Muhammad ibn Maslamah

Muhammad ibn Maslamah (Arabic: محمد بن مسلمة الأنصاري‎‎) (c.591-c.666) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was known as "the knight of Allah's Prophet".

He was born in Medina c.588 or c.591 as a member of the Khazraj tribe. His father was Maslama ibn Khalid from the al-Harith clan; his mother was Umm Sahm Khulayda bint Abi Ubayda from the Sa'ida clan. He is described as a large, tall, black man, stout and bald.

For some reason he lost the support of the Khazraj tribe. He went to the Nadir tribe, who offered to feed him at their expense and to convert him to Judaism. He told them that he wanted food but that he would never become a Jew; and they provided for him. Later he became an ally (halif) of the Za'ura ibn Abdalashhal clan of the Aws tribe.

Ibn Maslamah was one of the first people in Medina to become a Muslim. This was in the period 621-622, before Muhammad's arrival, under the influence of Mus‘ab ibn 'Umair. After Muhammad arrived, he made Ibn Maslama brother in Islam to Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah.

Thereafter he was constantly involved in Muhammad's military affairs.

He fought at the Battle of Badr in March 624.

When the Muslims defeated the Qaynuqa tribe in April 624, Ibn Maslamah supervised their expulsion from Medina and the seizure of their possessions. Muhammad awarded him a coat of mail.

When Muhammad called for the assassination of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf in September 624, Ibn Maslamah volunteered for the task. Ibn Maslamah pretended to Ibn al-Ashraf that he needed a loan and offered to leave his weapons with him as security. Ibn al-Ashraf therefore came out to meet him and four others by night when they were fully armed. They caught him off-guard and killed him.

At the Battle of Uhud in April 625, Ibn Maslamah was put in charge of fifty men who were tasked with patrolling the camp at night. Ibn Maslamah was one of the few who stood by Muhammad when the majority retreated.

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