The Companion Amir ibn Fuhayra was among the first to embrace
Islam, one of the early emigrants, and one of the scribes of the Quranic
revelation.
Amir ibn Fuhayra al-Taymi was born in 36 AH (before the Hijra),
and his kunya (patronymic) was Abu Amr. He was of the Azd tribe, dark-skinned,
and a slave of Tufayl ibn Abdullah ibn Sakhbara, the maternal brother of Aisha
(as mentioned in Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah). He embraced Islam while still
a slave, before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) secretly entered
the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. He was tortured along with the
oppressed in Mecca to renounce his faith, but he refused, just as Bilal, the
family of Yasir, and others were tortured. He endured various forms of
persecution and torture, becoming an example of patience and steadfastness.
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may God be pleased with him) bought him and
freed him. He worked as a shepherd for Abu Bakr on the outskirts of Mecca. He
was keen to attend the Prophet's gatherings, may God bless him and grant him
peace, to learn from his knowledge, manners, and character.
When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,
and Abu Bakr emigrated to the Cave of Thawr, Abu Bakr instructed his freed
slave, Amir ibn Fuhayra, to follow their trail with the sheep so that the
disbelievers of Quraysh would not discover their location. So, whenever
Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr or Asma bint Abi Bakr left the Prophet, may God bless him
and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr were in the cave, Amir would follow their
trail with the sheep so that the polytheists would not recognize them. He would
milk the sheep for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,
and for Abu Bakr, and bring them news.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr
left the cave for Medina, Suraqah migrated with them. Abu Bakr carried him
behind him, and their guide, Ibn Urayqit from the Banu al-Dayl tribe, who was a
polytheist, led them along the coastal route towards Medina.
When Suraqah ibn Malik ibn Ju'sham caught up with the blessed
caravan, and what happened to him and his horse happened, and he became certain
of the Prophet's prophethood (peace and blessings be upon him), Suraqah
requested a letter of safe conduct. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) then instructed 'Amir ibn Fuhayrah to write this letter, which he did on a
piece of leather.
When they entered Medina, 'Amir ibn Fuhayra stayed with Sa'd ibn
Khaythama. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) established a bond of
brotherhood between him and Aws ibn Mu'adh. He fought under the Prophet's
banner and participated in several battles alongside him (peace and blessings
be upon him). He was present at the Battles of Badr and Uhud, where his
heroism, selflessness, and love for jihad in the path of God became evident. He
was martyred at the Well of Ma'una in the fourth year of the Hijra, at the age
of forty.
'Amir ibn Fuhayra was pious and devout, and his virtues were
great. The books of biography mention that when Abu Bara' 'Amir ibn Malik,
nicknamed "the Spear-Player," came to Medina, he presented the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with two horses and two camels as
gifts. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I do not
accept gifts from polytheists." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) offered him Islam, but he refused. Then he said to the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him), "O Muhammad, send whomever you wish of your
messengers to the people of Najd, and I will be their protector." He was a
man whose word carried weight among his people, Banu Amir.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a delegation to
Najd, headed by Al-Mundhir ibn Amr al-Khazraji (may God be pleased with him),
consisting of seventy of the best Muslims, known as the reciters of the Quran
in their time. They would gather firewood during the day, pray at night, and
study the Quran. Among them was Amir ibn Fuhayra. When they reached Bi'r Ma'una
in Najd (a watering place belonging to the Banu Sulaym), Amir ibn al-Tufayl of
the Banu Sulaym called for help against them. They responded, surrounded the
Muslims, and attacked them with weapons. The Muslims fought back, and all the
members of the delegation were martyred except for Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri (may
God be pleased with him), who was taken prisoner, and Ka'b ibn Zayd (may God be
pleased with him), who was left on the brink of death. Amir ibn Fuhayra was
among those killed in the year 4 AH, at the age of forty. It is narrated on the
authority of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr that he said: When those who were at Bi'r
Ma'unah were killed, and Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri was taken prisoner, Amir ibn
al-Tufayl said to him: Who is this? So he pointed to a slain man, and Amr ibn
Umayyah said to him: This is Amir ibn Fuhayrah. He said: I saw him after he was
killed being raised to the sky, so much so that I could see the sky between
him. And between the earth, then he was laid down. The Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) received news of them and announced their deaths,
saying: “Your companions have been afflicted, and they have asked their Lord,
saying: ‘Our Lord, inform our brothers about us, for we are pleased with You,
and You are pleased with us.’ So He informed them about them. On that day,
Urwah ibn Asma’ ibn al-Salt was afflicted among them, and he was named Urwah
after him. Mundhir ibn Amr was also afflicted, and he was named Mundhir after
him.” (Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Hadith classification: [Authentic]).
In the Sunnah In the tenth year of the Hijra, a delegation from
the Banu Amir tribe came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him). Among them were Amir ibn al-Tufayl (the leader of the plot to
treacherously kill seventy Companions at Bi'r Ma'una) and Arbad ibn Qays. They
were prominent figures among their people and did not want to embrace Islam. However,
they went because their tribesmen urged them to go to the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him). The Banu Amir had said to Amir ibn al-Tufayl, "O
Amir, the people have embraced Islam, so you should embrace Islam too."
Amir ibn al-Tufayl and Arbad ibn Qays agreed to go to Medina. Because they did
not want to embrace Islam, they conspired to betray the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) and kill him. God Almighty protected His Prophet, peace
and blessings be upon him, from their plot and destroyed them. One died of the
plague, and the other was struck down by lightning.
Ibn Hisham in his "Biography of the Prophet," Ibn Sa'd
in "The Great Classes," Ibn Kathir in "The Beginning and the
End," Al-Suyuti in "The Great Characteristics," and others mentioned
that 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl said to Arbad ibn Qays: "When we arrive before
the man (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him), I will distract him
from you. When I do that, kill him with the sword." When they arrived
before the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, 'Amir ibn
al-Tufayl said: "O Muhammad, befriend me." He said: "No, by God,
not until you believe in God alone." He said: "O Muhammad, befriend
me," and he kept speaking to him, waiting for Arbad to do what he had
instructed him to do. Arbad remained silent. Then, when 'Amir saw what Arbad
said, “O Muhammad, let me be your uncle.” He replied, “No, not until you
believe in God alone, without any partners.” When the Messenger of God, peace
and blessings be upon him, refused, he said, “By God, I will fill it with
horses and men against you.” When he turned away, the Messenger of God, peace
and blessings be upon him, said, “O God, protect me from Amir ibn al-Tufayl.”
When they left the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, Amir said
to Arbad, “Woe to you, Arbad! Where is what I commanded you to do? By God,
there was no man on the face of the earth whom I feared more for my life than
you. By God, I will never fear you after today.” He said, “May you have no
father! Do not be hasty with me. By God, whenever I intended to do what you
commanded me to do, you intervened between me and the man, until I saw no one
but you. Should I strike you with the sword?” They went back to their land, and
when they were partway there, God sent the plague upon Amir ibn al-Tufayl,
striking his neck, and God killed him in the house of a woman from Banu Salul.
He kept saying, “O Banu Amir…” "A gland (a disease that afflicts camels
and causes death, similar to the plague) like the gland of a young camel in the
house of a woman from the Banu Salul tribe!" (They were known for their
meanness). He mounted his horse and kicked it (threw it and trampled it) until
it died. As for Arbad, he came to his people, and they said: "What news do
you bring, Arbad?" He said, “By God, Muhammad has called us to worship
something I wish I had with me now so I could shoot it with this arrow and kill
it.” Then, a day or two after his statement, he went out with his camels
following him. God then sent a thunderbolt upon him and his group, which burned
them all.
When the Banu ‘Amir ibn Sa’sa’ah saw what had befallen ‘Amir ibn
al-Tufayl and Arbad ibn Qays, they sent a delegation to the Messenger of God
(peace and blessings be upon him) and declared their Islam. ‘Abdullah ibn
al-Shikhkhir (may God be pleased with him) said: “I went with the delegation of
Banu ‘Amir to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). We said,
‘You are our master.’ He said, ‘The Master is God.’ We said, ‘And the most
virtuous among us and the greatest in stature.’ He said, ‘Say what you have to
say, or some of what you have to say, and do not let Satan lead you astray.’”
(Source: Sahih al-Jami’; Hadith classification: Sahih)
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