Arfajah

Arfajah ibn Harthama al-Bariqi^[1] (Arabic: عرفجة بن هرثمة البارقي) (also known as Arfajah al-Bariqi) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was a member of the Azd branch of the Bariq clan that inhabited Southwestern Arabia.

Arfajah was one of the commanders of the eleven corps of army sent by the first caliph, Abu Bakr, to quell a rebellion after Muhammad died.^[2] Arfajah was one of the first caliphate naval commanders, as Abu Bakr dispatched him with Hudaifa bin Mihsan's corps to fight opponents of Islam in Oman.^[3][4][5] as he was entrusted to lead the Azd naval forces from Bahrayn to invade Fars Province in order to stop Sassanid coastal incursions.^[6] He later served as Governor of Mosul during the reign of Caliph Umar.^[7]

An energetic military general,^[8] Arfajah contributed to the Muslim conquest of Persia, as he participated in the major battles against the Sassanids such as Naval conquest of Pars, Battle of the Bridge, Battle of Buwaib, Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, Siege of Ctesiphon (637), Battle of Nahavand, until Muslim conquest of Khuzestan, where he captured the city of Ahvaz.^[8] He also engaged briefly against the Byzantines during the conquest of Mosul and Tikrit.^[9]

Arfajah is remembered as a gifted administrator, with building and urbanization expertise. He played a major part in the founding of the cities of Basra and Haditha.^[10][11] His architectural achievements include building of the Mosul Grand Mosque, (later known as the Umayyad Mosque).^[12][13] Arfajah was the first of the Rashidun caliphate who implemented Amsar, an Islamic permanent garrison fortress with Caravanserai.