al-Bara ibn Malik al-Ansari

A Warrior of Answered Prayers

al-Bara ibn Malik was the brother of Anas ibn Malik, of Banu Najjar — a fearless warrior. At Yamamah, when Musaylama’s men shut themselves in a walled garden, al-Bara asked to be thrown over the wall; he leapt among the enemy, fought through them, and opened the gate for the Muslims. 1 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 544 — Kandhlawi — al-Bara is thrown over the wall of Musaylama's garden, fights through, and opens the gate. At Tustar in Persia, when the Muslims were hard pressed, they asked al-Bara to swear an oath, for his oaths were answered; he swore by Allah for victory and to be granted martyrdom — and both were given: the Muslims triumphed and al-Bara fell a martyr. 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 498–499 — Kandhlawi — al-Bara's oath for victory and martyrdom at Tustar, both fulfilled.

Virtues in the Hadith

The Prophet ﷺ had named him among those whose oath Allah fulfils:

كَمْ مِنْ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ ذِي طِمْرَيْنِ لاَ يُؤْبَهُ لَهُ لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لأَبَرَّهُ

”Many a disheveled, dust-covered one in two worn garments, of no account to people — were he to swear by Allah, He would fulfil it” — and among them is al-Bara ibn Malik.

Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3854 · Book 49, Hadith 254 · narrated by Anas ibn Malik · graded Hasan (Darussalam)