Muhammad ibn Maslamah

He was born in Medina c. 588[2]^:32 or c. 591[1]^:349 as a member of the Khazraj tribe. His father was Maslama ibn Khalid from the al-Harith clan; his mother was Umm Sahm Khulayda bint Abi Ubayda from the Sa'ida clan.[3][1]^:347 He is described as a large, tall, black man, stout and bald.[1]^:348

For some reason he lost the support of the Khazraj tribe. Later he became an ally (halif) of the Za'ura ibn Abdalashhal clan of the Aws tribe.[3]^:330

Ibn Maslamah was one of the first people in Medina to become a Muslim. This was in the period 621-622, before Muhammad's arrival, under the influence of Mus‘ab ibn 'Umair.[1]^:347 After Muhammad arrived, he made Ibn Maslama brother in Islam to Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah.[1]^:347

Thereafter he was constantly involved in Muhammad's military affairs.

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.[15]^: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.[15]^{: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. A woman from the Atba clan of the Kalb tribe.
   1. Anas
   2. Amra
6. A concubine.
   1. Qays
   2. Zayd
   3. Muhammad
7. Another concubine.
   1. Mahmud
   2. Hafsa

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

During the Caliphate Ibn Maslamah worked as a tax-collector, bringing in the zakat that was due from the Ashja tribe.[16]

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.[17]

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 sex.[18][19][20]

When Amr ibn al-Aas requested reinforcements during his expedition to Egypt, Ibn Maslamah was one of those sent by Umar at the head of a detachment of a thousand men.[21]

In 638 Umar sent Ibn Maslamah to the newly founded settlement of Kufa. Saad ibn Abi Waqqas 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 to prevent people from entering the public area. Ibn Maslamah was tasked with destroying the gate, which he did by setting fire to it. He refused all Saad's offers of hospitality, but handed him a missive from Umar reminding him that the citadel should be available to the public and suggesting that he move his house. Saad denied to Ibn Maslamah that he had made the alleged remarks ("Stop that terrible noise"). Ibn Maslamah did not take enough supplies for his homeward journey. By the time he reached Medina he was so hungry that he ate tree-bark, and he presented himself to Umar suffering from indigestion. Umar asked if he had brought "anything" from Saad, and Ibn Maslamah replied that he had not received any orders about this. Umar then rebuked him for his lack of initiative.[22]^:73–74

By 642 Ibn Maslamah was acting as the overseer of Umar's governors: his job was to investigate whether correct action had been taken over any complaints.[22]^:190 There were more complaints against Saad ibn Abi Waqqas on the eve of the Persian war, and 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 divide up the battle-plunder equally, did not fight enough wars, did not say the prayers correctly and spent too much time hunting. Ibn Maslamah took Saad and his accusers back to Umar. Umar found that Saad was indeed guilty of deviating from the prescribed ritual for prayer, which meant that the accusations, while exaggerated, had some foundation. Saad was replaced with his deputy.[22]^:191–192

Ibn Maslamah was involved in a civil 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 Ibn Khalifa reminded him that it could not harm him and he would have unlimited rights to take the water. Ibn Khalifa referred the case to Umar, and Ibn Maslama repeated to the Caliph that he would not allow it. But Umar overruled him, and the stream was diverted as Ibn Khalifa had wished.[23]

Ibn Maslama 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.[24]^:147

He 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 declared, "I bear witness to that." He was immediately seized and forced to sit down.[24]^:165 Uthman later sent Ibn Maslamah along with Ali to lead a delegation to order the Egyptian dissidents out of Medina.[24]^: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 Egptians' demands. One of them asked, "What if Uthman doesn't change?" and Ibn Maslama replied, "Then it will be up to you."[24]^{:191, 194}

Immediately afterwards Ibn Maslamah requested a private audience with the Caliph and warned him, "Fear Allah, Uthman, and fear for your life! These people are only here to kill you, and you see how your friends have not only abandoned you but are also going over to your enemy." Uthman spoke acquiescing words but made no changes.[24]^:191

The Egyptians then returned to Medina. Uthman asked Ibn Maslamah's advice, but all he could say was, "They have bad intentions." Uthman told him to send the Egyptians away again, but Ibn Maslamah replied, "I will not. I promised them that you would stop doing certain things, but you have not stopped a single one." Uthman appealed for God's help. Soon afterwards the Egyptians besieged his house.[24]^{: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.[24]^: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.[24]^: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 Maslama 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.[24]^:193–196

After Uthman was assassinated, Ibn Maslamah was one of the few who did not give allegiance to Ali.[25]^{:6, 9} Later, when a messenger from Basra asked if the Muslims had sworn allegiance to Ali freely or under coercion, Usama ibn Zayd replied, "They were definitely coerced!" Some of Ali's supporters leapt to attack Usama, and Ibn Maslamah was among those who jumped up to protect him. Suhayb ibn Sinan managed to calm down the immediate situation, but the reports of half-hearted support for Ali returned both to him and to his opponents.[25]^:65–66

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 Uhud and strike it until it breaks. Then sit in your house until it ends."[1]^{:348, 349} When the civil war broke out, Ibn Maslamah took the sword that Muhammad had given him and broke it.[1]^:349

During the period of strife, Subayaa ibn Husayn al-Thaalabi saw a tent set up by a well in the desert. He was told that it belonged to Muhammad ibn Maslamah, who was by then an old man. Subayaa asked Ibn Maslamah why he was living there. Ibn Maslamah replied that he had left Medina because he hated evil.[1]^:348–349

Muhammad ibn Maslamah died in Medina in May/June 663[2]^:32 or April/May 666 aged about 75.[1]^:349 Marwan led his funeral prayers.[1]^:349[2]^:32

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

Hadrat 'Umar Farooq, Prof. Masudul Hasan. Islamic Publications, Lahore.