Virtues of Habib bin Maslamah al-Fihri (may Allah be pleased with him)

Mus'ab bin Abdullah al-Zubayri states that Habib bin Maslamah bin Malik al-Akbar bin Wahb bin Tha'labah bin Wa'ilah bin Amr bin Shayban bin Muharib bin Fihr (this is his lineage). He was a noble Companion who had heard hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He was called "Habib al-Rum" (Habib of the Romans), because he frequently entered the lands of the Romans (for jihad). Mus'ab said that Shurayh bin al-Harith composed these verses about him: "Listen! Whoever is named Habib, even if his manliness is evident, let him be a ransom for Habib of Banu Fihr. He is a valiant chief who leads the horses in such a way as if they (the horses) were treading not on fragments of pebbles but on blazing embers."

It is narrated from Atiyyah bin Qays and Rashid bin Sa'd that they both said: The Romans advanced against Habib bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was in Armenia. He wrote to Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) asking for reinforcements. Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) about this, so Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to the governor of Iraq ordering him to reinforce Habib. So he reinforced them with the people of Iraq and appointed Salman bin Rabi'ah al-Bahili as their commander. They set out intending to help Habib (may Allah be pleased with him), but before they reached them, Habib and his companions encountered the enemy, and Allah Almighty granted them victory. Then when Salman and his companions reached Habib (may Allah be pleased with him), they asked to be made partners in the spoils of war and said: "We came to reinforce you." But the people of Syria said: "You did not take part in the fighting, so you have no share with us." Habib (may Allah be pleased with him) also refused to make them partners, and he and his companions kept hold of their spoils. The people of Syria and the people of Iraq quarrelled over this, until a major incident (a battle) almost broke out between them. Then some of the people of Iraq composed this verse: "If you kill Salman, we will kill your Habib, and if you set off towards Ibn Affan (Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him), we too will set off." Abu Bakr al-Ghassani said: I have heard that this was the very first enmity that arose between the people of Syria and the people of Iraq.

Ahmad bin Zuhayr bin Harb states: I heard my father say: "The kunyah of Habib bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) was Abu Abd al-Rahman."

Ziyad bin Jariyah narrates from Sayyiduna Habib bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him); he said: I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he (peace and blessings be upon him) granted one third (of the spoils of war as a reward).

It is narrated from Abu al-Yaman Amir bin Abdullah bin Luhayy that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) and other people used to call Habib bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) "Habib al-Rum", because he waged jihad against the Romans so frequently.