أَبُو مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيّ
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari
A voice for the Qur'an · Governor of Basra and Kufa · Of Ash'ar
may Allah be pleased with him
Ash'ar, of Yemen · Yemen, Madinah, Basra and Kufa, up to about 44 AH
He came from Yemen with his people and became one of the community's teachers and administrators. He is remembered above all for his recitation, which the Prophet ﷺ compared to the music of the house of Dawud.
Known for
The Prophet ﷺ praised his recitation in unusual terms
He told him he had been given a share of the music of the house of Dawud. The report is in both Sahih collections.
He taught the Qur'an, and Basra learned it largely from him
He governed Basra and later Kufa
Appointed by Umar, and kept in office into Uthman's caliphate.
He was one of the two arbitrators after Siffin
The accounts of what happened at the arbitration differ sharply between the classical sources. SahabaMate states that he was appointed to it and does not narrate it.
Story
His story in moments
Short episodes from his life, in order. Read one at a time.
In full
Life & legacy
From Yemen to Madinah
Abu Musa — his name was Abdullah ibn Qays — came from Ash'ar, in Yemen. He reached the Prophet ﷺ around the time of Khaybar, with a party of his own people.
What he is remembered for from this period is his voice. The reports describe the Prophet ﷺ listening to him recite at night without his knowing, and telling him afterwards that he had been given a share of the music of the house of Dawud.
Basra and Kufa
Umar sent him to govern Basra, and he commanded in the campaigns in that direction. He was later put over Kufa. Across both, his lasting effect was as a teacher: a large part of how those cities learned the Qur'an came through him and his students.
When the community divided, he was one of the two men appointed to arbitrate after Siffin. The classical accounts of what took place there differ materially from one another, and this record does not narrate it. The reason is set out in the review dossier.
He died in the 40s AH; the sources differ on the year and on where.
How the sources describe him
People stopped to listen to him read
He was trusted with cities rather than campaigns
Connect
People around him
Alongside
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion
He listened to him reciting at night and praised it the following day.
Appointed him over Basra.
Both taught at Kufa, and a large part of how that city learned the Qur'an came through the two of them.
Full timeline
- Around 7 AH approximate
Comes to the Prophet ﷺ from Yemen with his people
- The later Madinan years
The Prophet ﷺ listens to him reciting at night
- During Umar's caliphate
Appointed over Basra by Umar
- Around 37 AH approximate, reports differThe accounts of the arbitration differ materially; SahabaMate does not narrate it.
Appointed one of the two arbitrators after Siffin
- The sources differ approximate, reports differReports give years across the 40s AH, and name both Kufa and Makkah.
Dies in the 40s AH
Part of
Sources & review
Draft content — undergoing reviewThis content was written for SahabaMate and has not yet been checked by a reviewer against the works below. Treat it as a starting point, not a citation.
Sahih al-Bukhariصحيح البخاري
Hadith collection · Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari
Sahih Muslimصحيح مسلم
Hadith collection · Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى
Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd
Tarikh ar-Rusul wa'l-Mulukتاريخ الرسل والملوك
Classical history · Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari
Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة
Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani
Siyar A'lam an-Nubalaسير أعلام النبلاء
Classical biography · Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi
Companions of the Prophet
Modern biography · Abdul Wahid Hamid
SahabaMate editorial summary
Editorial summary
Where a reference names a work without a page or number, that is deliberate: SahabaMate does not publish a locator it cannot stand behind.
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