Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl

A hanif of Quraysh who rejected idolatry before Islam — the Prophet ﷺ called him a one-man ummah. Cousin of Umar ibn al-Khattab; father of the Companion Sa’id ibn Zayd (of the ten promised Paradise).

Story (EP 004)

• Rejected both idols and the distortions he found among Jews and Christians, saying: “There is no one left upon the religion of Ibrahim in this city other than me!”
• Rescued infant girls whom Quraysh meant to bury alive, raising them himself.
• Met the young Prophet ﷺ, who — never having worshipped an idol — found a kindred spirit in him. Died ~5 years before the mission began.

The Prophet’s ﷺ testimony

Asked about his fate, the Prophet ﷺ said he “will be resurrected as his own ummah,” and after al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj reported seeing him in Paradise with two gardens — showing sincerity finds guidance even without a living prophet.

Cross-references

The Hunafa' · Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic Arabia) · Muhammad ﷺ · Waraqa ibn Nawfal

Sources

• S003 — Yasir Qadhi Seerah EP 004.