Malik ibn Nuwayra

Malik ibn Nuwayra
مالك بن نويرة
Born	Arabia
Died	632 CE (10/11 AH)
Spouse	Layla bint al-Minhal
Parent	Nuwayrah

Malik ibn Nuwayra (Arabic: مالك بن نويرة: died 632), was the chief of the Banu Yarbu, a clan of the Banu Hanzala, a large section of the powerful tribe of Bani Tamim which inhabited the north-eastern region of Arabia, between Bahrain and Najd. The tribe was pagan until converting to Islam. The center of Malik's clan was Butah.

Muhammad appointed Malik as an officer over the clan of Banu Yarbu. His main responsibility was the collection of taxes and their dispatch to Madinah following the Islamic prophet's death in 632.

Biography

Malik was appointed as the collector of the sadaqa over his clan of the Tamim, the Yarbu after the prophet's death. Following the Islamic prophet's death, Malik stopped passing the sadaqah, and also refused to give his sadaqah to Medina, as they refused to recognise the Caliphate of Abu Bakr.

The Rashidun general Khalid ibn al-Walid and his army encountered Malik and eleven of his clansmen from the Yarbu in 632. The Yarbu did not resist, proclaiming their Muslim faith after being escorted to Khalid's camp. Khalid had them all executed for their refusal to pay sadaqah and subsequently refusing to recognise the newly instilled caliphate of Abu Bakr. Khalid then married Malik's widow, Layla, on the same day Malik was executed with the marriage also being consummated the following night.

When news of Khalid's decision reached Medina, Umar, who had become Abu Bakr's chief aide, pressed for Khalid to be punished or relieved of command as Malik had been a Muslim at the time of his death, had surrendered to Khalid, and had professed the Shahada before his death, making Khalid a murderer under Islamic law. Abu Bakr chose to pardon him stating that Khalid did nothing wrong and that the crimes of Malik had been proven. Abu Bakr acted in the same way as Muhammad did when Khalid might have attacked the Banu Jadhima and killed their men. Muhammad did not discharge or punish Khalid in this incident. Shia critics cite this as a case of Abu Bakr’s desire to consolidate power during his early reign and the setting of an example to dissuade any critics of his caliphate.

Watt considers accounts about the Yarbu during the Ridda Wars in general to be "obscure". In the view of the modern historian Ella Landau-Tasseron, "the truth behind Malik's career and death will remain buried under a heap of conflicting traditions".

Although some people such as Abu Qutada and Umar condemned this act of Khalid and Umar called for his stoning, Abu Bakr did not punish Khalid and said that “he won't sheathe the Sword of Allah” as Malik had reaped what he had sowed.

Bibliography

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• Kister, M. J. (2002). "The Struggle against Musaylima and the Conquest of Yamama". Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam. 27: 1–56.
• Landau-Tasseron, Ella (1991). "Mālik b. Nuwayra". In Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Pellat, Ch. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume VI: Mahk–Mid. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 267–269. ISBN 978-90-04-08112-3.
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• Watt, W. Montgomery (1960). "Abū Bakr". In Gibb, H. A. R.; Kramers, J. H.; Lévi-Provençal, E.; Schacht, J.; Lewis, B. & Pellat, Ch. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume I: A–B. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 109–111. OCLC 495469456.