الوليد بن عقبة بن أبي معيط
Al-Walid ibn Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt
Companion and Governor Who Embraced Islam at the Conquest
Beziehung zum Propheten ﷺ
The Prophet ﷺ trusted Al-Walid with an important administrative mission — collecting zakat — which shows the Prophet's ﷺ willingness to give newly converted companions significant responsibilities. The incident that followed led to one of the Quran's most important epistemological principles, showing how the Prophet's ﷺ era was a time when divine guidance actively corrected human errors. The Prophet ﷺ handled the near-crisis with wisdom, sending a delegation to verify the facts before any punitive action. This pattern of verification before action became a cornerstone of Islamic governance and jurisprudence.
Wichtige Lebensereignisse
Born as half-brother of Uthman ibn Affan; father was Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt
Embraced Islam at the Conquest of Mecca
Sent by the Prophet ﷺ to collect zakat from Banu al-Mustaliq; returned with misinformation
His incident became the occasion for revealing Quran 49:6 on verifying information
Appointed governor of Kufa by Uthman ibn Affan
Passed away having served the Islamic state in various capacities
Vollständige Biografie
Al-Walid ibn Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt was the half-brother of Uthman ibn Affan through their mother. He embraced Islam at the Conquest of Mecca in 630 CE, though his father Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt was one of the Prophet's ﷺ most bitter enemies who was executed after the Battle of Badr.
Despite his father's extreme hostility to Islam, Al-Walid embraced the faith and served the Muslim community. The Prophet ﷺ sent him to the Banu al-Mustaliq to collect the zakat (alms tax). However, Al-Walid turned back before reaching them, thinking they would resist, and reported to the Prophet ﷺ that they had refused to pay and had come out bearing arms. This misinformation nearly led to a military expedition against the tribe.
However, the Banu al-Mustaliq sent a delegation to the Prophet ﷺ clarifying that they had come out to welcome Al-Walid and had indeed paid their zakat, and that he had turned back without meeting them. In response to this incident, Surah al-Hujurat (49:6) was revealed: "O believers, if an evildoer comes to you with any news, verify it..." This Quranic verse about verifying information became one of the most important principles in Islamic epistemology.
Despite this episode, Al-Walid served the Muslim community in various capacities. He was appointed governor of Kufa by Uthman ibn Affan and served in that role, though his tenure was controversial. He represents the complex reality of the companions — sincere in faith but human in mistakes.
Berühmte Zitate
The verse was revealed: If an evildoer comes with news, verify it — that was about my mission.
I turned back thinking they would refuse — but I should have verified before reporting.
Lektionen für dein Leben
Verify information before acting — the Quranic command (49:6) emerged from this very incident.
Even sincere Muslims can make mistakes that have serious consequences.
The Quran directly addressed real human failures to provide timeless guidance.
Family background (son of an enemy of Islam) does not determine one's faith or service.
Administrative responsibility requires careful verification of reports before taking action.
Wie du ihnen ähnlich wirst
Möchtest du in den Fußstapfen von Al-Walid ibn Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt wandeln? Beginne mit diesen praktischen Schritten aus ihrem Leben.
- 1
Verify information before acting — the Quranic command (49:6) emerged from this very incident.
- 2
Even sincere Muslims can make mistakes that have serious consequences.
- 3
The Quran directly addressed real human failures to provide timeless guidance.
- 4
Family background (son of an enemy of Islam) does not determine one's faith or service.
- 5
Administrative responsibility requires careful verification of reports before taking action.