Chapter: The Best Clans Of The Ansar

The worthiest clans of the Ansar are Banu Najjar, thereafter Banu al-Ashhal; thereafter Banu Harith b. Banu Khazraj; thereafter Banu Sa'idah and there is goodness in all clans of the Ansar. Sa'd said: I see that he (the Holy Prophet) has placed others above us. It was said to (him): He has placed you above many others.

Abu Usaid Ansari has reported this hadith through another chain of transmitters. When the Prophet (ﷺ) was marching towards Badr in order

Anas reported a hadith like this from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) but he has made no mention in the hadith of the words of Sa'd.

I heard Abu Sa'ld delivering an address in the presence of Abu 'Utba that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The worthiest settlements of the Ansar are those of Banu Najjar, then of Banu 'Abu al-Ashhal and then of Banu Harith and then of Banu Khazraj and then of the clan of Banu Sa'idah, and if I were to give preference to anyone besides them I would have given preference to my relatives.

I bear witness to the fact that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The best settlements of the Ansar are of those of Banu Najjar, then of Banu 'Abu al-Aslihal and then of Banu Harith b. Khazraj, then of Banu Sa'ida and there is in every settlement of the Ansar good. Abu Salama reported that Abu Usaid said: Can I tell a Iie about Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? And if I were a liar, I would have started with my tribe Banu Sa'ida. This was conveyed to Sa'd b. 'Ubida and he found (rankling) in his mind and said: We have been left behind (in the sense) that we have been (mentioned) last of the four. He (Sa'd) sid: Saddle my pony so that I should go to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). His nephew saw him and said: Are you going to contradict (the order of) precedence set by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), whereas Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has the best knowledge of it? Is it not sufficient for you that you are the fourth amongst the four (best tribes of the Ansar)? So he returned and said: Allah and His Messenger know best, and he commanded that his pony should be unsaddled.

The worthiest of the Ansar or the worthiest of the settlements and the clans of Ansar; the rest of the hadith is the same, but there is no mention of the story of Sa'd b. 'Ubida (Allah be pleased with him).

Should I not tell you of the best clans of the Ansar? They said: Allah's Messenger, (kindly) do this. Thereupon Allah's Messenger said: That is Banu Abd al-Ashhal. They said: Allah's Messenger, then next? He said: Banu Najjar. They again said: Allah's Messenger, then next? He said: Then of Banu Harith b. Khazraj. They then said: Allah's Messenger, then next? He said. Then of Banu Sa'ida. They said: Allah's Messenger, then next? He said: There is good in all the clans of the Ansar. It was upon this that Sa'd b. Ubida stood up in annoyance and said: Are we the last of the four as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has determined (the order of precedence) of their clans? He decided to talk with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on this issue, but the people Of his tribe said to him: Be seated, are you not happy with this that Allah's Messenger' (ﷺ) has mentioned your clan as one of the four (best) clans and those whom he left and did not mention (the order of their precedence) are more than those whom he mentioned? And Sa'd b. 'Ubada dropped the idea of talking to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (on this issue).