Malik al-Ashtar ( ar, مَالِك ٱلْأَشْتَر), also known as Mālik bin al-Ḥārith al-Nakhaʿīy al-Maḏḥijīy ( ar, مَالِك ٱبْن ٱلْحَارِث ٱلنَّخَعِيّ ٱلْمَذْحِجِيّ), was one of the loyal companions of
Ali ibn Abi Talib
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
, cousin of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
, according to
Shia Muslims
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...
. According to
Sunni Muslims
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
, he was one of the people involved behind the
murder of Uthman, the third Rashidun Caliph. According to
Shia Islam
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, m ...
, Malik remained a loyal and avid supporter of Muhammad's progeny and the Hashemite clan. He rose to a position of prominence during the
caliphate
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
of
Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
and participated in several battles, such as the
Battle of Jamal and
Siffin
The Battle of Siffin was fought in 657 CE (37 AH) between Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth of the Rashidun Caliphs and the first Shia Imam, and Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the rebellious governor of Syria. The battle is named after its location Si ...
against
Muawiyah
Mu‘āwīyya or Muawiyah or Muaawiya () is a male Arabic given name of disputed meaning. It was the name of the first Umayyad caliph.
Notable bearers of this name include:
* Mu'awiya I (602–680), first Umayyad Caliph (r. 661–680)
* Muawiya ...
. His title ''"al-Ashtar"'' references an eyelid injury he received during the
Battle of Yarmouk
The Battle of the Yarmuk (also spelled Yarmouk) was a major battle between the army of the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in August 636, ...
.
["Biography of Malik al-Ashtar." N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013. ]
Birth
Although Malik's actual birth year is unknown, many historians say he was 10 years older than
Ali Ibn Abi Talib
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
and 20 years younger than
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
.
[Nakshawani, Ammar "Biography of Malik al-Ashtar." N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013. ] Moreover, it is known that Malik was a
Madh'hij, a sub-class of the Bani Nakha tribe from
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
,
[Ibn Abi Talib, Ali. Nahjul Balagha = Peak of Eloquence : Sermons, Letters, and Sayings of Imam Ali Ibn Abu Talib. Ed. Mohammad Askari. Jafery. Elmhurst, NY: Tahrike Tarsile Quran, 1984. Print.] which is also the tribe of another
Sahabah
The Companions of the Prophet ( ar, اَلصَّحَابَةُ; ''aṣ-ṣaḥāba'' meaning "the companions", from the verb meaning "accompany", "keep company with", "associate with") were the disciples and followers of Muhammad who saw or m ...
named
Amru bin Ma'adi Yakrib.
His lineage is traced back to Yarab bin Qahtan through his paternal surname Malik bin Al Hareth.
Conflicts with the governor of Kufa and the event of Al-Rabathah
In the year 30 AH (after
Hijra) or 650 CE, many Muslims living in the city of
Kufa were angered over the action of the governor
Waleed ibn Uqba
Al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ ( ar, الْوَلِيْد ابْنِ عُقبَة ابْنِ أَبِيّ مُعَيْط, died 680) was the governor of Kufa in 645/46–649/50 during the reign of his half-brother, Caliph Uthman ().
Durin ...
(the half-brother of
Uthman ibn Affan
Uthman ibn Affan ( ar, عثمان بن عفان, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān; – 17 June 656), also spelled by Colloquial Arabic, Turkish and Persian rendering Osman, was a second cousin, son-in-law and notable companion of the Islamic proph ...
). People went to Mu'awiyah with their complaints. The gathering included Malik al-Ashtar and Kumayl ibn Ziyad. After listening to the complaints, Mu'awiyah accused Kumayl and Mailk of disuniting the religion and disobeying their leader, and exiled from Shaam to
Homs
Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
.
[Nakshawani, Ammar. "Biography of Kumayl Ibn Ziyad al-Nakha'i." ]YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. Masjid Al Husayn Leicester, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 01 July 2013. .
Eventually, Malik al-Ashtar, Kumayl ibn Ziyad, and the delegation made it back to Kufa.
After coming back to Kufa and failing to remove al-Waleed, the delegation, including Kumayl ibn Ziyad, was led by Malik al-Ashtar on a journey to
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...
, the capital of the Muslim empire, to address the issue with Uthman.
[Sayyid, Kamāl, and Jasim Alyawy. Malik al-Ashtar. um, Iran Ansariyan Foundation, 1996. Print.] Kumayl ibn Ziyad, Malik al-Ashtar,
Muhammad ibn Abi Hudhaifa
Muhammad ibn Abi Hudhayfa (Arabic: محمد بن أبي حذيفة ) was the son of Abu Hudhayfa ibn 'Utba and Sahla bint Suhail. Since his father adopted Salim Mawla Abi Hudhayfa as his son, Muhammad ibn Abi Hudhayfa and Salim Mawla Abi Hudhayf ...
, and Abdur Rahman ibn Udays were the ones who spoke out most about al-Waleed and the corruption that was occurring.
The event of al-Rabathan
On their way to Medina, Malik al-Ashtar and the delegation stopped at al-Rabathan to visit
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari Al-Kinani (, '), also spelled Abu Tharr or Abu Zar, born Jundab ibn Junādah (), was the fourth or fifth person converting to Islam, and from the Muhajirun. He belonged to the Banu Ghifar, the Kinanah tribe. No date of birt ...
, who health at the time was deteriorating. He was a companion of Muhammad and firm supporter and companion of Ali, was banished to die in the desert of Al-Rabathan. Abu Dharr told his wife the prophecy of his death, which had been given to him by
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
. Muhammad had told Abu Dharr and some other companions that one of them would die in the desert, and a group of believers would attend his death. However, all of the other men present had since passed away in their houses, suggesting that Abu Dharr would be the one to die in the desert.
His wife saw the delegation's caravan from a hill and flagged them down.
She told Malik and the delegation about her dying husband, and the delegation agreed to visit him.
They came to Abu Dharr and Malik told Abu him that they were on their way to Medina to meet with Uthman over the issue of al-Waleed. Upon hearing the news of al-Waleed, Abu Dhur became sad.
After the event of al-Rabathah, Malik and the delegation continued on their long journey to Medina. When they finally met with Uthman, they communicated their concerns and al-Waleed's behavior. However, they were unsuccessful in their mission and they decided to seek Ali's help.
Battle of Jamal
At the age of 70, Malik al-Ahstar was the main cavalry and commander of the army of
Ali Ibn Abi Talib
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
in the Battle of Jamal (Battle of the Camel).
Background
After the downfall of
Uthman, Ali was appointed as the new caliph, upsetting Ali's enemies.
As a result, they planned to launch an offensive against Ali in the year 656 AD under the claim that they wanted revenge for Uthman's killing.
When Ali received news that a mutiny was going to occur, he formed an army to combat the rebel forces. During the mutiny, the new governor of
Kufa,
Abu Musa al-Ashary, encouraged the Kufains (citizens of Kufa) not to join Ali's army.
When Ali was made aware of this situation, he sent Malik al-Ashter to rally up troops.
As a firm and loyal supporter of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Malik rallied up the Kufians with a powerful speech. Malik and a large group of fighters then seized the palace to remove Abu Musa al-Ashary; however, he was actually at the mosque at the time.
After his guards informed him that Malik al-Ashtar and a large number of fighters had taken control of the palace, Abu Musa al-Ashary surrendered and asked Malik to give him a day to leave Kufa.
Malik accepted his offer and let Abu Musa al-Ashary leave peacefully. Once Abu Musa al-Ashary left, Malik delivered another powerful speech (in the mosque) that captivated the hearts of the Kufains. The speech successfully aroused more than 18,000 soldiers to join him in order to defend against the rebel attack.
[Nakshawani, Ammar. "Biography of Malik al-Ahstar." Lecture.] 9,000 of those troops were under Malik's commands and the other 9,000 were under
Hasan (the eldest son of Ali) commands.
They quickly headed towards Dhiqaar, Iraq to join Ali's army.
The Battle
On the day of the
Battle of Camel
The Battle of the Camel, also known as the Battle of Jamel or the Battle of Basra, took place outside of Basra, Iraq, in 36 AH (656 CE). The battle was fought between the army of the fourth caliph Ali, on one side, and the rebel army led by ...
, Ali put Malik al-Ashtar in charge of the right wing of his army,
Ammar ibn Yasir
Abū 'l-Yaqẓān ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir ibn ʿĀmir ibn Mālik al-ʿAnsīy al-Maḏḥiǧī ( ar, أبو اليقظان عمار ابن ياسر ابن عامر ابن مالك العنسي المذحجي) also known as Abū 'l-Yaqẓān ʿAmmār i ...
in charge of the left wing, and gave the flag to his son
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah
Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib () also known as Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafīyya () (15 AH – 81 AH; AD 637 – 700) and surnamed Abū al-Qāsim. He was the third son of Ali ibn Abi Talib (the fourth rightly-guided caliph and the first ...
.
When the battle began, Malik al-Ashtar and his soldiers advanced. During the battle, Ali told Malik that as long as
Aisha's camel was standing the battle would continue. In order to end the battle Ali ordered Malik al-Ashtar to cut the feet of the Aisha's camel.
In addition, he ordered
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr
Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr ( ar, محمد بن أبي بكر, 631–658), was the youngest son of the first Islamic caliph Abu Bakr. His mother was Asma bint Umais, who was a widow of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib prior to her second marriage with Abu Bakr. ...
, the blood brother of Aisha, to catch Aisha when she falls off the camel.
Both Malik and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr carried out their assignments, thus ending the battle.
After the battle, Malik al-Ashtar and Ammar bin Yasir went to Aisha.
Battle of Siffeen
Battles over the Euphrates River
Although the minor conflict occurred in Kirkeesya, the war took place at Siffeen (on the banks of the Euphrates) when Mu'awiyah headed a large reinforcing army to join Abi al-Awar al-Salmy and his army (Mu'awiyah's first army that attacked at night).
Mu'awiyah brought reinforcements because during the minor conflict many of his soldiers were killed and injured. When they got to Siffeen,
Mu'awiyah
Mu'awiya I ( ar, معاوية بن أبي سفيان, Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān; –April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the deat ...
ordered an offensive to his army to gain control of the
Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
River.
By taking the control of water, Mu'awiyah violated an Islamic law and the laws of war.
Over time, Malik watched the military supply and movements taking place on the riverbanks. He then realized that Mu'awiyah was tightening the siege of the Euphrates River.
Noticing that most of the soldiers were thirsty, Malik went to Ali, who subsequently wrote a letter to Muawiyah asking for water.
However, Mu'awiyah refused to give the soldiers water.
Ali Ibn Abi Talib called Malik and asked him to lead his soldiers in an attack to gain possession of the Euphrates River.
Malik and his men fought valiantly and won back the possession of the Euphrates River.
The following day, an arrow was shot at Ali's army with an attached letter saying Mu'awiyah would be opening the river to drown Ali's army.
This news caused the soldiers to withdraw from the banks of the Euphrates River, and Mu'awiyah decided to recapture the river for his army.
Yet again, Ali sent his soldiers to fight of Mu'awiyah's troops and gain control of the river.
Malik's discipline and the end of the war
As the battle continued, Malik al-Ashtar fought his way through the opposing army until he was two rows away from Mu'awiyah's tent.
However, Mu'awiyah wanted to trick Ali's army to stop fighting and disunite them by creating confusion and ordered his soldiers to place the Quran on their spear.
[Malik Al-Ashtar. um, Iran Ansariyan Foundation, 1996. Print.] When most of the soldiers of Ali saw this, they stopped fighting and began to withdraw despite Ali's insistence they continue. Ali then commanded Malik to return for safety reasons.
Although Malik knew he had the opportunity to end the war and rid the world of Ma'uwiyah, he retreated, saying, Malik said, "If Ali ibn Abi Talib orders something, I have to return".
The arbitration
During arbitration agreements, Ali attempted to choose Abdullah bin Abbas to represent him.
The rebels did not accept this, wanting Ali to choose Abu Musa al-Ashary.
Ali refused, next nominating Malik al-Ashtar to represent him; again, this choice was shot down.
Abu Musa al-Ashary was ultimately chosen to represent Ali in the arbitration agreement.
Assassination
Becoming governor of Egypt
Ali Ibn Abi Talib sent Malik al-Ashtar to
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
to help Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the governor at the time, who was under threat from
Amr ibn al-As, one of Mu'awiyah's companions.
Amr ibn al-As wanted to become governor of Egypt and had rallied 6,000 soldiers to attack Muhammad ibn Abū-Bak.
Muhammad ibn Abū-Bakr was instructed by Alī' to return to his capital city, Kufa, and Malik Al-Ashtar was appointed
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
in 658 (38 A.H.) by Alī ibn Abī-Tālib after the
Battle of Siffin had ended.
Assassination Plan
When Mu'awiyah learned that Ali appointed Malik al-Ashtar as the new governor of Egypt, he was overwhelmed with worry because he knew of al-Ashtar's ferocious build and strength.
Muawiyah formulated a plot to assassinate him using poison imported from
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and sent a delegate with the poison to a certain man owning vast lands in al-Qilzim (a service station/resting spot for travelers) on the borders of Egypt, requesting that he poison al-Ashtar in exchange for lifelong tax exemption. The man agreed to the envoy's request.
Death of al-Ashtar
On the way to Egypt, Malik al-Ashtar decided to stop at al-Qilzim. Upon his arrival, the man who agreed to poison Malik invited him for lunch at his house.
Malik accepted the man's invitation and went to his home. The man provided Malik with poisoned honey, which he consumed.
Malik realized he was poisoned as soon as he felt pain in his stomach. He placed his hand on his stomach and said "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We belong to Allah, and we'll come back to Him!"
Within moments Malik al-Ashtar died. Muawiyah is said to have rejoiced upon hearing of al-Ashtar's death.
Legacy
Descendants
Malik had two sons named Ishaq (Isaac) and Ibrahim (Abraham).
Ishaq was a phenomenal warrior who supported and gave his life to protect
Hussain ibn Ali
Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب; 10 January 626 – 10 October 680) was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad and a ...
, the son of Ali, in the
Battle of Karbala. After
Habib ibn Muzahir
Ḥabīb ibn Muẓāhir al-Asadī ( ar, حبيب بن مظاهر الأسدي, translit=Ḥabīb ibn Muẓāhir al-Asadī) was of the Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah, Banu Asad clan, and one of the companions of Ali, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali. He ...
, Ishaq killed the most enemy fighters.
On the other hand,
Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar, the son of Malik al-Ashtar, along with
Mukhtar al-Thaqafi
Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd al-Thaqafi ( ar, المختار بن أبي عبيد الثقفي, '; – 3 April 687) was a pro-Alid revolutionary based in Kufa, who led a rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate in 685 and ruled over most of Iraq f ...
rose against the killers of
Hussain ibn Ali
Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب; 10 January 626 – 10 October 680) was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad and a ...
.
The two killed most of the killers of Hussain and his army. For example, they caught and killed
Umar ibn Sa'ad,
Shimr ibn Thil-Jawshan, Sanan ibn Anas,
Hurmala ibn Kahil and Ubaidullah Ibn Ziyad (these were
Yazid I
Yazid ibn Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan ( ar, يزيد بن معاوية بن أبي سفيان, Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya ibn ʾAbī Sufyān; 64611 November 683), commonly known as Yazid I, was the second caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate. He ruled from ...
's soldiers who fought against Hussain).
Among his descendants are the Kalbasi family, who reside in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. One branch of this family adds the title "Ashtari" to the end of their family name to denote this fact.
In
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
, the Hamadani family from the southern town of
Nabatieh are also direct descendants who have maintained a family tree dating back to the Nakha'i tribe origins. The Mroueh family, after tracing their lineage, are also believed to be descendants. The Malek (or Malekian) family, from the Iranian province of
Mazandaran are also believed to be descendants.
See also
*
The Four Companions
The Four Companions, also called the Four Pillars of the Sahaba, is a Shia term for the four Companions () of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who are supposed to have stayed most loyal to Ali ibn Abi Talib after Muhammad's death in 632:
*
# Salm ...
*
Letter of Ali ibn Abi Talib to Malik al-Ashtar
The 7th century letter of Ali ibn Abi Talib to Malik al-Ashtar was sent by the Islamic leader Ali to Malik al-Ashtar, a loyal supporter who served as the governor of Egypt. The letter advises Malik al-Ashtar how to treat the people of Egypt jus ...
*
Al Qaid Johar
References
External links
Sanctuary of Malik al-Ashtar in Eski Yurt, Crimea (Russian language)Malik al-Ashtar(Ebook of Kamal al-Syyed on Malik al-Ashtar)
{{Ali's companions , state=expanded
Arab generals
Yemeni Muslims
Ali
Deaths by poisoning
People of the First Fitna
7th-century Arabs
Rashidun governors of Mosul