The Army of Usāmah

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) returned to Madīnah, and now the eleventh year of the hijrah begins. He spent the month of Muḥarram there, and in Ṣafar the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) appointed Usāmah ibn Zayd to lead an army that was to be sent to the land of al-Balqāʾ in al-Shām. And the instructions were for Usāmah ibn Zayd to tread with his horses upon the land where his father was killed. So one can see that the focus of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was now on the borders with the Roman Empire: first there was Muʾtah, and then Tabūk, and now this army of Usāmah ibn Zayd — in addition to the sarāyā that were also sent into that area. So this happened in Ṣafar.

Now Usāmah ibn Zayd, at that time — how old was he? He was between eighteen and twenty years old: very young. And there were senior Companions from the Muhājirūn and the Anṣār — older men with much experience in warfare and leadership, and in managing the affairs of armies. And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) appointed a very young man to lead an army that included Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. So there was some talk going on — and now the community was large, so there was more room for idle talk, because there was still a strong presence of nifāq, and a large number of Muslims. So there was talk going around: why has Usāmah ibn Zayd been appointed? There were two objections. Number one, his age; and number two, that he belonged to the slave caste: his father was a former slave, and his mother was the same, Umm Ayman; so how could he lead free men?

And these concerns reached the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said — and this is in al-Bukhārī (4469): in taṭʿanū fī imāratihi fa-qad kuntum taṭʿanūna fī imārati abīhi min qabl — if you dispute his appointment, you disputed the appointment of his father before. Wa ayimu Allāhi in kāna la-khalīqan li-al-imārah, wa in kāna la-min aḥabbi al-nāsi ilayy, wa inna hādhā la-min aḥabbi al-nāsi ilayya baʿdah — and by Allah — and now he is speaking about his father, Zayd ibn Ḥārithah — he was a suitable person to be appointed a leader, and he was one of the most beloved people to me; and this one is one of the most beloved people to me after him. So as for Usāmah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is saying that he took his father's place after his father passed away.