Usamah Ibn Zaid may Allah be pleased with them both

Who he was:
He was from the tribe of Kalb.His father was Zaid Ibn Haarithah bin Shurahbil bin Abduluzza the Prophet's servant, who preferred the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, over own his father, mother and kin. He was with him when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stood in front of a large group of Companions saying, "I let you bear witness that Zaid is my son, inheriting from me and I inheriting from him."
His name remained Zaid Ibn Muhammad until the practice of child adoption was abolished by the Qur'aan. Usaamah is his son. His mother was Umm Aiman, the Prophet's servant and nurse maid. The one that the noble prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said about: “Whoever wishded to marry a woman from among the people of paradise should marry Umm Aiman.” She was Baraka bint thalaba, the bondwoman of our noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his nurse after the death of his mother when he was six years old.
Usaamah's physical appearance made him appear a good for- nothing. Historians and narrators described him as being dark- skinned and snub-nosed. By these two words, not more, did history summarize Usaamah's physical appearance.
His Childhood
It was God’s will that this child was borne after Islam began to forge a path. As one of the true sons of Islam, he was nurtured from his first days by Islam's pure nature without experiencing the murkiness of the pagan period. He grew up in a clean environment among to Muslim parents who taught him Islam from is early age.
Muslims had to escape from Mekkah to save themselves from the torture that Quraish was subjecting them to. They had to leave all their money and property to save their lives. Muslims were given permission from Allah to migrate and so they migrated to Madinah.
He migrated to Madinah with his parents and from his early age he wanted to participate in the battles for Allah’s cause. Before the battle of Badr when Muslims were being prepared to attack a caravan belonging to the disbelievers, he bravely asked his father to participate. At that time he was ten years old. Of course, his father refused because of his age.
In the battle of Uhud, a child who was eleven years old entered the battle field carrying a sword taller than himself. Everybody was amazed at that rare bravery and persuaded him to go back home with great difficulty. This child was again Usamah.
He learned to fight with the sword, to fire arrows and all the necessary arts of war. He would sit with his father, who contributed throughout his life in all Islamic battles, and listen to all the details of the battle, the heroic deeds of the companions, how honourable it was to die for the cause of Allah and that would fill him with enthusiasm to participate.
The Prophet’s love to him

• On the day of the Conquest of Makkah, the Prophet's Companion who was riding behind him on horseback was that dark- skinned, snub-nosed Usaamah Ibn Zaid. Among the most victorious days of Islam was the day of the Conquest of Makkah. On that day, on the Prophet's right and left were Bilaal and Usaamah, two dark-skinned men; however Allah's word which they carried in their pure, virtuous hearts made them deserving of all kinds of merit and elevated position. And when our noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, entered the Kabah (The house of God) to pray only Usamah entered with him.
  
• It has been authentically reported from Usamah that our noble prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had taken him and Hasan and said: “Oh, Allah I love them, so love them” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
  
• Usaamah Ibn Zaid has been called among the Prophet's Companions "The Beloved Son of the Beloved"
  

Usamah the warrior

• During the battle of Hunain
  That battle occurred right after the conquer of Mekkah, Usamah was sixteen years old then. Muslims were then deluded by their number and power and were about to lose the battle and started to retreat at random when, at that time of total chaos, the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, started to call for them to return and fight. Among the Muslims who remained steadfast was Usamah. He never retreated and stood beside the noble prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with Abu bakr, Umar ibn Elkhattab and a number of the prophet’s companions. Muslims regrouped and won the battle, but notice here the strength that a sixteen years old boy had in such a battle field.
  
• With the Roman (Byzantine) emperor
  Usaamah had not yet reached the age of 20 when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered him to be head of an army which had among its soldiers Abu Bakr and `Umar. A growl spread around among a group of Muslims who were distressed by this matter and who found it too much for a youth such as Usaamah Ibn Zaid to command an army which included a large number of Muhaajiruun and elderly Ansaar. Their whispers reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,, so he ascended the pulpit, thanked and praised Allah and then said, "Some people criticized Usaamah's army command; they criticized his father's command before him. His father deserved to be the commander as well as Usaamah. He is the most beloved to me next to his father, and I hope he is among the virtuous ones. I request you to treat him well."
  The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, died before the army set off towards its destination; however the Prophet had left his wise testament to his Companions: "Fulfill Usaamah's commission. Fulfill Usaamah's commission."
  Despite the new circumstances created by the Prophet's death, Abu Bakr As-siddiiq, the first caliph, insisted upon fulfilling the Prophet's testament. Abu Bakr, commander of the believers, set out walking in complete humility beside Usamah who was mounted on his horse. Usamah. When Usamah felt uncomfortable that he was riding and Abu Bakr, the caliph, was walking he said: “By Allah, you will ride and I will dismount”. Abu Bakr said:”By Allah, you will not dismount, and by Allah I will not ride. It does not harm me to get dust on my feet in Allah cause for an hour” then he, the Caliph, turned to Usamah and said: “would you consider supporting me with Umar and leaving him with me in Al-Madinah”. Usamah accepted. See how great this situation is. How humble the Caliph is. Usaamah's army set off to its destination; the caliph only requested Usaamah to allow `Umar to stay behind to be with him in Al-Madiinah.
  At the same time, the Roman (Byzantine) emperor heard the news of the Prophet's death and that an army headed by Usaamah Ibn Zaid was attacking the borders of Syria. He could not hide his astonishment and wonder about the strength of the Muslims, whose plans and potential were not affected by the Prophet's death. Consequently, the Romans abstained from utilizing the Syrian borders as a leaping point upon Islam's center in the Arabian Peninsula, and thereby their power began to shrink.
  Usaamah's army returned safely without any causalities so that the Muslims said, "We've never seen a safer army than Usaamah's."
  

Usamah’s Piety

• Usamah’s slave said: Usamah would ride to some property of his in wadil-Qura and he would fast on Mondays and Thursdays on the way, so I said to him: “Do you fast on Mondays and Thursdays while traveling when you have become old and weak, or (he said) you have become frail?” He replied: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays and he said that the deeds of the people are presented to (Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays” (Reported by Ibn sad, Ahmad and Abu Dawud)
  
• Muhammad ibn Sirin said: The date-palm came to be worth a thousand Dirhams in value, Usamah went to a date-palm and cut it down and removed its Jummar (An edible tuber growing at the upper end of the date-palm trunk) and gave it to his mother to eat. People asked him why he did that although he knew it was worthy a thousand Dirham. He said: ”My mother asked me and there is nothing she asks me which is in my power that I don’t give her.”
  

The companions’ respect for him
Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, Commander of the Faithful, sat down to distribute money from the treasury among the Muslims.
It was `Abd Allah Ibn `Umar's turn, and `Umar gave him his share. Then it was the turn of Usaamah Ibn Zaid. `Umar gave him double of what he gave his son `Abd Allah. As `Umar gave people according to their merit and endeavor, `Abd Allah Ibn `Umar was afraid that his position was not as highly acknowledged as he desired, to be one of the closest to Allah through his obedience, endeavor, piety, and asceticism.
Therefore, he asked his father, "You preferred Usaamah, although I experienced with the Messenger of Allah what he did not." Umar answered, "Usaamah was more beloved by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, than you were, and his father was more beloved by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, than your father was.
An unforgettable lesson
Two years before the Prophet's death, Usaamah was sent by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to lead a detachment which was meeting some polytheists attacking Islam and its followers. It was the first time for Usaamah to be appointed head of a detachment. He accomplished his duty successfully and victoriously. News of his victory preceded his arrival and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was indeed glad.
Usaamah said: “When I reached the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the proclamation of good news had already reached him. The Prophet's face beamed jubilantly. He asked me to sit closer to him and said, "Tell me." I went on telling and narrating. I mentioned to him that at one point the polytheists were defeated and I could reach a man, at whom I pointed my spear. The man said, "There is no god but Allah. Nevertheless I pierced and killed him with my lance. The Prophet's attitude changed. He said, "Woe unto you! How dare you do that when he said, there is no god but Allah. Woe unto you! How dare you do that when he said, there is no god but Allah." He continued saying that to such an extent that I wished to rid myself of all my deeds and embrace Islam afresh on that day (to have all his sins forgiven). No, by Allah, I will never fight anyone saying, There is no god but Allah, after what I have heard from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,.” Usaamah was guided by the wisdom of this lesson throughout his life.
What a wise lesson! A lesson revealing the Prophet's humanity, his justice, the eminence of his principles, the greatness of his faith and manners. Despite the fact that if was a polytheist warrior who had been killed by Usaamah, the killing was much regretted by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
At the same moment this warrior said, "There is no god but Allah," he was holding a sword in his right hand, a sword upon which pieces of Muslim flesh were still hanging. He said it to save his soul or to give himself another chance to change his direction or resume fighting.
Nevertheless, because he said it, his blood became inviolate and his life secure and safe at the same moment and for the same reason, whatever his intention or his inward desire may have been. Usaamah understood the lesson fully. If the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbids the killing of a man in such a situation for the reason that he said, "There is no god but Allah," what about the true believers and true Muslims? Therefore, Usaamah held a neutral position during the period of the civil strife between Imam Aly with his followers on one hand and Mu'aawiyah on the other.
He loved Aly very much and could see the truth on his side. But after having been blamed by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, for the murder of a polytheist who said, "There is no god but Allah," how could he ever kill a Muslim believing in Allah and His Prophets? Therefore, he sent a message to Aly saying, "If you were in a lion's jaw, I would love to enter it with you. But I've never seen a situation like this before."
He kept within doors during the whole period of the fighting and war. When some of his companions came to argue with him over his decision, he simply said, "I will never fight anyone saying, there is no god but Allah."
Once, one cited' him the verse "And continue fighting them until there is no more persecution and GOD's Religion prevails." (2:193). He replied, "Those are the polytheists and we fought them until there wasn't any persecution and Allah's religion prevailed."
His death
In A.H. 54 Usaamah longed to meet with Allah. He died after reaching seventy-five years of age. On that day the gates of Paradise opened to receive one of the most reverent and pious believers. He was buried at ‘Al-baqi’ in Al-Madinah