Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy (, died 631), also called Ibn Salul in reference to his grandmother, was a chief of the

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

tribe Banu Khazraj and one of the leading men of

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, ...

(then known as Yathrib). Upon the arrival of

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

, Ibn Ubayy became a

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, but the sincerity of his conversion is disputed. Because of repeated conflicts with Muhammad, Islamic tradition has labelled him a '' munafiq'' (hypocrite) and "leader of the munafiqun".William Montgomery Watt, "`Abd Allah b. Ubayy", ''

Encyclopaedia of Islam The ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (''EI'') is a reference work that facilitates the Islamic studies, academic study of Islam. It is published by Brill Publishers, Brill and provides information on various aspects of Islam and the Muslim world, Isl ...

Origins and early life

Abd-Allah was the son of Ubayy ibn Salul and Uzza bint Ka'ab, also from Banu Khazraj. His father's mother was called Salul. Ibn Ubayy was one of the chiefs of the Khazraj, who then were in conflict with the other major Arab tribe of the city, the Banu Aws. During the ''fidjar'', the so-called "sacrilegious war", Ibn Ubayy had led parts of the Khazraj tribe on the first day of fighting but held aloof on the second day. Also, he did not participate in the Battle of Bu'ath because of a quarrel with another leader over the execution of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

hostages.John Bagot Glubb, ''The Life and Times of Muhammad'' (2002), p. 142 It appears that at one point during the conflict, his life was saved by his Jewish allies from the tribe of Banu Qaynuqa, as he would later exclaim: "300 soldiers armed in mail, and 400 unequipped, -- they defended me on the fields of Hadaick and Boath from every foe."Glubb (2002), p. 197f. Ibn Ubayy "used every effort to end the fratricidal strife" and achieved a partial reconciliation between the two factions, which both recognized the leadership of Ibn Ubayy.Glubb (2002), p. 161, 164f. He occupied a high status in pre-Islamic Medinan society, and his supporters aimed for him to become "king". The aim was not realised, however, because of the arrival of Muhammad in 622:Maxime Rodinson, ''Muhammad: Prophet of Islam'' (2002), p. 156 since the tribal conflict had not been completely resolved, some citizens looked towards another arbitrator and called in Muhammad, whose preaching had made him famous beyond his home town of

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 ...

. The arrival of a man who claimed to speak in the name of God eclipsed Ibn Ubayy's influence. That provoked his jealousy, which he was careful to conceal, but was mitigated by his moderation and peacefulness. Ibn Ubayy nonetheless remained a well-respected man. According to

Ibn Ishaq Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar al-Muttalibi (; – , known simply as Ibn Ishaq, was an 8th-century Muslim historian and hagiographer who collected oral traditions that formed the basis of an important biography of the Islamic proph ...

, Ibn Ubayy was "a man of great authority in Medina before the advent of the apostle" and "remained a continuing thorn in the flesh of his success".Ibn Ishaq,
The earliest biography of Muhammad
�''

Conversion

After the entry of Muhammad in Medina, many of the Arabs converted 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 ...

. Ibn Ubayy followed suit, according to Maxime Rodinson, as "he thought it wiser to join than to stand out against it". However, Rudi Paret thinks it probable that he converted very soon after the Hijra, at the same time as

Sa'd ibn Mua'dh Saad () is a common male Arabic given name. The name stems from the Arabic verb ( 'to be happy, fortunate or lucky'). ''Saad'' is the stem of variant given names Souad, Suad and Sa‘id. It may be a shortened version of Sa'd al-Din (disambigua ...

. Islamic tradition, which views Ibn Ubayy's conversion as insincere, labelled him "leader of the hypocrites (''munafiqun)"''.Saif-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, '' Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum'' (2002), p. 285Sayed Ali Asgher Razwy,
Restatement of History of Islam
' However, according to Rodinson, Ibn Ubayy may have converted out of a "genuine sympathy with monotheist ideas fostered by his friendly relations with the Jews". Being second only to Muhammad, Ibn Ubayy became a "figurehead for those Arabs of Medina who, openly or secretly, sneered at the Prophet's teaching and complained of the confusion and the danger which the coming of the Muslims had brought to Medina". Ibn Ishaq writes that some of the Ansar "were not altogether convinced of the political wisdom of supporting the apostle: these came to be regarded as paying lip-service to Islam, but hiding treachery in their hearts, and they were known and reviled as 'the Hypocrites'".Ibn Ishaq,
The earliest biography of Muhammad
�'' William Muir opines that tradition "makes a scapegoat of Abdallah" standing for "a great number, who had incurred Mahomet's anger, and some of them much more than Abdallah".William Muir, ''The Life of Mahomet'', vol. 3, chapter 14

Military campaigns

Banu Qaynuqa

In 624, the Muslims moved against the Jewish tribe of the Banu Qaynuqa. According to Ibn Hisham, a dispute had broken out between the Muslims and the Banu Qaynuqa, the allies of the Khazraj tribe. When a Muslim woman visited a jeweller's shop in the Qaynuqa marketplace, she was pestered to uncover her face. The goldsmith, a Jew, pinned her clothing such that upon getting up, she was unveiled. A Muslim man, coming upon the resulting commotion, killed the shopkeeper in retaliation and was in turn killed by Jews. As a result of the revenge killings, enmity grew between Muslims and the Banu Qaynuqa..Guillaume 363, ibn Kathir 2 The Muslims besieged the Banu Qaynuqa, and after 15 days, forced them to surrender. Now, Ibn Ubayy was allied to the Qaynuqa and according to Muslim historians, appealed to Muhammad for leniency. He grabbed hold of the top of Muhammad's breast plate as he turned away, provoking his anger.Rodinson (2002), p. 173 "Let me go," Muhammad said. Ibn Ubayy replied: Then, Muhammad acceded to his request and gave the Banu Qaynuqa three days to leave the city.William Muir,
The Life of Mahomet
vol. 3, chapter 13 Ibn Ubayy's last sentence has been interpreted in various ways. Rodinson considered it as threat against Muhammad,

Watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

that Ibn Ubayy "urged their importance as a fighting unit in view of the expected Meccan onslaught". Muslims have traditionally seen the episode as another piece of evidence for Ibn Ubayy's hypocrisy since he insisted that adherence to Islam had not completely severed the old obligations of tribal and personal loyalty. However, Ibn Ubayy had not defended the Qaynuqa but merely pleaded for mercy. His plea implies that Muhammad intended to put the Qaynuqa to death, as he later did with the Banu Qurayza, but after Ibn Ubayy's intercession, they were merely expelled from Medina, their property falling to Muhammad and the Muhajirun.

Battle of Uhud

In the consultations preceding the approaching

n attack on Medina in 625, Ibn Ubayy had favoured Muhammad's original plan to defend from the strongholds inside Medina itself:

...our city is a virgin, inviolate. We have never gone forth to our enemies, but we have suffered loss: remaining within our walls, we have beaten them off with slaughter. Leave the Coreish alone. If they remain, it will be in evil case; when they retire, it will be disappointed and frustrated in their designs.William Muir, ''The Life of Mahomet'', vol. 3, chapter 14

Some young Muslims, however, argued that the Meccans should be fought outside the city. Persuaded by the latter, Muhammad adopted an offensive strategy. According to Islamic tradition, Ibn Ubayy expressed his anger about his advice being rejected: "We do not know why we shall kill ourselves". When Muhammad marched out to fight the Meccans, Ibn Ubayy also marched out with 300 of his own men and his remaining Jewish allies, according to al-Waqidi; however, Muhammad ordered him to send the Jews back into the town, calling them "idolaters". Ibn Ubayy then led his men back to Medina, retiring to the strongholds, while Muhammad resumed his advance. Islamic tradition presumes that Ibn Ubayy turned back to protect the town or his own possessions.Glubb (2002), p. 202-205. According to Watt, Surah interprets Ibn Ubayy's withdrawal as showing "cowardice and lack of belief in God and the Prophet". Muhammad's 700 men met the 3000 of the Quraish in the Battle of Uhud and were defeated. The Quraish, however, did not succeed in killing Muhammad, and did not attempt to occupy the town of Medina, possibly because they knew it was guarded by Ibn Ubayy.Glubb (2002), p. 215f. Rodinson suggests that the Meccans did not want to reforge the very unity of the population, which had been jeopardised by Muhammad's defeat.

Banu Nadir

Ibn Ubay was also involved in Muhammad's conflict with another Jewish tribe, the Banu Nadir. Ibn Ishaq writes that when Muhammad ordered the tribe to leave the city within ten days, "certain persons of Medina who were not Believers sent a message to the Banu al-Nadir: 'Hold out, and defend yourselves; we shall not surrender you to Muhammad. If you are attacked we shall fight with you and if you are sent away we shall go with you'". Other sources include or even identify the persons with the Muslim Ibn Ubayy. Waqidi reports that Ibn Ubayy, at first, strove to bring about a reconciliation, and Tabari relates that Abd-Allah accused Muhammad of treachery and urged the Nadir to resist by promising aid.William Muir, ''The Life of Mahomet'', vol. 3, chapter 15. However, as the promised help failed to materialise, the Nadir surrendered and Muhammad expelled them from the city. Hartwig Hirschfeld,
Abdallah ibn Ubaiy
, ''

Jewish Encyclopedia ''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on the ...

''. Watt considered this to be the first instance in which Ibn Ubayy went beyond verbally criticising Muhammad to intriguing against him, a practice Watt saw as continuing for the next two years.

Controversy during Mustaliq campaign

In 627, Ibn Ubayy participated in a raid against the Banu Mustaliq. On the march home, conflict arose between the Muhajirun and the Ansar when a

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...

servant of

Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...

pushed an ally of the Khazraj. Hearing of this, Ibn Ubayy reportedly voiced his discontent:William Muir, ''The Life of Mahomet'', vol. 3, chapter 16 Watt described the phrase as an attempt by Ibn Ubayy "to undermine Muhammad's authority and make men think of expelling him". Muhammad forestalled any fighting by immediately continuing the march. Ibn Ubayy denied having said so and Muhammad accepted the excuse, but after their return to Medina, the "Munafiqun" would be reprimanded in Surah . Reportedly, Muhammad rejected the advice of Umar, who counselled to have Ibn Ubayy killed and the offer of Ibn Ubayy's own son, a fervent Muslim, to kill his own father.Glubb (2002), p. 262f. Later during the march, Muhammad's wife

Aisha Aisha bint Abi Bakr () was a seventh century Arab commander, politician, Muhaddith, muhadditha and the third and youngest wife of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. Aisha had an important role in early Islamic h ...

was rumoured to have committed adultery, and Ibn Ubay was among those spreading the rumour.William Montgomery Watt, "Aisha bint Abi Bakr", ''

''Glubb (2002), p. 264f. One of the chiefs of the Aws asked for the permission to punish the slanderers without incurring a feud, but the Khazraj opposed that. Based on Sura 24, Muhammad declared Aisha innocent and had three of her accusers, who had come forward, punished by eighty lashes. He did not venture to enforce the sentence against Ibn Ubayy, who had not come forward.

Last years

According to Watt, after 627, there is no record of Ibn Ubayy "actively opposing Muhammad or intriguing against him". In 628, Ibn Ubayy participated in the march to Hudaybiyya. According to Rudi Paret, Muhammad's "most dangerous rival" was now on Muhammad's side.Rudi Paret, ''Mohammed und der Koran'', Stuttgart: Kohlhammer (1957), p. 126. In 630, when Muhammad launched a campaign against the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

during a time of drought and food shortage created serious discontent in Medina, Ibn Ubayy expressed his sympathy for those criticizing the expedition as untimely. As the army assembled, Ibn Ubayy's troops formed a separate camp and turned back to Medina when Muhammad's forces set out.Glubb (2002), p. 333f. That possibly happened with Muhammad's consent because of Ibn Ubayy's ill health. After Muhammad's return, those who had criticized the campaign and remained behind were chided in Surah . Ibn Ubayy died two months after Muhammad's return, in 631. Despite the various conflicts between the two men, Muhammad did not show signs of vindictiveness towards Ibn Ubayy and attended his funeral and prayed above his grave, but afterwards revealed a verse in Surah at-Tawbah which denied him forgiveness while condemning him and the ''munafiqun.'' Ibn Ubayy's death signalled the end of the so-called faction of ''munafiqun'', as "there was no one left ... possessed of power or influence". Ibn Ubayy married three times and left behind nine children, all of whom became devout Muslims.

References

Sources

* * * *
Rodney J. Phillips, The Muslim Empire and the Land of Gold, 2008, Eloquent Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy 631 deaths 7th-century Arab people Year of birth unknown Khazrajite people Opponents of Muhammad 7th-century births