The Ansari for Whom the Throne of Allah Trembled
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh سَعْد بْن مُعَاذ
Chief of the Aws of Madinah, whose conversion brought his entire clan to Islam in a single day. A pillar of the Ansar's support, he was mortally wounded at the Trench; the Prophet ﷺ said the Throne of the Most Merciful trembled at the death of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh.
A Chief Who Brought His People
When Mus'ab ibn Umayr was teaching Islam in Madinah, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, a respected leader of the Aws, came at first to drive him out. He listened instead, embraced Islam, and returned to his clan declaring he would not speak to them until they too believed — and by nightfall the whole clan was Muslim.
Devotion at Badr
Before Badr, when the Prophet ﷺ sought the resolve of the Ansar to march against an enemy they had not pledged to fight beyond Madinah, Sa'd spoke for them with unforgettable loyalty: 'By the One who sent you with the truth, if you ordered us to plunge our horses into the sea we would do it; not a man of us would hold back. Lead us, with the blessing of Allah.' His words filled the Prophet ﷺ with joy.
Wounded at the Trench
During the siege of the Trench, Sa'd was struck in the arm by an arrow that severed a vein. He prayed that if any war with Quraysh remained, Allah would keep him alive for it, but if the war was over, to grant him martyrdom — and that he might see the outcome of the treacherous Banu Qurayzah.
The Throne Trembled
Appointed to judge the Banu Qurayzah, who had betrayed Madinah during the siege, Sa'd gave a verdict according to their own scripture's law of war. Soon after, his wound reopened and he died. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The Throne of the Most Merciful trembled at the death of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh,' and seventy thousand angels attended his funeral.
Lessons
- A single sincere leader can guide an entire people to the truth.
- Loyalty proves itself in willingness to follow into any danger.
- Allah honours His sincere servants in ways beyond imagining.
Quran references
33:23