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Al-Bara' ibn Malik

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The garden of death

Yamamah, 12 AH, during the fighting against Musaylimah's forces.

Yamamah12 AH1 min read

At Yamamah, Musaylimah's forces made a stand inside a walled garden, and the fighting stalled at its wall. The Muslims could not get in, and the position threatened to hold.

Al-Bara' ibn Malik asked to be lifted over the wall, alone, into the garden.

Accounts describe hesitation at the request, given what it meant for the one man sent over. He was lifted over anyway.

Inside, badly outnumbered, he fought his way to the gate and got it open from the inside, and the rest of the army came through behind him.

He came out of it very badly wounded. The battle that followed the gate opening turned decisively, and Musaylimah was killed in it.

The garden gave the episode its name in the histories: the garden of death.

Quick recall

How did Al-Bara' ibn Malik help break the deadlock at the garden of death during the Battle of Yamamah?

Sources & review

Draft content — undergoing review

This 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.

  • Tarikh ar-Rusul wa'l-Mulukتاريخ الرسل والملوك

    Classical history · Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari

  • Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى

    Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd

  • Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة

    Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani

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