جَابِرُ بنُ عَبدِ اللَّهِ الأَنصَارِيّ — الصَّحَابِيُّ الخَزرَجِيُّ الَّذِي رَوَى 1540 حَدِيثًا وَشَهِدَ تِسعَ عَشَرَةَ غَزوَةً مَعَ النَّبِيِّ وَبَاعَ جَمَلَهُ وَاسْتَرَدَّهُ هَدِيَّةً وَعَاشَ حَتَّى شَيخُوخَتِهِ أَعمَى فِي المَدِينَة
Jabir ibn Abdallah ibn Amr al-Ansari al-Khazraji (جَابِرُ بنُ عَبدِ اللَّهِ بنِ عَمرٍو الأَنصَارِيُّ الخَزرَجِيّ; b. approximately 16 BH / 607 CE; d. approximately 78 AH / 697-698 CE; one of the most important Ansar Companions and hadith transmitters; his father Abdallah ibn Amr was killed at Uhud, leaving Jabir the eldest of nine sisters and responsible for his family; participated in al-Aqaba second pledge; was too young for Badr [his father forbade him]; participated in the subsequent 19 campaigns with the Prophet; a close personal companion of the Prophet who visited Jabir when he was ill and feared death [the Prophet taught him to make a wasiyya]; the famous camel story: Jabir walked from Medina to a distant battle on a tired camel the Prophet noticed; the Prophet struck the camel and it became the fastest camel on the road; at Medina, the Prophet purchased the camel from Jabir for a gold dinar, then gifted the camel back to him — the hadith became the foundation for the principle that a gift after a sale is valid; transmitted approximately 1,540 hadith — one of the highest counts among Companions; a major source for hadith on the Prophet's Hajj [Jabir was an eyewitness]; settled in Syria briefly, then returned to Medina where he gave fatwas and taught; went blind in old age; last surviving major Ansar Companion; died aged approximately 94) is one of the most important sources for prophetic hadith in the Islamic corpus.
The Father at Uhud
Jabir’s father, Abdallah ibn Amr, was killed at the Battle of Uhud — one of 70 Muslim dead. Jabir had been excluded from the battle by his father because he was the eldest son of many daughters and was needed to care for the family. After his father’s death, he became the household head.
The Prophet visited him when he was seriously ill and feared dying before making a will — teaching him the legal principle that a sick person should document their wishes even without expecting to die. The hadith on wasiyya (Islamic wills) is partly narrated through Jabir.
The Camel Transaction
On one of the campaigns, Jabir’s camel was exhausted and falling behind. The Prophet noticed and struck the camel — which then outpaced all others. At Medina, the Prophet offered to buy the camel. Jabir, understanding the Prophet wanted to help his financial situation, agreed to sell. The Prophet paid a gold dinar, then gave the camel back as a gift.
This transaction became one of the most frequently cited examples in Islamic commercial law: the gift after a sale is valid; the Prophet’s act of purchasing and then gifting demonstrated both contractual validity and generosity.
The Hajj Narration
Jabir narrated the Prophet’s final pilgrimage (Hajj al-Wida’) in extensive detail — his account in Sahih Muslim is one of the most comprehensive records of the Hajj rituals and serves as the primary reference for the Prophet’s specific practices.
See also: Seerah Saad Ibn Muadh, Seerah Abu Darda Al Ansari, Seerah Zaid Ibn Arqam, Seerah Al Miswar Ibn Makhrama, Seerah Jabir Ibn Samurah