Mosque and Tomb of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
اردو العربية English فارسی हिन्दी
Zubayr ibn al-Awwam; Disciple of the Prophet
What these badges mean
Badges are generated cautiously from the attached references, attribution notes, and GPS metadata. They are not a final historical ruling.
⚙️ Print, share, and more tools
Introduction
The Mosque and Tomb of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam near Basra, in the city of al-Zubayr, is an important historical and devotional site connected with one of the closest Companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam ibn Khuwaylid al-Asadi al-Qurashi was a close relative of the Prophet, the nephew of Sayyida Khadija, and the son of Safiyya bint Abd al-Muttalib. Through his mother, he was the Prophet’s paternal cousin. His biography therefore brings together Qurashi nobility, nearness to the Prophet’s household, and the sacrifices of the earliest Muslims.
Zubayr is counted among the earliest people to embrace Islam. In Mecca he suffered persecution but remained firm in faith. He experienced the migration to Abyssinia and later the migration to Medina. His courage is remembered at Badr, Uhud, the Trench, Khaybar, the Conquest of Mecca, Hunayn, and other occasions. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim preserve the Prophetic statement that every prophet has a hawari, a special disciple or helper, and that the Prophet’s hawari was al-Zubayr. This title expresses his exceptional loyalty, courage, and readiness to defend the Messenger of Allah.
In Sunni tradition, Zubayr is also counted among the Ten Given Glad Tidings of Paradise, as recorded in the narration of Jami al-Tirmidhi. He was not merely a warrior; he was also a trusted and honorable member of the Madinan community. Reports mention his caution in transmitting hadith, because he feared the severe warning against falsely attributing words to the Prophet. This shows his integrity and carefulness in religious narration.
His family life holds a major place in Islamic history. His most famous wife was Asma bint Abi Bakr, through whom he had famous sons such as Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and Urwa ibn al-Zubayr. Urwa later became one of the great scholars among the Tabi'in of Medina, while Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr became a major figure in the political and sacred history of Mecca. Other wives and children are mentioned in genealogical works, but his household through Asma bint Abi Bakr is especially prominent.
During the First Fitna, Zubayr came toward Basra in connection with the events of the Battle of the Camel. Sunni adab treats the disputes among the Companions with respect and recognizes the painful ijtihadi complexity of that period, so this episode is best described with caution, reverence, and balanced language. Well-known historical reports preserved in works such as al-Tabari, al-Baladhuri, Ibn Sa'd, Ibn Abd al-Barr, Ibn al-Athir, and later historians state that Ali ibn Abi Talib reminded Zubayr of an earlier Prophetic warning. The summary of the report is that the Messenger of Allah had once told Zubayr that he would one day fight Ali while being in the wrong. When Ali reminded him of this near Basra, Zubayr was deeply affected, recalled the statement, and in some reports said that if he had remembered it earlier, he would not have entered into the affair. After this reminder, he decided to withdraw from the fighting and left the battlefield.
On his return, Zubayr headed toward the area known as Wadi al-Siba near Basra. According to the famous report, Amr ibn Jurmuz followed him and killed him on that route; some accounts mention that this happened while Zubayr was resting or in a state connected with prayer. When Ali received the news of Zubayr's killing, he did not approve of the act; rather, a severe warning is transmitted regarding the killer of Ibn Safiyyah. “Ibn Safiyyah” refers to Zubayr, because his mother Safiyyah bint Abd al-Muttalib was the paternal aunt of the Prophet. This episode therefore teaches Zubayr's return after remembering a Prophetic warning, Ali's restraint and respect, and the need for great caution when speaking about conflicts among the Companions. This occurred in 36 AH / 656 CE, and his tomb became famous in the city of al-Zubayr near Basra.
The site reminds visitors of a Companion who was the hawari of the Prophet, one of the Ten Promised Paradise, an early migrant, a warrior of Badr and Uhud, and a close relative of the Prophet’s household. His life combines courage, loyalty, migration, sacrifice, caution in hadith, and the tragic complexity of early Muslim political trials. The shrine near Basra forms part of the religious geography where the memory of the Companions, Iraq, the conquests, and later conflicts meet.
The present complex in the historic center of al-Zubayr functions as an active mosque, mausoleum and pilgrimage site. Local architectural history connects the complex with a foundation dated to 386 AH and with later rebuilding. A separate marker attributed to Utba ibn Ghazwan is also kept within the same complex, although the two burial attributions do not carry the same historical weight: the tomb of Zubayr is the central and widely recognized identity of the site.
Historical / Religious Importance
Zubayr ibn al-Awwam is historically important as an early Muslim, participant in both migrations and major campaigns, one of the Ten Promised Paradise and the Companion described as the Prophet's special disciple. His life also teaches caution in hadith, moral courage and the capacity to withdraw from conflict after serious reflection.
The mosque and tomb in al-Zubayr is one of southern Iraq's principal sites associated with the Companions. It shaped the name and religious identity of the city and continues to connect the modern Basra region with the political, devotional and architectural history of early Islam.
📝 8 paragraphs · ~790 words
References
Primary source — Sahih al-Bukhari High
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Primary source — Sahih Muslim High
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Primary source — Jami al-Tirmidhi High
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Secondary source — al-Tabaqat al-Kubra Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Secondary source — al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Secondary source — Siyar A'lam al-Nubala Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Website source — www.islamweb.net Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Website source — www.taraajem.com Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Website source — www.aljazeera.net Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Website source — basra.gov.iq Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Hadith and biographical works support the hawari title, early conversion, migrations, major campaigns, caution in hadith, family, withdrawal from the Battle of the Camel and death in Wadi al-Siba in 36 AH. The present mosque and city identity are supported by Al Jazeera and Basra Governorate heritage reporting. The Basra Governorate page was used only for later urban and Ottoman-era shrine history, not for its inaccurate 38 AH death date; the classical 36 AH chronology was retained. Persian and Hindi were expanded from six summaries to eight complete paragraphs matching the English structure.
Gallery
📤 Submit a photo of this site
Nearby shrines
⏳ Loading nearby shrines…