They Call me Usama

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I seek protection in Allah from Shaytan the rejected one. I praise Allah and pray for peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad. The name 'USAMA' may seem ominous or villianous or conjure hatred and enmity among those who were hurt and suffered on September 11, 2001, but it is far greater than the man that made it so enduring and outrageous to the world today. In fact there are many humble, pious, honorable 'Usama's through history. Perhaps the most beloved is Usama bin Zaid (ra). The Prophet Muhammad (saaw) called him 'his beloved': habibi. He was the son of Zaid bin Harith (ra), the freed slave of Muhammad (saaw) . Zaid was given to Muhammad (saaw) as a gift from his wealthy wife Khadija (raa) when Zaid was still a boy. Instead, Muhammad (saaw) freed him and adopted him as his own son. For the longest time, Zaid was known as Zaid bin Muhammad (Zaid the son of Muhammad). Muhammad (saaw) treated Zaid as his son and Zaid treated Muhammad (saaw) as his father, defending him when he was attacked, helping him when he was injured, supporting him in the worst of times. Zaid was among the first few people to accept Islam and was one of Muhammad (saaw) 's his closest confidantes throughout his life. When Zaid married and had a son, he named him Usama. Muhammad (saaw) loved Zaid as a son and he loved Usama as if he was his grandson, calling him 'his Habibi'. Usama bin Zaid (ra) was known to have the greatest piety and strength and was respected for his purity of heart and mind. This is the beloved story behind the name Usama for the Muslim world. All the adventures and good deeds of Usama bin Zaid (ra) and the love the Prophet Muhammad (saaw) had for him uplifted the love him among the Muslim people and encouraged Muslim parents to name their children Usama for 1400 years. God willng, purity of heart and mind, piety, strength to do good and stand against evil: hat is why the name 'Usama' will remain. Peace.