Abu Aziz ibn Umayr

Abū ʿAzīz ibn ʿUmayr ibn Hāshim al-ʿAbdarī was the younger brother of the celebrated Companion Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr. Both were from the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār clan of Quraysh, from a wealthy family well-known in Makkah.

He was captured at the Battle of Badr (2 AH/624 CE) while fighting on the Qurayshī side. The Anṣār family that captured him treated him with exceptional kindness, in direct obedience to the Prophet's instruction "istawṣū bi-him khayran" (treat them with kindness). He himself reported that whenever the Anṣār family sat down to eat, they would give him the bread and meat and take only dates and water for themselves. He said: "Out of shame, I would put the bread back in front of them, and they would always push it back toward me." This incident became a celebrated example of how the earliest Muslims treated prisoners of war, centuries before any formal conventions on the subject.

The most memorable moment involving Abū ʿAzīz is his encounter with his own brother Muṣʿab. When Muṣʿab passed by and saw his younger brother among the prisoners, Abū ʿAzīz said: "O my brother, help me now!" Instead of responding, Muṣʿab turned to the Anṣārī captor and said: "Make sure he does not escape, his mother is a wealthy woman and she will pay you his full ransom." When Abū ʿAzīz protested, Muṣʿab replied with words that became famous in the Seerah: "Hādhā akhī dūnaka", "This [Muslim captor] is my brother, not you." The verse "Islam separates" and the concept of loyalty to the Muslim community over blood ties is beautifully illustrated here. His wealthy mother eventually paid a substantial ransom for his release.