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Al-Aqra' b. Habis
Personal Information
Full NameAl-Aqra' b. Habis
TeknonymAbu Bahr
EpithetAl-Aqra'
Well Known AsChief of Banu Tamim
LineageBanu Mujashi' (Banu Tamim)
Religious Information
Presence at ghazwasConquest of Mecca, Battle of Hunayn
Known forChief of Banu Tamim
Other ActivitiesRefusal to pay zakat to Abu Bakr; rebellion against the Caliphate
WorksNarrator of hadith from Prophet Muhammad (s)


Al-Aqra' b. Ḥābis (Arabic: الأقرع بن حابس) was a Companion of the Prophet (s) and a distinguished Arab nobleman noted in historical sources for his bravery during the Pre-Islamic period. He accompanied the Prophet (s) during the Conquest of Mecca and the Battle of Hunayn. Following the Prophet's death, al-Aqra' was prominent among the tribal chiefs who rebelled by withholding zakat from Abu Bakr. Historical accounts regarding the time and place of his death are significantly inconsistent.

Name and Lineage

He belonged to the Banu Mujashi' branch of the Banu Tamim tribe.[1] Sources suggest his given name was Firas, with "al-Aqra'" (the bald) serving as his epithet;[2] however, other reports indicate that Firas was the name of his brother.[3] Alternative accounts record his brother's name as Marthad.[4] This confusion may stem from the fact that both bore the title "al-Aqra'," leading to them being referred to collectively as "the two Aqra's."[5] Al-Tusi recorded his teknonym as Abu Bahr.[6]

Background in Jahiliyya and Companionship with the Prophet (s)

In the epic narratives of the Arabs (Ayyam al-'Arab), al-Aqra' b. Habis is depicted as a grandee of the Banu Tamim tribe. During the "Day of Zubala," he led the Tamimis against the Banu Bakr b. Wa'il; in the course of this battle, he was captured by the Banu Taym Allah tribe but was subsequently released.[7] Al-Farazdaq, a poet from his clan, extolled al-Aqra's valor in pre-Islamic tribal conflicts within his poetic responses to Jarir.[8] It is also reported that he commanded the Banu Hanzala[9] during the "Day of al-Kulab," although this may be a confusion with his ancestor, Sufyan b. Mujashi'.[10]

Regarding his life prior to Islam, al-Aqra' is reported to have served as an arbitrator in the 'Ukaz market and was the first to prohibit gambling there.[11] He was also among those Tamimis who practiced Zoroastrianism (Majus) in the pre-Islamic period.[12]

Following the advent of Islam, in 8/629-30, when the Prophet (s) was advancing toward the Conquest of Mecca, al-Aqra' joined him and entered Mecca by his side.[13] He was also present with the Prophet (s) at the Battle of Hunayn.[14] After the conclusion of the battle, the Messenger of God (s) granted a share of the spoils to al-Aqra' b. Habis as one of "those whose hearts are reconciled" (al-mu'allafa qulubuhum).[15]

Conversion to Islam

At the beginning of 9/630-31, a faction of the Banu Tamim refused to pay taxes. The Prophet (s) dispatched a force to confront them, resulting in the capture of several tribesmen. Al-Aqra' b. Habis approached the Prophet (s) to negotiate the release of the captives; however, the uncouth behavior displayed by him and his companions prompted the revelation of verses Qur'an 49:2 to Qur'an 49:5. During this meeting, the Banu Tamim engaged in mufakhara (tribal boasting), to which the Muslims responded. Al-Aqra' ultimately admitted to the superiority of the Muslims[16] and, according to one report, converted to Islam at that time.[17]

Refusal to Pay Zakat to Abu Bakr

In 11/632-33, the Prophet (s) appointed al-Aqra' to collect zakat from the Banu Hanzala tribes.[18] Following the death of the Prophet (s), al-Aqra' emerged as a leader of the rebellious tribes, refusing to remit zakat to Abu Bakr.[19] Some reports state that he initially approached Abu Bakr to demand a larger share of wealth, but the Caliph rejected his request.[20] Al-Tabari notes that al-Aqra' unsuccessfully demanded the land tax (kharaj) of Bahrain.[21] Nevertheless, he later participated in the wars of Abu Bakr's caliphate, fighting alongside Khalid b. al-Walid in Yamama and Hira,[22] and served as the vanguard of the army in the campaign against Hira.[23] He was also present at Dumat al-Jandal with the army of Shurahbil b. Sa'd.[24]

Participation in Conquests

Al-Aqra' b. Habis is reported to have accompanied Ahnaf b. Qays during conquests such as that of Khorasan and was dispatched by him to conquer Juzjan.[25] Some sources also mention his governorship over Juzjan.[26] Other narratives place him at the head of an army sent to Khorasan by 'Abd Allah b. 'Amir,[27] though this expedition ended in failure.[28]

Death

Historical reports regarding the death of al-Aqra' b. Habis are confused and contradictory. Al-Baladhuri confirms the conquest of Juzjan under his command,[29] but this conflicts with the timeline of his death; the conquest of Khorasan occurred during the caliphate of 'Uthman,[30] whereas al-Dhahabi doubts his participation in this campaign, placing his death during the era of 'Umar.[31] Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani narrates that al-Aqra' and his ten sons were killed in the Battle of Yarmuk,[32] yet al-Baladhuri asserts that al-Aqra' and his brother Marthad left descendants in Khorasan.[33]

Narrations

Several traditions from the Messenger of God (s) have been transmitted through al-Aqra' b. Habis, and figures such as Abu Hurayra and Abu Salama b. 'Abd al-Rahman have narrated from him.[34]

According to a narration by Fattal al-Nayshaburi in Rawdat al-wa'izin and Basirat al-mutta'izin, the Prophet (s) was once kissing Imam al-Hasan (a) when al-Aqra' b. Habis remarked: "I have ten sons and I have never kissed any of them." The Prophet (s) replied: "He who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy" (man la yarham la yurham).[35]

Notes

  1. ↑ Kalbī, Jamharat al-nasab, 1407 AH, pp. 201-202.
  2. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 2, p. 431; Ibn Durayd, al-Ishtiqāq, 1378 AH, p. 239.
  3. ↑ Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawiyya, 1355 AH, vol. 4, p. 270.
  4. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 2, p. 431.
  5. ↑ Abū ʿUbayda, Ayyām al-ʿArab, 1407 AH, vol. 1, p. 556; Mubarrad, al-Kāmil, 1406 AH, vol. 1, p. 293.
  6. ↑ Al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Abwāb (Rijāl al-Ṭūsī), 1373 Sh, p. 26.
  7. ↑ Abū ʿUbayda, Ayyām al-ʿArab, 1407 AH, vol. 1, p. 556; Ibn Rashīq, al-ʿUmda, 1972, vol. 2, p. 205.
  8. ↑ Abū ʿUbayda, Ayyām al-ʿArab, 1407 AH, vol. 1, p. 556, vol. 2, p. 697.
  9. ↑ Ibn Ḥabīb, al-Muḥabbar, 1361 AH, p. 247.
  10. ↑ Abū ʿUbayda, Ayyām al-ʿArab, 1407 AH, vol. 1, pp. 51-52.
  11. ↑ Abū ʿUbayda, al-Naqāʾiḍ, 1419 AH, vol. 2, p. 700; Jāḥiẓ, al-Burṣān wa l-ʿurjān, 1407 AH, p. 119.
  12. ↑ Ibn Qutayba, al-Maʿārif, 1388 AH, p. 621.
  13. ↑ Wāqidī, al-Maghāzī, 1966, vol. 2, pp. 803-804.
  14. ↑ Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawiyya, 1355 AH, vol. 4, p. 270.
  15. ↑ Wāqidī, al-Maghāzī, 1966, vol. 3, p. 946.
  16. ↑ Wāqidī, al-Maghāzī, 1966, vol. 3, p. 975; Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawiyya, 1355 AH, vol. 4, p. 212; Ibn Saʿd, al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, 1410 AH, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.
  17. ↑ Abū Nuʿaym, Maʿrifat al-ṣaḥāba, 1408 AH, vol. 2, p. 412.
  18. ↑ Kalāʿī, Tārīkh al-ridda, p. 10 (quoting Ibn Isḥāq).
  19. ↑ Kalāʿī, Tārīkh al-ridda, p. 10.
  20. ↑ Kalāʿī, Tārīkh al-ridda, pp. 4-5.
  21. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, 1387 AH, vol. 3, p. 273; see also: Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 3, p. 75.
  22. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, 1387 AH, vol. 3, p. 275; Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 3, p. 75.
  23. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, 1387 AH, vol. 3, pp. 373, 380.
  24. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, 1387 AH, vol. 3, p. 275; Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 3, p. 69.
  25. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 2, p. 432; Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, 1387 AH, vol. 4, p. 312.
  26. ↑ Jāḥiẓ, al-Burṣān wa l-ʿurjān, p. 205.
  27. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 2, p. 432.
  28. ↑ Ibn Aʿtham, al-Futūḥ, vol. 2, p. 340; Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-Islām, p. 286; Ibn al-Athīr, Usd al-ghāba, 1280 AH, vol. 1, pp. 109-110.
  29. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr, Usd al-ghāba, vol. 1, pp. 109-110.
  30. ↑ Ibn Aʿtham, al-Futūḥ, p. 403 ff.
  31. ↑ Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-Islām, pp. 285-286; Suyūṭī, Tārīkh al-khulafāʾ, 1953, p. 147.
  32. ↑ Ibn Ḥajar, al-Iṣāba, 1415 AH, vol. 1, p. 59.
  33. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 2, p. 432.
  34. ↑ Abū Nuʿaym, Maʿrifat al-ṣaḥāba, 1408 AH, vol. 2, p. 408.
  35. ↑ Fattāl al-Nayshābūrī, Rawḍat al-wāʿiẓīn, 1375 Sh, vol. 2, p. 369.

References

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