Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah

Abū ʿUbayda ibn al-Jarrāḥ (Arabic: أبو عبيدة بن الجراح, born ʿĀmir ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Jarrāḥ; 583–639 CE), was a Muslim commander and one of the Companions of the Prophet, noted for his piety, intelligence, bravery, and devotion to Muhammad. An early convert to Islam, he participated in all major military campaigns of Muhammad, including the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud, and commanded a division during the Conquest of Mecca. Muhammad gave him the honorific al-Amīn ("the Trustworthy"), also rendered Amīn al-Ummah ("Trustee of the Community"), and is said to have promised him paradise.

His courage in the early battles and his leadership qualities made him a prominent figure among Muhammad's companions. He was later sent as a preacher to Najran to instruct newly converted tribes in Islam. During the Rashidun Caliphate, he played an instrumental role in the political transition and succession of Abu Bakr at the Saqifa assembly. Under Abu Bakr he served as a commander in Syria, and during the caliphate of Umar he became supreme commander of the Syrian army, succeeding Khalid ibn al-Walid as commander in chief. He led the army that conquered Jerusalem in 636.

Abu Ubayda participated prominently in the Muslim conquest of Syria, conquering Damascus, Homs, Antioch, and Aleppo, and subsequently administering these territories successfully. Umar also designated him among the candidates for succession to the caliphate. He died in 639 (AH 18) during the Plague of Amwas, which claimed the lives of many Muslim warriors.