The Children of the Companions and their Willingness to Sacrifice

A. Mothers encourage their children to strive in the Cause of Allah

On the authority of ash-Shabi, Ibn Abu Shaybah narrated, "On the day of Uhud, it happened that a woman gave her child a sword; as he was incapable of carrying it, she attached it   to his forearm with a rope.  She brought him to the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying, 'O Messenger of Allah, this is my son; let him defend you.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said to him, 'O Little boy! Vigorously attack here, and there.'  The  boy was injured  and  fell down;  he was brought  to  the Prophet  (peace  be  upon  him)  who  addressed him  saying, 'O Little boy! Were you afraid?'  'No,' was the boy's reply."

B. The martyrdom of mothers and children

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported, "Harithah ibn ar-Rabi’ was martyred on the Day of Badr while he was still young.  His mother came to the Prophet saying, 'O Allah’s Messenger!  You know  the position of Harithah  in my heart (i.e. bow dear to me he was),  so,  if  he  is  in Paradise,   I will  remain patient  and wish for Allah's reward,  but if he is not  there,  then  you  will  know  what  I  should do.'

The Prophet replied, “May Allah be merciful to you! Have you gone mad?  (Do you think) there is but one Paradise?  There are many Paradises and he is in the     highest of all: Paradise of Al-Firdaws ...”[1]

C. The children use tricks to strive in the Cause of Allah

Ibn Sa'd reported on the authority of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah  be  pleased  with him) who  said,  "On  the  Day   of  Badr   and before  the Messenger  of Allah  reviewed  us, I saw my little brother  ‘Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas hiding away. "What is the matter, my brother?" I asked. On  answering  he said, "Verily,  I love  to strive in the Cause  of Allah and aspire to be rewarded  with martyrdom,  but I fear  that  the  Prophet  (peace  be  upon  him) may consider  me too young to fight (so I keep myself out of his sight)."

Ibn S'ad said about 'Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas, "He was so little that he could not fix his scabbards himself and I used to help him. On reaching the age of sixteen, ‘Umayr was rewarded with martyrdom."

D. The children prepare themselves for Jihad

It was transmitted on the authority  of Anas that once a young man from the tribe of Aslam said  to  the  Prophet  (peace  be  upon  him),   "I want  to fight  in the Cause  of Allah  but I have nothing  to use in fighting."  The Prophet  (peace be  upon  him)  said,   "Go  to  such  and  such  a person  (to take his equipment] as he prepared  his equipment  but  then took  ill."  The   young   man went  to  this  person  and  said,  to  him,  "The Prophet   (peace  be  upon  him)   sends   salam (greetings)  to you and ordered  you to give me the  equipment   that  you  had  prepared." The man said   to (his wife), "Give him all the equipment and keep nothing; by Allah if you hid any, Allah would never render it blessed.”[2]

E. The children accompany their fathers in Battle

Al-Bukhari transmitted on the authority of ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr (may Allah have mercy on him). “Az-Zubayr had three scars; one of them was on his shoulder. When I was a child I used to insert my fingers in it playfully.  He received two of those wounds on the Day of Badr and the other on the Day of al- Yarmuk when the Companions of Allah's Prophet said to az-Zubayr, 'Attack the enemy   vigorously and we will attack them with you?' Az-Zubayr replied, 'If I attack them, you will not support me.'" They said, 'No, we will support you.' So az-Zubayr attacked them (i.e. The Byzantine) and   pierced   through   their   lines,   and   went beyond them but none of his Companions was with him. On his return, the enemy struck him two blows on his shoulder.  Between  these two wounds  there was a scar caused  by a blow  he had  received  on  the  Day  of  (battle  of)  Badr. ‘Urwah said, 'On that day, ‘Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr was also with him and he was ten years old.' Az-Zubayr had carried him on a horse and left him in the care of some men.

The Companions followed this way of raising their children.  They  infused  them  with the  spirit  of  Jihad  so  impressively  that  the children  themselves  spared  no effort  in using different  tricks  that  rendered them  older  than their  real  age and then  they could  accompany the Prophet  (peace  be upon him)  in Jihad  and realize  martyrdom.