On the deposition of Walid b Uqba, Saeed b Al'Aas was appointed the Governor General of Kufa in 651 C.E. He belonged to the Umayyad section of the Quraish. His father was 'Aas b Umayya b Abd Shams. His mother was Umm Kulsum bint 'Amr b Abdullah b Abi Qais. His father was killed by Ali at the battle of Badr. Saeed was then only two years old. Uthman took care of the child. Saeed was intelligent and well read. When he grew up he accepted Islam, and went to Muawiyah in Syria. Umar recalled him to Madina, and entrusted him some important duties. When Uthman constituted a board for the recension of the Holy Quran, Saeed was one of the members. Saeed was a young man of great qualities. He never turned down a beggar. When a beggar called on him and he had perchance nothing to pay, he would give the beggar a chit on the basis whereof he could recover the amount specified in the chit, from him later. He invited friends to a feast every Friday, and gave them expensive presents and gifts. He was eloquent, and was known for his scholarship.
