Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah

The Trustworthy of the Ummah

Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, of the Quraysh clan of Banu Fihr, was among the very earliest Muhajirun and one of the ten given the glad tidings of Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ singled him out with a title borne by no other Companion — al-Amin, “the Trustworthy of this Ummah” (see Virtues in the Hadith).

Devotion at Uhud

His love for the Prophet ﷺ was proven in the chaos of Uhud. When two links of the Prophet’s ﷺ armoured helmet were driven into his blessed cheek, Abu Ubayda gripped them with his teeth and drew them out one by one rather than risk hurting him with his hands — losing two of his own teeth in the doing. 1 Seerat-e-Mustafa · Vol 1 · pp. 310–311 — Idris Kandhlawi — Abu Ubayda pulls the embedded helmet-links from the Prophet's cheek with his teeth at Uhud, losing two teeth (narrated by Aisha from Abu Bakr).

Standing Among the Companions

So high was his rank that at the Saqifah Banu Sa’idah, when the question of succession arose after the Prophet’s ﷺ passing, Abu Bakr presented to the people two men from whom to choose a Caliph — Umar and Abu Ubayda — before the community pledged itself to Abu Bakr. 2 History of Islam · Vol 1 · pp. 273–276 — Najeebabadi — Abu Bakr offers Umar or Abu Ubayda to the people at the Saqifah.

Commander of the Conquest of Syria

Under Umar, Abu Ubayda was made supreme commander of the armies of Syria — even Khalid ibn al-Walid serving under him — and he led the campaigns that took Damascus and Hims and broke the last great Byzantine offensive at Amasia. 3 Al-Farooq · pp. 226–232 — Shibli Nomani — Abu Ubayda as commander in Syria; the Amasia campaign; Khalid placed under his command.

Virtues in the Hadith

The Prophet ﷺ declared him the trustworthy keeper of the Ummah:

إِنَّ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَمِينًا، وَإِنَّ أَمِينَنَا أَيَّتُهَا الأُمَّةُ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ

”Every nation has a trustworthy man, and the trustworthy man of this Ummah is Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 3744 · Book 62 (Virtues of the Companions), Hadith 89 · USC-MSA: Vol. 5, Book 57, Hadith 87 · narrated by Anas ibn Malik

And he was named among the ten promised Paradise in the Prophet’s ﷺ lifetime:

Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3747 · Book of Manaqib · In-book: Book 49, Hadith 144 · narrated by Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf · graded Sahih (Darussalam)

Death in the Plague of Amwas

When the plague of Amwas swept Syria in 18 AH, Abu Ubayda refused to abandon his soldiers. He fell ill at Jabia and, feeling his end near, appointed Mu’adh ibn Jabal as his successor before he died — a commander faithful to his men to the last. 4 Al-Farooq · pp. 232–233 — Shibli Nomani — Abu Ubayda falls ill in the plague of Amwas and appoints Mu'adh ibn Jabal his successor.