Al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam had two children, one of whom was present at some of the battles, and the other of whom used to play with the old battle scars on his father’s shoulder. This was reported by ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, who said that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said to al-Zubayr on the day of Yarmook, “Will you go and attack, and we will go with you?” He said, “If I attacked, you would be lying.” They said, “No, we will do (as we promised).” So he launched an attack (against the Romans), penetrating their ranks and passing straight through, but no one was with him. Then he turned around and came back, and the Romans seized the reins of his horse and wounded him twice in the shoulder. Between these two new wounds was a scar from a wound he had received at Badr. ‘Urwah said, “When I was little, I used to play by putting my fingers in those scars.” ‘Urwah said, ” ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr was with him on that day. He was ten years old. He (al-Zubayr) put him on a horse and entrusted him to the care of another man.” (Reported by al-Bukhari, 3678).

Commenting on this hadeeth, Ibn Hajr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Al-Zubayr felt that his son ‘Abdullah was brave and chivalrous, so he put him on a horse, but he feared that he might attempt to do more than he was able, so he put another man with him so that he could feel that he was safe from the attacks of the Romans should he become distracted by the fighting.”

Ibn al-Mubarak reported from Hishaam ibn ‘Urwah from his father from ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr that he was with his father on the day of Yarmook, and when the mushrikoon ran away, he attacked and started killing their wounded, i.e., he finished off every wounded soldier whom he found. This indicates that he was strong and brave from childhood.