“When the people swore allegiance to Abu Bakr, Malik b. Nuwayrah, one of the faithful companions of the Prophet who was staying with his family just outside of Madinah, entered the city enquiring about the succession to the Prophet. It was a Friday when Malik entered the masjid and he saw that Abu Bakr was seated on the pulpit of the Prophet delivering a sermon. Seeing this he asked, “Is this man from the clan of Taym?” The answer came in the affirmative.
Malik said, “Where is the successor of the Prophet regarding whom the Prophet himself ordered us to obey and befriend (he meant Imam ‘Ali)?”
Mughirah b. Shu’bah replied, “You were absent while we were present here, and one incident after another other took place.” Malik said, “By Allah! No incident took place but that you all committed treachery with Allah and His Prophet.”
Then he came near Abu Bakr and said, “O Abu Bakr! Why do you ascend the pulpit of the Prophet of Allah while his successor (Imam ‘Ali) is seated (down)?” Abu Bakr said, “Throw this bedouin who urinates upon the backs of his soles, out of the masjid!”
Hearing this, ‘Umar, Khalid and Qunfudh, the three men, arose and trampled him under their feet and after this insult and beating, forcefully removed him from the masjid.
Malik sat on his mount and left Madinah, and while heading back towards his hometown he was reciting these couplets: “We obeyed the Prophet of Allah while he was amongst us; then O community, what is my business with Abu Bakr; if the young camel (meaning Abu Bakr) dies, the other young camel (‘Umar) shall sit in his place; while this, by the House of Allah, is but an episode that breaks the back; he (‘Umar) defends him (Abu Bakr) and conceals his faults as though he is at war against men or is standing at the end of a grave (in grief); thus if the successor (of the Prophet) takes a stand, we shall remain alongwith him similar to the embers.”
The Assasination
When the caliphate of Abu Bakr was firmly implemented and he gained control over the people, he called for Khalid b. Walid and told him, “You are witness to what Malik b. Nuwayrah said that day and how he protested against me in the presence of the people and then how he recited couplets of poetry against me. Be aware that we are not safe from his deceit and trickery and he will pose a threat for the authority. In my opinion you should kill him along with those who side with him and arrest their women-folk (under the pretext) that they have turned apostate and refuse to pay the zakat, and (for this) I will dispatch you to him with an army.”
Thus Khalid, accompanied with an army, went towards Batah, where Malik b. Nuwayrah was living.
When Malik was informed about the army, he put on his armour and fixed the saddle of his horse, preparing to defend himself. Malik was one of the valiant fighters of the ‘Arabs and his strength was comparable to that of one hundred fighters. When Khalid was informed that Malik had prepared himself for the battle, he became frightened and tried to deceive him by promising him that he was under his security. Malik did not trust Khalid’s promises, but thenKhalid took a solemn oath that deceit was not what he intended and he never wished him evil. Thus Malik relied upon the promises of Khalid and made him and his army his guests.
When some hours of the night passed by, Khalid, accompanied by a few of his associates, in a coward-like fashion, entered the house of Malik. He caught him off guard and killed him and on the same night, had sexual intercourse with Malik’s wife, Umme Tamim. He cut off the head of Malik and placed it in a big vessel in which the meat of a camel was cooked for the wedding feast that same night.
It is astonishing that Khalid ordered his army-men to eat the food from the vessel that contained the severed head of Malik! After this, he imprisoned the womenfolk of Malik on the pretext that they had turned apostates and left the religion of Islam.
House of Sorrows Translation of Baytul AhzanShaikh Abbas Al – Qummi