Abū ʾl-Yaqẓān ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir ibn ʿĀmir ibn Mālik al-ʿAnsī al-Maḏḥiǧī[4][5] (Arabic: أبو اليقظان عمار ابن ياسر ابن عامر ابن مالك العنسي المذحجي) also known as Abū ʾl-Yaqẓān ʿAmmār ibn Sumayya[6] (Arabic: أبو اليقظان عمار ابن سمية) was one of the muhajirun in the history of Islam[7] and, for his dedicated devotion to Islam's cause, is considered to be one of the closest and most loyal companions of Muhammad and to Muslims; thus, he occupies a position of the highest prominence in Islam.[8][9][10]
Belonging to the Banu Makhzum, Ammar was born in the year 567 to Yasir ibn Amir and Sumayyah bint Khabbat, both of whom were brutally killed. At an early age, Ammar converted to Islam by the invitation of Abu Bakr, becoming one of the earliest Muslims.[11][12] He became one of the most prominent companions of Muhammad by participating in all of his military conflicts and battles.[13] Historically, Ammar ibn Yasir was the first Muslim to build a mosque.[14]
After the death of Muhammad, Ammar remained loyal to Ali and is referred to by Shia Muslims as one of the Four Companions.[15] Muslims consider Ammar's ultimate fate to be unique among the fates of Muhammad's companions, for they perceive his death at the Battle of Siffin as the decisive distinguisher between the righteous group and the sinful one in the First Fitna.[16]
Before Islam
ʿAmmār belonged to the Malik clan of the Madhhij tribe in Yemen. Hijaz (current-day Saudi Arabia). He was born in the Year of the Elephant, which was the same year as Muhammad's birth, in Mecca and was one of the intermediaries in Muhammad's marriage to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. His father, Yasir ibn Amir, was from the tribe of Qahtan in Yemen and migrated to Mecca and settled down there after marrying Sumayyah bint Khayyat, a slave woman; Ammar and his parents, Yasir and Sumayyah, were slaves to Abu Huzaifa, but upon his death, Abu Jahl -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.[17][18][19]
After conversion to Islam
ʿAmmār converted to Islam in 614 or 615 CE .[11] This coincided with the period when the Quraysh were persecuting the lower-class Muslims.[20] 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".[21] Ammar's father, mother and brother also became Muslims, though not at Abu Bakr's invitation.[22]
When Quraysh knew of the conversion of Yasir's family to Islam, they were among the "victims who were tortured at Mecca to make them recant".[23] 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"[24] 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.[25][26]
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.[27][28] Ammar's mother was murdered by Abu Jahl for her refusal to abandon Islam: she is considered the first Muslim martyr.[29] The opening verses of Surat Al-Ankabut (chapter 29: The Spider) were revealed in response to this tragic event.[30]
To escape the torture of the Meccans at the time, it is reported by ibn Saad[31] and Ibn Ishaq[32] that Ammar went to Abyssinia in 616.
'Ammar was one of the few warriors who participated in the first major battle in Islam, the Battle of Badr, despite the extraordinary harsh conditions at the time;[33] dedicatedly, he continued to take part in all the arduous battles with the Muslims even after prophet Muhammad's death.[13]
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 ʻAmmār was participating in building the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, "[and he] came 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 ʻAmmār? He invites them to Paradise while they invite him to hell.'"[34][35][36][37] These reports, viewed as valid by both Sunnis and Shi'is, would later be important during the issue of succession and particularly in interpreting ʻAmmār's death in the Battle of Siffin.
Role after Muhammad's death
Under ʻUmar, he became governor of Kufa, however he was later removed from power.[38]
During Uthman ibn Affan's election by the shura 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".[39] Ammar's relationship with Uthman ibn Affan deteriorated; although the details of their hostilities towards each other are debatable.[40][41]
Prior to the events of the Battle of the Camel, a shura was set up in an attempt to decide a successor after ʿUthmān's death;[42] at this meeting, attendees were not in agreement regarding whether retaliation for ʿUthmān's murder was necessary or not. A report of ʻAlqama b. Waqqas al-Laythi of Kinana indicates that ʻAmmār said that they should not seek revenge.[42] Madelung interprets ʻAmmār's behavior at this meeting indicating his desire to keep Talha from gaining power because Talha was in favor of seeking retaliation. ʻAmmār would not have wanted this since "he had been the most active in inciting the rebels to action".[42]
As the battle was developing, ʻAmmār continued to show his support for ʿAlī in multiple ways. ʿAlī first sent him along with al-Hasan to Kufa in order to try to rally the Kufans to help during the upcoming battle.[42] According to one report recorded by al-Tabari, ʻAmmār was questioned upon arrival for participating in ʿUthmān's murder; however, he continued to try to convince the governor, Abu Musa, to take a stance instead of remaining impartial in the conflict.[43] 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 ʿUthmān because no new successor had been named. An additional transmission of the same event does not mention ʻAmmār's actions against ʿUthmān and instead focuses on his intentions to sway Abu Musa into action.[43][44]
During the actual battle, ʻAmmār fought on ʿAlī's side. Al-Tabari includes in his history an account[43] in which al-Zubayr is told that ʻAmmār is fighting alongside ʿAlī, and this knowledge causes al-Zubayr to be fearful because he had been with Muhammad and ʻAmmār when Muhammad had told ʻAmmār that he would be killed by "a wicked band of men".[37] Al-Tabari again includes multiple reports of the same event, which in this case is a moment during the battle in which ʻAmmār and al-Zubayr confront each other.[43] In both accounts ʻAmmār approaches al-Zubayr to attack him, when al-Zubayr speaks. In the report from 'Umar b. Shabbah, al-Zubayr asks ʻAmmār, "Do you want to kill me?"[43] whereas in that from 'Amir b. Hafs, al-Zubayr asks, "Are you going to kill me, Abu al Yaqzan?"[43] In both reports, ʻAmmār's response is negative. At the end of the battle, which is successful for ʿAlī's side, ʿAlī orders ʻAmmār and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr to remove Aisha from her camel and bring her to 'Abdallah ibn Khalaf al-Khuza I's home in Basrah;[43] 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 ʻAmmār and ʻA'ishah unclear: for one account displays ʻA'ishah as hostile towards ʻAmmār,[43] whereas another later report describes the two as being on more amicable terms.[43]
When Ammar 'died, Muʿāwiya referred to him as "one of ʿAlī's two right hands" with the other being Malik al-Ashtar. Madelung quotes Al-Tabari by reporting what Muʿāwiya 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 ʻAmmār b. Yasir, 'and the other today', meaning al-Ashtar".[42] Despite Muʿāwiya's provocations, ʻAli ibnAbi Talib, the Caliph at the time, highly valued the support of 'Ammar ibn Yasir and Malik al-Ashtar nonetheless.[47] ʻAli mourned 'Ammar's loss deeply.[48]
ʿAmmār's shrine, prior to its destruction, was frequently visited and paid tribute to by Muslims.[49]
Former Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, was nicknamed "Abu Ammar" after Ammar ibn Yasser.[50]
Shrine desecration
The destruction of ʿAmmār's shrine was condemned by Muslims[51][52] and sparked outrage in various parts of the Muslim world.[53][54]
^Swayd, Samy. The A to Z of the Druzes. Page xxiii, retrieved on 6 January 2019. "610-632 Druze ancestors are Islamized; influential figures in Druze spirituality include Prophet Muhammad's companions Salman al-Farisi, al-Muqdad Ibn al-Aswad, and 'Ammar Ibn Yasir".
^The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. I. H. A. R. Gibb, P. J. Bearman (2nd ed.). Leiden: Brill. 1960. pp. 448–449. ISBN90-04-08114-3. OCLC399624.((cite book)): CS1 maint: others (link)
^Prophet Muhammad (warning Khalid ibn al-Walid): "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
^Prophet Muhammad: "‘Ammar is with the truth and the truth is with ‘Ammar. He turns wherever the truth turns"; "ʻAmmār is as near to me as an eye is near to the nose. Alas! a rebellious group will kill him". Nahj ul Balagha: Sermons from Imam Ali - On the method of his ruling, and grief over the martyrdom of his companions, Google Books, Retrieved on 23 Feb 2014
^Imam Ali (deeply saddened while and openly weeping in commiserating Ammar Bin Yassir's martyrdom in the Battle of Siffin): "Any Muslim, who doesn't consider the event of ʻAmmār's being killed to be great, and doesn't treat it to be a painful tragedy, won't be recognized to be adult and mature. May Allah bless ʻAmmār on the day on which he embraced Islam, the day on which he was killed and the day on which he will rise from earth once again! I saw ʻAmmār at such a position that if the companions of the Holy Prophet (S) were reckoned to be four he was the fourth and if they were five he was the fifth and none of the companions of the Holy Prophet (S) doubted this. Paradise has become essential for ʻAmmār and his entitlement to Paradise did not depend on one or two instances [only]. (The Imam [then] took Ammar’s head and put it in his lap and recited): O death who does not leave me, relieve me, for you have destroyed all friends! I see that you are aware of those whom I love as if that you walk towards them with a guide!", The life of Imam Al-Hasan al-Mujtaba by Baqir Shareef al-Qurashi and translated by Jasim al-Rasheed, Chapter XI - At Siffin, Retrieved on 31 May 2014
^ abMuhammad ibn Ishaq. Sirat Rasul Allah. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). The Life of Muhammad, p. 117. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
^ abAsh-Shannâwi, A.A.; Ahad, A. (2004). وزراء حول الرسول (in Arabic). Darussalam. p. 123. ISBN978-9960-899-86-2. Retrieved 2015-02-17. 'Ammar took part in all of the battles that occurred during the Prophet's lifetime. And even after the Prophet's death, 'Ammar continued to fight in the way of Allah until the very end; after all, the Prophet foretold that he was to die during battle, at the hands of a transgressing faction. Al-Fia'atul-Baghiyyah, or "the transgressing faction", refers to a specific meaning; when two Muslim groups fight against each other, the group that is in the wrong is referred to as being "the transgressing faction". Whenever there was a call to fight the enemies of Islam, 'Ammar bin Yasir did not tarry, but instead hurried to join the ranks of the Muslim army - and so it was for him during the battles of the apostates, which occurred during the caliphate of abu bakr. 'Ammar left with the army of Khalid bin Al-Walid. They were to fight the army of Musailamah bin Habib, who was known by the title, "the Liar". Musailamah apostatized by claiming to be a prophet, and his people followed him, not so much because they believed him, but more from a sense of tribal pride. During the early stages of the battle, the Muslims were losing, and when the situation looked grim, 'Ammar bin Yasir stood on top of a stone and called out as loudly as he could: "O Muslims, is it from Paradise that you are fleeing? I am 'Ammar bin Yasir ... gather around me". He then rushed with his horse into the heart of the enemy's army, advancing with no intention of retreating. 'Abdullah bin 'Umar later said, "I saw 'Ammar bin Yasir on the Day of Al-Yamamah (the said battle) fighting intrepidly and skillfully. And I saw his ear; it had been cut off and was making a sound (perhaps as it was dangling)". After the Muslims were victorious in the battles of the apostates, 'Ammar did not return home to safety, but instead marched to the front lines of Ash-Sham, remaining a dependable and brave fighter.
^Syed A. A. Razwy, A Restatement of the History of Islam & Muslims C.E. 570 to 661, pages 91 & 552, Google Books, Retrieved on 27 Feb 2014
^Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi: "Ammar and his parents were amongst the first converts to Islam. His father Yasir was from the tribe of Qahtan in Yemen. He, together with his two brothers, came to Mecca in search of a lost brother. His brothers returned to their homeland; but Yasir stayed in Mecca where he entered into a covenant with Abu Hudhayfah (from the tribe of Bani Makhzum), and married his slave-girl, Sumayyah bint Khayyat. Yasir and Sumayyah begot two sons, 'Abdullah and 'Ammar, who according to the custom of Arabia, were considered the slaves of Abu Hudhayfah". Slavery - Ammar bin Yasir , Al-islam. org, by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi retrieved on 15 Dec. 2014
^Kamran Shahid Ansari: "Ammar bin Yasir was one of the early reverts to Islam and belonged to Banu Makhzum tribe. He was born in the year of Elephant in Makkah and was one of the intermediaries in the Messenger of Allah’s (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) marriage to Khadija bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her). His father Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) was from Yemen and migrated to Makkah and settled down there by marrying Sumayya (may Allah be pleased with her), a slave woman. Earlier they were slaves to Abu Huzaifa, but upon his death Abu Jahl, one of the staunchest enemies of Islam took them over as slaves. Ammar, aware of the extraordinary qualities and impeccable character of the Messenger of Allah, did not take much time to revert to Islam" Radiance Viewsweekly, Ammar Bin Yasir (May Allah be pleased with him), by Kamran Shahid Ansari, retrieved on 15 Dec. 2014
^"Ammar’s parents Yassir and Summaya also accepted Islam on the very same day due to a dream Yassir had the previous night. He dreamed that Ammar and his wife were calling to him from a garden from across a valley divided by fire. The whole family accepted Islam and drew the notice and hatred of one of the chieftains of Quraish, Abu Jahl" www.newmuslims.com, The Companions of Prophet Muhammad: Ammar ibn Yassir, retrieved on 27 January 2017
^Kohlberg, Etan (July–September 1975). "Some Imami-shi'i Views on Taqiyya". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 95 (3): 395–402. doi:10.2307/599351. JSTOR599351.
^Muhammad ibn Saad. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, vol. 8. Translated by Bewley, A. (1995). The Women of Madina, pp. 185-186. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.
^"'Ammar ibn Yasir belonged to the camp of Ali, and when Uthman was chosen as the Caliph 'Ammar offered him his allegiance like the other Muslims, but he was not happy with the caliphate of Uthman. In course of time 'Ammar's opposition to Uthman increased" www.alim.org, Khalifa Uthman bin Affan - 'Ammar bin Yasir, retrieved on 26 January 2017
^ abcdeMadelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad a Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 95–96, 142, 166–167, 215, 226, 229–230, and 234.
^ abcdefghial-Tabari (1997). Ehsan Yar-Shater (ed.). The History of al-Tabari vol. 16. Trans. Adrian Brockett. Albany: State University of New York. pp. 23, 31, 32, 64–70, 68, 69, 88, 89, 94, 95, 128, 129, 130, 131, 156–158, 171, and 172.
^Tayob, Abdelkader I. (1999). "Tabari on the Companions of the Prophet: Moral and Political Contours in Islamic Historical Writing". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 119 (2): 206. doi:10.2307/606105. JSTOR606105. Tayob suggests that al-Tabari's history was very carefully compiled in order to bring into question several of the companions motives for their actions.
^"So high a ranking did 'Ammar have among the Companions, that the Prophet Mohammad said: 'Follow the example of those two who come after me, Abu Bakr and Umar. And follow the guidance of 'Ammar" Abdul Aziz As-Shanawi, The Ministers around the Prophet - Page 122, Dar-us-Salam (2004), Retrieved on 6 Feb 2017
^Reckendorf, H. "ʿAmmār b. Yāsir". Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Brill. Retrieved 7 April 2012.(requires subscription for access)
^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
^The Washington Times: "As important figures in Islamic history, the attack on the shrines of these figures will likely be viewed as an affront to the Shiite Muslims who typically perform pilgrimages at the memorial. While Sunni Muslims view the two personalities favorably, they typically avoid attending or visiting shrines of any revered figures, believing the practice to be an 'innovation' and thus sinful. Despite this, multiple Sunni groups have expressed anger at the attack", The Washington Times - HUSAIN: Attack on Shiite shrines in Syria may result in a dramatic rise in tensions, Retrieved on 21 May 2014
^Helena Cobban (before Yasser Arafat's marriage): "Yasser Arafat is not married, but is called 'Abu 'Ammar' as an inversion of the name of the heroic early Muslim warrior 'Ammar bin ('son of) Yasser. The idea, presumably, that if Yasser Arafat had a son, he would or should be as heroic as the earlier Ammar [ibn Yasir]", The Palestinian Liberation Organisation: People, Power and Politics (Cambridge Middle East Library), page 272, Retrieved on 21 May 2014
