Zubair ibn al-Awwam

Awwam ibn Khuwaylid

This person is among the Sahaba's ancestorsAwwam ibn Khuwaylid from the Banu Asad.His sister was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, and his father was Khuwaylid ibn Asad....

, (الزبير بن العوام بن خويلد بن al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām ibn Khuwaylid; 594-656) was a companion of Muhammad

Sahaba

In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...

, father to Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and later one of the most successful commanders of the Rashidun army

Rashidun army

The Rashidun Caliphate Army or Rashidun army was the primary military body of the Rashidun Caliphate's armed forces during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century, serving alongside the Rashidun Navy...

 and served under the Rashidun

Rashidun Caliphate

The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...

 caliphs Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...

 and Umar

Umar

`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....

.
Zubair, who was a cousin of the prophet Muhammad

Muhammad

Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

, was an early convert to Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

.
He served under the prophet Muhammad in various military expeditions.
He commanded a regiment in the decisive Battle of Yarmouk

Battle of Yarmouk

The Battle of Yarmouk was a major battle between the Muslim Arab forces of the Rashidun Caliphate and the armies of the East Roman-Byzantine Empire. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in August 636, near the Yarmouk River, along what is today the border...

, fought in 636. Later in 640, he commanded the reinforcements sent to capture Amr ibn al-As in Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

. Zubair was the most successful field commander during the Muslim conquest of Egypt

Muslim conquest of Egypt

At the commencement of the Muslims conquest of Egypt, Egypt was part of the Byzantine Empire with its capital in Constantinople. However, it had been occupied just a decade before by the Persian Empire under Khosrau II...

.Caliph Umar selected Zubair along with five other individuals, from whom one Caliph would be chosen to succeed him.

He kept himself away from state politics and military affairs after the death of Caliph Umar. Caliph Uthman

Uthman

Uthman ibn Affan was one of the companions of Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He played a major role in early Islamic history as the third Sunni Rashidun or Rightly Guided Caliph....

 was assassinated in 656, and when Ayesha

Aisha

Aisha bint Abu Bakr also transcribed as was Muhammad's favorite wife...

, wife of the prophet Muhammad, raised the cry for the vengeance of blood of Uthman, Zubair along with another influential personality, Talha ibn Ubaidullah joined Ayesha and marched to Basra

Basra

Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...

, where 4000 suspected persons, who joined the rebels to besieged Caliph Uthman's house, were killed. Caliph Ali

Ali

' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...

, marched to Basra, army of Caliph and that of Ayesha agreed upon a pact to aid Caliphate in dealing with the rebels who killed Uthman. At night however, the battle started between the two armies by the rebels who were in Ali's army and though that they will die this way or other if Ayesha joined hands with Ali. The battle thus fought is known as Battle of Camel. After Talha was mortally wounded, Ali advised Zubair to seek out Marwan ibn al Hakam and bring him to justice. Zubair left the battlefield and was killed during prayers by Marwan and his men. However, he resisted, even after a volley of arrows was fired towards him. Finally, Marwan approached him and stabbed him repeatedly with a khanjar until Zubair succumbed to his wounds and finally fell to his death.

External links

• http://www.zuberiassociation.org/
• http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/44_ali_bin_talib.htm