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A Companion known for his courage and valour, promised Paradise by the Prophet. His full name is Abu Mihsan 'Ukkasha b. Mihsan b. Hurthan al-Asadi. The Ökkeşiye Tomb in the Nurdağı area of Gaziantep is a commemorative shrine-tomb attributed to him.
He belonged to the Banu Asad and was among the earliest Muslims. Since he is known to have been forty-four years old when the Prophet died, he must have been born in 588 or 589 CE. He had two siblings: his brother Abu Sinan b. Mihsan, two years his elder, and his sister Umm Qays bint Mihsan.
He was a famous warrior known for his feats in battle. He took part in every campaign, commanded some expeditions and was sent to certain regions as alms collector and missionary. He was among the Companions in the expedition of Batn Nakhla under 'Abd Allah b. Jahsh seventeen months after the Hijra (Rajab 2 / January 624), in which the first serious blow was dealt to the polytheists; he then distinguished himself in all the major campaigns including Badr, Uhud and the Trench. He was appointed commander of the al-Ghamr expedition in Rabi' al-Awwal of the year 6 (July-August 627) against his own tribe, the Banu Asad, who had sided with the polytheists at the Trench; locating the fleeing tribe through a man he captured, he raided and scattered them, and the Muslims returned to Medina without loss, bringing 200 camels as booty. He also commanded the expedition sent in Rabi' al-Akhir of the year 9 (July-August 630) to the 'Udhra and Bali branches of Quda'a in the Jinab region. The Prophet praised him as “one of the finest horsemen of the Arabs”.
His being promised Paradise caused his name to enter Arabic literature as a proverb. When the Prophet related that he had been given the glad tidings that seventy thousand of his community would enter Paradise without reckoning, 'Ukkasha sprang forward and said: “O Messenger of God, pray that I be among them”; the Prophet prayed: “O God, make 'Ukkasha one of them!” When another Companion stood up and asked for the same prayer, he said: “'Ukkasha has beaten you to it.” These words came to be used proverbially of those who act early and seize a good opportunity.
He was one of the People of the Suffa. Because he was mostly engaged in military duties and was martyred a year after the Prophet's death, he had little opportunity to transmit hadith; his name appears in some reports of 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas, Abu Hurayra and his sister Umm Qays. When Umm Qays's son died and was being washed, 'Ukkasha told the Prophet what his grief-stricken sister had said without knowing what she was saying; the Prophet smiled and said: “May God grant her a long life!” It is related that by the blessing of this prayer Umm Qays lived very long.
During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, in 11 (632), he was in the force under Khalid b. al-Walid sent against Tulayha b. Khuwaylid, a man of his own tribe who had claimed prophethood. At Buzakha in the Najd, 'Ukkasha and Thabit b. Aqram, out on reconnaissance, were seized and martyred by Tulayha and his brother; Khalid b. al-Walid buried their bodies where they fell. Although Tulayha later returned to the faith and became a good Muslim, 'Umar voiced his displeasure: “Tulayha! You killed 'Ukkasha and Thabit — I can never love you again!”
His Tomb and Complex — Through his courage, valour and good looks 'Ukkasha became a much-loved figure in Anatolia; in Turkish his name became Ökkeş, common especially around Gaziantep and Kahramanmaraş. In the Nurdağı area of Gaziantep there is a grave known as the Ökkeşiye Tomb. The source states that, since 'Ukkasha is known to have been buried by Khalid b. al-Walid and his companions where he was martyred at Buzakha in the Najd, this tomb should be regarded as a maqam (commemorative shrine-tomb).
Differing Scholarly Views
The Nurdağı tomb: a shrine, not a grave — The TDV article mentions the Ökkeşiye Tomb in Nurdağı explicitly and counts it a commemorative shrine-tomb; the actual burial place is Buzakha in the Najd. The atlas pin marks this shrine, not the grave. The village name Durmuşlar and the statement that the shrine was built because of local legends, found in this atlas record's earlier text, do not appear in the TDV article; the article does not say with which legend or when the structure was established.
Year of death — The TDV article places his martyrdom in 11 (632); the date in the atlas record's death field points to one year later. The text follows the source's date; correction of the field is left to editorial review.
The question at the Farewell Pilgrimage — According to one report, when the Prophet said at the Farewell Pilgrimage “God has made the pilgrimage obligatory upon you”, the one who asked “Every year, O Messenger of God?” was 'Ukkasha (al-Laknawi); many other reports name the questioner as Suraqa b. Malik al-Mudliji. The atlas does not choose between them.
The 'Ukkasha who sought retaliation — It is said that the old man who, near the end of the Prophet's life, answered his call for anyone with a claim on him to come and take it, demanded retaliation and on that pretext had the Prophet remove his shirt and kissed him, was also named 'Ukkasha. Although 'Ali al-Qari claimed that this was 'Ukkasha b. Mihsan, the claim has not been accepted.
Sources
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (DİA) · vol. 42, pp. 70-71, entry “Ukkâşe b. Mihsan”
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