Utbah ibn Ghazwan

Who was Utbah ibn Ghazwan?

Utbah ibn Ghazwan was a well known companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the seventh person to convert to Islam and participated in the hijra to Abyssinia, but returned to stay with Muhammad in Mecca before making the second hijrah to Medina. He fought at the battle of Badr, the battle of Uhud, the Battle of the Trench and many others, including the battles of Yamamah.

During the caliphate of Umar, Utbah commanded a force of 2,000 men in a campaign against Ubullah which lasted from June through September 635. Once Uballah was occupied, Utba sent a force across the Tigris River which occupied the district of Furat, followed by Meisan and Abarqubaz. He was soon appointed governor of Basra by the caliph. In 639 Utba left for the Hijaz to perform hajj and to request Umar to relieve him of his office as governor. Umar refused, but while returning to Basra, Utbah fell from his camel and died. He was succeeded by al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah as governor.