Malik ibn Nuwayra

مالك بن نويرة

c. 632 CE · c. 11 AH

Chief of Banu Hanzala ibn Malik of Banu Yarbu' ibn Hanzala of Tamim, nicknamed al-Jaful for the many camels he slaughtered for his people; the Prophet ﷺ's agent over Banu Hanzala's alms, who on the Prophet's death released what dues were in his hands saying 'see to your own wealth, Banu Hanzala'; a squadron of Dirar ibn al-Azwar al-Asadi (may God be pleased with him) captured him after Buzakha and brought him to Khalid, who ordered his neck struck — Malik telling Khalid 'by God I did not apostatize', and Abu Qatada al-Ansari testifying Banu Hanzala had laid down their arms and called the adhan; his killing was among what Umar rebuked Abu Bakr for — 'you sent a man who kills Muslims and tortures with fire'; his brother Mutammim told Umar he used to keep his fire lit till morning lest a guest come and not know its place, describing him riding the strong horse leading the thirsty camel between two brimming water-skins on the cold night.

Overview

Malik ibn Nuwayra al-Tamimi, chief of the Banu Hanzala ibn Malik of the Banu Yarbu'. They called him al-Jaful because of how much he dismissed his people. ¹

Collector of alms

He was the Prophet's agent over the alms of the Banu Hanzala, as in the sending of the alms collectors. ² When the Prophet died, he set aside the shares he had in his hands, and said to them: "The matter of your wealth is yours, O Banu Hanzala." ¹

His death

After Buzakha, a detachment of Dirar ibn al-Azwar al-Asadi took him prisoner and brought him to Khalid, who ordered his neck struck. ¹ See the killing of Malik ibn Nuwayra.

The reports about him

According to one report, Malik told Khalid that he had not apostatised. Abu Qatada al-Ansari testified that the Banu Hanzala laid down their arms and gave the call to prayer. His killing was among the things for which Umar rebuked Abu Bakr. ¹

His brother Mutammim told Umar that he used to keep his fire burning until morning, for fear that a guest would come and not know where it was. ¹

The data hold no academic or other view on the case, which needs an additional source.

The Ridda Wars

In al-Baladhuri: when Abu Bakr succeeded, groups of the Arabs apostatized and withheld the alms, some saying 'we keep the prayer but will not pay the zakat', whereupon Abu Bakr said 'if they withheld from me a hobbling-cord — some say a she-goat kid — I would fight them', the 'iqal being a year's alms; Abdullah ibn Masud said the Muslims had stood after the Prophet at a station where they nearly perished had God not graced them with Abu Bakr: they had all agreed not to fight over a young she-camel or a weaned camel 'and to eat the Arab villages' yield and worship God until certainty came to us', but God resolved him to fight, and he accepted from them only the humiliating condition or the annihilating war — the first that they confess their slain are in the Fire and return what they took of Muslim property, the second that they leave their homes; in Tariq ibn Shihab's report he offered the Buzakha delegation the choice of the annihilating war or the humiliating peace: surrender of armour and mounts, return of what was taken, blood-money for the slain Muslims, their own slain in the Fire; Aisha said 'when the Prophet died there befell my father what would have crushed the firm mountains — hypocrisy reared its head in Medina and the Arabs apostatized'; Abu Bakr went out to al-Qassa directing the columns against the apostates, was attacked by Kharija ibn Hisn and Manzur ibn Zabban the Fazaris who were routed with Talha ibn Ubaydillah pursuing them to lower Thaniyyat Awsaja, then appointed Khalid ibn al-Walid over the army and Thabit ibn Qays over the Ansar, beginning with Tulayha ibn Khuwaylid at Buzakha, followed by the affairs of Yamama, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Hadramawt, Mecca, Tihama and Iraq.

Malik ibn Nuwayra

At a glance

Life in time

Overview

Collector of alms

His death

The reports about him

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

The Ridda Wars