al-Bara' ibn Azib

Al-Bara' ibn Azib ibn al-Harith al-Ansari al-Awsi, kunya Abu Umara — it is also said Abu Amr. He and his father have companionship ¹.

Al-Bara' said: "the Messenger of God found me too young on the day of Badr — I and Ibn Umar — and sent us back, so we did not witness it"; in Abd al-Rahman ibn Awsaja's account he adds: "and I witnessed Uhud" ¹. It is related of him that he campaigned with the Messenger of God on fourteen expeditions — fifteen in another account — and he said: "I travelled with the Messenger of God eighteen journeys" ¹.

Ahmad relates from al-Bara': "not all we tell you from the Messenger of God did we hear from him — our companions told it to us, for tending camels kept us busy" ².

He was the conqueror of al-Rayy in 24 AH per Abu Amr al-Shaybani — others disagree — and he witnessed the Tustar expedition with Abu Musa, and with Ali the Camel, Siffin and the fight against the Kharijites; he settled in Kufa and built a house there ².

He died in Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr's emirate; Ibn Hibban dates it 72 AH ².

He related a body of hadith from the Prophet, and from his father, Abu Bakr, Umar and others; from him relate Abu Juhayfa, Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Khatmi and a group ending with Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i ².