Al-ʿĀṣī ibn Suhayl (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: العاصي ابن سهيل), better known as Abū Jandal (أبو جندل), was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who was the first person returned to

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

after the

Treaty of Hudaybiyyah The Treaty of al-Hudaybiya () was an event that took place during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was a pivotal treaty between Muhammad, representing the state of Medina, and the tribe of the Quraysh in Mecca in March 628 (corres ...

. Abu Jandal was also the brother of Abdullah ibn Suhayl and son of

Suhayl ibn Amr Suhayl ibn ʿAmr (), also known as Abū Yazīd, was a contemporary of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a prominent leader among the Quraysh tribe of Mecca. Clever and articulate, he was known as the '' Khatib'' (orator) of his tribe, and his o ...

, the orator of

Quraysh The Quraysh () are an Tribes of Arabia, Arab tribe who controlled Mecca before the rise of Islam. Their members were divided into ten main clans, most notably including the Banu Hashim, into which Islam's founding prophet Muhammad was born. By ...

Biography

Abu Jandal was an early convert to

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, following the lead of his brother Abdullah ibn Suhayl. Due to the position of their father

in the leadership of

, Abu Jandal and Abdullah were persecuted and hid their conversion. Abdullah converted to Islam and cleverly rode with the vanguard of Quraysh to Badr where he switched sides and joined Muhammad and battled against the pagans of Quraysh and his father the next day. When Suhayl learned that his second son was a Muslim, he had him beaten and locked at home. Abu Jandal remained in this state under close watch and harsh punishment for several years until the time of the Treaty of Hudabiyyah. Hearing that Muhammad was near

and coming, Abu Jandal, bound in chains escaped and ran to the camp of the Muslims at Hudaybiyyah. The Muslims were shocked to see his condition. According to the treaty, any Meccans who attempted to become Muslim and flee to

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

without the permission of his guardian(s) would be returned to Mecca. Upon seeing his son and understanding that he was attempting to flee to the security of Muhammad, Suhayl pointed at his son and informed them that he would be the first person returned to Quraysh. Abu Jandal exclaimed to the Muslim people that they would return him to the polytheists when he comes to them as a Muslim. Unfortunately, Muhammad had to return Abu Jandal but encouraged him to remain steadfast. After some time, Abu Jandal and the other people who had been returned to Mecca thought that they would simply escape from Mecca and settle somewhere other than Medina. In doing this, they were able to escape their persecution and allow the treaty to stay intact and keep themselves from being returned to Mecca. Abu Jandal and others led by Abu Baseer gathered at a small town near the

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

coast called Ghufar, and their news spread to others wishing to escape Mecca as Muslims. Eventually, this group of about 70 men with Abu Baseer and Abu Jandal formed a raiding party to ravage the Meccan trade caravans on their way to and from Syria. For almost a year, Quraysh was unable to get past Abu Jandal and his peers, crushing the Meccan economy. Quraysh then wrote to Muhammad in Medina asking him to please welcome the men at Ghufar into Medina and allow them to join him away from the Meccan caravans. Abu Baseer died soon after reading Muhammad's invitation to Medina, and Abu Jandal led the caravan of men and all of the wealth they had amassed to Medina. When they arrived at Medina, Abu Jandal greeted, and reunited with, his brother, Abdullah. For some time, Abu Jandal, Abdullah and every other companion of Muhammad remained in Medina. But some time later, Abdullah and Abu Jandal returned to their home in

and successfully persuaded their father to meet Muhammad and convert to Islam. Later, in 632, Abdullah went to and was martyred in the Battle of Al-Yamamah. Abu Jandal heard the news of his brother's martyrdom and informed his father of it. Both Abu Jandal and his father, Suhayl, mourned Abdullah, and decided to join the Muslim army. Thereafter, they fought in every, or almost every, subsequent battle, including the Battle of Al-Yarmuk.

Death

Abu Jandal died in the Plague of Emmaus in present-day Jordan in 18 AH or 639 CE.Ibn Qudāma, ''al-Tabyīn'', 424-425

References

{{reflist 639 deaths Companions of the Prophet Quraysh 7th-century deaths from plague (disease)