Malik al-Ashtar

Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith
مَالِك ٱلْأَشْتَر
Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith ; مَالِك ٱلْأَشْتَر
Governor of Egypt
	In office; early 658 – 658
Caliph	Ali
Preceded by	Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr
Succeeded by	Amr ibn al-As
Personal details
Born	c. 586; Yemen, Arabia
Died	c. 658 (AH 38) approx. 72; Egypt, Rashidun Caliphate
Cause of death	Assassinated en route to Fustat
Resting place	In Cairo, Egypt
Relations	Nakha (tribe)
Children	Ibrahim
Parent	al-Harith ibn ‘Abd Yaghuth (father)
Military service
Allegiance	Rashidun Caliphate
Rank	Military commander under Ali
Unit	Rashidun cavalry
Commands	Right wing commander of the Battle of the Camel And the Battle of Siffin
Battles/wars	List of engagements Early Muslim conquests Arab conquest of Syria Battle of the Yarmuk; ; Arab conquest of Mesopotamia Battle of al-Qadisiyyah; ; ; Uprisings against Uthman (654–656); First Fitna Battle of the Camel; Battle of Marj Marina (657); Battle of Siffin; Umayyad invasions of Egypt (657–658) X; ; ;

Malik al-Ashtar (Arabic: مَالِك ٱلْأَشْتَر), romanized: Mālik al-Ashtar), born Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith al-Nakhaʿī al-Madhḥijī (Arabic: مَالِك ٱبْن ٱلْحَارِث ٱلنَّخَعِيّ ٱلْمَذْحِجِيّ), was an Arab military commander and tribal leader of the Nakha branch of the Madhhij confederation. A prominent figure during the Rashidun Caliphate, he is best known as the most loyal and formidable general of the fourth Caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib. In Kufa, Malik emerged as a leader of the opposition against Caliph Uthman, playing a key role in the events leading to the Caliph's death. Following the election of Ali, he became the Caliph’s most trusted general and strategist during the First Fitna, holding senior commands at the battles of the Camel and Siffin. In 658, while traveling to assume the governorship of Egypt, Malik was assassinated by poisoning in al-Qulzum. His death was a major strategic blow to Ali’s administration and facilitated the Umayyad conquest of Egypt.