A detailed account of Fayrūz al-Daylamī, the noble Companion who killed the false prophet al-Aswad al-ʿAnsī, highlighting his courage, legacy, and service to Islam.
He was known as Abū ʿAbdillāh Fayrūz al-Daylamī, a descendant of the Persians who had been sent by Khusraw to Yemen, where they conquered it and expelled the Abyssinians. According to ʿAbd al-Munʿim, they later traced their lineage to the descendants of Dabbah, claiming: “We were taken captive in pre-Islamic times.” However, ʿAbd al-Munʿim was mistaken in this assertion. The true account is as follows. Dabbah ibn ʿUd had three sons. One of them assaulted and killed another descendant of Dabbah. His father sought to exact retaliation against him, so he fled and settled in the mountains of Daylam. There, he fathered several children, and from him descended the family of Fayrūz. His descendants claim to this day that they possess his saddle and utensils.
Fayrūz is the one who killed al-ʿAnsī, namely al-Aswad ibn Kaʿb al-Kadhdhāb (the Liar), who claimed prophethood in Yemen during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. Al-Aswad had misled many people and posed a grave danger to the unity and integrity of the Muslim community. Concerning this event, the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “He was killed by a virtuous man: Fayrūz al-Daylamī.” It has been reported that Fayrūz killed al-Aswad while he was lying in his bed. Fayrūz himself said: “News reached the Prophet ﷺ from the heavens on the very same night that he was killed.” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ then said: “Al-Aswad has been killed by a righteous man.” The Companions asked: “Who killed him?” He replied: “Fayrūz! Fayrūz has been victorious!”
This incident demonstrates the divine support granted to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and the virtue of Fayrūz al-Daylamī, who risked his life in order to protect the religion from falsehood and deception. Fayrūz was later blessed with a son named ʿAbdullāh, who became one of the senior scholars among the Successors (al-Tābiʿūn). He was known for his reliability, knowledge, and adherence to the Sunnah. Shaykh Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān al-Fawzān said: “ʿAbdullāh was the son of Fayrūz al-Daylamī, a trustworthy senior scholar from among the Successors. His father, Fayrūz, was the one who killed al-Aswad al-ʿAnsī, the Liar.” This statement highlights the lasting scholarly legacy of Fayrūz through his son and confirms his esteemed position among the early Muslims.
Fayrūz al-Daylamī died in Yemen in the year 53 AH / 673 CE.
His life remains a powerful example of sincerity, courage, loyalty to the Messenger ﷺ, and readiness to defend the truth. Through his decisive action against a false claimant to prophethood, he played a crucial role in safeguarding the purity of Islam at a critical moment in its early history.
His story also reflects the diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the early Muslim community, in which faith, righteousness, and service to Islam were the true measures of honour and rank.
References
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Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān al-Fawzān (b. 1354 AH / 1933 CE), Ithāf al-Qārī fī Sharḥ al-Sunnah li-al-Barbahārī, Maktabat al-Rushd, Riyadh, 2003, vol. 1, p. 214.
Abū ʿAbd Allāh Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241 AH / 855 CE), al-Musnad, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnāʾūṭ, Muʾassasat al-Risālah, Beirut, 2001, vol. 4, pp. 404–406.
June 30, 2020
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