Hanzala ibn Abi Amir (ra)
*Ghasil al-Mala'ika*, washed by the angels; martyr of Uhud.
Hijri d. 3 AH (Uhud) CE d. 625 CE
The newlywed martyr of Uhud whom the Prophet ﷺ saw being washed by the angels — hence Ghasil al-Mala’ika.
Identity & lineage
- Son of Abu Amir al-Fasiq (Abu Amir al-Rahib, “the Monk”), an Aws chief who rejected Islam, fled to Makkah, and fought alongside the Quraysh.
- Hanzala, by contrast, was a devoted believer — a poignant contrast between faithful son and apostate father.
Role & key episodes
- At the Battle of Uhud he was a newlywed. The night before, he was intimate with his wife and rode to battle at dawn without performing ghusl.
- On the battlefield he was killed just as he was about to slay Abu Sufyan — a spear came from nowhere.
- The Prophet ﷺ said he saw the angels washing Hanzala’s body, earning him the title Ghasil al-Mala’ika (“the one washed by the angels”).
Character & lessons
- His eagerness to answer the call to battle even over his own ritual purity was honored directly by the heavens.
Death
- Martyred at Uhud (3 AH / 625 CE).
Cross-references
Muhammad ﷺ · Battle of Uhud · Abu Sufyan · Quraysh · Mount Uhud
Sources
- S007 — Yasir Qadhi Seerah EP 041–050.