عُتْبَةُ بْنُ غَزْوَان
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Utbah ibn Ghazwan
Among the earliest Muslims · Emigrated to Abyssinia · Founder of Basra
may Allah be pleased with him
Of Quraysh, by alliance · Makkah, Abyssinia and Madinah, then Iraq, up to the mid-10s AH
One of the earliest converts to Islam, who emigrated for its sake to Abyssinia. He was later sent by Umar into southern Iraq, where the camp he founded grew into the garrison city of Basra.
Known for
He was among the earliest people to accept Islam
He emigrated to Abyssinia for the sake of his faith
Umar sent him into southern Iraq, and the camp he founded there grew into the city of Basra
He is remembered for a sermon recalling the hardship the earliest Muslims had endured
He warned the people of the new city he governed not to be deceived by the wealth beginning to reach them.
His story in moments
Short episodes from his life, in order. Read one at a time.
Life & legacy
Before Madinah
Utbah ibn Ghazwan was among the earliest people to accept Islam, at a time when doing so brought real danger and no worldly advantage.
He was among those who emigrated to Abyssinia for the sake of their faith, before later making his way to Madinah once the Prophet ﷺ had established the community there.
Basra and after
Under Umar, he was sent into southern Iraq with a body of men to establish a base near the Persian Gulf. The camp that grew up there became the garrison city of Basra, and he governed it.
As governor he addressed the people in the sermon this record's moment describes, recalling the hardship the earliest Muslims had gone through and warning against being lulled by the new wealth reaching them.
He later asked Umar to be relieved of the governorship. The sources do not agree closely enough on what followed, or on the year of his death, for either to be stated firmly here.
How the sources describe him
Even as governor of a growing city, he reminded people of the poverty they had known and cautioned them against forgetting it
He is reported to have been uneasy holding authority and to have asked to be relieved of it
Connect
People around him
Alongside
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion
He was among the earliest to accept Islam and emigrated to Abyssinia for its sake.
- Umar ibn al-KhattabCompanion
Umar sent him to found and govern what became Basra, and later relieved him of the post.
Full timeline
- The earliest years in Makkah
Accepts Islam among the earliest converts
- The Makkan years, before the Hijrah
Emigrates to Abyssinia
- 14 AH approximate
Founds the camp that becomes Basra
- The sources do not agree approximate, reports differReports differ on the circumstances of his being relieved and on the year of his death.
Asks to be relieved of the governorship, and dies not long after
Part of
Sources & review
In reviewBased on the listed sources. See something to correct? Tell us.
Sahih Muslimصحيح مسلم
Hadith collection · Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyahالسيرة النبوية
Classical biography · Ibn Hisham, from the recension of Ibn Ishaq
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
References follow the citation detail available in the source material.
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