Martyrs of al-Yamama (Aqraba)

The Companions who fell as martyrs in the time of Abu Bakr, in 12/633, at the place called 'Aqraba' in al-Yamama, in the battle against the forces of Musaylima, chief of the Banu Hanifa, who had claimed prophethood. This record does not concern a single person but commemorates the company of those martyred on that day.

According to the sources, Musaylima had the Prophet's envoy Habib ibn Zayd al-Ansari killed and occupied Hajr. When the forces the caliph Abu Bakr had sent under 'Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl and Shurahbil ibn Hasana were defeated, new troops were dispatched under Khalid ibn al-Walid. The two armies met at a place in al-Yamama called 'Aqraba'; Musaylima's army appears to have been three or four times larger. The Muslim army at first fell back, but before the resistance of the Emigrants and Helpers, said to number about 2500, Musaylima took refuge in his garden, the Hadiqat al-Rahman, surrounded by high walls. The Muslims entered the garden and killed Musaylima; the garden was afterwards called Hadiqat al-mawt (the Garden of Death). The fighting was extremely bloody and both sides suffered heavy losses.

According to the article YEMÂME, more than 600 martyrs fell in this battle, 70 of them Emigrants and 70 Helpers; other reports give 700, 1200 or 1700. The article MÜSEYLİMETÜLKEZZÂB states that the Muslims are reported to have lost 2200, of whom 700 were memorisers of the Qur'an (huffaz), and that exaggerated figures are also given on this point.

Foremost among the martyrs is Zayd ibn al-Khattab, elder brother of 'Umar through their father. He accepted Islam before 'Umar, was among the first emigrants to Medina, took part in Badr, Uhud, the Trench and all the other campaigns, and was present at the Pledge of Ridwan. At al-Yamama he carried the banner of Islam; he killed al-Rajjal, Musaylima's closest man, and when he saw the Muslim army on the point of breaking, he plunged into the enemy ranks and fought until he was martyred (Rabi' al-awwal 12 / May-June 633). 'Umar used to say: "May God have mercy on my brother Zayd; he surpassed me in both good things: he became a Muslim before me and was martyred before me."

Pilgrim caravans coming from the east used the al-Yamama road when passing through Najd and would visit the tomb of Zayd ibn al-Khattab, martyr of the battle of al-Yamama ('Aqraba'), which remained standing until the middle of the XVIII century.