Ammar Ibn Yasir - Early Life

Early Life

Ammār was born in the Year of the Elephant, which was the same year as Muhammad. ʻAmmār was a friend of Muhammad even before conversion and was one of the intermediaries in Muhammad's marriage to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. His mother was Sumayyah bint Khayyat and his father was Yasser ibn Amir. Yasser and Sumayyah were pagan converts to Islam who were tortured and crucified in the last year before the Hijra . ʻAmmār and his family were repeatedly tortured by Meccan polytheists. Once when ʻAmmār was being tortured, it is reported that he spoke idolatrously and contradicted his faith. This incident is often used as an example of taqiyya (“the concealment of one’s true beliefs in times of adversity” ) because ʻAmmār only denounced his beliefs because he was being tortured so horribly. After the persecution of Muslims was over, Hamza and the Muhammad's other companions went to the location where the torture and persecution took place; they found every persecuted Muslim dead except ʻAmmār, who had survived the torture. ʻAmmār’s parents were both among the group of persecuted Muslims who did not survive. Abu Jahl killed his mother Sumayyah, who is considered the first Muslim martyr.