A very long time ago in the beautiful city of Makkah, there lived a young boy named Zubayr, and his full name was Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and he was from the noble tribe of Quraysh, and he was the cousin of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and his aunt was Hazrat Khadijah (RA), the wife of the Prophet.
Early Life and Strong Faith
Even when Zubayr was just a little boy, he was different from the others, because he was very brave, kind, and honest, and even though he grew up without his father, he never gave up, and he stayed strong and always tried to do what was right, and he was a good listener and loved to learn.
When the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) started to tell people about Islam, about believing in only one God, Allah, and about being kind, honest, and helpful, Zubayr was very young, but his heart was full of light, and he believed the Prophet right away.
He said the special words of Islam, “La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah,” which means “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
Among the First to Accept Islam
Zubayr was one of the first boys to accept Islam, and even though he was so young, he was not scared of anyone, and he did not hide his belief.
The people in Makkah, who did not like Islam, became angry with him, and they hit him and said bad things to him, and his own family was not kind to him, and they even hurt him to make him stop believing, but little Zubayr did not stop.
He said, “I believe in Allah and I will never say anything else,” and he was so strong and so brave.
Loved by the Prophet (PBUH)
The Prophet loved him so much, and called him one of his best companions, and Zubayr always stayed close to the Prophet, and helped him in every way he could.
When Muslims moved to Madinah, Zubayr also went there.
A Hero in Battles
When the enemies came to fight the Muslims in many battles, like the Battle of Badr, Uhud, and Khandaq, Zubayr always stood in the front line and protected the Prophet with all his heart.
In every battle, he was very brave, and he never ran away, and he always trusted Allah, and he carried his sword with faith, and he made du’a before fighting.
The Prophet said, “Every prophet has a helper, and my helper is Zubayr,” and this made Zubayr very happy, and he smiled and said, “I will never stop helping you, O Messenger of Allah.”
In the Battle of Badr, when the Muslims were fewer and the enemies were many, Zubayr wore a yellow turban, and he fought so bravely that the angels came down from the sky and wore yellow turbans too, just like him, to show the Muslims who the helper of Allah was.
His Bravery Continued
In the Battle of Uhud, even when many Muslims were hurt, Zubayr stayed strong.
In the Battle of Khandaq, he went alone on a secret mission to check on the enemy camp, and the Prophet said, “Who will go and see what the enemy is doing?” and Zubayr said, “I will go,” and he went not once, but three times, all alone, and he came back safely each time.
The Prophet smiled and said, “Zubayr is truly my friend and helper.”
Kindness and Charity
Zubayr also helped poor people, gave money to those in need, fed the hungry, and freed many slaves.
He taught children how to read the Quran and pray to Allah, and he told stories about being kind, brave, and truthful.
He never showed off or wanted praise, but only wanted Allah to be happy with him.
He loved his family and taught his children to follow the Prophet and love Islam, and one of his sons, Abdullah ibn Zubayr, became a great Muslim too.
A Life of Worship
Zubayr never missed a prayer, and always fasted, and gave zakat, and followed every sunnah of the Prophet.
After the Prophet passed away, Zubayr still worked for Islam and helped the other caliphs like Hazrat Abu Bakr(Radiyallahu anhu), Hazrat Umar(Radiyallahu anhu), and Hazrat Uthman (Radiyallahu anhu), and he never stopped helping the Muslim ummah.
People would say, “Zubayr is like a lion in bravery and an angel in kindness,” and he was always fair and just, and he did not want power or money.
His Martyrdom
When he was older, he was still strong and brave, and one day, when there was a disagreement among Muslims, Zubayr did not want to fight, and he went to speak kindly, but sadly, he was tricked by a bad person who took his life.
When people heard that Zubayr had died, they cried and made du’a for him, and they said, “We have lost one of the best companions of the Prophet.”
Even Hazrat Ali (RA) cried and said, “Give good news of Jannah to the one who is pure and loyal.”
His Legacy Lives On
Zubayr died as a shaheed (martyr), and Allah promised Jannah for him, and he will live forever in Paradise with rivers of honey and milk, with birds that fly, and with gardens of green trees and soft wind.
Children who hear his story should remember that being strong does not mean hurting others, but helping others, being kind, loving Allah, and standing with the truth even when it’s hard.
Hazrat Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (RA) teaches us to be brave but soft-hearted, to be rich in good deeds, to speak nicely, to listen to our parents, and to always love the Prophet.
Just like Zubayr helped the Prophet in real battles, we can help Islam by being good Muslims, by praying five times, by sharing toys, by saying thank you, by forgiving others, by giving to the poor, and by reading and learning about the Sahabah.
If we grow up with these beautiful lessons, then Insha’Allah, we too can meet Zubayr (RA) one day in Jannah, and we can say thank you for being a hero, and we can sit under the trees of Paradise, drink from the rivers, and be happy with all the people who followed the truth.
That is the special story of Hazrat Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (RA), the helper of the Prophet, the lion of bravery, and the friend of Allah.