Muhammad ibn Maslama

Muhammad ibn Maslama ibn Salama ibn Khalid al-Awsi al-Ansari al-Harithi, Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Madani, ally of Banu Abd al-Ashhal. Born twenty-two years before the mission per al-Waqidi; he was among those named Muhammad in the Jahiliyya ¹.

Ibn Sa'd said he became Muslim early at the hand of Mus'ab ibn Umayr, before Sa'd ibn Mu'adh; the Prophet made brothers of him and Abu Ubayda. He witnessed Badr and all that followed except the Tabuk expedition — he stayed behind by the Prophet's leave to remain in Medina ¹. He was among those who went to the killing of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf and to Ibn Abi al-Huqayq ¹.

Ibn Abd al-Barr said: he was among the virtuous Companions; the Prophet left him in charge of Medina on some of his expeditions; and he was among those who kept clear of the fitna — he witnessed neither the Camel nor Siffin ¹. Hudhayfa said of him: "I know a man whom the fitna cannot harm", and stated he had heard that from the Prophet — narrated by al-Baghawi and others ¹.

Ibn al-Kalbi said Umar put him over Juhayna's alms ¹. Another said he was kept by Umar for probing knotty matters — he was his envoy in investigating Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas when he built the palace at Kufa, and burned the palace's gate ¹.

He dwelt in Medina then al-Rabadha after Uthman's killing, per Ibn Shahin ¹. Al-Waqidi said he died in Medina in Safar of year forty-six at seventy-seven; al-Mada'ini dated it year forty-three ¹. Ibn Abi Dawud and Ya'qub ibn Sufyan said a man of Syria's people, of Jordan, killed him in his house ¹; Ibn Hajar mentions he was tall, well-built and bald ².