In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
This Hero is the second of two brothers that lived for the service of the noble prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The brother of Bara ibn Malik was none other than the famous companion Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who was offered as a gift to the prophet (peace be upon him) by his mother Umm Sulaim (may Allah be pleased with her) when the prophet migrated from the holy city of Makkah to Madinah.
Bara ibn Malik`s (May Allah be pleased with him) only goal and aim in life was to please Allah and to gain martyrdom. Every battle that Bara fought in he done so with the aim to gain the status of a martyr. Victory in the battlefield for him was always a consolation prize.
Bara ibn Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) was thin and wiry with little flesh on his bones, yet in single handed combats he defeated and killed many disbelievers, and in the midst of battles he was an outstanding fighter. He was so courageous and daring that the second Khalifa Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once wrote to his governors throughout the Islamic State that they should not appoint Bara (May Allah be pleased with him) to lead any army, fearing that he might have them all killed by his daring exploits.
Bara ibn Malik`s (May Allah be pleased with him) prayers were finally answered at the battle for Tustar in Persia. At Tustar, the Persians were besieged in one of their fortresses. When the siege by the Muslims became unbearable, the Persians employed a new tactic. They began to throw down iron chains at the ends of which were fastened red hot iron hooks. Muslims were caught by these hooks and were pulled out either dead or in agony of death.
One of these hooks got hold of Anas Ibn Malik (May Allah be pleased with him), the brother of Bara. As soon as Bara (May Allah be pleased with him) saw this, he jumped up the wall of the fortress and grabbed the chain which bore his brother and began undoing the hook from his body. Bara`s hands began to burn but he did not let go until his brother was released. By the time Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) was released Bara (May Allah be pleased with him) looked at his hand and found that all the flesh was burnt off his hand and they could only see the bones of his skeleton.
Bara ibn Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) directed his supplication to Allah saying: “O Allah, grant us their backs (i.e. victory) and make me meet Your Prophet today”.
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