Nadr ibn al-Harith

A painting from Siyer-i Nebi, Ali beheading Nadr ibn al-Harith in the presence of Muhammad and his companions.

Nadr ibn al-Harith was an Arab Pagan at the time of Muhammad and one of the principal adversaries of nascent Islam. Following the Battle of Badr, Nadr was one of those taken captive and was later executed. While Muhammad was returning to Medina, he reportedly received a revelation regarding the distribution of war booty. This was the Quran verse [Quran 8:41] [1]


Personal life, Persecution of Muslims and Execution

Nadr ibn al-Harith was a doctor who came from Taif. He was a staunch opponent of Muhammad and his earliest followers in Mecca and was directly responsible for those Muslims who were killed at the hands of the Quraish in Mecca. According to Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Nadr Ibn al-Harith was most likely among those who had brutally killed Muhammad's step-son, Harith bin Abi Halah, who is regarded as one of the earliest martyrs of Islam.[2] Nadr also used to tell the Arabs stories of Rustam and Isfandiyar. [3] Following the Battle of Badr he was among those who were taken captive and according to the Muslim scholar Safiur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, was one of the two captives (the other being ‘Uqbah ibn Abū Mu‘ayṭ) who were executed by beheading following the battle of Badr. Mubarakpuri mentions that this incident about the beheading is also mentioned in the Sunan Abu Dawud no 2686 and Anwal Ma'bud 3/12[4]

Ibn Kathir on the beheading of Nadir ibn al harith

Ibn Kathir also mentions this incident in his book Tafsir ibn Kathir and states the Quran verse [Quran 8:31] was revealed about al-Nadir ibn al Harith. Ibn Kathir's commentary on [Quran 8:31] and [Quran 8:5] is as follows:

“

An-Nadr visited Persia and learned the stories of some Persian kings, such as Rustum and Isphandiyar. When he went back to Makkah, He found that the Prophet was reciting the ayats of Qur'an sent from Allah to the people. Whenever the Prophet would leave an audience in which An-Nadr was sitting, An-Nadr began narrating to them the stories that he learned in Persia, proclaiming afterwards, Who, by Allah, has better tales to narrate, I or Muhammad. When Allah allowed the Muslims to capture An-Nadr in Badr, the Messenger of Allah commanded that his head be cut off before him, and that was done, all thanks are due to Allah. The meaning of,

(. ..tales of the ancients)[5] [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, on Quran 8:31]

 ”

See also

References

  1. ↑ Husayn Haykal, Muhammad (2008). The Life of Muhammad. Selangor: Islamic Book Trust. p. 250. ISBN 978-983-9154-17-7.
  2. ↑ Al-Isaba Fi Tamyizis-Sahaba, by Ahmad bin 'Ali bin Hajar Al-'Asqalani, Volume 1, p.696, Al-Harithubnu Abi Halah, Darul-Kutubil-'Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2005)
  3. ↑ Byzantium and the Arabs in the Sixth Century, Volume 2, Part 2, p.179, Irfan Shahîd. Also see footnote
  4. ↑ Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar (Free Version), p. 129
  5. ↑ Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman, The Meaning and Explanation of the Glorious Qur'an (Vol 3) 2nd Edition, p. 412, ISBN 1861797699, MSA Publication Limited, 2009. (online)


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