First Arrow in Battle
Sa’d is credited with being the first Muslim to shoot an arrow in defense of Islam — before the major battles, in the early Meccan period. The Prophet’s blessing upon him: “O Allah, make his arrow true and grant his supplication.” His arrows became legendary in battle.
His Mother’s Test
When his mother Hamna bint Sufyan heard of his conversion, she announced: “I will not eat, drink, or go under a roof until you renounce Muhammad.” She persisted for days, declining food and shelter, until she became physically weak. Sa’d refused to renounce the Prophet.
The Quran then revealed (according to commentators, with reference to this event): “And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship — and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months — until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says… But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me what you have no knowledge of, do not obey them.” (46:15-16)
The principle established: filial duty is paramount — except in matters of shirk, where obedience to God takes precedence over obedience to parents.
The Conquest of Persia
Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas commanded the Muslim forces at the decisive Battle of al-Qadisiyya (636 CE) against the Sassanid Persian Empire — one of the two superpowers of the ancient world. The Sassanids were defeated in four days of battle. The conquest opened Iraq and then Persia to Islam, bringing one of the world’s great civilizations into the Muslim world.
See also: Seerah Umar Ibn Khattab, Seerah Abu Bakr, Seerah Ali, Seerah Umar Caliphate, Seerah Bilal Ibn Rabah, Tawhid Divine Unity