Al-Bara' Ibn Malik
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Al-Barāʾ ibn Mālik al-Anṣārī (; died ) was one of the
Sahaba The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...
(companions of Muhammad), an Ansar belonging to the Banū al-Najjār branch of the Banu Khazraj. He was the brother of
Anas ibn Malik Anas ibn Mālik ibn Naḍr al-Khazrajī al-Anṣārī (; 612 712) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Finding the Truth in Judging the Companions, 1. 84-5; EI2, 1. 482 A. J. Wensinck J. Robson He was nicknamed Khadim al-Nabi for ...
. He was most known for his participations in the
Ridda Wars The Ridda Wars were a series of military campaigns launched by the first caliph Abu Bakr against rebellious Arabian tribes, some of which were led by rival prophet claimants. They began shortly after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in ...
against Musaylima and
Muslim conquest of Persia As part of the early Muslim conquests, which were initiated by Muhammad in 622, the Rashidun Caliphate conquered the Sasanian Empire between 632 and 654. This event led to the decline of Zoroastrianism, which had been the official religion of ...
. He died around 641-642 of wounds he received during his siege in Shushtar against the
Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
. Al-Barā has become a role model of conducting
Jihad ''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...
by later era Islamic communities.


Biography

Al-Bara' was from Banu Ghanm clan, a sub-branch of Banū al-Najjār branch belonging to the Banu Khazraj tribe.
Al-Dhahabi Shams ad-Dīn adh-Dhahabī (), also known as Shams ad-Dīn Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Qāymāẓ ibn ʿAbdillāh at-Turkumānī al-Fāriqī ad-Dimashqī (5 October 1274 – 3 February 1348) was an Atharism, Athari ...
recorded that his full
Nisba (onomastics) In Arabic names, a ' ( ', "attribution"), also rendered as ' or ', is an adjective surname indicating the person's place of origin, ancestral tribe, or ancestry, used at the end of the name and occasionally ending in the suffix ''-iyy'' for males ...
lineage is Al-Barā son of Malik from the subclan of Al-Nadir ibn Damdam ibn Yazid ibn Haram ibn Jundub ibn 'Amr ibn Ghanam ibn 'Adi of the
Banu Najjar Banu Najjar (, "sons of the carpenter") or Banu al-Naggar is the name of several unrelated historical and modern-day tribes throughout the Arab world. The individual tribes vary in religious composition. In Islamic history One Banu Najjar group ...
. After Muhammad migrated to Medina, al-Baraa' worked as a camel chanter and lead of men's caravan of camels whenever Muhammad and his companions goes for military expedition. Al-Bara' was said to participate in all campaigns under Muhammad, starting from the
Battle of Uhud The Battle of Uhud () was fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh during the Muslim–Quraysh wars in a valley north of Mount Uhud near Medina on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH). After the expulsion of Hijrah, Muslims from ...
. * ''Al-Isabah'',
Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (; 18 February 1372 – 2 February 1449), or simply ibn Ḥajar, was a classic Islamic scholar "whose life work constitutes the final summation of the science of hadith." He authored some 150 works on hadith, history, ...
(1/236 al-Sarraj's tradition) (1/237
al-Baghawi Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥusayn ibn Masʻūd ibn Muḥammad al-Farrā' al-Baghawī ( Persian/Arabic:ابو محمد حسین بن مسعود بغوی), also known as al-Baghawī () was a Persian Sunni Muslim scholar based in Khorasan. He was a pro ...
's tradition on the authority of Anas ibn Malik) (1/287), (3/291), (6/114, commentary of
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal ''Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal'' () is a collection of musnad hadith compiled by the Islamic scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. AH 241/AD 855) to whom the Hanbali fiqh (legislation) is attributed. Description Musnad Ahmad, also known as Al-Musnad , is on ...
), (13/226), (13/227, commentary verification of at-Tabaqat al-Kubra,
Ibn Sa'd Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Sa‘d ibn Manī‘ al-Baṣrī al-Hāshimī or simply Ibn Sa'd () and nicknamed ''Scribe of Waqidi'' (''Katib al-Waqidi''), was a scholar and Arabian biographer. Ibn Sa'd was born in 784/785 CE (168 AH) and di ...
chapter 8, no. 312). *
As-Sunan al-Kubra ''As-Sunan al-Kubra'', (), is a hadith book collected by Imam Al-Nasa'i (214 – 303 AH), not to be confused with the same titled book by Imam Al-Bayhaqi. Description As-Sunan al-Kubra is the larger collection of the Sunan al-Nasa'i, having al ...
,
Al-Nasa'i Al-Nasāʾī (214 – 303 Islamic calendar, AH; 829 – 915 CE), full name Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Aḥmad ibn Shuʿayb ibn ʿAlī ibn Sinān ibn Baḥr ibn Dīnar al-Khurasānī al-Nasāʾī (), was a noted collector of hadith (sayin ...
(6/114), (no. 5395), (no. 17645;\, Ibn Abi Shaybah) * Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn,
Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Nishapuri (; 933 - 1014 CE), also known as Ibn al-Bayyiʿ, was a Persians, Persian Sunni scholar and the leading hadith studies, traditionist of his age, frequently referred to as the "Imam of t ...
(2/195-196), (3/291) * Usd Al-Ghabah'', Ali ibn al-Athir (1/364), (7/333-334). * ''
Sahih Muslim () is the second hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam. Compiled by Islamic scholar Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj () in the format, the work is valued by Sunnis, alongside , as the most important source for Islamic religion after the Q ...
'', Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj Book of the Virtues of the Companions, Chapter on the Virtues of Anas bin Malik (2480) and (2481) * ''Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal'',
Ahmad ibn Hanbal Ahmad ibn Hanbal (; (164-241 AH; 780 – 855 CE) was an Arab Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, traditionist, ascetic and eponym of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence—one of the four major orthodox legal schools of Sunni Islam. T ...
(3/110). * ''Hilyat al-Awliya'',
Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani Abu Nuʿaym al-Isfahani (; full name: ''Ahmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ahmad ibn Ishāq ibn Mūsā ibn Mahrān al-Mihrānī al-Asbahānī'' (or ''al-Asfahānī'') ''al-Ahwal al-Ash`arī al-Shāfi`ī'', died 1038 CE / AH 430) was a medieval Persian S ...
(1/350). * ''Al-Isti'ab fi ma'rifat al-ashab'', Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (1/285) * ''Siyar A’lam al-Nubala’'', al-Dhahabi (1/196). * '' Tarikh Khalifa ibn Hayyat'', Khalifa ibn Hayyat (109) * ''Siyar A’lam al-Nubala'', al Dhahabi (1/196). * '' Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir'', al-Tabarani (2/27) No. (1182, deemed authentic by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in his book chapter 9 no. 325)
During the battle of the Trench, al-Barāʾ reported on his own account when he dug out the trench outside the city along with Muhammad and other Medinese. Al-Barā' also participated in the pledge of the Tree during the first pilgrimage. During the
battle of Hunayn The Battle of Hunayn () was a conflict between the Muslims of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tribe of Qays in the aftermath of the conquest of Mecca. The battle took place in 8 AH () in the Hunayn valley on the route from Mecca to ...
, Al-Barā' was given Khums or a fifth portion of the goods looted from enemies he killed personally.


Ridda wars

Following the death of Muhammad, the Muslims began to leave Islam in groups just as they had entered it. Caliph Abu Bakr dispatched eleven armies to fight the leaders of these groups in what became known as the
Ridda wars The Ridda Wars were a series of military campaigns launched by the first caliph Abu Bakr against rebellious Arabian tribes, some of which were led by rival prophet claimants. They began shortly after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in ...
. During the
Battle of Yamama The Battle of Yamama was fought in December 632 as part of the Ridda Wars against a rebellion within the Rashidun Caliphate in the region of al-Yamama (in present-day Saudi Arabia, South of Riyadh City) between the forces of Abu Bakr and Musay ...
, al-Baraa' played a role when the rebels army under Musailamah Al Kadhab and his 40,000 soldiers from Banu Hanifa fortified themselves in the fortress named ''Garden of Death'', Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl and
Khalid ibn al-Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arabs, Arab military commander. He initially led campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career ...
struggled to break through the high walls of the garden until al-Baraa' suggested they place him on a shield and using spears and catapults al-Baraa' into the fortress wall. The Muslims agreed with al-Baraa's plan and al-Baraa' immediately fell into the fortress as intended, killing many town guards on the wall and fortress gate inside singlehandedly and rushed towards the gate and open it alone from inside, allowing Muslim forces under Khalid ibn al Walid to swarm inside and killed 20,000 of the ex-Muslims, including their leader Musailama, killed by Wahshi and Abu Dujana al Ansari. During this battle, Ibn Hajar also noted a testimony of Al-Barā' himself that he engaged in a duel against a huge Musaylamah warrior nicknamed ''Himar al Yamama'' (donkey of Yamama). Al-Bara managed to cut both of his opponent feet with his sword, and caused him dropped to the ground, Then al-Bara grab the man's sword and finishing him by using his own sword. Despite suffering grave injuries which numbered over 80 wounds, al-Baraa' managed to survive in the aftermath of the Yamama battle. After the battle, Khalid ibn al Walid was said to personally visit his tents where he still treating his wound and rest.


Conquest of Persia

On the onset of early naval incursion against Persia which started from
Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
, al-Baraa' participated the naval expedition embarked from
Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
led by Al-Ala al-Hadhrami and Arfaja al-Bariqi to expel
Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
forces in the Island of . In the final battle of this island in the fortress of Zarah, al-Baraa' killed the Persian
Marzban Marzbān, or Marzpān (Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭫𐭱𐭰𐭠𐭭𐭯 transliteration: mrzwpn, derived from Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭫𐭱 ''marz'' "border, boundary" and the Middle Persian suffix: 𐭡𐭭𐭯 ''-pān'' "guardian"; Modern Persian: ...
commander of the area in duel, and managed to seize the wealth of the said commander of 30,000 coins after the battle. However, caliph '
Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...
saw that it was too much for single person to acquire spoils of war that huge, so the Caliph decided that Al-Barā' should be given a four portions after it being divided into five, with one portion sent for the caliphate treasury. Later, during the
Muslim conquest of Persia As part of the early Muslim conquests, which were initiated by Muhammad in 622, the Rashidun Caliphate conquered the Sasanian Empire between 632 and 654. This event led to the decline of Zoroastrianism, which had been the official religion of ...
, Al-Barā' participated in the battle of al-Qadisiyyah, where he was urged by other soldiers to pray for victory in this difficult battle, since the Muslim soldiers in that battle believed if al-Baraa' prayed, his wishes would always be granted by
Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...
. During Muslim conquest of Khuzestan, The highest commander of Muslim army,
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari Abu Musa Abd Allah ibn Qays al-Ash'ari (), better known as Abu Musa al-Ash'ari () (died c. 662 or 672) was a companion of Muhammad and an important figure in early Islamic history. He was at various times governor of Basra and Kufa and was involv ...
requested to the caliph to provide him with elite guards from Ansar (military) component, which was replied by Umar by sending a group of Ansaris including Al-Barā' ibn Malik along with his brother, Anas. In the campaign on Khuzestan, the Muslims faced a particularly difficult battle on the bridge of
Susa Susa ( ) was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh River, Karkheh and Dez River, Dez Rivers in Iran. One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital o ...
, eastern of
Tigris The Tigris ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...
river, as the enemy gained upper hand at the first of the battle. Thus the Muslims soldiers once again came to Al-Barā' asking for prayer, and after Al-Barā' finished his prayer, the Muslims fight again until they managed to gained upper hand and seized victory. Later, during the Siege of Shushtar, al-Baraa' once again gave important contribution as he and Mujaz'ah ibn Thawr as-Sadusi lead a small team of 35 soldiers to sneak from the waterway under the impenetrable fortress wall that has been besieged for almost one year, and killing many guards on the city gate before opened the gate and allowed the Muslims army under
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari Abu Musa Abd Allah ibn Qays al-Ash'ari (), better known as Abu Musa al-Ash'ari () (died c. 662 or 672) was a companion of Muhammad and an important figure in early Islamic history. He was at various times governor of Basra and Kufa and was involv ...
storm the city and subdue the town. According to his own word that has been recorded in '' Siyar A'lam Nubala'' chronicle written by
Al-Dhahabi Shams ad-Dīn adh-Dhahabī (), also known as Shams ad-Dīn Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Qāymāẓ ibn ʿAbdillāh at-Turkumānī al-Fāriqī ad-Dimashqī (5 October 1274 – 3 February 1348) was an Atharism, Athari ...
and in '' Usd al-ghabah fi marifat al-Saḥabah'' chronicle which written by Ibn al-Athir, Al-Barā' ibn Malik singlehandedly slayed at least 100 Sassanid soldiers during this battle alone.


Death

Muslim chroniclers recorded two versions regarding when Al-Barā' fallen on the battle: * According to
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (; 18 February 1372 – 2 February 1449), or simply ibn Ḥajar, was a classic Islamic scholar "whose life work constitutes the final summation of the science of hadith." He authored some 150 works on hadith, history, ...
version, his death occurred during the Siege of Shushtar in Persia, but only after he rescued his brother Anas from the molten hooks, which caused he suffered grief injury to the point that his own palms melted and showing the bones in his effort to break the chain from Anas, al-Baraa' succumbed to the wound shortly after Anas were rescued. * Meanwhile,
Malik ibn Anas Malik ibn Anas (; –795) also known as Imam Malik was an Arab Islamic scholar and traditionalist who is the eponym of the Maliki school, one of the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence in Sunni Islam.Schacht, J., "Mālik b. Anas", in: ''E ...
, Tabari, Bukhari, Ibn Hibban, and Ibn Manda reported the second version that al-Baraa' was fallen indeed in siege of Shushtar, but not by the molten steel hook of Sassanid army, instead he died at the hand of Hormuzan in this battle.
al-Dhahabi Shams ad-Dīn adh-Dhahabī (), also known as Shams ad-Dīn Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Qāymāẓ ibn ʿAbdillāh at-Turkumānī al-Fāriqī ad-Dimashqī (5 October 1274 – 3 February 1348) was an Atharism, Athari ...
favored this version as he deemed this authentic, which also narrated by
al-Bayhaqi Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Mūsā al-Khusrawjirdī al-Bayhaqī (, 994–1066), also known as Imām al-Bayhaqī, was a Sunni scholar widely known for being the foremost leading hadith master in his age, leading authority in th ...
. Al-Dhahabi also add note that al-Barā' was twenty years old during his death. Ahmad Abd ar-Razaq al-Khani, researcher from
Damascus University Damascus University () is the largest and oldest university in Syria, located in the capital Damascus, with campuses in other Syrian cities. It was founded in 1923 as the Syrian University () through the merger of the Faculty of Medicine of Dama ...
; explained the two narratives were actually correlated, as al-Barā' actually survived the first occasion during the incident with chained molten hooks, where he rested for while after the injuries, until he participated in the final storming of Shushtar, where he was fallen in combat against Hormuzan.


Character assessment

Chroniclers say al-Baraa' was thin and was extremely brave on the battlefield. Caliph
Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...
ibn al Khattab told his generals never to give al-Baraa' any command position, as his reckless bravery would expose his own soldiers to danger. Umar valued his military ability, according to modern writer Khalid Muhammad Khalid who said in his book, ''Rijala Hawla Rasulullah Shalallahu 'Alaihi Wassalam'', that during the Muslim conquest of Khuzestan, when Suhayl ibn Adiyy was sent by
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari Abu Musa Abd Allah ibn Qays al-Ash'ari (), better known as Abu Musa al-Ash'ari () (died c. 662 or 672) was a companion of Muhammad and an important figure in early Islamic history. He was at various times governor of Basra and Kufa and was involv ...
to invade Ahwaz, Umar specifically instructed Abu Musa to include al-Barā' in the Suhayl invading force. Anas ibn Malik said that al-Barā' had a beautiful voice and loved reciting poems frequently, until Anas persuade his brother to recite
Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...
instead of poetry.


Ascetism

Chroniclers said that
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
once praised al-Baraa' as a pious figure whose prayers would always be answered by God, despite his low social status. The Rashidun army during the Muslim conquest of Persia apparently held high opinion for al-Barā' and believed that his
supplication Supplication (also known as petitioning) is a form of prayer, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someon ...
will always come true, as when they asked specifically to al-Barā' for the success of the battle in Qadisiyya. The second occasion of this was during the battle of the bridge of Susa in Iran, the Muslim soldiers came to al-Barā' to seek his prayer to win the battle. The third recorded occasion were when his colleagues once again asked him to pray for victory during the siege of Shushtar fortress. However, aside from praying for victory, al-Barā' also praying for being killed in battle as martyr during this siege.


Legacy


Scholar analysis

Al-Barā' is viewed highly in the Islamic scholarly community in general, as Companions of the Prophet, collectively named '' al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ'' (pious ancestors), they are regarded as their as daily religious role model. This view was outlined by
Ibn Taymiyyah Ibn Taymiyya (; 22 January 1263 – 26 September 1328)Ibn Taymiyya, Taqi al-Din Ahmad, The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195125580.001.0001/acref-9780195125580-e-959 was a Sunni Muslim ulama, ...
, both in their figure as a guideline and in practicing Islamic religious observances. Ibn Taymiyyah further observes the special rank within the Companions from the Ansar, which are according to him, vital for the faith, as he quoted the hadith, "love for the Ansar is a sign of Iman, while hatred against them is a sign of
hypocrisy Hypocrisy is the practice of feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not. The word "hypocrisy" entered the English language ''c.'' 1200 with the meaning "the sin of pretending to virtue or goodness". Today, "hypocrisy" ofte ...
".


Spoils of war

Scholars of Islamic
Fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence.Fiqh
Encyclopædia Britannica
''Fiqh'' is of ...
jurisprudence have taken notes regarding case of al-Barā' when he managed to seize massive amount of a spoils of war during the battle in Darin island, after he managed to subdue Sassanid fortress and killing the commander, which immediately ruled by Umar the spoils from the enemy which obtained by al-Barā' should be divided by five, whereas four portions be given to al-Bara, while one portion are separated to be combined to the total amount spoils of the battle. incident has discussed about the rulings in
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
jurisprudence on the later era about how every single soldier has a right for a Khums, or four of a fifth portion of spoils of war, according to his performance deeds in the battlefield.
Averroes Ibn Rushd (14 April 112611 December 1198), archaically Latinization of names, Latinized as Averroes, was an Arab Muslim polymath and Faqīh, jurist from Al-Andalus who wrote about many subjects, including philosophy, theology, medicine, astron ...
from
Maliki The Maliki school or Malikism is one of the four major madhhab, schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas () in the 8th century. In contrast to the Ahl al-Hadith and Ahl al-Ra'y schools of thought, the ...
school of Jurisprudence remarked this record in his book ''Bidayat al Mujtahid Wa Nihayat al Muqtashid'' which he got from the tradition of Ibn Abi Shaybah and
Ibn Sirin Muhammad Ibn Sirin (, romanized: Muḥammad Ibn Sirīn) (born in Basra) was a Muslim tabi' as he was a contemporary of Anas ibn Malik. He is claimed by some to have been an interpreter of dreams, though others regard the books to have been fal ...
, that the case of al-Barā' divided share were the first case in Islam history, and has become guidelines by later jurists to measure the rights of soldiers regarding spoils of war. While Ibn Mawaz, another Maliki scholar, has denied this al-Barā' tradition regarding spoils of war, as he noted that the case of the distribution for al-Barā' in Hunayn was a special case, as he noted that
Abu Bakr Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...
never distribute spoils of war in such fashion during his reign as caliph. However, Izz al-Din ibn 'Abd al-Salam, a Shafiite scholar and Mamluk general in 12th AD century who led Baibars army against
Louis IX of France Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VI ...
crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...
and
Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...
Mongol, dismissed Ibn Mawaz's claim and has argued with another tradition that this practice has been done before as Muhammad during the
battle of Hunayn The Battle of Hunayn () was a conflict between the Muslims of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tribe of Qays in the aftermath of the conquest of Mecca. The battle took place in 8 AH () in the Hunayn valley on the route from Mecca to ...
, and Muhammad even gave the fifth spoils to al-Barā', the very same person who were given the fifth by Umar in Darin island battle.


Ruling of martyrdom

Since ''Madhhab Sahabi'' (
opinion An opinion is a judgement, viewpoint, or statement that is not conclusive, as opposed to facts, which are true statements. Definition A given opinion may deal with subjective matters in which there is no conclusive finding, or it may deal ...
of the
Companions of the Prophet The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...
) were accepted as one of the
jurisprudence Jurisprudence, also known as theory of law or philosophy of law, is the examination in a general perspective of what law is and what it ought to be. It investigates issues such as the definition of law; legal validity; legal norms and values ...
source in Islam, The historical act of al-Barā' to seek martyrdom in Jihad by plunging himself inside enemy castle in the Battle of Yamamah, where the enemy barricaded themselves, are translated by Islamist factions with
Extremism Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied sha ...
view that the
Terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
act using
Suicide attack A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, see below) is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators knowingly sacrifice their own lives as part of the attack. These attacks are a form of murder–suicide that is ofte ...
with IED were allowed in modern analogy (
Qiyas Qiyas (, , ) is the process of deductive analogy in which the teachings of the hadith are compared and contrasted with those of the Quran in Islamic jurisprudence, in order to apply a known injunction ('' nass'') to a new circumstance and cre ...
). Thus, leading some extremist movements such as
Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army (FSA; ) is a Big tent, big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition (2011–2024), Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29 July 2011 by Colonel Riad al-Asaad and six officers who defe ...
,
ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
Kurdistan Ansar as Sunna Group, and
Al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
in various regions to form a suicide squad which they named, in curiously similar theme, as "''al-Bara Ibn Malik Martyrs' Brigade''" in accordance to their apparent attempt to associate their acts with al Bara' in Yamama. However, this view were rejected by contemporary Islamic scholars, particularly those in line with the view of
Abdullah Ibn Jibreen Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Jibrin (; 193313 July 2009), known simply as Ibn Jibrin, was a Saudi Islamic scholar who was a member of the Council of Senior Scholars and Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Issuing Fatwas in Saudi Arab ...
, Abd al-Aziz Bin Baz and Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymeen, three of prominent
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
Mufti A mufti (; , ) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role thro ...
s and clerics, opined that the act of al-Baraa' cannot be analogized as an act suicide bombings particularly for three different reasons: # Method which done by al-Barā' were not determinantly suicide in nature, despite the high chance of fatality for such act. # The act of al-Baraa' were authorized by legal government which had de facto and de jure authority. in this case are the
Rashidun Caliphate The Rashidun Caliphate () is a title given for the reigns of first caliphs (lit. "successors") — Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali collectively — believed to Political aspects of Islam, represent the perfect Islam and governance who led the ...
, which al-Baraa' owed his allegiance. While modern day terrorist organizations were non-state actors, which cannot burdened and bound with treaty, pact or responsibility. # The targets of modern-day terrorists are not in line with al-Bara aggression in Yamama, since al-Barā' were targeting legitimate hostile combatants on the battlefield, while non-state terrorists also targeting illegitimate subjects recklessly, such as fellow Muslim civilians and Dhimmi non-Muslims who are forbidden to be harassed in Islamic beliefs. Furthermore, the act of suicide bombing terrorism during modern day in Palestine were deemed by Ibn Uthaymeen not beneficial to Islam and it will only do harm to the Muslim communities in Palestine, and to the perpetrator of the act as the bombers were threaten with hellfire in the afterlife. The Fatwa by Abdu al-Aziz ibn Baz were particularly aimed to deny the ruling from
Yusuf al-Qaradawi Yusuf al-Qaradawi (; or ''Yusuf al-Qardawi''; 9 September 1926 – 26 September 2022) was an Egyptian Islamic scholar based in Doha, Qatar, and chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. His influences included Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn ...
who viewed that the
Martyrdom A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In colloqui ...
act ofal-Barā' in battle and Ashabul Ukhdud in Yemen were viewed the same as suicide bombers in modern time. Modern day
grand Mufti A Grand Mufti (also called Chief Mufti, State Mufti and Supreme Mufti) is a title for the leading Faqīh, Islamic jurist of a country, typically Sunni, who may oversee other muftis. Not all countries with large Sunni Muslim populations have Gra ...
of Saudi Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, further strengthened his predecessors view by issuing
Fatwa A fatwa (; ; ; ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (sharia) given by a qualified Islamic jurist ('' faqih'') in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist issuing fatwas is called a ''mufti'', ...
particularly disallow terrorism act of suicide bombing. Like the Salafi scholars before him, Abdulaziz al-Sheikh similarly saying suicide bombers does not represent the jurisprudential analogy with al-Barā' martyrdom, thus dismissing claim from proponents of modern-day practice of terrorism using suicide bombing as Jihad.


Institutions & landmarks

In 20th AD modern era, there are several places and institutes which named over al-Bara ibn Malik, such as Al Bara' Bin Malik Mixed Elementary School in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
. While in
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
, al-Barā' ibn Malik were also used as street name.


See also

* Sunni view of the Sahaba * List of Sahabah *
Ridda wars The Ridda Wars were a series of military campaigns launched by the first caliph Abu Bakr against rebellious Arabian tribes, some of which were led by rival prophet claimants. They began shortly after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in ...
* Early Caliphate navy


References


Footnotes


Secondary sources


Online biography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bara Ibn Malik 640 deaths Sahabah hadith narrators Year of birth unknown Sahabah martyrs Khazrajite people People of the Muslim conquest of Persia Ansar (Islam) Ridda Wars Articles containing Arabic-language text