I thought it will be beneficial to know the biography of the companion whom Prophet (peace be upon him) gave the glad tiding that he will be among the 70,000 people who will enter Jannah without any account of their deeds. This companion is
Abu Mihsan Ukkasha b. Mihsan b. Hursan al-Asadi (d. 11/632)
Since he was about forty-four years old when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) died, he must have been born in 588. He is the brother of the Companions Abu Sinan and Umm Qays bint Mihsan and the paternal uncle of Sinan b. Abu Sinan. Ukkasha, who lived in Makkah with some relatives,
was one of the first Muslims. When he was thirty-four, he migrated to Madinah with all of his relatives.
He took part in almost all expeditions. He also took place in the Expedition of Batn an-Nahla under the command of Abdullah b. Jahsh.
He fought heroically in the Battle of Badr. When his sword was broken during the battle, it was narrated that the Messenger of Allah had gave him was transformed into a sharp sword and that Ukkasha used this weapon called "awn" both in the Battle Badr and in the wars that he took part later.
(Source: Ibn Hisham, I, 637)
In the 6th year of the Migration (627), Ukkasha was appointed as the commander of the military unit of forty people sent as against Sons of Asad for retaliation; it is also reported that the commander was Thabit b. Aqram. No fighting took place in this expedition, which is also known as Ghamra because the enemy escaped but some booty was obtained.
In the 9th year of the Migration (630), Ukkasha was appointed as the commander of the Expedition of Jinab sent against the clans of Sons of Bali and Sons of Uzra of the Qudaa tribe. The Prophet also sent him to the region of Sakasik and Sakun as zakah officer and conveyor of the message of Islam.
Ukkasha who was a famous cavalryman, was at the forefront with this property in battles. Because of his heroic fighting in many wars, the Messenger of Allah praised him with the words "We have the best cavalryman of Arabs." When the Prophet was asked who he was, he said, "Ukkasha b. Mihsan".
When Dirar b. Azwar From the tribe of Asad which Ukkasha belonged to, said, "O Messenger of Allah! Ukkasha belongs to our tribe”, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "No, he is not of you; he is a contracted (hilf) man of us."
(Source: Ibn Hisham, I, 638)
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that 70,000 people of his ummah that turned to Allah with full submission would enter Paradise without being reckoned.
Ukkasha said, "O Messenger of Allah! Would you pray to Allah so that He will include me among them?" The Prophet said," You are already among them. "
Thereupon, another person who was there wanted the same thing but the Prophet said, "Ukkasha acted faster than you."
(Sources: Bukhari, Tibb 17, 41, Riqaq, 50, Muslim, Iman, 367, 369, 371, 374)
This statement of the Messenger of Allah became a saying expressing the person that acted faster than the other of the two people who wanted to do the same thing.
Ukkasha was martyred in the battle against those who renounced the religion of Islam after the death of the Prophet.
Ukkasha, who was a member of the army Hz. Abu Bakr sent against Tulayha b. Khuwaylid under the command of Khalid b. Walid, went with Thabit bin Aqram as a vanguard to watch Tulayha and his men. On the way, they met Tulayha and his brother who had come to watch the Muslims. Ukkasha started to fight Tulayha and he was about to kill him when Tulayha’s brother came and rescued him. Then, they martyred Ukkasha.
In Turkey, there is a grave associated with Ukkasha in the town of Nurdağı in Gaziantep. The name Okkesh, which is the Turkish adaptation of the name Ukkasha, is given as a name to boys due to the love toward him and is widely used especially in Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş and Adıyaman regions. Abu Hurayra and Abdullah b. Abbas narrated hadiths from Ukkasha but they were not included in Kutub as-Sitta.
