A slave of Persian origin captured during the Arab conquests, he assassinated the second caliph of Islam, Umar ibn al-Khattab, in the mosque of Medina in 644. His act, driven by personal and fiscal grievances, left a lasting mark on the history of the young caliphate.
Abu Lu'lu'a Fīrūz
Abu Lu'lu'a Fīrūz (Piruz Nahavandi)
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- A native of Persia, he was enslaved during the Arab conquest of the Sasanian Empire.
- He belonged to the governor of Basra before being brought to Medina.
- In November 644, he stabbed Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab during the morning prayer at the mosque of Medina.
- Umar died of his wounds three days after the attack.
- According to the sources, he is said to have either killed himself or been slain immediately after his act.
Works & Achievements
The act that ended the reign of the second caliph, a major figure in the expansion of Islam. The event marked a turning point in the history of the young caliphate.
On his deathbed, Umar set up a council of six companions to choose his successor, an unprecedented mechanism that led to the caliphate of Uthman.
Abu Lu'lu'a was known for his mastery of carpentry, metalworking, and the building of mills, skills that were highly valued in the Medina of that era.
Having become the object of a controversial cult in Iran, notably in Kashan, his figure has fed opposing interpretations, between Persian vengeance and a crime against Islam.
Anecdotes
Abou Lou'lou'a was a Persian craftsman renowned for his skill: he made mills and wooden objects, and worked metal. It was precisely this technical expertise that drew attention to him in Medina, where skilled slaves were prized possessions.
According to tradition, his anger arose from a tax dispute: his master al-Mughira levied a heavy daily tax on his earnings as a craftsman. When Abou Lou'lou'a complained to Caliph Umar, the latter deemed the amount reasonable, which is said to have sealed his resentment.
The assassination took place at dawn, during the morning prayer in the mosque of Medina, in the year 644. Abou Lou'lou'a struck Umar several times with a double-bladed dagger before wounding several other worshippers who tried to stop him.
According to the accounts, the assassin took his own life or was killed on the spot after his act. Umar, mortally wounded, survived a few days, long enough to appoint a council of six companions tasked with choosing his successor.
The figure remains deeply controversial: reviled by Sunni tradition as the murderer of a venerated caliph, he is by contrast the object of a shrine in Kashan, in Iran, where some long regarded him as a figure of Persian resistance.
Primary Sources
Omar was struck by Abu Lu'lu'a, the slave of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba, while he was leading the dawn prayer; the man stabbed him six times, one blow below the navel that proved fatal.
The Persian slave, nicknamed Abu Lu'lu'a, complained to Omar about the tax his master imposed on him; receiving no satisfaction, he concealed a dagger and waited for the caliph in the mosque.
When he was told that his murderer was a non-Muslim, Omar gave thanks to God that he had not been killed by a believer.
Key Places
City in western Iran, site of the great Sasanian defeat of 642 to which the nickname 'Nahavandi' given to the assassin is linked. Presumed region of origin of Abu Lu'lu'a.
Capital of the Sasanian Empire captured by the Arabs in 637. Its fall triggered an influx of Persian captives, among them many craftsmen reduced to slavery.
Site of the assassination of Umar ibn al-Khattab during the dawn prayer in 644. Spiritual and political center of the young caliphate.
Capital of the Rashidun Caliphate where Abu Lu'lu'a lived and worked as a slave craftsman in the service of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba.
Mausoleum traditionally associated with Abu Lu'lu'a, long a controversial place of pilgrimage. It crystallizes the conflicting memory of the figure between Persians and Sunni tradition.
Typical Objects
A short, concealable weapon used by Abu Lu'lu'a to strike the caliph Umar. Tradition describes a dagger fitted with two points to inflict more serious wounds.
Chisels, saws, and planes that Abu Lu'lu'a used as a carpenter and mill-maker. His manual skill was what gave him value as a skilled slave.
A rotating stone used to grind grain; Abu Lu'lu'a was renowned for his ability to build mills. Tradition even recounts an ironic exchange with Umar on this very subject.
A distinctive mark of servile status in the society of the young caliphate. Abu Lu'lu'a was a prisoner of war reduced to slavery after the conquests of Persia.
A fiscal document recording the taxes levied on non-Muslims and the earnings of artisan slaves. Abu Lu'lu'a's tax dispute lies at the heart of his act.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Tags
Daily Life
Morning
As an enslaved craftsman, Abu Lu'lu'a began his day early, when the workshops of Medina opened. He would head to his workplace to shape wood, repair tools, or work on building mills commissioned by the townspeople.
Afternoon
The afternoon was spent producing and selling his work, part of the earnings from which went to his master al-Mughira as a daily tax. It was this levy, judged too heavy, that is said to have fueled his resentment.
Evening
In the evening, after the call to prayer, life in Medina centered around the mosque and the earthen houses. As a non-Muslim slave, Abu Lu'lu'a held a subordinate place there, on the margins of the community of believers.
Food
Their diet was based on barley or wheat bread, dates that were plentiful in Arabia, milk, and sometimes mutton. Water and camel's milk were the common drinks in this desert society.
Clothing
He likely wore simple clothing of wool or linen — a tunic and a knotted piece of cloth, suited to the heat. His status as a slave set him apart from the free inhabitants by the plainness of his attire.
Housing
Medina was made up of low houses of sun-dried mud brick and palm fronds, clustered around the mosque. As a slave, he probably lodged in modest outbuildings attached to his master's house.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Assassinat du calife Omar
novembre 644
Déclenchement de la chura (conseil successoral)
644
Réputation d'artisan-ingénieur
vers 638-644
Figure mémorielle dans la culture perse
époque médiévale et moderne
