1. Hamzah ibn 'Abd Al-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him:
He is Hamzah ibn 'Abd Al-Muttalib ibn Haashim ibn 'Abd Manaaf Al-Haashimi, and his nickname is Abu 'Imaarah. He was the uncle of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and his brother through nursing. He was born two years before the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), or perhaps four years earlier, according to some other opinions. He, may Allah be pleased with him, embraced Islam in the second year of the mission of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and he was steadfast in supporting him.
He emigrated to Madeenah with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and he had been paired with Zayd ibn Haarithah, may Allah be pleased with him, as brothers. He witnessed the Battle of Badr where he fought courageously, as he managed to kill Shaybah ibn Rabee'ah and took part in killing 'Utbah ibn Rabee'ah (two leaders in the army of the disbelievers). The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), dispatched him as a member of the platoon of Seef Al-Bahr, at the beginning of Ramadan in the first year after Hijrah. On this occasion, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), commissioned the first flag in the Muslim history and he entrusted it to Hamzah, may Allah be pleased with him, to carry. He was killed as a martyr in the Battle of Uhud, and the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), entitled him the “Lion of Allah", and he was also given the name of "the Master of the Martyrs". It is said that he bravely killed thirty men from the polytheists before he was martyred in Uhud.
2. 'Ubaydah ibn Al-Haarith ibn 'Abd Al-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him:
He was the cousin of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), dispatched him as the leader of the Rabigh platoon in Shawwaal 1 A.H.
He is from the first forerunners in the faith, and was ten years older than the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). He and his other two brothers, At-Tufayl and Husayn, may Allah be pleased with them, emigrated with the Prophet to Madeenah. He was highly honored by the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and he dueled with 'Utbah ibn Rabee'ah, the leader of the disbelievers' army, in the Battle of Badr. However, Hamzah and 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with them, fell upon 'Utbah and killed him. Then, they carried 'Ubaydah, may Allah be pleased with him, back while he still had a spark of life, yet he died after a few days in a place called As-Safraa' near Madeenah. His death was during the last ten days of Ramadan, 2 A.H.
3. 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him:
He is the Commander of the Believers, the fourth rightly-guided Caliph, one of the ten who were given the glad tidings of entering Paradise, the cousin of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and his son-in-law. He was the second person to embrace Islam after the Mother of the Believers, Khadeejah, may Allah be pleased with her. He was born in Makkah, and brought up by the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and he, may Allah be pleased with him, would accompany him all the time. He was entrusted with the flag of the Muslim army in many battles.
When the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), paired the Muhaajireen (the Emigrants) and the Ansaar (the Helpers) as brothers, he said to 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: "You are my brother." He took charge of the Caliphate after the assassination of 'Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him. He was an eloquent speaker, and a great scholar and judge. He was killed as a martyr in the well-known seventeenth of Ramadan conspiracy, in the year 40 A.H.
4. Ja'far ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him:
His nickname is Abu Abdullaah. He was the cousin of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and the brother of Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Alllaah be pleased with him, and he was ten years older than him. He embraced Islam before the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), entered the house of Al-Arqam. He undertook the two Hijrahs to Habashah, and returned to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), in Khaybar. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), was very glad of his return. He died a martyr in the Battle of Mu'tah near Al-Kark where he was the leader, and the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), and the Muslims mourned him. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), mentioned that he was compensated in heaven with two wings, for which he is called Ja'far At-Tayyaar (the Flier). The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), said to him: "You resemble me in looks and manners," [Al-Bukhari] His death was in the year 8 A.H.
