sent Sa‘id one thousand dinars to help with his personal needs. When Sa‘id’s wife saw the money, she was overjoyed and said:

“Praise be to Allah, who has enriched us through your service! Now, buy us provisions and hire a servant to help us.”

Sa‘id turned to her and said:

“Would you like something even better than that?”

She asked, “And what is that?”

He replied:

“We lend it to the One who will return it to us when we are most in need of it.”

She immediately agreed, saying:

“Yes, may Allah reward you!”

Without hesitation, Sa‘id divided the money into pouches and sent them to the widows, orphans, and needy families of Homs.

Indeed, Sa‘id ibn ‘Amir al-Jumahi was among those whom Allah described: “They give preference to others over themselves, even if they themselves are in need…”

May Allah be pleased with him and grant him the highest ranks in Paradise.

- Suwar min Hayat al-Sahabah (Scenes from the Lives of the Companions) | Abdul Rahman Ra’fat al-Basha