Abu Bakra

Abu Bakra (RA), whose full name was Nufay ibn al-Harith al-Thaqafi, was a slave who had been held in the fortress of Ta'if. During the siege of Ta'if in 8 AH he escaped by lowering himself from the walls on a pulley (bakra), and this act gave him his kunya. He came to the Prophet ﷺ and embraced Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ freed him. He settled in Basra after the Prophet's death and became one of the most important companions in that region, serving as a teacher and religious authority for the Muslim community there. He narrated approximately 132 hadiths and is especially well known for the narration in which the Prophet ﷺ warned against taking up arms in civil strife. This narration had a direct impact on Abu Bakra's own life: he refused to fight on either side in the Battle of the Camel and remained neutral. He passed away in Basra around 51–52 AH.