The martyrdom of Farwa ibn Amr al-Judhami

Farwa ibn Amr al-Judhami, the Romans' governor over Ma'an, became Muslim after Mu'ta. The Romans seized him and gave him the choice between apostasy and death; he chose death, and was crucified at Afra' in Palestine. ¹

Farwa ibn Amr al-Judhami was an Arab commander among the Roman officers, and their governor over the Arabs living around them. His seat was Ma'an and the land of Syria around it. ² He became Muslim after seeing the steadfastness and sincerity of the Muslims at the battle of Mu'ta in the year 8 AH, and he sent a messenger to the Prophet announcing his Islam and gifting him a white mule. ¹ When the Romans learned of his Islam, they seized and imprisoned him, then gave him the choice between apostasy and death. He chose death, so they crucified him by a water called Afra' in Palestine and struck off his head. ³

Ibn Ishaq names him Farwa ibn Amr ibn al-Nafira al-Judhami, then al-Nafathi. He reports that Farwa sent a messenger to the Prophet announcing his Islam, and sent him a white mule. Farwa was the Romans' governor over the Arabs near them, and his seat was Ma'an and the land around it. ^{4 5} When the news reached the Romans they hunted him down, seized him and imprisoned him. In his prison he composed verses addressing Sulayma and Abu Kabisha. ⁵ When they resolved to crucify him at their water called Afra' in Palestine, he recited two verses. Al-Zuhri claimed that when they brought him forward to be killed, he said one verse conveying to the leaders of the Muslims that he had submitted to his Lord; then they struck his neck and crucified him by that water. ⁵

• Ibn Ishaq does not give the year of the event. Later sources place it after Mu'ta, in the year 8 AH. ⁶
• "Al-Zuhri claimed" introduces the final verse. ⁵
• The name of the water is given as "Afra'" or "Afra", depending on al-Zurqani and the older sources. ⁵