Abu al-Yaqzan Ammar ibn Yasir al-Ansi, known as Ammar Yasir, was the son of Yasir and Sumayyah, the first martyrs of Islam. He was martyred on the ninth of Safar in the year 37 AH in the Battle of Siffin, while fighting alongside Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him).
After the martyrdom of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), Ammar, in support of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), initially refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr. During the government of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), he took part in the Battles of Jamal and Siffin. His martyrdom served as confirmation of the righteousness of the path of the Master of the Pious in the Battle of Siffin, for the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) had said of Ammar: “The truth is with Ammar, wherever he may be.”
Ammar’s tomb is located in the city of Raqqa, Syria, beside the tomb of Uways al-Qarani.
Paradise’s Longing for Ammar
Ammar ibn Yasir, in complete alignment with Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), opposed the caliphs on the matter of leadership. Alongside figures such as Salman, Abu Dharr, and Miqdad, he was counted among the principal pillars and forerunners of Shiism.
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family )said of Ammar and the special companions: “O Ali! Paradise longs for you, and for Ammar, Salman, Abu Dharr, and Miqdad.” [1]
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) said in this regard: “The earth was created for seven people, through whom people are provided sustenance, rain falls, and victory is granted: Abu Dharr, Salman, Miqdad, Ammar, Huzayfah, and Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, and myself, their leader.” [2]
Defense of Wilayah at the Moment of Martyrdom
The courageous defense of Ammar Yasir for the wilayah of Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) at the Battle of Siffin is one of the most outstanding manifestations of loyalty and courage in Islamic history. Ammar stood by Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) with his entire being and fought for his cause, to the point of sacrificing his life for this lofty goal.
On the ninth day of the battle, Ammar ibn Yasir was wounded in the midst of the fighting and was martyred. When he saw the banner of Amr ibn al-As on the battlefield, he said: “By God, I have fought under this banner in three battles, but this battle is no more rightly guided than those three.” Ammar then recited these verses: “In the past we fought you over the revelation of the Quran, and today we fight you over its correct interpretation and exegesis; a war that severs heads from bodies and separates friends from one another, until the truth returns to its proper course.”
Overcome by thirst, Ammar asked for water. A woman with long arms came to him — I do not know whether she carried a large vessel or a small skin containing a little milk. After drinking, Ammar said: “Today, Paradise lies beneath the shadow of the spears. Today I shall meet my beloved ones, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his companions. By God, even if they were to drive us back to the palm groves of Hajar, we would still be certain that we are upon the truth and they are upon falsehood.” [3]
The Martyrdom of Ammar and Mu’awiyah’s Conspiracy
One of Mu’awiyah’s conspiracies in the midst of the Battle of Siffin was an attempt to accuse Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) in the martyrdom of Ammar Yasir. Mu’awiyah tried, by fabricating reasons and documents, to portray the Master of the Pious as responsible for this event, in order to tarnish his standing among the Muslims.
At the time of Ammar’s martyrdom, Abdullah, son of Amr ibn al-As, said sorrowfully to his father: “Did you kill Ammar, when the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had said that Ammar would be killed by a rebellious group, and that his killer would be in the Fire?” Amr said to Mu’awiyah: “Do you hear what Abdullah is saying?” Mu’awiyah replied: “He was killed by whoever brought him to the battlefield!”
This statement spread among the people of Syria and eventually reached Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him). He responded with decisive reasoning: “If this logic were correct, then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) would be the killer of Hamzah (peace be upon him), for he was the one who brought him to the battlefield of Badr!” [4]
Ammar’s Standing in the Words of the Master of the Pious
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), referring to the terms of peace proposed by Mu’awiyah, spoke well of Ammar, saying: “In some of the terms of peace, Mu’awiyah demanded that I hand over to him a group of the chosen and righteous companions of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), among whom was Ammar ibn Yasir. May God have mercy on Ammar, but can anyone like him be found? We used to see him beside the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in such a way that if five of us stood in the front row, Ammar was the sixth; and if there were four, he was counted as the fifth. Mu’awiyah had stipulated in the peace terms that those companions be killed and hanged.” [5]
The Bond Between Faith and Ammar’s Being
Amir al-Muminin Ali (peace be upon him) always emphasized Ammar’s firm faith. Abu Amr al-Kindi, one of the companions of Imam al-Hussein (peace be upon him), relates that one day they were in the presence of Amir al-M’minin (peace be upon him), and the people saw him in a joyful and cheerful state. At that moment, the people asked him to speak of Ammar ibn Yasir. He said: “He is a man in whom God has mingled faith with his flesh, skin, and hair, such that wherever he goes, faith accompanies him, and it is never fitting nor possible for the fire of Hell to draw him toward itself and swallow him into its depths.” [6]
The Burial of Ammar by the Master of the Pious
When Ammar was martyred at the Battle of Siffin, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) performed the funeral prayer over him. After Ammar’s martyrdom, he recited verses beside his body to this effect: “O death, which will surely come for me as well, grant me ease, for you have taken all my friends from me. I see you keen-eyed toward these friends of mine, as though, lantern in hand, you go searching for them.” [7] [8]
References:
[1] *Rawdat al-Wa’izin*, vol. 2, p. 280.
[2] *Al-Khisal*, vol. 2, p. 360.
[3] *Waq’at Siffin*, p. 340.
[4] *Kashf al-Ghummah fi Ma’rifat al-A’immah*, vol. 1, p. 260.
[5] *Sharh al-Akhbar fi Fada’il al-A’immah al-Athar*, vol. 1, p. 345.
[6] *Al-Gharat*, vol. 1, p. 177.
[7] Ibn Sa’d, *Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra*, Dar Sadir, vol. 3, p. 262.
[8] Majlisi, *Bihar al-Anwar*, 1403 AH, vol. 33, p. 19.
