Muhammad ibn Maslamah

Muhammad ibn Maslamah al-Ansari (Arabic: محمد بن مسلمة الأنصاري, romanized: Muḥammad ibn Maslamah al-Anṣārī; c. 588 or 591 – c. 663 or 666) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a prominent military commander in the early Muslim community. He fought in nearly all major battles of Muhammad’s time, including Badr, Uhud, the Trench, and Khaybar, and was entrusted with special missions such as the assassination of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf. During the Expedition of Tabuk he served as deputy governor of Medina. Under Caliph Umar, he served as the caliph’s personal inspector, investigating governors and public complaints across the caliphate, and he also took part in the Arab conquest of Egypt under Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. After Uthman’s assassination, he refused to pledge allegiance to Ali and withdrew from political conflict, living in seclusion to avoid the civil war; he was later murdered in Medina, reportedly by a man angered by his neutrality. Ibn Maslamah was also known as “The Knight of Allah’s Prophet,” and was respected for his loyalty, discipline, and reliability as a hadith narrator.