Muhammad ibn Maslamah

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Muhammad ibn Maslamah al-Ansari (

Muhammad ibn Maslamah was born in Medina c. 588^[3]: 32 or c. 591^[1]: 349 as a member of the Aws tribe. According to Ibn Athir in Usd al-ghabah fi marifat al-Saḥabah and Ibn Sa'd in his Tabaqat al Kabir, his full Nisba was Muhammad ibn Maslamah ibn Khalid ibn Adiy ibn Majda'a ibn Harith al-Khazraj ibn Amr ibn Malik Al-Awsi,^[2] While ad-Dhahabi offering slightly different and shorter lineage of: Muhammad ibn Maslamah ibn Salamah bin Khalid bin Adiy bin Majda’a ibn Abu Sa'id al-Awsi.^[4] his mother was Umm Sahm Khulayda bint Abi Ubayda from the Sa'ida clan.^{[5][1]: 347}

Ibn Maslama embraced Islam at the hands of

Thus, Hereafter the arrival of Muslims of Mecca, Ibn Maslamah served in various military campaigns, where the first pitched battle was fought at the Battle of Badr in March 624.^{[8]: 330 [6]: 347} Later, when the Muslims defeated the Qaynuqa tribe in April, Ibn Maslamah supervised their expulsion from Medina and the seizure of their possessions. Muhammad awarded him a coat of mail.^[9]: 89 In the same year, approximately in the month of September, Ibn Maslama was sent by Muhammad along with some of his kinsmen and allied tribe of Aws on a mission to assassinate Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, a Jewish man who would recite defamatory poetry about Muhammad and also made explicit poems about Muslim women. Ibn Maslamah pretended to Ka'b that he didn't support Muhammad and would side with Ka'b against him, on the condition that Ka'b would give him a camel load or two of food as a loan. Ka'b wanted something in return and Ibn Maslamah offered to leave his weapons with him as collateral. Ka'b then came out to meet him and a few others during night time and after the men smelled his head for perfume, they killed him.^{[10][11][5]: 367 [9]: 93 [6]: 347–348 [12]: 95–97 [13]} While Ibn Maslamah and his colleagues managed to escape undetected within the night, the tribes of Ka'b learned about the death of Ka'b the next day after they found the corpse of Ka'b on the ground.^[11]

In April 625, the Muslims were engaged in the

• Thumamah clan, Banu Hanifa were an agricultural community in Central Arabia and important suppliers of wheat to many tribes across the Arabian desert. After embracing Islam, Thumamah boycotted the Quraysh in Mecca, which caused the Quraysh to cease the aggression towards Medinan Muslims to some extent.^[16]
• Later during
  Battle of Yamama.^[16]

At the Battle of Khaybar in May/July 628, it was Ibn Maslamah who located the best site for the Muslim camp.^[9]: 317 On the first day of the battle his brother Mahmud was fatally injured while he was sitting in the shade of Fort Na'im. Inside the fortress, the Jewish warrior Marhab threw down a millstone, which landed on Mahmud's head.^{[5]: 511 [9]: 317} It took Mahmud three days to die, during this time, Ibn Maslamah promised to take care of his brother's daughters.^[9]: 324
On the same day, Ibn Maslamah avenged his brother by killing Marhab in a vicious duel which was so intense to the point that palm trees within the garden outside the fortress wall, were chopped-off completely.^[18] The battle ended with Ibn Maslamah managing to chop off one of Marhab's legs.

After all of eight fortresses in Khaybar were subdued, Ibn Maslamah and the Muslim forces marched again and passed the Jewish tribe of Wadi al-Qura, which they fought on the basis that until either surrendered. The Muslims stayed for a while dividing the spoils of war, Ibn Maslamah was awarded one share in Wadi al-Qura.^{[5]: 526 [9]: 354–355}

On

During the Caliphate Ibn Maslamah worked as a tax-collector, bringing in zakat that was due from the Ashja tribe which was a subtribe of Ghatafan.^[20]

In 638, Caliph Umar sent Ibn Maslamah to the newly founded settlement of Kufa. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, hero of Battle of al-Qadisiyyah and Siege of Ctesiphon (637), had built a public citadel next door to his own house. The noise from the nearby market was so deafening that Saad had built a locked gate into the citadel, which prompted the Caliph to send Ibn Maslamah to destroy the gate, which he did by setting fire to it.^[21] He refused all of Sa'd's offers of hospitality, but handed him a letter from Umar reminding him that the citadel should be available to the public and suggesting that he move his house. Saad didn't believe in the letter and denied that Umar would make such remarks. Ibn Maslamah did not have enough supplies for his homeward journey. Later, in 642 Ibn Maslamah continued his job as the Caliph's personal overseer, investigating any complaints across the caliphate realm.^{[22]: 190 [7]: 242} Until he found more complaints against Sa'd in Kufa, then Ibn Maslamah was sent to back Kufa to investigate. He visited all the local mosques and heard all the complaints in public. Nearly everyone expressed satisfaction with Saad's conduct as governor; but eventually there was an accusation that he did not lead the prayers correctly and spent too much time hunting. Ibn Maslamah took Sa'd and his accusers back to Umar, which later led to Sa'd being proven innocent while the accuser was only spreading rumors, although Umar kept on replacing Sa'd as governor.^[11]

Later, after the ascension of Uthman as caliph, Ibn Maslamah continued to act as inspector under Uthman. In 655 Uthman sent him to Kufa to investigate certain complaints; but Ibn Maslamah reported back that he had found nothing amiss.^[23]: 147

During the

During the turmoil in Medina from Egyptians and Iraqis against caliph Uthman, Ibn Maslamah remained a supporter of Uthman. When Uthman warned from the pulpit that the Egyptian rebels had been cursed by Muhammad, Ibn Maslamah stood up and testified he also heard from Muhammad himself regarding the Hadith which was being narrated by Uthman at the pulpit, that those dissidents who were prophesied before, will cause trouble, which the chroniclers thought particularly during this time .^[23]: 165 Uthman later sent Ibn Maslamah along with Ali to lead a delegation to order the Egyptian dissidents out of Medina.^{[23]: 174–175} When unrest continued, Ibn Maslamah set out with fifty cavalry to negotiate with the Egyptians. He entered their leaders' tent and stressed Uthman's rights and how they had bound themselves to his leadership in their oath of allegiance. He warned them of the dangers of civil war and of what might happen if Uthman were killed. Then he offered himself as a guarantor that Uthman would meet the Egyptians' demands. One of them asked the possibility of Uthman's change of opinion, which Ibn Maslamah replied by saying "if so, then it is up to them."^{[23]: 191, 194} Ibn Maslamah then returned to the private chamber of the Caliph and warned him to escape with his life, as he thought the dissidents will kill Uthman. Then Uthman replied that he will not change or escape from the face of those dissidents.^[23]: 191 As the Egyptians returned to Medina. Uthman asked for Ibn Maslamah's advice, Ibn Maslamah replied that the Egyptian dissidents have malice intention. Uthman told him to send the Egyptians away again, However Ibn Maslamah replied, that he would not do such things as he promised them that the Caliph will stop doing certain things, which prompted Uthman to pray. Soon afterwards the Egyptians besieged his house.^{[23]: 191–192, 197} The Egyptians approached Ibn Maslamah directly to advise him of the discovery of a letter in which Uthman had ordered various officials to be flogged.^[23]: 192 Ibn Maslamah accompanied Ali to an audience with Uthman, where Ali voiced this allegation. Uthman denied all knowledge of the letter; Ibn Maslamah and Ali believed him and decided that it must have been forged by Marwan. Ali told Uthman that he must repeat his denial in the hearing of the Egyptians.^{[23]: 192–193} The Egyptians entered and repeated all their complaints, and Uthman repeated his denial of the letter. The Egyptians countered that if he was so incompetent that it was possible for someone to forge letters by appropriating his personal scribe, seal, slave and camel, then he ought to abdicate anyway. Uthman refused to abdicate the office to which God had appointed him, and the interview became loud. Ibn Maslamah and Ali managed to usher them out of Uthman's presence before there was any physical violence, but the siege of Uthman's house continued until the caliph was murdered.^{[23]: 193–196}

After Uthman was assassinated, Ibn Maslamah was one of the few who did not give allegiance to Ali.

Muhammad ibn Maslamah died in Medina in May/June 663[3]^: 32 or April/May 666 aged about 75.^[1]: 349 It was reported by Ibn Sa'd, Ibn Maslama was murdered by a citizen of Jordan, who resented Ibn Maslamah's neutrality and pacifism during the civil war.^[6]

Marwan ibn Hakam, who was a cousin of Uthman and Mu'awiya I lead his funeral prayer.^{[1]: 349 [3]: 32} According to another record, It was Mu'awiya who led the funeral prayer.^[6]

Ibn Maslamah was described as a physically tall and stout man, with dark skin and a bald head.^[1]: 348

As Ibn Maslamah mostly fought as a cavalry trooper, it is recorded by Al-Waqidi that the horse of Ibn Maslamah was named Dhu al-Limma.^[9]: 266

It is said that Ibn Maslamah was deemed by Muhammad as in having a similar character and attitude with Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, a senior Muhajirun Sahaba.^[7]: 236 Ibn Maslamah was also deemed as a person of few words and never complained when given difficult tasks, such as the assassination of Jewish chieftain Ka'b ibn Ashraf. This quality is said to be the reason why Umar trusted Ibn Maslamah as his personal agent to overseeing the governors under Umar^[7]: 242

He encouraged his children to ask him about Muhammad's military expeditions. He said he knew about all of them first-hand, except for Tabuk, which he had heard about directly from its participants.^[1]: 348

He carved a sword out of wood and put it on a bowl hung up in his house "in order to alarm the anxious".^[1]: 349

Muhammad had given Ibn Maslamah a sword, saying, "Fight the idolators with it when they fight. When you see the Muslims facing one another, take it to

When Abu Bakr raised the legal question of the inheritance due to a grandmother, Ibn Maslamah testified that Muhammad had allocated her one-sixth of the estate.^[26]

After the ascension of Umar as Caliph, Umar once asked about the blood-money required for the killing of an unborn child by assaulting its mother. Ibn Maslamah testified that Muhammad had set the price at "a high-quality slave" of either gender.^[27][28][29]

During the reign of Umar as Caliph, Ibn Maslamah was involved in a dispute with a neighbour, al-Dahhak ibn Khalifa, who wanted to divert a stream through Ibn Maslama's property. Ibn Maslama refused permission even when Dahhak reminded him that it could not harm him and he would have unlimited rights to take the water. Dahhak referred the case to Umar, and Ibn Maslamah repeated to the Caliph that he would not allow it. In the end, Umar gave a verdict in favor of Dahhak, and the stream was diverted as Dahhak had wished.^[30]

Ibn Maslamah had ten sons and six daughters by seven different women.^[1]: 347

1. Umm Amr bint Salama of the Abdul-Ashhal clan of the Aws. Her brother was present at the Second pledge at al-Aqabah, and she was one of the women who gave allegiance to Muhammad.^[31]: 222
   1. Abdulrahman
   2. Umm Isa
   3. Umm al-Harith
2. Amra bint Masud of the Zafar clan of the Aws. She and her daughter, together with her mother, sister and niece, were among the first women in Medina who gave allegiance to Muhammad.^{[31]: 231, 232}
   1. Abdullah
   2. Umm Ahmad
3. Qutayla bint al-Husayn of the Murra branch of the Qays ibn Aylan tribe.
   1. Saad
   2. Jaafar
   3. Umm Zayd
4. Zahra bint Ammar of the Murra branch of the Qays ibn Aylan tribe.
   1. Umar
5. Wives from the Atba clan of the
   Kalb
   tribe.
   1. Anas
   2. Amra
6. Concubines
   1. Qays
   2. Zayd
   3. Muhammad
7. Another concubine.
   1. Mahmud
   2. Hafsa

• Sunni view of the Sahaba
• List of battles of Muhammad