Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a

The Tricked Hijra

Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi’a was an early Muslim of Banu Makhzum. He emigrated to Madinah together with Umar. But his brothers Abu Jahl and al-Harith ibn Hisham followed, claiming his mother had vowed not to comb her hair or take shade until she saw him; though Umar warned him, Ayyash took pity, set out on Umar’s swift camel, and on the way the brothers seized him, bound him, and bore him back to Makkah to torment. 1 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 348–349 — Kandhlawi — Ayyash tricked back to Makkah by Abu Jahl and al-Harith; bound and pressured into apostasy. When he and others believed Allah could never forgive their lapse under torture, the verses of mercy of Surah az-Zumar were revealed: “O My servants who have wronged themselves — despair not of the mercy of Allah.” 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 349–350 — Kandhlawi — verses of mercy in Surah az-Zumar revealed for Ayyash and other tortured Muslims.

Virtues in the Hadith

The Prophet ﷺ remembered him by name in his Fajr du’a:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ وَسَلَمَةَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ وَعَيَّاشَ بْنَ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ

”O Allah, save al-Walid ibn al-Walid, Salama ibn Hisham, and Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi’a.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 804 · Book 10 (The Call to Prayer), Hadith 199 · USC-MSA: Vol. 1, Book 12, Hadith 768 · narrated by Abu Hurayra

A Cup of Water at Yarmuk

At Yarmuk, mortally wounded with al-Harith ibn Hisham and Ikrima, Ayyash was brought a cup of water; each of the three sent it on to the other, until none of them drank — and Ayyash was the first to die. 3 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 332 — Kandhlawi — Ayyash dies of his wounds at Yarmuk in the water-cup incident with al-Harith and Ikrima.