Banu Awd () is a Qahtanite Arab tribe that historically inhabited

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

in the south of the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...

History and origins

The Banu Awd are descendants of Awd ibn Sa'd al-'Ashirah ibn

Madh'hij Madhḥij () is a large Qahtanite Arab tribal confederation. It is located in south and central Arabia. This confederation participated in the early Muslim conquests and was a major factor in the conquest of the Persian empire and the Byzantine ...

. A Qahtanite tribe that mostly settled in Yemen in the pre-Islamic period. Awd is recorded to have two sons: Munabbah and Ka'b. Although Arabic history books scarcely mention Banu Awd, they are recorded in most of the Arabic genealogist works. Banu Awd is recorded to have participated in the

Battle of Siffin The Battle of Siffin () was fought in 657 CE (37 Islamic calendar, AH) between the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib and the rebellious governor of Syria (region), Syria Muawiyah I, Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. The battle is named after its ...

on the side of

Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...

's army. A man from Banu Awd named 'Amr ibn Aws was among the captives from the battle. They were delivered to

Muawiya I Mu'awiya I (–April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and immediately after the four Rashid ...

to determine their fate. General

Amr ibn al-'As Amr ibn al-As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi (664) was an Arab commander and companion of Muhammad who led the Muslim conquest of Egypt and served as its governor in 640–646 and 658–664. The son of a wealthy Qurayshite, Amr embraced Islam in and was ...

suggested to the caliph to kill all them, the captive Amr ibn Aws interrupted and said to Muawiya: "You are my maternal uncle so do not kill me" The Banu Awd came from

Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...

and

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

to ask the caliph to release their fellow tribesman. Muawiya then asserted that if the man was telling the truth and that he was indeed this man's uncle he would release him without the need for the tribe to intervene. Amr ibn Aws proceeded to explain to the caliph that he is the son of

Umm Habiba Ramla bint Abi Sufyan ibn Harb (; ), commonly known by her Umm Habiba (), was a wife of Muhammad. Early life She was born in circa 589 or 594. She was the daughter of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and Safiyyah bint Abi al-'As. Abu Sufyan was the chief o ...

h Muawiya's sister and the wife of the Prophet (The wives of the prophet were given the honorific title ''Mother of the Believers'') Muawiya, astonished at the man's words said: "Among these there is nobody who would have thought of it other than he! (meaning Amr ibn Aws)" And he set him free. A notable member of Banu Awd known as Zaynab of Banu Awd was a prominent physician in pre-Islamic period.

References

Yemeni tribes Tribes of Arabia {{Islam-stub

History and origins

See also

References