ʿĀmir ibn Fuhayra (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: عامر بن فهيرة) (586–625) was a companion of the Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

. He was also known by the ''kunya'' (teknonym) Abū ʿAmr.Muhammad ibn Saad. ''Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir'' vol. 3. Translated by Bewley, A. (2013). ''The Companions of Badr'', pp. 176-177. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.

Background

Of African ancestry, he was born a slave in the possession of the

Azd The Azd (Arabic: أَزْد), or Al-Azd (Arabic: ٱلْأَزْد), is an ancient Tribes of Arabia, Arabian tribe. The lands of Azd occupied an area west of Bisha and Al Bahah in what is today Saudi Arabia. Land of Azd Pre-Islamic Arabia Pre- ...

tribe.Abdulmalik ibn Hisham. ''Notes to Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah''. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). ''The Life of Muhammad'', p. 743 note 422. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Later he was owned by Al-Tufayl ibn Al-Harith, the stepson of

Abu Bakr Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...

, who was also a member of this tribe but probably younger than Amir. He became a

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

in MeccaMuhammad ibn Ishaq. ''Sirat Rasul Allah''. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). ''The Life of Muhammad''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. before 614. From 614 he was tortured in Mecca in an attempt to force him to recant his faith. His persecutor is not directly named; but the persecution stopped when Abu Bakr bought him from Al-Tufayl and

manumitted Manumission, or enfranchisement, is the act of freeing slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and ...

him. As was usual for freed slaves, Amir remained in Abu Bakr's service and had the special care of grazing his milking ewe.

Emigration to Medina

When Muhammad and Abu Bakr proceeded to migrate from Mecca in 622, known as the

Hijrah The Hijrah, () also Hegira (from Medieval Latin), was the journey the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers took from Mecca to Medina. The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the e ...

, Amir grazed Abu Bakr's flocks by day, then brought them at evening to the cave where Abu Bakr and Muhammad were hiding, presumably so that the sheep would cover their tracks. When they left the cave to

travel Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical Location (geography), locations. Travel can be done by Pedestrian, foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without Baggage, luggage, a ...

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

, Amir accompanied them.Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. ''Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk''. Translated by Landau-Tasseron, E. (1998). ''Volume 39: Biographies of the Prophet's Companions and Their Successors'', pp. 138, 142. Albany: State University of New York Press. He was the one to write the note to Surraqah bin Mallik that no harm would come to them from the Prophet side. At first Amir stayed with Saad ibn Khaythama in Medina; but he later returned to Abu Bakr's house. Muhammad made a pact of brotherhood between Amir and Al-Harith ibn Aws ibn Muadh. Soon after their arrival, Amir, Abu Bakr and

Bilal __NOTOC__ Bilal may refer to: People * Bilal (name), or Belal or Bilel, including a list of people with the name * Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion of Muhammad, made calls for prayers * Bilal (American singer) * Bilal (Lebanese singer) Places * Bi ...

were all struck by Medina fever. When the young

Aisha Aisha bint Abi Bakr () was a seventh century Arab commander, politician, Muhaddith, muhadditha and the third and youngest wife of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. Aisha had an important role in early Islamic h ...

came to inquire after their health, Amir replied, apparently rambling: ''I have experienced death before actually tasting it:'' ''The coward’s death comes upon him as he sits.'' ''Every man resists it with all his might'' ''like the ox who protects his body with his horns.'' Amir fought at the battles of Badr and Uhud.

Death

He participated in the Battle of Bir Ma'una in July or August 625. When he was stabbed by Jabbar ibn Sulma from the Kalb tribe, he exclaimed, "I have been successful, by Allah!" He was among the first to die in the battle. Urwa reported that his body was never found, for "the angels had buried him" and he was raised directly to Heaven. Later Jabbar asked what Amir had meant by saying, "I have won." When he was told that Amir had gained Paradise, Jabbar also became a Muslim.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amir ibn Fuhayra 586 births 625 deaths Sahabah who participated in the battle of Uhud Non-Arab companions of the Prophet