Mohamed ibn Maslamah was very tall, sturdy and black. He was towered above all his contemporaries. He was a giant among the companions of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), both in his body and his deeds. He was quiet and pensive and had a great sense of trust and devotion. He was also brave and resolute in action. Not only that, but he was also a distinguished horseman who performed feats of heroism and sacrifice in the service of Islam.
Strange enough he was called Mohamed even before he embraced Islam, although this name was not widely spread before Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). It would seem that his name was an indicator to the fact that he will be among the first of the Yathribites to embrace Islam and to follow the teachings of the great Prophet.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah was an ally of the Aws tribe in Madinah, which shows that he himself was not an Arab. He became a Muslim at the hands of Musab ibn Umayr, the first missionary sent to Madinah by Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). He embraced Islam before many influential people in the city like Usayd ibn Hudayr and Sad ibn Muadh.
Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) was a keen observer of character and temperament and was concerned to join in brotherhood persons of similar attitudes and tastes. He joined in brotherhood Mohamed ibn Maslamah and Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, who were alike in so many things.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah joined all the military engagements of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) except the expedition to Tabuk, because he and Ali were put in charge of an army that was left behind to protect Madinah.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah showed what a dependable and trustworthy person he was in many occasions all through his life. During the battle of Uhud Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) put fifty men under the command of Mohamed ibn Maslamah and entrusted him with the task of patrolling the camp the whole night. At the battle itself, after the disastrous rout of the Muslims by the Quraysh during which about seventy Muslims died and many escaped in every possible direction, a small band of the faithful warriors defended Prophet Mohamed till the tide of battle turned. Mohamed ibn Maslamah was among them.
At the beginning of his stay in Madinah, Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) had reached a peace agreement with the Jews of the city. But the Jewish leaders violated this agreement by encouraging the Quraysh and tribes around Madinah in their designs against the state. They were also bent on creating a discord among the people of Madinah in order to weaken the influence of Islam.
After the great 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. But they lost this challenge and Qaynuqa finally decided to surrender and ask the Prophet for a free passage out of Madinah.
The departure of the Qaynuqa did not put an end to Jewish feelings of animosity towards Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) although the no aggression agreement was still in force. Kab ibn al-Ashraf was one of those who were consumed with hatred against the Prophet and the Muslims.
Kab had become a real danger to the state of peace and mutual trust, which Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) was struggling to achieve in Madinah.
The Prophet 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 Mohamed 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 him and asked him why he had not been eating or drinking.
He replied: "O Messenger of God, I gave an undertaking to you but I do not know whether I can accomplish it or not."
"Your duty is only to try your utmost," replied the Prophet.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah then went to some other companions of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) and told them what he had decided to do. They included Abu Nailah, a foster brother of Kab ibn al-Ahsraf. They agreed to help him and he put together a plan to accomplish the mission, and eventuly they got rid of him.
At the beginning of the fourth year of the hijrah, Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) went to the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir on the outskirts of Madinah to seek their help on a certain matter. During his visit he found out that they were planning to kill him. The Banu Nadir had left for a while. Immediately, Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) went back to the center of the city. He called Mohamed ibn Maslamah and sent him to tell the Banu Nadir that they had to leave Madinah within ten days because of their treacherous behavior.
The fact that the Prophet chose Muhammad ibn Maslamah for the task is a tribute to his loyalty, courage and firmness.
During the lifetime of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) and after, Mohamed ibn Maslamah was known for carrying out any assignment he accepted exactly as he was ordered, neither doing more nor less than he was asked to do. It was these qualities that made Umar choose him as one of his ministers and as a trusted friend and guide.
When Amr ibn al-Aas asked for reinforcements during his expedition to Egypt, Umar sent him four detachments of one thousand men each. One of those detachments was Leading Mohamed ibn Maslamah. To Amr, Umar sent a message saying, "Let me remind you that I am sending Mohamed 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. 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 Umar ibn 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 Mohamed 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 Mohamed 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. Mohamed ibn Maslamah was a veritable scourge against all arrogant and haughty behavior.
On another occasion and at another part of the Muslim state under his caliphate, Umar heard that the famous Sad ibn Abi Waqqas was building a palace at Kufa. Umar sent Mohamed ibn Maslamah to deal with the situation. On reaching Kufa, Mohamed 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 the one praised by Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) himself for his sacrifices at Uhud.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah served Umar's successor, Uthman ibn Affan, faithfully. When, however, the latter was killed and civil war broke out among the Muslims, He did not participate. The sword, which he always used and which was given to him by the Prophet himself, he deliberately broke. During the lifetime of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), he was known as the "Knight of the Prophet". By refusing to use the sword against Muslims he preserved this reputation undiminished.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah died in Madinah in the month of Safar in the year 46 AH, at the age of seventy-seven years.
Source: www.usc.eduStrange enough he was called Mohamed even before he embraced Islam, although this name was not widely spread before Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). It would seem that his name was an indicator to the fact that he will be among the first of the Yathribites to embrace Islam and to follow the teachings of the great Prophet.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah was an ally of the Aws tribe in Madinah, which shows that he himself was not an Arab. He became a Muslim at the hands of Musab ibn Umayr, the first missionary sent to Madinah by Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). He embraced Islam before many influential people in the city like Usayd ibn Hudayr and Sad ibn Muadh.
Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) was a keen observer of character and temperament and was concerned to join in brotherhood persons of similar attitudes and tastes. He joined in brotherhood Mohamed ibn Maslamah and Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, who were alike in so many things.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah joined all the military engagements of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) except the expedition to Tabuk, because he and Ali were put in charge of an army that was left behind to protect Madinah.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah showed what a dependable and trustworthy person he was in many occasions all through his life. During the battle of Uhud Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) put fifty men under the command of Mohamed ibn Maslamah and entrusted him with the task of patrolling the camp the whole night. At the battle itself, after the disastrous rout of the Muslims by the Quraysh during which about seventy Muslims died and many escaped in every possible direction, a small band of the faithful warriors defended Prophet Mohamed till the tide of battle turned. Mohamed ibn Maslamah was among them.
At the beginning of his stay in Madinah, Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) had reached a peace agreement with the Jews of the city. But the Jewish leaders violated this agreement by encouraging the Quraysh and tribes around Madinah in their designs against the state. They were also bent on creating a discord among the people of Madinah in order to weaken the influence of Islam.
After the great 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. But they lost this challenge and Qaynuqa finally decided to surrender and ask the Prophet for a free passage out of Madinah.
The departure of the Qaynuqa did not put an end to Jewish feelings of animosity towards Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) although the no aggression agreement was still in force. Kab ibn al-Ashraf was one of those who were consumed with hatred against the Prophet and the Muslims.
Kab had become a real danger to the state of peace and mutual trust, which Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) was struggling to achieve in Madinah.
The Prophet 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 Mohamed 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 him and asked him why he had not been eating or drinking.
He replied: "O Messenger of God, I gave an undertaking to you but I do not know whether I can accomplish it or not."
"Your duty is only to try your utmost," replied the Prophet.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah then went to some other companions of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) and told them what he had decided to do. They included Abu Nailah, a foster brother of Kab ibn al-Ahsraf. They agreed to help him and he put together a plan to accomplish the mission, and eventuly they got rid of him.
At the beginning of the fourth year of the hijrah, Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) went to the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir on the outskirts of Madinah to seek their help on a certain matter. During his visit he found out that they were planning to kill him. The Banu Nadir had left for a while. Immediately, Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) went back to the center of the city. He called Mohamed ibn Maslamah and sent him to tell the Banu Nadir that they had to leave Madinah within ten days because of their treacherous behavior.
The fact that the Prophet chose Muhammad ibn Maslamah for the task is a tribute to his loyalty, courage and firmness.
During the lifetime of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) and after, Mohamed ibn Maslamah was known for carrying out any assignment he accepted exactly as he was ordered, neither doing more nor less than he was asked to do. It was these qualities that made Umar choose him as one of his ministers and as a trusted friend and guide.
When Amr ibn al-Aas asked for reinforcements during his expedition to Egypt, Umar sent him four detachments of one thousand men each. One of those detachments was Leading Mohamed ibn Maslamah. To Amr, Umar sent a message saying, "Let me remind you that I am sending Mohamed 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. 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 Umar ibn 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 Mohamed 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 Mohamed 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. Mohamed ibn Maslamah was a veritable scourge against all arrogant and haughty behavior.
On another occasion and at another part of the Muslim state under his caliphate, Umar heard that the famous Sad ibn Abi Waqqas was building a palace at Kufa. Umar sent Mohamed ibn Maslamah to deal with the situation. On reaching Kufa, Mohamed 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 the one praised by Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) himself for his sacrifices at Uhud.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah served Umar's successor, Uthman ibn Affan, faithfully. When, however, the latter was killed and civil war broke out among the Muslims, He did not participate. The sword, which he always used and which was given to him by the Prophet himself, he deliberately broke. During the lifetime of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), he was known as the "Knight of the Prophet". By refusing to use the sword against Muslims he preserved this reputation undiminished.
Mohamed ibn Maslamah died in Madinah in the month of Safar in the year 46 AH, at the age of seventy-seven years.
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