Assassination
of Mâlik bin Nuwairah:
It has already been mentioned that
Mâlik bin Nuwairah expressed joy over the death of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). He had also made
peace with Sajâh but had later on severed his relation with her. When he was
captured and brought before Khalid bin Walid (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the Muslims argued that the people of the settlement of Malik
bin Nuwairah had responded with Adhan and so he should not be killed. Others
discounted this point since the Adhan was not called as a response and he
should be killed as per the order of the caliph of the Prophet of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). The investigation
of Khalid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
could not bring the matter to light. But during his talk with Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) he referred to the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) more than once as:
"Your chief has said such and such." Being enraged at such a manner
of address, Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
said, "Was he not your chief?" But Malik bin Nuwairah did not make a
satisfactory reply.
According to Tabari, Dirar bin
Al-Azwar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), who was then
standing near by with his sword in hand, cut the head of Malik off after taking
a sign from Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ).
Such are the things that happen on the battlefield. But historians mention it
for other reasons. Abu Qatadah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
was also in the detachment of Khalid bin Walid (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and was in support of the section which argued that Adhan was
called in the settlement of Malik bin Nuwairah. Because of this he grew angry
at the killing of Malik and returned to Al-Madinah without taking permission
from Khalid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ),
the commander of the Muslim detachment. He lodged a complaint with the Caliph
that Khalid bin Walid kills the Muslims without valid reasons. Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and others advised
the Caliph to first depose Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) and then take retaliatory action against him. It was easy to
accuse him of killing a Muslim because he (Khalid (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)) had later married the wife of Malik bin Nuwairah.
After a patient hearing of all the
details, Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
found Abu Qatadah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
guilty of disobeying his commander and leaving the detachment without his
permission. He was then ordered to go back and join Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and carry out his orders and he did so
accordingly. Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
then informed Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
and the others that Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
had merely committed a mistake in judgment. According to the principles of war
and the military system, Khalid—the Sword among the Swords of Allah, could
neither be brought to pay Qisas (retaliation) nor deposed. Abu Bakr Siddiq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) then paid the blood
money from the public treasury.
Musailamah
the Liar
Banu Hanifah was one of the tribes,
which appeared in the form of a deputation before the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) after the conquest
of Makkah. Musailamah bin Hubaib belonged to this same tribe. On his return to
Yamamah from Al-Madinah, he heard about the illness of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and declared his
prophethood. He also sent a letter to the Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) saying, "Since prophethood is being
shared by both of us, each one is entitled to possess half of the
country." The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
wrote back: "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, the (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
to Musailamah the liar. Peace be upon whom who follows the guidance. After
that, the earth is Allah's. He gives it as a heritage to whom He wills of His
slaves and the end is for the pious."
Following this letter, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) sent Rajjal bin
Anfuh, a respectable man of Banu Hanifah to bring Musailamah back to the path
of guidance.
Rajjal reached Yamamah and then lent
support to Musailamah instead, and became his follower. His notorious mission
gained wide popularity. At last, Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was sent to punish him and then Shurhabil
bin Hasanah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
was dispatched with reinforcements. Ikrimah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) invaded Musailamah's army before the arrival of the
reinforcements and was defeated. Having heard this news, Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sent word to Ikrimah
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) not to return to
Al-Madinah but to join Hudhaifah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) and Arfajah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
and fight with the people of Mahrah and Oman under their command. Having
finished that campaign he had to leave for Yemen and Hadramout along with his
detachment to join Muhajir bin Abu Umayyah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). He wrote to Shurhabil bin Hasanah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to go towards the territories of Khalid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ); and leave for
Quda'ah and fight along with the people under the command of Amr bin Al-As (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and punish the
apostates there. In the meantime, Khalid bin Walid (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) came back to Al-Madinah. Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) instead of calling him to account, sent him to punish Musailamah
the liar at the head of a detachment including both the Muhajirin and the
Ansar, which actually was a sign of respect to him.
Deviation
to Nationality:
Musailamah had with him forty
thousand warriors of the Rabi'ah tribe. Some of them knew him as a liar but
their misdirected sense of national pride led them to wish him success. They
would openly say, "Musailamah is a liar while Muhammad is truthful.
However, to all of us, the liar-prophet of Rabi'ah is dearer than the truthful
Prophet of Banu Mudar." After sending Khalid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the Caliph Abu Bakr Siddiq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) dispatched a few
more columns to strengthen the army of Khalid (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) who joined him on the way. Now the strength of the Muslim army
under the command of Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
rose to thirteen thousand. When he was at a distance of one day from the city
of Yamamah, he sent a small column as an advance guard.
The same day Musailamah had
dispatched Mujja'ah bin Murarah at the head of sixty men to snipe at Banu
Tamim. Thus this party came across the advance guard of the Muslim army. In the
encounter, all the apostates were killed and their head Mujja'ah was brought
before Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ).
When Khalid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
reached Yamamah, Musailamah came out of the city and encamped in a fortified
garden at the gate of the city.
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