Kulaib ibn Rabi'ah al-Taghlibi (

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 ...

: كليب بن ربيعة التغلبي) also known as Wa'il al-Taghlibi was a pre-Islamic tribal chief and the first of the

Adnanites The Adnanites () were a tribal confederation of the Ishmaelite Arabs who originate from the Hejaz. They trace their lineage back to Ishmael, son of the Islamic prophet and patriarch Abraham and his wife Hagar, through Adnan. The Islamic prophe ...

to become a king over them. Under his rule, the Adnanites gained prominence in 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 ...

over their

Qahtanite The Qahtanites (; ), also known as Banu Qahtan () or by their nickname ''al-Arab al-Ariba'' (), are the Arabs who originate from modern-day Yemen. The term "Qahtan" is mentioned in multiple Ancient South Arabian script, Ancient South Arabian ins ...

counterparts. Kulaib's assassination in 494 CE sparked the

Basus War The Basus War (often written al-Basus War; ''ḥarb al-basūs'') was a 40-year conflict between two cousin tribes in Arabia of Late Antiquity. It was caused by the slaughtering of a camel that was owned by a neighboring tribe, and the subsequent ...

Biography

Family

His full lineage is given as: Kulaib, son of Rabiah, son of al-Harith, son of Zuhayr, son of Jashm, son of Bakr, son of Habib, son of 'Amr, son of Ghanim, son of Taghlib ibn Wa'il. Hence, he is from the

Taghlib The Banu Taghlib (), also known as Taghlib ibn Wa'il, were an Arab tribe that originated in Jazira. Their parent tribe was the Rabi'a, and they thus traced their descent to the Adnanites. The Taghlib were among the most powerful and cohesive no ...

tribe. Kulaib's descent from

Adnan Adnan () is traditionally regarded as the patriarch of the Adnanite Arabs, a major Arab lineage that historically inhabited Northern, Western, Eastern, and Central Arabia. The Adnanites are distinct from the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia ...

is also confirmed by the fact that Taghlib is descended from Adnan.Lecker, M. (2000). "Taghlib b. Wāʾil". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). ''The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.'' Volume X: T–U. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 89–93. ISBN 978-90-04-11211-7. Adnan's descent from the biblical patriarch

Ishmael In the Bible, biblical Book of Genesis, Ishmael (; ; ; ) is the first son of Abraham. His mother was Hagar, the handmaiden of Abraham's wife Sarah. He died at the age of 137. Traditionally, he is seen as the ancestor of the Arabs. Within Isla ...

hence makes Kulaib amongst the later generation of

Ishmaelites The Ishmaelites (; ) were a collection of various Arab tribes, tribal confederations and small kingdoms described in Abrahamic tradition as being descended from and named after Ishmael, a prophet according to the Quran, the first son of Abraha ...

.Mubarakpuri, Saifur Rahman (2008). ''The Sealed Nectar: Biography of the Noble Prophet''. Dar-us-Salam Publications. Kulaib was the brother of the famous poet 'Udayy ibn Rabiah, more commonly known as

Abu Layla al-Muhalhel Abu Layla ʿUday ibn Rabīʿa ibn al-Ḥāriṯ at-Taḡlibiyy (; 443 – 531 CE), also known by the nicknames al-Muhalhil ("he who finely weaves poems") and az-Zīr ("the philander"), was a Pre-Islamic poetry, pre-Islamic poet and warrior ...

. Kulaib also had a son named al-Jarw, who would succeed him in the ruling of the Taghlib.

Consolidation of power

Kulaib became very dominant amongst the Adnanite tribes living in

Najd Najd is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes most of the central region of Saudi Arabia. It is roughly bounded by the Hejaz region to the west, the Nafud desert in Al-Jawf Province, al-Jawf to the north, ...

at some point of time. Under his command, the Adnanite forces were able to defeat the

forces of

Himyar Himyar was a polity in the southern highlands of Yemen, as well as the name of the region which it claimed. Until 110 BCE, it was integrated into the Qatabanian kingdom, afterwards being recognized as an independent kingdom. According to class ...

and

Madhhij 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 ...

.
Al-Kāmil fi at-Tārikh
', ed. Abū l-Fidāʾ ʿAbdallāh al-Qāḍī (11 vols., Beirut: Dār al-kutub al-ʿilmiyya, 1987–2003) Kulaib's reign paved the way for the Adnanites to attain prominence in the Arabian Peninsula, especially in Najd.

Death

Kulaib ibn Rabi'ah was ultimately murdered by his brother-in-law,

Jassas ibn Murrah Jassas ibn Murrah al-Shaybani al-Bakri (Arabic: جساس بن مرة الشيباني البكري) was a pre-Islamic tribal chief of the Banu Shayban, a division of the Banu Bakr tribe. He is best remembered for his assassination of the chief of ...

from the

Banu Bakr The Banu Bakr bin Wa'il ( '), or simply Banu Bakr, today known as Bani Bakr is an Arabian tribe belonging to the large Rabi'ah, a branch of Adnanite tribe. It is registered as one of the oldest and most ancient Arab gatherings. The tribe is rep ...

. According to the traditional narrative, Kulaib had shot down a prized camel belonging to an influential woman of the Banu Bakr; angering Jassas. Jassas then stabbed Kulaib to death.

Cause of the Basus War

The assassination of Kulaib made the Taghlib oppose their cousin tribe, the

. They fought for forty years, the conflicts between them being known as the

. The Taghlib were originally the victors of the war, but suffered significant losses due to surprise attacks from their rival tribe.

Personal life

Personality

Kulaib had a brash and arrogant demeanor, but his main interest was the protection of his fellow Adnanites.

Religion

Kulaib might have been an

Arab Christian Arab Christians () are the Arabs who adhere to Christianity. The number of Arab Christians who live in the Middle East was estimated in 2012 to be between 10 and 15 million. Arab Christian communities can be found throughout the Arab world, bu ...

, as the Taghlib were historically a Christian tribe.

Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri (6 June 1942 – 1 December 2006)Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum Pdf
...

reports that despite their conversion to Christianity, the religion and its principles were generally ignored by the Arabs whom had converted to it (except for important fundamental aspects like monotheism and rejection of polytheism).

Historicity

Time period

The death of Kulaib is estimated to be around 494 CE, as the events of the

ended around 534 CE after forty years of fighting. The ''Dictionary of Arab Poets'' gives a similar estimation of his death date to around 492 CE.

Burial place

A tomb traditionally attributed to Kulaib is located in Wadi Khaitan between

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 ...

and

Abha Abha (, ') is the capital of Asir, Asir Province in Saudi Arabia. It is situated above sea level in the fertile Asir Mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia, near Asir National Park. Abha's mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination fo ...

. It is located in a valley where many water sources are located. In 2008, the site was almost exhumed after a cable car installation was planned at the site, but fortunately the project was relocated.

References

{{reflist

External links

Biography of Kulaib ibn Rabi'ah, in the ''Dictionary of Arab Poets'' on the Maktaba Shamela
Tribal chiefs 490s deaths 5th-century Arab people Arab poets Arab Christians