Ammar ibn Yasir (; July 657 C.E.) was a ''Sahabi'' (Companion) of the

Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...

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 ...

, and a commander in the

early Muslim conquests The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests (), also known as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the founder of Islam. He established the first Islamic state in Medina, Arabian Peninsula, Arabia that ...

. His parents, Sumayya and

Yasir ibn Amir Yasir ibn Amir ibn Malik al-Ansi (; sixth/seventh century C.E.) was an early companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is the second martyr in Islam, with the first being his wife, Sumayya. Early life Yasir was originally from the Malik cl ...

, were the first martyrs of the

Ummah ' (; ) is an Arabic word meaning Muslim identity, nation, religious community, or the concept of a Commonwealth of the Muslim Believers ( '). It is a synonym for ' (, lit. 'the Islamic nation'); it is commonly used to mean the collective com ...

. Ammar converted to

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

by the invitation 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 ...

and was amongst the . After the

migration to Medina The Hijrah, () also Hegira (from Medieval Latin), was the journey the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers took from Mecca to Medina. The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the epoch of the Lunar Hijri and Sola ...

, he participated in building the

Prophet's Mosque The Prophet's Mosque () is the List of the oldest mosques, second mosque built by the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad in Medina, after the Quba Mosque, as well as the second List of large mosques, la ...

and fought in most of the early Muslim expeditions. He fought in the

Ridda wars The Ridda Wars were a series of military campaigns launched by the first caliph Abu Bakr against rebellious Arabian tribes, some of which were led by rival prophet claimants. They began shortly after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in ...

under Caliph

() and in the

Muslim conquest of Iran As part of the early Muslim conquests, which were initiated by Muhammad in 622, the Rashidun Caliphate conquered the Sasanian Empire between 632 and 654. This event led to the decline of Zoroastrianism, which had been the official religion of ...

under Caliph

Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...

(). Ammar served as governor of

Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...

under Umar. Following Uthman's assassination, Ammar became a devout partisan of Caliph

Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...

() and died while fighting on Ali's side in the

Battle of Siffin The Battle of Siffin () was fought in 657 CE (37 Islamic calendar, AH) between the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib and the rebellious governor of Syria (region), Syria Muawiyah I, Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. The battle is named after its ...

Before Islam

Ammar belonged to the Malik clan of the Madhhij tribe in Yemen.

Hijaz Hejaz is a historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al-Bahah. It is thus known as the "Western Province ...

(current-day

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

). He was born in or around the

Year of the Elephant The ʿām al-fīl (, Year of the Elephant) is the name in Islamic history for the year approximately equating to 570–571 CE. According to Islamic resources, it was in this year that prophet Mohammad was born.Hajjah Adil, Amina, "''Prophet ...

, which was the same year as

's birth, in

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

, and was one of the intermediaries in Muhammad's marriage to

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid Khadija bint Khuwaylid (November 619) was the first wife of Muhammad. Born into an aristocratic clan of the Quraysh, she was an affluent merchant in her own right and was known to have a noble personality within her tribe. In his early 20s, she e ...

. His father,

, was from the tribe of

Qahtan The Qahtanites (; ), also known as Banu Qahtan () or by their nickname ''al-Arab al-Ariba'' (), are the Arabs who originate from modern-day Yemen. The term "Qahtan" is mentioned in multiple Ancient South Arabian script, Ancient South Arabian ins ...

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

and migrated to Mecca and settled down there after marrying Sumayya, a slave woman; Ammar and his parents, Yasir and Sumayyah, were slaves to Abu Huzaifa, but upon his death,

Abu Jahl Amr ibn Hisham (), better known as Abū Jahl (; ) was the Meccan Quraysh polytheist leader of the Mushrikites known for his opposition to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the most prominent flag-bearer of opposition towards Islam. A promine ...

-who became later one of Islam's most brutal enemies and the infamous torturer of Ammar and his parents- took them over as his slaves. Ammar's trust in and knowledge of Muhammad's credibility, even before his prophethood, encouraged him to follow Muhammad's prophetic visions as one of the earliest converts.

After conversion to Islam

Belonging to the

Banu Makhzum The Banu Makhzum () was one of the wealthy clans of the Quraysh (tribe), Quraysh. They are regarded as being among the three most powerful and influential clans in Mecca before the advent of Islam, the other two being the Banu Hashim (the tribe of ...

, Ammar was born in the year 567 to

and Sumayya, both of whom were brutally killed. At an early age, Ammar converted to Islam by the invitation of

, becoming one of the earliest

Muslims 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 ...

. He became one of the most prominent companions of Muhammad by participating in all of his military conflicts and battles. Historically, Ammar ibn Yasir was the first Muslim to build a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

. ʿAmmār converted to Islam in 614 or 615 CE .Muhammad ibn Ishaq. ''Sirat Rasul Allah''. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). ''The Life of Muhammad'', p. 117. Oxford: Oxford University Press. This coincided with the period when the Quraysh were persecuting the lower-class Muslims. As Ammar later told his grandson: "I met Suhayb ibn Sinan at the door of the house of Al-Arqam while the Messenger of Allah was in it. I asked him, 'What do you want?' He said to me, 'What do you want?' I answered, 'I want to go to Muhammad and listen to what he says.' He said, 'That is what I want.' We entered and he presented Islam to us and we became Muslim. Then we spent the day until evening and went out concealing ourselves". Ammar's father, mother and brother also became Muslims, though not at Abu Bakr's invitation. When Quraysh knew of the conversion of Yasir's family to Islam, they were among the "victims who were tortured at

to make them recant". The Makhzum clan used to take out Ammar ibn Yasir with his father and mother in the heat of the day and expose them to the excessively-hot environment of Mecca and torture them in the scorches of the open fire, and Muhammad used to pass by them and say, "Patience, O family of Yasir! Your meeting-place will be Paradise"Ibn Ishaq/Guillaume p. 145. and "O fire! Be cool and harmless for ‘Ammar in the same manner in which you became cool and harmless for Ibrahim;” consequently, Ammar had scars on his body from the torture for the rest of his life. Ammar was tortured "until he did not know what he was saying," as was his friend Suhayb; in that state, he eventually maligned Muhammad and spoke well of the pagan gods. Afterwards he went to Muhammad and confessed his recantation. Muhammad asked, "How do you find your heart?" When Ammar replied that he was still a Muslim in his heart, Muhammad said all was well. A verse of the Qur'an, "''someone forced to do it whose heart remains at rest in its faith''" (16:106), refers to Ammar. Ammar's mother was murdered by Abu Jahl for her refusal to abandon Islam: she is considered the first Muslim

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

. The opening verses of Surat Al-Ankabut (chapter 29: The Spider) were revealed in response to this tragic event. To escape the torture of the Meccans at the time, it is reported by ibn Saad and Ibn Ishaq that Ammar went to

Abyssinia Abyssinia (; also known as Abyssinie, Abissinia, Habessinien, or Al-Habash) was an ancient region in the Horn of Africa situated in the northern highlands of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.Sven Rubenson, The survival of Ethiopian independence, ...

in 616.

Battles under Muhammad

'Ammar was one of the few warriors who participated in the first major battle in Islam, the

Battle of Badr The Battle of Badr or sometimes called The Raid of Badr ( ; ''Ghazwahu Badr''), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (, ; ''Yawm al-Furqan'') in the Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan, 2 AH), near the pre ...

, despite the extraordinary harsh conditions at the time; dedicatedly, he continued to take part in all the arduous battles with the Muslims even after prophet Muhammad's death. Besides his major involvement in Islam's military campaigns, this incident in Muhammad's life proved to be of most importance -historically- to Muslims: while Ammar was participating in building the

in Medina, " nd hecame in when they had overloaded him with bricks saying, 'They are killing me. They load me with burdens they can't carry themselves.' Umm Salama the prophet's wife said: I saw the apostle run his hand through is hair--for he was a curly-haired man--and say 'Alas Ibn Sumayya! It is not they who will kill you but a wicked band of men.'...Now he had a stick in his hand and the apostle was angry and said, 'What is wrong between them and Ammar? He invites them to Paradise while they invite him to hell.'"Muhammad ibn Ishaq, ''Sirat Rasul Allah''. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). ''The Life of Muhammad'', p. 115. Oxford: Oxford University Press. These reports, viewed as valid by both Sunnis and Shi'is, would later be important during the issue of succession and particularly in interpreting Ammar's death in the Battle of Siffin.Ammar Ibn Yasser' shrine is violated
Islam Times, retrieved on 13 Apr 2014

Role after Muhammad's death

Under

, he became governor of

, however he was later removed from power. During

Uthman ibn Affan Uthman ibn Affan (17 June 656) was the third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruling from 644 until Assassination of Uthman, his assassination in 656. Uthman, a second cousin, son-in-law, and notable Companions of the Prophet, companion of ...

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

by the

shura Shura () is the term for collective decision-making in Islam. It can, for example, take the form of a council or a referendum. The Quran encourages Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with each other. Shura is mentioned as a praise ...

and before his eventual overthrowal, Ammar warningly predicted the upcoming conflict if anyone but Ali got elected and said that "If you do not want to cause a dispute among the Muslims, you have to give the pledge of allegiance to Ali". Ammar's relationship with

deteriorated; although the details of their hostilities towards each other are debatable.

Battle of the Camel

Prior to the events of the

Battle of the Camel The Battle of the Camel, also known as The Battle of Basra () took place outside of Basra, Iraq, in 36 AH (656 CE). The battle was fought between the army of the fourth caliph Ali (), on one side, and the rebel army led by Aisha, Talha and ...

, a

was set up in an attempt to decide a successor after Uthman's death; at this meeting, attendees were not in agreement regarding whether retaliation for Uthman's murder was necessary or not. A report of ʻAlqama b. Waqqas al-Laythi of Kinana indicates that Ammar said that they should not seek revenge. Madelung interprets Ammar's behavior at this meeting indicating his desire to keep

Talha Talha or Thalha is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "fruitful tree from heaven". Talha is the name of a well-known sahabi (companion) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah. He is renowned for saving Muhammad's face from an a ...

from gaining power because Talha was in favor of seeking retaliation. Ammar would not have wanted this since "he had been the most active in inciting the rebels to action". As the battle was developing, Ammar continued to show his support for Ali in multiple ways. Ali first sent him along with al-Hasan to Kufa in order to try to rally the Kufans to help during the upcoming battle. According to one report recorded by

Al-Tabari Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present- ...

, Ammar was questioned upon arrival for participating in Uthman's murder; however, he continued to try to convince the governor,

Abu Musa Abu Musa ( , , ) is an Iranian island in the eastern Persian Gulf, found near the entrance of Strait of Hormuz. Due to the depth of sea, oil tankers and big ships have to pass between Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs, making these is ...

, to take a stance instead of remaining impartial in the conflict. Al-Tabari reports how Abu Musa had encouraged the Kufans to remain neutral because he did not want to participate in inter-Muslim fighting, and he also believed that the Muslim community still owed their allegiance to Uthman because no new successor had been named. An additional transmission of the same event does not mention Ammar's actions against Uthman and instead focuses on his intentions to sway Abu Musa into action. During the actual battle, Ammar fought on Ali's side. Al-Tabari includes in his history an account in which al-Zubayr is told that Ammar is fighting alongside Ali, and this knowledge causes al-Zubayr to be fearful because he had been with Muhammad and Ammar when Muhammad had told Ammar that he would be killed by "transgressing group". Al-Tabari again includes multiple reports of the same event, which in this case is a moment during the battle in which Ammar and al-Zubayr confront each other. In both accounts Ammar approaches al-Zubayr to attack him, when al-Zubayr speaks. In the report from 'Umar b. Shabbah, al-Zubayr asks Ammar, "Do you want to kill me?" whereas in that from 'Amir b. Hafs, al-Zubayr asks, "Are you going to kill me, Abu al Yaqzan?" In both reports, Ammar's response is negative. At the end of the battle, which is successful for Ali's side, Ali orders Ammar and

Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa al-Taymi (; –July/August 658) was an Arab Muslim commander in the service of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Muhammad was the youngest son of the first Rashidun caliph Abu Bakr () and Asma bin ...

to remove

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 ...

from her camel and bring her to 'Abdallah ibn Khalaf al-Khuza I's home in

Basrah Basra () is a port city in southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq border at the north-easternmost exten ...

; because Al-Tabari repeatedly cites multiple reports from different transmitters, such variations in the consistency of the incidents' details -at that time- renders the reported nature of the consequential meeting of Ammar and ʻA'ishah unclear: for one account displays ʻA'ishah as hostile towards Ammar, whereas another later report describes the two as being on more amicable terms.

Battle of Siffin

Ammar died while fighting in the

on Ali's side. According to Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim, Ammar was slain by the Khawarij in Siffin. Siffin is believed to be what is now Abu Hureyra in

Raqqa Governorate Raqqa Governorate (, Kurdish: ''Parêzgeha Reqa'') is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is situated in the north of the country and covers an area of 19,618 km2. The capital is Raqqa. The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant claim ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Legacy

Ammar occupies a position of the highest prominence amongst Muslims.Prophet Muhammad (warning

Khalid ibn al-Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arabs, Arab military commander. He initially led campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career ...

): "Whoever makes an enemy of Ammar, Allah makes an enemy of him; whoever hates ʻAmmār, Allah hates him; whoever curses ʻAmmār, Allah curses him; whoever belittles ‘Ammar, Allah belittles him; and whoever disparages ‘Ammar, Allah disaparages him," ‘Abdul-‘Aziz As-Shanawi,
The Ministers around the Prophet - Page 122
'' Dar-us-Salam (2004), Retrieved on 2 Mar 2014 After the death of Muhammad, Ammar remained loyal to

and is referred to by

Shia Muslims Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

as one of the Four Companions. Muslims consider Ammar's ultimate fate to be unique among the fates of Muhammad's companions, for they perceive his death at the

as the decisive distinguisher between the righteous group and the sinful one in the

First Fitna The First Fitna () was the first civil war in the Islamic community. It led to the overthrow of the Rashidun and the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate. The civil war involved three main battles between the fourth Rashidun caliph, Ali, an ...

. In Shia Islam, Muhammad willed Ammar ibn Yasir as one of the four Sahabas whose guidance should be heeded by Muslims and also being those promised

paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

. The

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

religion also venerates Ammar alongside some other companions. When Ammar died, Mu'awiya referred to him as "one of Ali's two right hands" with the other being

Malik al-Ashtar Malik al-Ashtar (), also known as Mālik bin al-Ḥārith al-Nakhaʿīy al-Maḏḥijīy () was, according to Sunni view, one of the people involved behind Uthman's assassination. While, according to Shias, he was one of the loyal companions of A ...

. Madelung quotes Al-Tabari by reporting what Mu'awiya said to his followers after killing Imam Ali's other loyal companion, Malik al-Ashtar: "Ali b. Abi Talib had two right hands. One of them was cut at Siffin', meaning Ammar b. Yasir, 'and the other today', meaning al-Ashtar". Despite Muʿāwiya's provocations, ʻAli ibn Abi Talib, the

Caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

at the time, highly valued the support of 'Ammar ibn Yasir and Malik al-Ashtar nonetheless. ʻAli mourned 'Ammar's loss deeply.Sayed Ali Asgher Razwy: "When Ali heard that Ammar was killed in action, he recited the 156th verse of the 2nd chapter of Al-Qur’an al-Majid as follows: 'We are for God, and toward Him is our return.' Ammar's death was a terrible shock to Ali. They had been friends since the days when Ammar and his parents were tortured by the Quraysh for accepting Islam, and their friend, Muhammad, comforted them. But Muhammad himself had, long since, parted company with them. Now Ammar also left this world, leaving Ali alone. Ali was overwhelmed by sorrow and by an awful feeling of “lonesomeness”. Ali and his friends said the funeral prayer for Ammar ibn Yasir, the friend of Allah, the companion of Muhammad, and the Martyr of Siffin, and gave him burial. Just like his two friends, Muhammad and Ali, Ammar had also fought the Quraysh all his life. Earlier, the Quraysh had killed his parents, and now they killed him. Each of the three Yasirs’ had won the crown of Martyrdom. Ali's sorrow at Ammar's death was matched by Muawiya's exultation. The latter often said that Ammar was one of the two arms of Ali (the other arm being Malik ibn Ashter), and he boasted that he had severed that arm"., ''A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims''
The battle of Siffin @ Al-islam.org
Retrieved on 21 May 2014 Former Palestinian leader,

Yasser Arafat Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...

, was nicknamed "Abu Ammar" after Ammar ibn Yasser.

Shrine

ʿAmmār's shrine, prior to its destruction, was frequently visited and paid tribute to by Muslims. Also buried in the shrine was the ''

Tabi'i The tābiʿūn (, also accusative or genitive tābiʿīn , singular ''tābiʿ'' ), "followers" or "successors", are the generation of Muslims who followed the companions (''ṣaḥāba'') of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and thus received their ...

Owais al-Qarani Awais () or Owais is an Arabic given name. Meaning Awais means 'gifted' or 'bestowed' and was the name of one of Prophet Muhammad's companions Uways al-Qarani. Notable people Notable people with the name include: ; Given name * Awais Ali (born ...

. The destruction of ʿAmmār's shrine was condemned by Muslims, and sparked outrage in various parts of the

Muslim world The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...

.Universal Muslim Association of America (UMAA),
Press Release: Shrine of Ammar Ibn Yasser
'', Retrieved on 21 May 2014

References

External links

Biography of Ammar bin Yasir
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ammar Ibn Yasir 570 births 657 deaths 6th-century Arab people Sahabah who participated in the battle of Uhud Sahabah who participated in the battle of Badr Muhajirun People of the First Fitna Rashidun governors of Kufa Sahabah killed in battle 7th-century slaves