Hazrat Abu Musa al-Ash'ari

The Ash’ari Emigrant

Abu Musa al-Ash’ari — Abdullah ibn Qays — was of the Ash’ari tribe of Yemen. He set out by sea with some fifty of his people, was carried to Abyssinia (where they met Ja’far رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Ja'far ibn Abi Talibرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُCousin of the Prophet ﷺ; spokesman before the Negus and martyr of Mu'taAhl al-Bayt · Muhajirun · Martyrs), and reached the Prophet ﷺ at the conquest of Khaybar — so that the Ash’aris held the honour of two emigrations. The Prophet ﷺ said he could know the voices of the Ash’aris by their recitation of the Qur’an in the night. 1 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 359–360 — Kandhlawi — the Ash'aris' sea-emigration via Abyssinia to the Prophet at Khaybar; the Prophet knows their voices by night.

Reciter, Teacher, and Governor

His recitation was of surpassing beauty. He taught the Qur’an in the great mosque of Basra, and Umar رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Umar ibn al-Khattabرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُSecond Caliph; al-Farooq, who expanded the Islamic stateKhulafa Rashidun · Ashara Mubashara · Muhajirun — who appointed him over Basra — called him a man of keen intellect. 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 3 · pp. 268–269 — Kandhlawi — Abu Musa teaches the Qur'an at Basra; Umar's praise of his intelligence.

Virtues in the Hadith

The Prophet ﷺ, hearing him recite, said:

يَا أَبَا مُوسَى لَقَدْ أُوتِيتَ مِزْمَارًا مِنْ مَزَامِيرِ آلِ دَاوُدَ

”O Abu Musa, you have been given a beautiful voice (mizmar) from the mizmars of the family of Dawud.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 5048 · Book 66 (Virtues of the Qur’an), Hadith 72 · USC-MSA: Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 568 · narrated by Abu Musa al-Ash’ari