Zaid bin Arqam
Why he matters
A companion of the Prophet who narrated several key incidents regarding the revelation of certain verses.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4900
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ أَرْقَمَ، قَالَ كُنْتُ فِي غَزَاةٍ فَسَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أُبَىٍّ يَقُولُ لاَ تُنْفِقُوا عَلَى مَنْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يَنْفَضُّوا، وَلَئِنْ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الأَذَلَّ. فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعَمِّي أَوْ لِعُمَرَ فَذَكَرَهُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَدَعَانِي فَحَدَّثْتُهُ، فَأَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُبَىٍّ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، فَحَلَفُوا مَا قَالُوا، فَكَذَّبَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَصَدَّقَهُ، فَأَصَابَنِي هَمٌّ لَمْ يُصِبْنِي مِثْلُهُ قَطُّ، فَجَلَسْتُ فِي الْبَيْتِ، فَقَالَ لِي عَمِّي مَا أَرَدْتَ إِلَى أَنْ كَذَّبَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَقَتَكَ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ {إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ} فَبَعَثَ إِلَىَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَرَأَهَا عَلَىَّ وَقَالَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ صَدَّقَكَ يَا زَيْدُ ".
Narrated Zaid bin Arqam: While I was taking part in a Ghazwa, I heard `Abdullah bin Ubai saying. "Don't spend on those who are with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), that they may disperse and go away from him. If we return (to Medina), surely, the more honorable will expel the meaner amongst them." I reported that (saying) to my uncle or to `Umar who, in his turn, reported it to the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) called me and I narrated to him the whole story. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent for `Abdullah bin Ubai and his companions, and they took an oath that they did not say that. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) disbelieved my saying and believed theirs. I experienced such a state of distress as I had never experienced before. I stayed at home and my uncle said to me, "You just wanted Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to disbelieve your statement and hate you." So Allah revealed (the Sura beginning with): 'When the hypocrites come to you.' (63.1) The Prophet (ﷺ) then sent for me and recited it and said, "O Zaid! Allah has confirmed your statement."
Sahih Muslim 2408a
حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَشُجَاعُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ عُلَيَّةَ، قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو حَيَّانَ، حَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ، قَالَ انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَحُصَيْنُ بْنُ سَبْرَةَ، وَعُمَرُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ فَلَمَّا جَلَسْنَا إِلَيْهِ قَالَ لَهُ حُصَيْنٌ لَقَدْ لَقِيتَ يَا زَيْدُ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا رَأَيْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَسَمِعْتَ حَدِيثَهُ وَغَزَوْتَ مَعَهُ وَصَلَّيْتَ خَلْفَهُ لَقَدْ لَقِيتَ يَا زَيْدُ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا حَدِّثْنَا يَا زَيْدُ مَا سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ كَبِرَتْ سِنِّي وَقَدُمَ عَهْدِي وَنَسِيتُ بَعْضَ الَّذِي كُنْتُ أَعِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَمَا حَدَّثْتُكُمْ فَاقْبَلُوا وَمَا لاَ فَلاَ تُكَلِّفُونِيهِ . ثُمَّ قَالَ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا فِينَا خَطِيبًا بِمَاءٍ يُدْعَى خُمًّا بَيْنَ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةِ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ وَوَعَظَ وَذَكَّرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَمَّا بَعْدُ أَلاَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ رَسُولُ رَبِّي فَأُجِيبَ وَأَنَا تَارِكٌ فِيكُمْ ثَقَلَيْنِ أَوَّلُهُمَا كِتَابُ اللَّهِ فِيهِ الْهُدَى وَالنُّورُ فَخُذُوا بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَاسْتَمْسِكُوا بِهِ " . فَحَثَّ عَلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَرَغَّبَ فِيهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ " وَأَهْلُ بَيْتِي أُذَكِّرُكُمُ اللَّهَ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِي أُذَكِّرُكُمُ اللَّهَ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِي أُذَكِّرُكُمُ اللَّهَ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِي " .
Yazid b. Hayyan reported: I went along with Husain b. Sabra and 'Umar b. Muslim to Zaid b. Arqam and, as we sat by his side, Husain said to him: Zaid, you have been able to acquire a great virtue that you saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) listened to his talk, fought by his side in (different) battles, offered prayer behind him. Zaid, you have in fact earned a great virtue. Zaid, narrate to us what you heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). He said: O son of my brother, by Allah, I have grown old and have almost spent my age and I have forgotten some of the things which I remembered in connection with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), so accept whatever I narrate to you, and which I do not narrate do not compel me to do that. He then said: One day Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up to deliver sermon at a watering place known as Khumm situated between Mecca and Medina. He praised Allah, extolled Him and delivered the sermon and exhorted (us) and said: Now to our purpose. O people, I am a human being. I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from my Lord and I, in response to Allah's call, (would bid good-bye to you), but I am leaving among you two weighty things: the one being the Book of Allah in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allah and then said: The second are the members of my household I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family.
63. Al-Munafiqun
Standard Uthmanic Text
هُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ لَا تُنفِقُواْ عَلَىٰ مَنۡ عِندَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ حَتَّىٰ يَنفَضُّواْۗ وَلِلَّهِ خَزَآئِنُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ لَا يَفۡقَهُونَ
They are those who say, ‘Do not contribute to those who are with the messenger of God until they disperse,’ when the storehouses of the heavens and the earth (belong) to God. But the hypocrites do not understand (this).
Zaid bin Arqam Variant
لاَ تُنْفِقُوا عَلَى مَنْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يَنْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِهِ
Do not give what you have in your possession to those who are with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) until they desert him. Zubair said: That is the reciting of that person who recited as min haulahu (from around him) and the other reciting is man haulahia (who are around him).
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ زَيْدَ بْنَ أَرْقَمَ، يَقُولُ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي سَفَرٍ أَصَابَ النَّاسَ فِيهِ شِدَّةٌ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أُبَىٍّ لأَصْحَابِهِ لاَ تُنْفِقُوا عَلَى مَنْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يَنْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِهِ . قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ وَهِيَ قِرَاءَةُ مَنْ خَفَضَ حَوْلَهُ . وَقَالَ لَئِنْ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الأَذَلَّ - قَالَ - فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِذَلِكَ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُبَىٍّ فَسَأَلَهُ فَاجْتَهَدَ يَمِينَهُ مَا فَعَلَ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ زَيْدٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم - قَالَ - فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي مِمَّا قَالُوهُ شِدَّةٌ حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَصْدِيقِي { إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ} قَالَ ثُمَّ دَعَاهُمُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ - قَالَ - فَلَوَّوْا رُءُوسَهُمْ . وَقَوْلُهُ { كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُسَنَّدَةٌ} وَقَالَ كَانُوا رِجَالاً أَجْمَلَ شَىْءٍ .
Zaid b. Arqam reported:We set out on a journey along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in which we faced many hardships. 'Abdullah b. Ubayy said to his friends: Do not give what you have in your possession to those who are with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) until they desert him. Zubair said: That is the reciting of that person who recited as min haulahu (from around him) and the other reciting is man haulahia (who are around him). And in this case when we would return to Medina the honourable would drive out the meaner therefrom (lxiv. 8). I came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and informed him about that and he sent someone to 'Abdullah b. Ubayy and he asked him whether he had said that or not. He took an oath to the fact that he had not done that and told that it was Zaid who had stated a lie to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Zaid said: I was much perturbed because of this until this verse was revealed attesting my truth:" When the hypocrites come" (lxiii. 1). Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) then called them in order to seek forgiveness for them, but they turned away their heads as if they were hooks of wood fixed in the wall (lxiii. 4), and they were in fact apparently good-looking persons