Abu Musa al-Ash'ari facts for kids

Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (Arabic: أبو موسى الأشعري, romanized: Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī) was a very important person in early Islamic history. He was a close friend and companion of the Prophet Muhammad. His full name was Abu Musa Abd Allah ibn Qays al-Ash'ari (Arabic: أبو موسى عبد الله بن قيس الأشعري, romanized: Abū Mūsā ʿAbd Allāh ibn Qays al-Ashʿarī).

Abu Musa served as a governor in important cities like Basra and Kufa. He also played a key role in the early Muslim conquest of Persia, helping to expand the Muslim lands. He passed away around 662 or 672 CE.

Early Life and Becoming Muslim

Abu Musa came from a place called Zabid in Yemen. His tribe was known as the Asha'ir. He became a Muslim in Mecca before the hijra, which was when Prophet Muhammad and his followers moved to Medina.

After becoming Muslim, Abu Musa went back to Yemen. He helped spread the new faith there. Later, he lived in Habasha (which is modern-day Ethiopia) for some time.

In 628, after the conquest of Khaybar, Abu Musa traveled to Medina. He brought more than fifty new Muslims from Yemen with him. His two brothers, Abu Ruhm and Abu Burdah, were also among them.

Serving Prophet Muhammad

After the city of Mecca was conquered in 629, Abu Musa joined an important expedition to a place called Awtas. Two years later, Prophet Muhammad chose him to be one of the governors in Yemen.

Abu Musa stayed in Yemen until the time of the first Caliph, Abu Bakr. A Caliph was a leader who followed Prophet Muhammad. Abu Musa helped Abu Bakr in battles against local groups who had turned away from Islam.

The Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa

Abu Musa was also part of the Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa. This event happened in a large area called Nejd in the Arabian Peninsula. Prophet Muhammad learned that some tribes were gathering there with bad intentions.

Prophet Muhammad led an army of 400 or 700 men into Nejd. They met some of these tribes. Scholars have different ideas about when this expedition happened.

One important detail is that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari was present. This helps historians figure out the timeline of events. He had just returned from Abyssinia and joined Prophet Muhammad at Khaybar.

After Prophet Muhammad's Time

Abu Musa became a governor of Basra and Kufa during the rule of the Caliphs Umar and Uthman. These were important Muslim cities in Iraq. He was often involved in the early Muslim conquests of the Sasanian Empire (the Persian Empire).

The Siege of Shushtar

In 642, Abu Musa showed his skills as a military leader during the Siege of Shushtar. The Persian commander, Hormuzan, had gathered his forces in the strong city of Shushtar. Caliph Umar knew the enemy was strong.

Umar sent a large Muslim army, led by Abu Musa, to fight Hormuzan. The city of Shushtar was very hard to capture. Many attempts to break through its walls failed. However, a Persian person who switched sides helped Abu Musa's army. This person opened the city gates from the inside, allowing the Muslim army to enter.

Building Basra

When Basra was being built during Caliph Umar's time, Abu Musa helped a lot. He was appointed as the first governor of Basra. He started building important canals to bring drinking water and water for farming from the Tigris River.

These canals, like the al-Ubulla River and the Ma'qil River, were very important. They helped the Basra region grow food and provided water for the people. Caliph Umar also had a policy of giving empty lands to people who promised to farm them. This helped develop large areas of land.

Later, during Caliph Uthman's rule, Abu Musa was replaced as governor of Basra. He accepted this change without anger. He even praised his replacement, Abdullah ibn Aamir, as a good leader.

A Time of Disagreement

After Caliph Uthman was assassinated, there was a difficult period of disagreement and civil war among Muslims. This time is known as the First Fitna.

When Ali, who became the next Caliph, came to Kufa in 656, Abu Musa was the governor there. Abu Musa advised the people of Kufa not to join the upcoming battle. However, the people of Kufa decided to support Ali. Because of this, Abu Musa had to leave, and Ali removed him from his position as governor.

The Arbitration

The next year, Abu Musa was chosen to be an arbitrator (a person who helps settle a disagreement). This happened after a battle between Ali and Muawiyah I. Abu Musa was chosen by Ali's supporters.

Another arbitrator, 'Amr ibn al-'As, was chosen by Muawiyah. There are different stories about what happened at this meeting. One common account says that both Abu Musa and 'Amr ibn al-'As decided that Muawiyah should not be the leader. They also decided that the fate of those who killed Uthman should be decided by other important companions of Prophet Muhammad.

Abu Musa later passed away. Some say he died in Mecca, while others say he died in Kufa. The exact year of his death is debated, but it was likely around 662 or 672.

Contributions to Islamic Knowledge

Even though Abu Musa was a skilled soldier and politician, he was also known for his beautiful way of reciting the Qur'an (the holy book of Islam). He was connected to one of the early versions of the Qur'an.

He was also a respected faqih, which means an expert in Islamic law. He was considered one of the leading judges in early Muslim history. People used to say that the four main judges in the Muslim community were Umar, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abu Musa, and Zayd ibn Thabit.

Abu Musa also shared many hadith, which are sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad. He is also an ancestor of the founder of the Ash'ari school of thought in Islam, Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari.

See also

• Al-Asha'ir Mosque
• Sunni view of the Sahaba
• Dhikr
• Al Haleem
• List of battles of Muhammad