Malik ibn Nuwayra (: died 632), was the chief of the Banu Yarbu, a clan of the Banu Hanzala, which was a large section of the powerful tribe of Bani Tamim.
Malik was appointed by Muhammad to collect zakah for the Banu Yarbu, but after Muhammad’s death, he reportedly refused to send it to Medina. Abu Bakr ordered his execution through Khalid ibn al-Walid, with historical sources attributing it to alleged apostasy.
Death
Malik was reportedly appointed by Muhammad as the collector of the ('alms tax') for his clan. After Muhammad’s death, he is said to have withheld zakah, prompting Abu Bakr to order his execution through Khalid ibn al-Walid. In 632, Khalid’s forces encountered Malik and his men, who affirmed their faith and offered no resistance. Despite objections from an Ansarite companion, Khalid reportedly ordered their execution and later married Malik’s widow, Layla bint al-Minhal. Umar is said to have urged Khalid’s removal from command, but Abu Bakr reportedly declined, stating, “I will not sheathe a sword which God has drawn for His service.”
Historians suggest Malik was executed for apostasy, citing his alleged support for Sajah, a self-proclaimed prophetess, his refusal to recognize Muhammad as a prophet, or his denial of zakah obligations. According to 8th-century historian Sayf ibn Umar, Malik allied with Sajah, his kinswoman, but abandoned her after her defeat by Banu Tamim clans and returned to al-Butah, where he faced Muslim forces. Sayf and other early historians, such as al-Tabari, noted that Malik called Muhammad "your companion"