Muhammad ibn Maslamah - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Black, tall and sturdy, Muhammad ibn Maslamah towered above his
contemporaries. He was a giant among the companions of the Prophet, a
giant in body and a giant in deeds.
Significantly he was called Muhammad even before he became a Muslim.
It would seemthat his name was itself a pointer to the fact that he
was among the first of the Yathribites to become a Muslim and to
follow the teachings of the great Prophet. (The name Muhammad was
practically unknown at the time but since the Prophet encouraged
Muslimsto name themselves after him, ithas become one of the most
widely used names in the world.)
Muhammad ibn Maslamah was ahalif or an ally of the Aws tribe in
Madinah indicating that he himself was not an Arab. He became a Muslim
at the hands ofMusab ibn Umayr, the first missionary sent out by the
Prophet from Makkah to Madinah. He accepted Islam evenbefore men like
Usayd ibn Hudayr and Sad ibn Muadh who were influential men in the
city.
When the Prophet, peace be on him, came to Madinah, he adopted the
unique method of strengthening the bonds of brotherhood between the
Muhajirin and the Ansar. He paired off each Muhajir with one of the
Ansar. This arrangement also helped to relieve the immediate needs of
the Muhajirin for shelter and food and created an integrated community
of believers.
The Prophet was a keen observer of character and temperament and was
concerned to join in brotherhood persons of similar attitudes and
tastes. He joined inbrotherhood Muhammad ibn Maslamah and Abu Ubaydah
ibn al-Jarrah. Like Abu Ubaydah, Muhammad ibn Maslamah was quiet and
pensive and had a strong sense of trust and devotion. He was also
brave and resolute in action. He was a distinguished horseman who
performed feats of heroism and sacrifice in the service of Islam.
Muhammad ibn Maslamah took part in all the military engagements of the
Prophet except the expedition to Tabuk. On that occasion, he and Ali
were put in charge of an army which was left behind to protectMadinah.
Later in life, he would often relate scenes of these battles to his
ten children.
There are many instances in the life of Muhammad ibn Maslamah which
showed what a dependable and trustworthy person he was. Before the
start of hostilities at the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet and the Muslim
force numbering some seven hundred persons spent a night in an open
camp. He put fifty men under the command ofMuhammad ibn Maslamah and
entrusted him with the task of patrolling the camp the whole night.
During the battle itself, after the disastrous rout of the Muslims by
the Quraysh during which about seventy Muslims lost their lives and
many fled in every possible direction, a small band of the faithful
bravely defended the Prophet till the tide of battle turned. Muhammad
ibn Maslamah was among them.
Muhammad ibn Maslamah was quick to respond to the call of action. He
once stood listening to the Prophet as he spoke to the Muslims about
the designs of some of the Jewish leaders in the region.
At the beginning of his stay in Madinah, the Prophet had concluded an
agreement with the Jews of the city which said inpart:
"The Jews who attach themselves to our commonwealth shall be protected
from all insults and harassment. They shall have equal rights as our
own people to our assistance...They shall jointhe Muslims in defending
Madinah against all enemies...They shall not declare war nor enter in
treaty or agreement against the Muslims."
Jewish leaders had violated this agreement by encouraging the Quraysh
and tribes around Madinah in their designs against the state. They
were also bent on creating discord among the people of Madinah in
order to weaken the influence of Islam.
After the resounding victory of the Muslims over the Quraysh at the
Battle of Badr, one of the three main Jewish groups in Madinah, the
Banu Qaynuqa was especially furious and issued a petulant challenge to
the Prophet. They said:
"O Muhammad! You really think that we are like your people
(theQuraysh)? Don't be deceived. Youconfronted a people who have no
knowledge of war and you took the chance to rout them. If you were to
fight against us you would indeed know that we arc men."
They thus spurned their agreement with the Prophet andissued an open
challenge to fight. The Qaynuqa however were goldsmiths who dominated
the market in Madinah. They were depending on their allies, the
Khazraj, to help them in their declared war. The Khazraj refused. The
Prophetplaced the Banu Qaynuqa's quarters under a siege which lasted
for fifteen nights. The fainthearted Qaynuqa finally decided to
surrender and ask the Prophet for a free passage out of Madinah.
The Prophet allowed them to leave and the tribe - men, women and
children - left unharmed. They had to leave behind them their arms and
their goldsmith's equipment. They settled down at Adhraat in Syria.
The departure of the Qaynuqa did not end Jewish feelings of animosity
towards the Prophet although the nonaggression agreement was still in
force. Oneof those who was consumed with hatred against the Prophet
and the Muslims and who openlygave vent to his rage was Kab ibn
al-Ashraf.
Kab's father was in fact an Arab who had fled to Madinah after
committing a crime. He became an ally of the Banu Nadir, another
important Jewish group, and married a Jewish lady name Aqilah bint
Abu-l Haqiq. She was Kab's mother.
Kab was a tall and impressive looking person. He was a well-known poet
and was one ofthe richest men among the Jews. He lived in a castle on
the outskirts of Madinah where he had extensive palm groves. He was
regarded as a Jewish leader of importance throughout the Hijaz. He
provided means of support and sponsorship to many Jewish rabbis.
Kab was openly hostile to Islam. He lampooned the Prophet, besmirched
in verse the reputation of Muslim women, and incited the tribes in and
around Madinah against the Prophet and Islam. He was particularly
distressed when he heard the news of the Muslim victory at Badr. When
he saw thereturning army with the Qurayshprisoners of war, he was
bitter and furious. He took it upon himself then to make the long
journey to Makkah to express hisgrief and to incite the Quraysh totake
further revenge. He also went to other areas, from tribe to tribe,
urging people to take up arms against the Prophet. News of his
activities reached the Prophet, peace be on him, who prayed: "O Lord,
rid me of the son of Ashfar, however You wish."
Kab had become a real danger to the state of peace and mutualtrust
which the Prophet was struggling to achieve in Madinah.
Kab returned to Madinah and continued his verbal attacks on the
Prophet and his abuse of Muslim women. He refused, afterwarnings from
the Prophet, to stop his dirty campaign and sinister intrigues. He was
bent on fomenting a revolt against the Prophet and the Muslims in
Madinah. By all these actions, Kab had openly declared war against the
Prophet. He was dangerous and a public enemy to the nascent Muslim
state. TheProphet was quite exasperated with him and said to the
Muslims: "Who will deal with Kab ibn al-Ashraf? He has offended God
and His Apostle."
"I shall deal with him for you, O Messenger of God," volunteered
Muhammad ibn Maslamah.
This, however, was no easy undertaking. Muhammad ibn Maslamah,
according to one report, went home and stayed for three days without
either eating or drinking, just thinking about what he had to do. The
Prophet heard of this, called himand asked him why he had not been
eating or drinking. He replied: "O Messenger of God, I gave an
undertaking to you but Ido not know whether I can accomplish it or
not." "Your dutyis only to try your utmost," replied the Prophet.
Muhammad ibn Maslamah then went to some other companionsof the Prophet
and told them what he had undertaken to do. They included Abu Nailah,
a foster brother of Kab ibn al-Ahsraf. They agreed to help him and he
devised a plan to accomplish the mission. They went back to the
Prophet to seek his approval since the plan involved enticing Kab from
his fortress residence through somedeception. The Prophet gave his
consent on the principle that war involved deceit.
Both Muhammad ibn Maslamah who was in fact a nephew of Kab by
fosterage and Abu Nailah then went to Kab's residence. Muhammad ibn
Maslamah was the first to speak: "This man (meaning the Prophet, peace
be on him) has asked us for sadaqah (charitable tax) and we cannot
even find food to eat. He is oppressing us with his laws and
prohibitions and I thought I could come to you to ask for a loan."
"By God, I am much more dissatisfied with him," confessed Kab. "We
have followed him but we do not want to leave him until we see how
this whole business will end. We would like you to lend us a wasaq or
two of gold," continued Muhammad ibn Maslamah.
"Isn't it about time that you realize what falsehood you are
tolerating from him? asked Kab as he promised to give them theloan.
"However," he said, "you must provide security (for the loan)."
"What security do you want?" they asked. "Give me your wives as
security," he suggested. "Howcan we give you our wives as security ,"
they protested,"when you are the most handsome of Arabs?"
"Then give me your children as security," Kab suggested. "How can we
give you our children as security when any one of them would
thereafter be ridiculed by being called a hostage for one ortwo wasaqs
of gold. This would be a disgrace to us. But we could give you our
(means of) protection (meaning weapons) since you know that we need
them."
Kab agreed to this suggestion which they had made to disabuse his mind
of any notion that they had come armed. They promised to come back to
him again to bring the weapons.
Meanwhile, Abu Nailah also came up to Kab and said: "Woe to you, Ibn
Ashraf. I have come to you intending to mention something to you and
you do not encourage me." Kab asked him to go on and Abu Nailah said:
"The coming of this man tous has been a source of afflictionto our
Arab customs. With one shot he has severed our ways and left families
hungry and in difficulties. We and our families are struggling." Kab
replied: "I, Ibn al-Ashraf, by God, I had told you, son of Salamah,
that the matter would end up as I predicted." Abu Nailah replied:
"Iwish you could sell us some food and we would give you whatever form
of security and trust required. Be good to us. I have friends who
share my views on this and I want to bring them to you so that you
could sell them some food and deal well towards them. We will come to
you and pledge our shields and weapons to you as security." "There is
loyalty and good faith in weapons," agreed Kab.
With this they left promising to return and bring the required
security for the loan. They went back to the Prophet and reported to
him what had happened. That night, Muhammad ibn Maslamah, Abu Nailah,
Abbad ibn Bisnr, Al-Harithibn Aws and Abu Abasah ibn Jabrall set off
for Kabs house. The Prophet went with them for a short distance and
parted with the words:
"Go forth in the name of God." And he prayed: "O Lord, help them." The
Prophet returned home. It was a moonlit night in the month of Rabi
al-Awwal in the third year of the hijrah.
Muhammad ibn Maslamah and the four with him reached Kab's house. They
called out to him. Ashe got out of bed, his wife held him and warned:
"You are a manat war. People at war do not go down at such an hour."
"It is only my nephew Muhammad ibnMaslamah and my foster brother, Abu
Nailah..." Kab camedown with his sword drawn. He was heavily scented
with the perfume of musk.
"I have not smelt such a pleasant scent as today," greeted Muhammad
ibn Maslamah. "Let me smell your head." Kab agreed and as Muhammad
bent over, he grasped Kab's head firmly and called on the others to
strike down the enemy of God.
(Details of this incident vary somewhat. Some reports state that it
was Abu Nailah who gave the command to strike down Kab and this was
done after Kab had emerged from his house and walked with them for
some time. )
The elimination of Kab ibn al-Ashraf struck terror into the hearts of
those, and there were many of them in Madinah, who plotted and
intrigued against the Prophet. Such open hostility as Kab's diminished
for a time but certainly did not cease.
At the beginning of the fourth year of the hijrah, the Prophet went to
the Jewish tribe of BanuNadir on the outskirts of Madinah to seek
their help on a certain matter. While among them, he found out that
they were planning to kill him then and there. He had to take decisive
action. The Banu Nadir had gone too far. Straight away, the Prophet
went back to the center of the city. He summonedMuhammad ibn Maslamah
and sent him to inform the Banu Nadir that they had to leave Madinah
within ten days because of their treacherous behavior and that any one
of them seen after that in the city would forfeit his life.
One can just imagine Muhammad ibn Maslamah addressing the Banu Nadir.
His towering stature and his loud and clear voice combined to let the
Banu Nadir know that the Prophet meant every word he said and that
they had to stand the consequences of their treacherous acts. The fact
that the Prophet chose Muhammad ibn Maslamah for the task is a tribute
to his loyalty, courage and firmness.
Further details of the expulsion of the Banu Nadir from Madinah do not
concern us here: their plan to resist the Prophet with outside help;
the Prophet's siegeof their district and their eventual surrender and
evacuation mainly to Khaybar in the north. Two of the Banu Nadir
though became MusIims - Yamin ibn Umayr and Abu Sad ibn Wahb. Ali this
happened exactly one year after the elimination of Kab ibn al-Ashraf.
Both during the time of the Prophet and after, Muhammad ibn Maslamah
was known for carrying out any assignment he accepted exactly as he
was ordered, neither doing more norless than he was asked to do. It
was these qualities which made Umar choose him as one of his ministers
and as a trusted friendand guide.
When Amr ibn al-Aas requested reinforcements during his expedition to
Egypt, Umar sent him four detachments of one thousand men each.
Leading these detachments were Muhammad ibn Maslamah, az-Zubayr ibn
aI-Awwam, Ubadah ibn as-Samit and al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad. To Amr, Umar
sent a message saying,"Let me remind you that I am sending Muhammad
ibn Maslamah to you to help you distribute your wealth. Accommodate
him and forgive any harshness of his towards you."
Ibn Maslamah went to Amr in Fustat (near present-day Cairo).. He sat
at his table but did not touch the food. Amr asked him:"Did Umar
prevent you from tasting my food?" "No," replied ibn Maslamah, "he did
not prevent me from having your food but neither did he command me to
eat of it." He then placed a flat loaf of bread on the table and ate
it with salt. Amr became upset and said:"May God bring to an end the
time in which we work for Umaribn al-Khattab! I have witnessed a time
when al-Khattab and his son Umar were wandering around wearing clothes
which could not even cover them properly while Al-Aas ibn Wail (Amr's
father) sported brocade lined with gold..."
"As for your father and the father of Umar, they are in hell,"
retorted Muhammad ibn Maslamah, because they did not accept Islam. "As
for you, if Umar did not give you an appointment, you would have been
pleased with what you got from their udders," continued Ibn Maslamah
obviously disabusing Amr's mind of any ideas he might have of
appearing superior because he was the governor of Egypt.
"Assemblies must be conducted as a form of trust," said Amr in an
attempt to diffuse the situation and Muhammad ibn Maslamah replied:
"Oh yes, so long as Umar is alive." He wanted to impress upon people
the justice of Umar and the egalitarian teachings of Islam. Muhammad
ibn Maslamah was averitable scourge against all arrogant and haughty
behavior.
On another occasion and at another end of the Muslim state under his
caliphate, Umar heard that the famous Sad ibn Abi Waqqas was building
a palace atKufa. Umar sent Muhammad ibn Maslamah to deal with the
situation. On reaching Kufa, Muhammad promptly burnt the palace down.
One does not know whether people were more surprised by the
instructions of Umar or by the humiliation of Sad ibn Abi Waqqas, the
famed fighter, conqueror at Qadisiyyah, and theone praised by the
Prophet himself for his sacrifices at Uhud.
Sad did not say a word. This wasall part of the great process of
self-criticism and rectification which helped to make Islam spread and
establish it on foundations of justice and piety.
Muhammad ibn Maslamah served Umar's successor, Uthman ibn Allan,
faithfully. When, however, the latter was killed and civil war broke
out among the Muslims, Muhammadibn Maslamah did not participate. The
sword which he always used and which was given to him by the Prophet
himself he deliberately broke. During the time of the Prophet, he was
known as the "Knight of the Prophet". By refusing to use the sword
against Muslims he preserved this reputation undiminished.
Subsequently, he made a sword from wood and fashioned it well. He
placed it in a scabbard and hung it inside his house. When he was
asked about it he said: "I simply hang it there to terrify people."
Muhammad ibn Maslamah died in Madinah in themonth of Safar in the year
46 AH.He was seventy seven years old.

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