Zayd ibn San'ah

Zayd ibn Sa'nah al-Habbar was one of the Jewish scholars and one of the wealthiest among them. He converted to Islam and had a good conversion, and he witnessed many events with the Prophet ﷺ. He died during the Ghazwah of Tabuk, going towards Medina.

He was narrated by Abdullah ibn Salam, that he said: There was nothing left of the signs of prophethood except that I recognized it in the face of Muhammad when I looked at him, except two things that I did not inform him of: that his mercy precedes his anger, and that the severity of ignorance does not increase on him except with mercy.

I used to be cautious with him because I knew his mercy and ignorance, he said: So, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out one day from the Hijra, and with him was Ali ibn Abi Talib. A man came to him on his camel, like a Bedouin, and he said: O Messenger of Allah, the village of Banu so-and-so has converted to Islam, and they have been afflicted with a severe year, if you see that you should send something to them to help them, do it.

He did not have anything with him, Zayd said: So, I approached him, and I said: O Muhammad, if you see that you should sell me some known dates from the storehouse of Banu so-and-so for a certain period, I will do it.

He said: 'No, O brother of the Jews, but I will sell you some known dates for a certain period, and I will not mention the storehouse of Banu so-and-so.'

I said: Yes, so he sold me and gave me eighty dinars, and the man gave him, Zayd said: So, when the time of the agreed-upon period came before two or three days, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out in the funeral procession of a man from the Ansar, and with him was Abu Bakr and Umar, and Uthman in a group of his companions, so when he finished the prayer for the funeral, he was approached, and I took hold of the hem of his shirt and his garment and looked at him with a harsh face, then I said: Do not judge me, O Muhammad, for I do not know, O sons of Abdul-Muttalib, that the judge is bad.

He said: So, I looked at Umar, and his eyes were turning in his face, then he said: O enemy of Allah, do you say to the Messenger of Allah what you hear, by the One who sent him with the truth, if I had not feared to harm him, I would have struck your head with my sword.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was looking at Umar with calmness and a smile, then he said: 'O Umar, I and he are more in need of you than this from you, that you order him to act with good judgment, and you order me to act with good judgment, go, O Umar, and judge him, and give him twenty extra saa' in place of what he was afraid of.'

Zayd said: So, Umar took me and judged me and gave me more.

So, I converted.