Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
General and Conqueror of Persia
"Patience and prayer are the two wings of victory."
Biography
One of the earliest converts to Islam and a companion of the Prophet, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas commanded the army that destroyed the Sasanian Empire. Appointed by Umar to lead the invasion of Iraq, he faced the main Persian host — with its war elephants and elite savaran cavalry — under the great general Rostam at al-Qadisiyyah in 636. Though ill and directing the battle from a litter, he won a crushing victory after days of ferocious fighting. He went on to take the Sasanian capital of Ctesiphon with its fabulous treasures, and he founded the garrison city of Kufa, which became a great centre of the new Islamic civilisation in Iraq. Renowned for his piety and as one of the ten companions promised paradise, he was later, by tradition, credited with carrying Islam as far as China. He died at his estate near Medina, one of the last surviving companions of the Prophet.
Did you know?
Muslim tradition credits him with an early mission to China, and he is revered by Chinese Muslims as a founding figure of Islam in China, associated with the Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou.
Key Battles
Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
The Caliphate (Rashidun & Umayyad) victoryNovember 636 · 20,000 total casualties
Qadisiyyah was the decisive battle of the conquest of Persia. It broke the main Sasanian army, opened the road to the capital Ctesiphon, and doomed the four-century-old Persian empire, which the Arabs would extinguish within a few years.
Life Journey
Timeline
c. 595
🌅 Birth
Born in Mecca
636
⚔️ Battle
Destroys the Sasanian army at al-Qadisiyyah
674
✝️ Death
Dies near Medina, one of the last companions