Usama ibn Zayd: The boy general who led Islam’s first empire

Usama ibn Zayd ibn Haritha al-Kalbi stands as one of the most unique and poignant figures in early Islamic history. More than just a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, his life story is deeply intertwined with the Prophet’s household, embodying themes of love, trust, and the challenging transition of leadership after the Prophet’s death.

He was a son of two of the Prophet’s most cherished companions, a beloved “grandson” in spirit, and the youngest commander ever appointed in Islam, whose controversial expedition became the first test of the nascent Muslim state’s unity.

Background and early life: A child of the household

Usama was born into a family that was at the very heart of the early Muslim community. His parentage itself is a testament to his privileged status:

• His mother, Barakah bint Thaʿlaba, was not a mere servant but a revered figure. She was an Abyssinian who had been entrusted to Muhammad’s mother, Amina, and after Amina’s death, she became the Prophet’s caretaker and a motherly figure to him throughout his life. Her devotion was so profound that the Prophet would later refer to her as “my mother after my own mother.” She was among the very first to accept Islam.
• His father, Zayd ibn Haritha, held an unparalleled position. He was a companion so beloved by Muhammad that before prophethood, Muhammad adopted him as his son, and he was known as Zayd ibn Muhammad. He is universally recognized as the first adult male to embrace Islam, preceding even Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abu Bakr, and Umar. He was an Arab nobleman from the Kalb tribe, captured and sold into slavery before being gifted to Khadija, who then gave him to Muhammad.

Thus, Usama was born into a family of “firsts”—the first male Muslim and a woman who was like a mother to the Prophet. His birth before the Hijrah placed him among the earliest Muslims by birthright. The family’s close bond was further cemented when they all migrated to Madinah to escape Makkan persecution.

The expedition of Usama ibn Zayd

The most defining moment of Usama’s life came in the final days of the Prophet Muhammad’s life, in 632 CE. To avenge the devastating loss at the Battle of Mu’tah, where Usama’s own father, Zayd, had been one of the three commanders martyred, the Prophet appointed Usama as the commander of a 3,000-strong expeditionary force destined for the Byzantine frontier in Balqa (modern-day Jordan).

This appointment was met with widespread shock and quiet grumbling among the senior companions. Usama was perhaps only 17 or 18 years old, and his army was to include some of the most venerable and senior figures of Islam, such as Umar ibn al-Khattab and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq—men who would be under the command of a teenager. Questions about his experience and youth circulated.

The Prophet Muhammad, though gravely ill, responded with decisive and public fury. He delivered a powerful sermon, demanding, “Carry out the expedition of Usama! Carry out the expedition of Usama! Carry out the expedition of Usama!”

He confronted the dissent directly, proclaiming, “I have been informed that you criticize Usama’s command. Did you not previously criticize his father’s command? By Allah, his father was just as worthy of command as he was, and now Usama is one of the most beloved people to me after his father.”

This statement served multiple purposes: it quashed the dissent, affirmed the divine wisdom behind the appointment of Zayd at Mu’tah, and placed Usama in the highest echelon of the Prophet’s love. The army marched out and camped at al-Jurf, just outside Madinah, but was quickly recalled as the Prophet’s health declined.

A test for the Caliphate and a successful campaign

Following the Prophet’s death, the Muslim community was thrown into turmoil. Many of the soldiers who had been assigned to Usama’s army remained in Madinah, involved in the critical affairs of selecting a new Caliph and dealing with the emerging threats of apostasy.

The new Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, faced his first major test. Should he cancel the expedition to deal with more immediate domestic threats, or should he carry out the final military order of the Messenger of God, despite the political and military risks?

Abu Bakr famously told Umar, who suggested recalling the army, “Even if I knew dogs would drag me by the legs, I would still carry out the expedition of Usama which the Prophet ordered. How can I fold a flag that the Prophet himself unfurled?”

Abu Bakr not only reaffirmed Usama’s command but also personally saw off the young commander, walking alongside him and instructing him to follow the Prophet’s rules of engagement. Usama’s campaign was a swift and resounding success. He led his forces deep into Byzantine territory, achieving a decisive victory, capturing booty, and returning to Madinah with minimal Muslim casualties within weeks.

It was the first successful Muslim incursion into Byzantine territory, shattering the myth of Byzantine invincibility that had lingered since Mu’tah.

After his historic campaign, Usama, now a revered senior figure, lived a long life. He settled in Wadi al-Qura and later returned to Madinah, remaining a respected but politically quiet figure. He lived through the caliphates of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and witnessed the establishment of the Umayyad dynasty. He died around the year 680 CE, in al-Jurf, towards the end of the caliphate of Mu’awiyah.