Malik ibn Nuwayrah

Malik ibn Nuwayrah (Arabic: مالك بن نويرة‎), also spelled as Malik ibn Nuwera, sahabi (a companion of Muhammad), was a chief of the Bani 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 Islam came to Arabia. The centre of Malik's clan was Butah.

Malik ibn Nuwayrah
مالك بن نويرة
Spouse(s)	Layla bint al-Minhal

In view of his distinguished position in the tribe and his unquestionable talents, Muhammad appointed him as an officer over the clan of Bani Handhalah. His main responsibility was the collection of taxes and their dispatch to Madinah.

Execution of Malik Ibn Nuwayrah

After the demise of the Prophet (s), Malik refused to give allegiance to Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr sent Khalid b. Walid with an army toward him. When Khalid arrived near Malik's tribe, Bani Yarbu', he prepared his army for battle. When he arrived at Butah, where Malik lived, he found no one to fight with, because Malik had ordered them not to go out of their houses or gather. Khalid sent his solders to people to take to him anyone they found. They took Malik and few others to Khalid.

Abu Bakr had told soldiers, wherever they entered and saw people were calling adhan and say prayers, they should not bother them, but if they did not say prayers, soldiers should attack them. Soldiers of Khalid made contradictory comments about Malik. Abu Qutada made testimony that they called adhan and said prayer. For this contradiction, Khalid ordered to put them in jail and watch them.

Al-Tabari said that when the army of Khalid arrived at the place of the tribe and called for war, the people of Bani Yarbu' armed themselves. Soldiers of Khalid asked them, "we are Muslims, why did you arm yourselves?" They said, "We are Muslims too, why are you armed?" So, people of the tribe put down their arms, but Khalid decided to kill Malik with the excuse that he did not accept Abu Bakr's caliphate. So, he ordered Dirar b. Azur to behead him, as Malik told his beautiful wife, "you made me killed" meaning that Khalid was captivated by you and is going to kill me to seize you."

It happened as he said. Khalid killed him and immediately captured his wife. Abu Qutada and 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar objected to him, but he ignored them. Upon his return to Medina, before Khalid entered the city, Abu Qutada informed the caliph about the story, but when Khalid entered Medina, armed himself to the teeth and decorated his turban with three arrows as a sign of victory. 'Umar saw him on the way, took out the arrows out of his turban, broke them and told him, "how hypocrite you are! You kill a Muslim, make intercourse with his wife and call yourself a Muslim hero?! By God, I will stone you."

Khalid did not say anything and moved on until he met the caliph and reported his story in a way that he liked. When he left Abu Bakr, 'Umar went to the caliph and objected. Abu Bakr answered, "Khalid made a judgement, but he made a mistake in his judgement and for that we will not sheathe the sword of Islam." He then ordered to free the captives and paid the blood money for Malik from the public treasury. It is reported that when Mutammim, Malik's brother went to Abu Bakr and called the revenge for his brother and asked for the captives, Abu Bakr ordered to pay him the blood money and return the captives to him.

Khalid's marriage to Malik's wife

Mālik b. Nuwayra was the Prophet's (s) representative to collect alms from his tribe. After the demise of the Prophet (s), Malik refused to give allegiance to Abu Bakr, so Khalid b. Walid went to his tribe and beheaded him even though he did not have any will to wage a battle against him. Then, he enslaved his wife and made intercourse with her. Although some people such as Abu Qutada and 'Umar condemned this act of Khalid and 'Umar called for his stoning, but Abu Bakr did not punish Khalid and said that he had made a mistake and paid the blood money for Malik from the bayt al-mal (public treasury).

Narration of Tarikh Al Tabari

‘Umar told Khalid: “You enemy of Allah! You killed a Muslim man and thereafter took his wife. By Allah, I will stone you".

The chain of narration on the authority of which this report reached al Tabari is as follows:

Al Tabari — (narrates from) — (Muhammad) ibn Humaid (al Razi )— (who narrates from) — Salamah (ibn al Fadl al Razi) — (who narrates from) — Muhammad ibn Ishaq — (who narrates from)— Talhah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Bakr — who says that it used to be Abu Bakr al Siddiq’s instruction to his armies

See also

• Layla bint al-Minhal