Al-Ahnaf

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Abu Bahr

Arab tribe of Banu Tamim and was born of noble parents. Initially, his father named him ad-Dhahhak, but people called him al-Ahnaf, which meant "the clubfooted" in classical Arabic. Al-Baladhuri, however, noted that he was also identified as Abdallah ibn Khazim.[2]

Early life

In the early years of Islam, Muhammad sent a missionary to the tribe of Banu Tamim. The tribe members had informed the missionary that no decision could be taken until Al-Ahnaf told them his opinion. Al-Ahnaf listened and questioned the missionary who succeeded in persuading him and his entire tribe to embrace Islam.

Al-Ahnaf had never met Muhammad in his lifetime.[

Musaylimah's claim of prophecy, al-Ahnaf went with his uncle to meet him. After listening to Musaylimah, he returned to his tribe and discouraged them from believing to Musaylimah's claim.[citation needed
]

During the Caliphate of Umar

When

Utbah ibn Ghazwan to go to their rescue. Utbah sent a force of 12,000, most of them form the Banu Tamim, and among them was al-Ahnaf who played a major role in breaking the siege.[citation needed
]

In 639, al-Ahnaf returned to

Persia
. After listening to him, Umar said;

Maybe the Persians breach the treaties so often because the Muslims mistreat them?

Al-Ahnaf replied:

You have forbidden us to pursue any further conquest, and the Persian emperor is now in safety among his people. They will continue to be at war with us as long as he is commanding them to do so… unless you allow us to pursue further into the conquest.

[citation needed]

Umar gave him permission to pursue

Yazdgerd III, and put al-Ahnaf at the head of a Muslim army to complete the conquest of Khurasan in the last stages of its annexation.[citation needed
]

Al-Ahnaf followed

Yazdgerd III unsuccessfully appealed to neighboring Turkic and Chinese rulers asking for help. After sending for reinforcement from Kufa, Al-Ahnaf finally captured Marwir-Rawdah, completing the conquest of Khurasan
.

Towns beyond Khurasan signed peace agreements with al-Ahnaf. He then sent a letter to

Yazdgerd III then fled eastward from one district to another, until at last he was killed by a local miller for his purse at Merv, Turkmenistan in 651.[citation needed
]

During and After the Fitna

Al-Ahnaf returned to

Ali ibn Abi Talib
(died 660) when the Muslims were split into two warring parties. Al-Ahnaf isolated himself from this trial and sent a message to Ali saying: "I will restrain ten thousand swords from fighting you."

When Muawiyah became caliph in 661, al-Ahnaf visited him and warned him strongly against fighting the Muslims or engaging in any Fitna (trial). When he left, the caliph's sister said angrily: "Who was that man who warned and threatened you?" He replied: "He is the one, who if he gets angry, a hundred thousand men from Banu Tamim get angry for him without knowing the reason behind his anger."[citation needed]

During the Second Fitna, he participated in Battles of Madhar and Harura leading the Tamim tribes.[3]

Al-Ahnaf spent the rest of his life in Kufa where he died at the age of 70.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Bayat & Umar 2008.
  2. ^ Potts, Daniel (2014). Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era. Oxford University Press. p. 169.
  3. ^ Fishbein 1990, p. 87.

Sources

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