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Below is a comprehensive biography detailing his life, character, military contributions, and his crucial role in preserving the Hadith.
1. Biography and Identity
• Real Name: His birth name was Nadlah ibn Ubayd (or Nadla b. 'Abd Allah). Upon his acceptance of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ renamed him Abdullah, although he remained universally known by his kunya, Abu Barza.
• Lineage: He belonged to the Banu Aslam tribe, a prominent Arab clan that embraced Islam in large numbers during the early years.
• Conversion: Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) embraced Islam in its formative years and was among the believers praised by Allah in Surah Al-Fath (Verses 18-19) for taking the historic pledge of allegiance (Bay'at al-Ridwan) under the tree.
• Later Life & Death: After the passing of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) moved from Medina to Basra, and later participated in the Islamic expansions into Central Asia. Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) ultimately settled in Khorasan (modern-day Iran/Afghanistan region) and passed away in Mar in 65 AH (around 684 CE) during the month of Ramadan.
2. Character and Uniqueness
Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه)'s life is defined by severe self-restraint, simple living, and an unwavering commitment to truth, even in the face of political tyranny.
• Extreme Asceticism and Charity: Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) actively avoided luxury and led an exceptionally plain lifestyle. He committed himself to social welfare, famously dedicating his resources to feeding the poor, widows, and orphans every morning and evening.
• The "Harm from the Road" Doctrine: His daily life was heavily influenced by a personal interaction with the Prophet ﷺ. Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) once asked for a practical deed he could always hold onto. The Prophet ﷺ replied: "Remove harm from the road; it is charity for you." Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) made this simple act of civic responsibility a cornerstone of his character.
• Fearless Defense of Ahl al-Bayt: Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) possessed immense moral courage. Following the tragedy of Karbala, he was present in the court of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mu'awiya. When he witnessed Yazid disrespecting the severed head of Husayn ibn Ali (the Prophet's grandson) with a cane, Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) publicly and fiercely rebuked the ruler, shouting: "Take your cane away! By Allah, I have seen the Messenger of Allah kiss those very lips!"
3. Military Contributions to Islam
Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) was a fierce warrior (mujahid) who stood firmly by the Muslim community across multiple eras:
• During the Prophet's Lifetime: Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) participated reliably in major campaigns (ghazwas), including the Battle of Uhud, the Battle of Khaybar, the Conquest of Mecca, and the Battle of Hunayn.
• Era of the Righteous Caliphs: Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) took part in the early Persian conquests. During the turbulent First Fitna (civil war), Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) remained intensely loyal to Sayidina Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) , fighting alongside him at the Battle of the Camel, Battle of Siffin, and the Battle of Nahrawan against the Kharijites.
4. Knowledge of Hadiths and Narrations
Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) served the Muslim community profoundly by preserving and transmitting the ordinary, disciplined daily practices of the Prophet ﷺ.
• Volume of Narrations: Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) is credited with narrating approximately 64 to 81 Hadiths. His narrations are highly authoritative and are recorded in the most authentic Islamic text collections, including Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
• Core Themes of His Narrations: His traditions mostly focus on daily conduct, prayers, and public accountability.
• Prayer Times: Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) meticulously documented how the Prophet ﷺ managed the five daily prayers, noting that the Prophet ﷺ loved to pray Zuhr at midday and disliked sleeping before the night prayer (Isha) or engaging in idle chatter after it.
• Quran Recitation: Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) provided the vital detail that during the Dawn prayer (Fajr), the Prophet ﷺ would deliberately prolong the prayer, reciting between 60 and 100 verses of the Quran.
Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه)'s real name was "Nadla bin Ubeyd". According to the statement of some historians of the Era of Bliss, his name was "Nadla bin Niyar". Stating that Niyar was one of the names of Satan, the Prophet changed Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) to "Abdullah." [1] Our Prophet eliminated all of the traces left from the Era of Jahiliyyah and replaced them with good ones.
Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه)was a hero and a mujahid of the Companions. He had the honor of being together with the Prophet as he was alive. He acted together with the Prophet in all wars, offered his life for the sake of his belief and shed his blood.
Along with his great efforts during the wars, Hz. Abu Barza was one of the distinguished hadith narrators among the Companions. He memorized many hadiths; 64 of these hadiths appeared in hadith books. In addition, he raised many students in the science of hadith.
Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) loved leading a plain life. Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) never lived in luxury and wasted money; when he saw one of his relatives wearing a fancy dress and wandered on horseback, he would warn him and reminded him that the world was ephemeral. One of his nice habits peculiar to him was that he ate lunch and dinner with the poor and homeless people. Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) distributed food to the widows and orphans around his house every morning and evening.
After the death of the Prophet, Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) continued to serve the Quran; he acted with Sayidina Ali Ibn Abu Talib (رضي الله عنه) in the incidents of conflict. In the battle that Sayidina Ali Ibn Abu Talib (رضي الله عنه) had against Kharijites in Nahrawan, Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) was also present. He was also with Sayidina Ali Ibn Abu Talib (رضي الله عنه) in the Battle of Siffin. [2]
After staying in Madinah for a while, Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) went to Basra and Damascus; despite his old age, he also joined the wars in the region of Khorasan.
Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) was full of the love of Ahl al-Bayt. Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) became very distressed due to the incident of Karbala. When Sayidina Husayn’s head was cut off and taken to the presence of the Caliph, he was there.
When Yazid touched Sayidina Husayn’s (رضي الله عنه)lips with the staff in his hand, he shuddered due to this ugly deed and addressed Yazid harshly:
"You are hitting Sayidina Husayn’s (رضي الله عنه) lips with a staff! Keep your staff away from his lips! I saw the Messenger of Allah kissing those lips.
O Yazid! On the Day of Resurrection, you will enter into the presence of Allah as a person whose intercessor will be Ibn Ziyad [The person who killed Sayidina Husain (رضي الله عنه) and go out like that. Sayidina Husain (رضي الله عنه) will enter into the presence of Allah as a person whose intercessor will be Prophet Muhammad and go out like that.” After that, Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) left angrily. [3]
Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) died in in the city of Marv in Khorasan in the month of Ramadan in 65 H. He was buried there. [4]
Infuriated by this public humiliation, Yazid ordered his guards to forcibly expel Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) from the palace. As he was being thrown out, Abu Barza hurled a final parting prayer against the tyrant: "May Allah cripple your hands!" [1, 2]
1. The Confrontation with Yazid ibn Mu'awiya
The encounter between Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) and Yazid ibn Mu'awiya in Damascus is one of the most vividly recorded moments of moral courage in early Islamic history.
Following the tragic events at the Battle of Karbala, the sacred head of Imam Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.)—the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ—was brought as a trophy to the court of the Umayyad ruler, Yazid.
According to historical records like Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, Muruj adh-Dhahab, and accounts archived on Al-Islam.org, Yazid sat in his palace poking the lips and teeth of Imam Husayn (a.s.) with a wooden walking stick.
Abu Barza (رضي الله عنه), who was present in the gathering, was overcome with grief and fury. He stood up, broke the pin-drop silence of the court, and roared directly at the ruler:
"O Yazid! Withdraw your stick! By Allah, I have repeatedly seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ kiss those very lips!
Listen, O Yazid! On the Day of Judgment, when you face God, your advocate will be Ibn Ziyad (the ruthless governor who ordered the massacre), while the intercessor for Husayn will be Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ!"
2. Exact Text of Key Hadith Narrated by Abu Barza
Abu Barza was highly regarded for preserving structural details regarding how the Prophet ﷺ organized his daily life. Below are three of his most famous authentic narrations found across Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
Hadith 1: The Timeline of Daily Prayers, Isha, and Fajr Length
This is Abu Barza's most famous tradition. It establishes the foundational prophetic etiquette regarding sleep and night conversations, as well as the length of the Dawn prayer.
For the full text regarding the timing of daily prayers, sleeping or talking after 'Isha, and reciting 60 to 100 verses during Fajr, please refer to Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 547.
Hadith 2: The Core Rule of Civic Charity
Abu Barza asked the Prophet ﷺ for a lifelong practical instruction, to which the Prophet ﷺ replied to remove harmful things from the pathways of the Muslims as found in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2618.
Hadith 3: The Accountability of the Human Soul
Regarding human accountability on the Day of Resurrection, the Prophet ﷺ stated that a person's feet will not move until they are questioned about their life, knowledge, wealth, and body, as detailed in Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2417.
1. The Sermon of Lady Zaynab bint Ali (a.s.) in Damascus
When the surviving members of the Prophet's family were paraded into the court of Damascus, Yazid poked the teeth of Imam Husayn (a.s.) with his stick and gloated, reciting poetry about avenging his pagan ancestors who had died fighting the early Muslims at the Battle of Badr.
Driven by immense spiritual strength, Lady Zaynab (a.s.) stood up and delivered a blistering, historic address that destroyed Yazid's political legitimacy. Below are the central, accepted segments of her sermon, translated from classical texts like Al-Luhuf and Bihar al-Anwar:
Lady Zaynab's historic address began with praise to Allah and invoked verses of the Quran (such as 30:10 and 3:178) to warn Yazid against mistaking temporary worldly success and the captivity of the Ahl al-Bayt for divine favor. She rebuked Yazid as a descendant of freed captives (Tulaqa), referenced historical animosity from figures like Hind bint Utbah, and condemned his physical mistreatment of Imam Husayn's sacred remains. Asserting ultimate accountability, she called upon divine retribution and stated that Yazid faced the severe judgment of the Prophet and the archangels. Concluding with absolute defiance, she declared that Yazid could never erase their memory or wash away the shame of his crimes, while praising Allah for the noble martyrdom of her family. Readers can find the full text and translations of the sermon in the referenced classical sources and documents.
2. How Abu Barza's Life Ended in Khorasan
Following his public opposition to Yazid in Damascus, Abu Barza al-Aslami (رضي الله عنه) chose to distance himself from Umayyad authority and the internal conflicts (Fitna) plaguing central Muslim territories, migrating first to Basra and later volunteering for expeditions into the remote frontier of Khorasan.
Quiet Teaching and Ascetic Life on the Frontier
On the frontier, Abu Barza focused on teaching the Sunnah, instructing locals on prayer and humility, and leading a strictly ascetic lifestyle while dedicating his resources to the poor and orphans.
His Death and Burial
He passed away in 65 AH (approx. 684 CE) during Ramadan. While historians agree on the timing and his presence on an expedition in Khorasan, accounts differ regarding his exact resting place:
• The primary consensus places his burial in Merv (modern-day Turkmenistan).
• Alternative biographical accounts suggest alternate locations along regional trade routes, including Nishapur or the borderlands between Sistan and Herat.
His final years on the frontier reflect the dedication of companions who prioritized spreading Islam over political power struggles.
References:
[1]Isaba, 3: 556.
[2]al-Isaba, 3: 557.
[3]Usdul-Ghaba, 5: 20.
[4]Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, 7: 9.
https://questionsonislam.com/article/abu-barza-aslami-ra
https://islam365.io/sahaba/profile/abu-barzah-al-aslami
https://questionsonislam.com/article/abu-barza-aslami-ra
