Hanzala Ibn Abi Amir

Hanzala Ibn Abi Amir or Ḥanẓala Ibn Abī ʿĀmir (Arabic: ﺣﻨﻈﻠـة ﺍﺑﻦ ﺍﺑﻲ ﻋﺎﻣﺮ) was one of the companionship of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[1] He belonged to the Banu Aus tribe of the Ansar. His father, Abu Aamir was a Christian. However it is not known was he really a christian or otherwise.[2] Hanzala's age was just 24 years when he was martyred in the Battle of Uhud while fighting against the polytheists.[3] Hanzala being a foot soldier, assaulted the mount of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb to attack him. However, the latter was saved by Shaddād bin al-Aswad (also known as Ibn Sha'ub) who also killed Hanzala.[4][5]

Hanzala had earlier left for the battlefield to respond the call of Jihad leaving his wife Jamila, sister of Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy, on the first wedding night. He did not have the time for doing Ghusl (ablution). Muhammad is narrated to have seen angels giving Hanzala a bath in between heavens and the earth with fresh rainwater kept in silver vessels. Because of this honor, Hanzala earned the title of Ghaseel al-Malāʾika (Arabic: غسيل الملائكة) or the one cleansed by the angels. His son, Abdullāh ibn Hanzala would later command the people of Medina to dissent against the Umayyad Caliph Yazid I.[6][7]