Numan bin Muqarrin (r.a.)
It was the 5th year of the Migration. The streets of Madinah were full of people that came to become Muslims with their clan and tribes. A delegate of 10 people from the tribe from Muzani arrived. They talked to the Prophet for a while and became Muslims. One of those 10 people was Numan bin Muqarrin.
Hz. Numan was famous for his courage. He used this courage to spread Islam. He took part in jihad armies. He was close to the Prophet in those battles. He was a standard-bearer during the Conquest of Makkah.
Numan, who worked hard to spread Islam until the death of the Prophet, served Islam also during the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr too.
After Hz. Umar became the caliph, he prepared a jihad army to go to Iran. He consulted the Companions about whom to appoint as the commander of this army. As a result of the consultation, he decided that Numan bin Muqarrin would be commander of the army to go to Iran.
When this duty was given to Numan by Hz. Umar, he accepted it gladly. He proceeded to Iran with the army. There were some famous Companions like Hudhayfa bin Yaman, Mughira bin Shu’ba, Zubayr and Abdullah bin Umar under his command.
Before the Islamic army confronted the enemy, the enemy would be invited to call Islam as the Prophet did. If they did not accept Islam, they would be offered to pay jizyah to the Muslims. If they did not accept it either, they would be regarded to have accepted the third option: war. Acting upon this principle, Numan invited the Iranians to accept Islam. They did not accept it; they did not accept to pay jizyah either. Mughira bin Shu’ba said to the commander, “The Iranians approached us a lot. They shoot arrows fast and well. Therefore, we must attack at once.”
Numan had taken part in several battles with the Prophet. His military experience was more than Mughira. The Messenger of Allah never attacked the enemy when it was very hot at noon. It was noon time. Therefore, he did not accept Mughira’s offer and said to him,
“You are a really experienced and farsighted Companion. However, in all of the battles that I was with the Prophet, if he did not fight early in the morning, he would delay fighting until the influence of the sun decreased and wind started to blow.”
Then, Numan walked among the soldiers. He encouraged them to make jihad. Then, he told them how to act. He said, “I will wave the standard three times. In the first waving, meet your needs and make wudu. In the second waving, tie your shoes and check your weapons again. And in the third one, attack. Do not tarry over anyone even if I am martyred.”
Finally, the time that was expected came. Numan prayed to God Almighty as follows: "O Allah! Grant martyrdom to me today and grant victory to the Muslims." Then, he gave the signal that the Muslims were waiting. The Iranians soldiers outnumbered the Muslims a few times. However, the mujahids who wanted to be martyrs attacked following their commander, Numan bin Muqarrin. Numan was the first one that fell down. The mujahids saw that he was wounded but they did not approach him remembering his instruction before the battle. Makil bin Yasar narrates the incident as follows:
“When Numan fell, I approached him but I remembered his instruction: ‘Do not tarry over anyone even if I am martyred.’ I covered him with a cloth and left. We defeated the Iranians. Then, I took some water and approached the commander. I washed the soil on his face. He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I introduced myself. He asked, ‘What did the Muslims do?‘ I said, ‘Allah made them victorious.’ He became very pleased. He forgot about his wounds and pains. He said, ‘Thank Allah a lot. Write to Umar about it.’ Then, he became a martyr.” [1]
When Hz. Umar heard of the martyrdom of this heroic Companion, he placed his head in his hands and began to cry sobbingly.
May Allah be pleased with them!
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[1]al-Istiab, 3: 545.
