Malik ibn Nuwayra: Difference between revisions

Malik ibn Nuwayra
مالك بن نويرة
Born	Arabia
Died	632 CE (10/11 AH)
Spouse	Layla bint al-Minhal
Parent	Nuwayrah

Malik ibn Nuwayra (Arabic: مالك بن نويرة: died 632), was the chief of the Banu Yarbu, a clan of the Banu Hanzala, which was a large section of the powerful tribe of Bani Tamim.

Muhammad had appointed Malik as an officer over the Banu Yarbu clan to collect zakah and send them to Medina. However, after the death of Muhammad, Malik stopped distributing the zakah and refused to send it to Medinah. As a result, Abu Bakr ordered his execution, which was carried out by Khalid bin Walid.

Death

Malik was appointed by Muhammad as the collector of the zakah ('alms tax') for his clan, the Yarbu of the Tamim. However, following Muhammad's death, Malik stopped distributing the zakah and also refused to send it to Medina. As a result, Abu Bakr decided to have him executed by Khalid ibn al-Walid. In 632, Khalid and his army encountered Malik and eleven of his clansmen from the Yarbu. The Yarbu did not resist, proclaimed their Muslim faith, and were escorted to Khalid's camp. Despite the objection of an Ansarite, who had been among the captors and argued that the captives' inviolability should be respected due to their declaration of faith, Khalid had them all executed. Afterward, Khalid married Malik's widow, Layla bint al-Minhal.

When news of Khalid's decision reached Medina, Umar, who had become Abu Bakr's chief aide, pressed for Khalid to be punished or relieved of command. Abu Bakr chose to pardon him stating that Khalid did nothing wrong and that the crimes of Malik had been proven. Abu Bakr's decision was influenced by two key factors. First, he was guided by the hadith of Muhammad, who described Khalid as "The Sword which Allah unsheathed against the unbelievers." Second, Abu Bakr acted in a manner similar to Muhammad's response when Khalid may have attacked the Banu Jadhima and executed their men. Muhammad did not discharge or punish Khalid for that incident.

Another reason cited by historians for Malik's execution is his alleged apostasy, specifically his refusal to acknowledge Muhammad as a prophet during his encounter with Khalid. According to the 8th-century historian Sayf ibn Umar, Malik had been cooperating with the self-proclaimed prophetess Sajah, a kinswoman from his tribe, the Banu Yarbu. However, after their defeat by rival clans of the Banu Tamim, Malik abandoned her cause and retreated to his encampment at al-Butah, where he and a small group of his followers were subsequently encountered by Muslim forces. The modern historian Wilferd Madelung rejects Sayf's account, arguing that had Malik truly renounced Islam, neither Umar nor other Muslims would have objected to Khalid's decision to execute him. However, according to prominent historians including Ibn Khallikan, Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, at-Tabari, Ibn al-Athir, and Ibn Kathir authentic reports indicate that Malik referred to Muhammad as "your companion," a term often used by polytheists, and that he also refused to acknowledge the obligation of paying zakah, an action regarded in Islam as an act of apostasy.

In another account, Khalid's actions were considered an error in judgment. When Umar demanded Khalid's dismissal, Abu Bakr refused, reportedly stating: "I will not sheathe a sword which God (Allah) has drawn for His service." According to one narration, Abu Bakr later paid blood money to Malik's brother, Mutammim ibn Nuwayrah, and ordered the release of all captives taken during Khalid's campaign. Some historical accounts suggest that Mutammim later conceded his brother's apostasy when Umar requested him to compose elegiac poetry about Malik. Although there were possible indications that Malik's final actions, such as prayer, suggested a return to Islam, modern scholar, Ali al-Sallabi emphasizes that his refusal to pay zakah was the key issue. He cites historical accounts, including those from Ibn Sallam al-Jumahi and Al-Nawawi, which highlight that some apostates, like Malik, were willing to perform prayer, but resisted paying zakah, thus rejecting an essential pillar of Islam.

The modern historian W. Montgomery Watt suggests that the accounts concerning the Banu Tamim during the Ridda Wars are generally unclear, in part because enemies of Khalid distorted the narratives to tarnish his reputation.

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