1. Malik bin Harith Ashtar
He has met Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and whoever has mentioned him has
praised him and I have not found anyone, who might point out any defect in him.
Ajali has regarded him as trustworthy,1 and Ibne Habban has mentioned him in
Thiqat,2 and the leaders of religion not narrating from him does not make him
weak. Ibne Hajar has written on Tahzibut Tahzib that:3
Mahanna said: I asked Ahmad about Ashtar, whether he narrates traditions
from him. He replied: “No.” Mahanna says: “By this, Ahmad did not want to
imply that he was weak; on the contrary he just denied having quoted reports
from him.”
As for his excellence: the praise of Maula Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) for him
during his lifetime and after his passing away is sufficient; some statements
regarding this great warrior are as follows:
1. In a letter of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) to the people of Egypt, when he
appointed Ashtar as governor of Egypt, it is mentioned: “After glorifying Allah
and paying homage to Holy Prophet (s), be it known to you that I am sending
towards you a creature of Allah, who forsakes rest and sleep during days of
danger, who does not fear his enemy in the critical junctures, and who is more
severe than burning fire to sinners and vicious people. He is Malik bin Harith
Mazhiji (Mazhij is a sub-class of Bani Nakha’a).4 Hear him and obey his
commands, which you will find to be right and according to true canons of Islam.
He is such a sword among the swords of Allah that its sharpness will never get
blunt or whose stroke and blow will never be without effect and who will never
lose an opportunity. If he orders you to advance against your enemies, then
advance; if he commands you to halt then halt because he himself will never
advance nor halt and will never give orders to advance, halt or retreat without my
consent. In sending him to you, I have given preference to your needs over those
of mine so that he may serve you faithfully and may treat your enemies severely
and strongly.”5
2. A letter of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) to two of his commanders is as
follows:6 “I have appointed Malik bin Harith as chief of the staff over you. Take
orders from him and obey him. Treat him as if he is your shield and armor,
because there is no risk of laziness or lethargy from him, nor of nervousness and
blunders nor any error of commission and omission.”
Ibne Abil Hadid has mentioned in his Sharh Nahjul Balagha:7
Praise of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) for him in this part, even though it is
brief, has reached to such an extent that even a long statement cannot reach. I
swear by my life, Ashtar was having that eligibility. He was extremely brave,
forgiving, an excellent chief, having excess of forbearance, eloquent and a poet,
and he had combined in himself kindness and force, and in situation of force, he
was forcible and in situations, where one should be cordial, he used to be
cordial…
3. It is narrated from some elders of the Nakha tribe that: When the news of
the death of Ashtar reached Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), we came to him and saw
that he was highly aggrieved. Then he said:
“For Allah is the righteousness of Malik. And who is Malik? If he were a
mountain, he was a large portion of it, and if he were a stone, he would have been
extremely hard. Indeed, by God, your death has shaken one world, and pleased
another, mourners should weep for a personality like Malik and is there anyone
like Malik?”
Al-Qama bin Qays Nakhai says: “Ali (a.s.) continuously expressed anguish
till we thought that calamity had befallen him and not on us, and this sorrow was
apparent on his face for many days.”8
Ibne Abil Hadid has mentioned in his Sharh Nahjul Balagha:9
“He was a valiant warrior, a passionate chief, a senior Shia, possessing
excessive certainty regarding Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), and always assisted him
in earnest and after his passing away Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) said: O God,
forgive Malik, indeed he was for me as I was for the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.a.).”
5. Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan used deceit for Ashtar through a descendant of
Umar; who gave him a sawiq [wheat and barley flour] drink laced with poison
and he died. When the report of his death reached Muawiyah, he arose and
delivered a speech, and after divine praise and glorification, said:
“So to say: Indeed, Ali Ibne Abi Talib has two right hands; I cut off one of
them during the Battle of Siffeen and that was Ammar bin Yasir and the other I
cut off today; and that was Malik Ashtar.”10
Allamah Amini says: This emancipated transgressor slave, son of a freed
slave, how joyous and excited he was upon the death of righteous persons, after
having had them assassinated, had the audacity to conveys this good news to his sinful people and order them to curse the righteous persons:
أُولَبِكَ الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ وَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ هُمُ الْأَخْسَرُونَ
“These are they who shall have an evil punishment, and in the hereafter they shall be the greatest losers.”11
وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
“And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is straying farther off from the path.”12
6. And before all this it is recorded regarding the burial of Abu Zar from
Hakim and Abu Nuaim and Abu Umar from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)
that he said: “Indeed, one of you would pass away in a wilderness, where some
believers would be present.”
And it is mentioned in the words of Balazari that: “Some righteous people
would undertake to perform his funeral.” And Malik Ashtar and his Kufian
companions buried Abu Zar.13
Ibne Abil Hadid has written in his Sharh Nahjul Balagha that:
This tradition proves a great excellence for Ashtar and is a clear testimony
of the Prophet for his being a believer.
Allamah Amini says: How great is the difference between this testimony
and Malik being a Khariji, and not having perception and intellect and his cursing
through Ibne Hajar in Sawaiq.14 It remained concealed for Ibne Hajar that:
مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلِ الَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ
“He utters not a word but there is by him a watcher at hand.”15
We do not wish to mention more about Malik and analysis of his noble
manners and morals and his numerous nobilities. Otherwise I would have
compiled for you a very heavy book. The two accomplished scholars: Sayyid
Muhammad Reza Aale Sayyid Ja’far Hakim Najafi, and his cousin, Sayyid
Muhammad Taqi, son of Sayyid Saeed Hakim Najafi, in their two books
regarding Malik, have mentioned a great part of the merits of Malik.
Some past scholars have also written about him, and their written
manuscripts are present in the Great Library of Maula Imam Ali Reza (a.s.), may
God bless the past and present scholars.