The Prophet, , was compassionate and gentle towards all people, and especially towards children. He would carry them, kiss them, and even weep when one of them died. He would instruct his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, to be kind to children, choose good names for them when they were born, and give them a good upbringing.
Some shining examples of well-known child Companions include 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Zayd ibn Thaabit, and Anas ibn Maalik, may Allah be pleased with them all. Many of the children who accompanied the Prophet, , would later become caliphs, commanders and scholars, thanks to the Prophet's, , constant encouragement, his nurturing their talents and guiding them to the straight path.
· 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him:
His full name was `Ali ibn Abi Taalib ibn `Abdul-Muttalib. He was the cousin of the Prophet, , and was brought up by him because ‘Ali's father Abu Taalib was poor and had many children. Thus, ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, remained in the Prophet's house until his mission, and he was one of the first three people to embrace Islam.
As a young boy, ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, showed true courage when he slept in the Prophet's bed on the night of the Prophet’s emigration from Makkah to Madeenah. He did this even though he knew that assassins from the Quraysh were waiting outside the house to kill the Prophet, , and that, if they were able to enter the house, they might mistake him for the Prophet, , and kill him.
He, may Allah be pleased with him, participated in the Battle of Uhud with the Prophet, . In the Battle of the Trench, he fought the best horseman and fighter in the Quraysh, ‘Amr ibn `Abd Wud, and killed him. In the Battle of Khaybar, the Prophet, , gave him the banner and said: “I will give the banner to somebody who loves Allah and His Messenger and is loved by Allah and His Messenger.” [Ahmad]
‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was famous for his eloquence, rhetoric and profound knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah (Prophetic tradition). He was one of the ten people given the glad tidings of Paradise. He married Faatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, the daughter of the Prophet, , and she gave birth to Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with them, who were the reasons for the continuity of the progeny of the Prophet, .
'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, became caliph after the martyrdom of ‘Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan, may Allah be pleased with him. His caliphate lasted four years, after which he was martyred in 40 A.H.
· Usaamah ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him:
He was born a Muslim in Makkah, in the fourth year following the Prophetic mission. His father was Zayd ibn Haarithah, may Allah be pleased with him, who was one of the first people to embrace Islam. Usaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, was brought up in the house of the Prophet, , where his parents had also lived.
Usaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, was a courageous fighter from a young age. He loved engaging in Jihaad (struggle) in the cause of Allah. When he was fourteen years old, he marched out with the Prophet, , for the Battle of Uhud but the Prophet, , commanded him to return to Madeenah because of his very young age. Later on, he, may Allah be pleased with him, participated in the Battle of the Trench. He also participated in the Battle of Mu'tah under the command of his father Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, who was martyred in that Battle.
At the age of eighteen, Usaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, was appointed commander by the Prophet, , of the army marching towards Levant to discipline some of the rebellious tribes. This army only marched after the death of the Prophet, , and returned victorious to Madeenah.
The Prophet, , loved Usaamah dearly, just as he had loved his father Zayd, may Allah be pleased with them both. He would say about him and Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with them: “O Allah, love them, for I love them.” [Al-Bukhari]
Usaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, died in 54 A.H.