Arqam b. Abi Arqam

Arqam b. Abi Arqam

Personal Information
Full Name	Arqam b. 'Abd Manaf
Teknonym	Abu 'Abd Allah
Muhajir/Ansar	Muhajir
Place(s) of Residence	Mecca • Medina
Death/Martyrdom	55/674-5
Converting to Islam	Seventh person converted to Islam (based on some reports)
Religious Information
Presence at ghazwas	Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud, and other ghazwas
Migration to	Medina

Abū ʿAbd Allāh Arqam b. ʿAbd Manāf (Arabic:أبوعَبْدُ الله أرْقَم بْن عَبْد مَناف) (d. 55/674-5) was a companion of Prophet Muhammad (s). According to a narration, he was the seventh person who converted to Islam. After the migration of the Prophet (s) from Mecca to Medina, he made a bond of brotherhood between Arqam b. Arqam and Zayd b. Sahl. He attended the battles of Badr, Uhud, and some other Ghazwas. Arqam also narrated hadiths from Prophet Muhammad (s). He was famous for having a house on hillside of Mount Safa in Mecca, where new Muslims gathered and the Prophet (s) invited people to Islam.

Lineage

Arqam's mother, Umayma, the daughter of Harath b. Hibala, is from Khuza'a tribe; and his father, Abu l-Arqam, 'Abd Manaf b. Asad (Abu Jundab) b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr b. al-Makhzum was from Banu Makhzum, a tribe of Quraysh.

Amongst the First Muslims

According to a narration, recounted from children of Arqam, Arqam was the seventh person who converted to Islam. However, based on Ibn Isḥaq narration, Arqam is mentioned after eight persons who converted to Islam after Abu Bakr. Arqam converted along with Abu Salama, Abu 'Ubayda al-Jarrah, and 'Uthman b. Maz'un.

Arqam was famous for having his house on hillside of Mount Safa in Mecca where early Muslims gathered and Prophet Muhammad (s) invited others to Islam. It is said a large number of Muslims converted to Islam in Arqam's house.

Attending Ghazwas

Arqam attended the battles of Badr and Uhud along with other Ghazwas. Although the Prophet (s) told Muslims to return the loots they gathered in the Battle of Badr, he gave Arqam a valuable sword. Arqam also attended the Sariyya of Abu Salama 'Abd Allah b. 'Abd al-Asad in Muharram, 3/June-July, 624.

In Medina

After Hijra (the migration of the Prophet (s) from Mecca to Medina), the Prophet (s) made a brotherhood bond between Arqam and Abu Talha Zayd b. Sahl. Arqam settled in Banu Zariq region in Medina in a house the Prophet (s) gave him. He has narrated hadiths from Prophet Muhammad (s).

Demise

Arqam was amongst the companions of the Prophet (s) attended the Battle of Badr, who passed away in his 80s in Medina; when Mu'awiya was ruling. Some sources considered the death date of Arqam and Abu Bakr on the same day, due to confusing the date of Arqam's death with his father's. Although Arqam has stated in his will that Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas should say Funeral prayer on his body, Marwan b. Hakam, the governor of Medina, wanted to say funeral prayer on Arqam's body as Sa'd was not present, but 'Abd Allah b. Arqam and a number of Banu Makhzum stopped him. They waited for Sa'd and when he arrived, they said funeral prayer on his body.

Arqam's House

Arqam's house in Mecca became famous as the Prophet (s) invited people to Islam there, it was run by descendants of Arqam until the time of al-Mansur. However, after the suppression of the rise of al-Nafs al-Zakiyya in 145/762-3 by al-Mansur, 'Abd Allah b. 'Uthman b. Arqam, a supporter of al-Nafs al-Zakiyya was imprisoned, although he did not attend the uprising. Then the house of Arqam was later bought from 'Abd Allah and his brothers.