Sa'd ibn Ubadah

Sa'd ibn Ubadah ibn Dulaym (Arabic: سعد بن عبادة بن دليم‎) (d. 637) was the chief of the Sa'ida clan of the Khazraj tribe in Medina in the early seventh century. He was later recognised as the chief of the whole Khazraj tribe, and then of all the Ansar. He was a prominent companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and he made an abortive attempt to install himself as Caliph of Islam after Muhammad's death.

He was the son of Ubadah ibn Dulaym, chief of the Sa'ida clan, and of Amra al-Thalitha bint Masud, who was from the Najjar clan of the Khazraj. He had two sisters, Mandwas and Layla.

His first wife, Fukayha bint Ubayd ibn Dulaym, was his agnatic cousin. They had three children: Qays, Umama and Sadus. His second wife, Ghaziya bint Sa'd, was also from the Sa'ida clan. Their sons were Sa'id, Muhammad and Abdulrahman.

Described as physically "very hairy,” Sa'd was reckoned one of the "perfect" Arabs because he was good at archery and swimming and could write in Arabic.

His generosity was widely acknowledged. The Khazraj said of him: "He is our master and the son of our master. They used to provide food during the droughts, to transport the weary, to welcome guests, to give during disasters and to protect the community." His son Qays said that he underwrote the debts of "the most distant relatives" in addition to helping poor people and feeding the community during famines. A Bedouin testified, "You possess the highest and most noble character. You are not censured even by those who have no knowledge of your position." Sa'd used to stand on his fortress, calling, "Whoever likes fat or meat should come to Sa'd ibn Ubadah."

He was also known for his hot temper and for his tribal pride. He used to pray: "O God, give me praise and glory. I can't have glory without action, and I can't act without money. O God, I need more than a little money to put myself right and put right with it." He was annoyed when Muhammad once described the Abdulashhal clan as the best of the Ansar, followed by the Najjar, the Harith, the Sa'ida and then all the rest. He asked, "Are we only fourth?" and had to be dissuaded from confronting Muhammad about it to his face.

Sa'd had commercial relationships with Mecca. He guaranteed the safety of the merchants of Jubayr ibn Mut'im and Harith ibn Harb while they were in the territory of Medina.

...
Wikipedia