Khalid's mission to Ukaydir of Dumat al-Jandal
بعث خالد إلى أكيدر دومة
October 630 CE · Rajab 9 AH
The Prophet summoned Khalid ibn al-Walid and sent him to Ukaydir ibn Abd al-Malik al-Kindi, the Christian king of Duma, telling him he would find him hunting wild cows. Khalid set out, and on a moonlit night Ukaydir came out when the cows rubbed their horns against his palace gate; the Prophet's cavalry met him, captured him and killed his brother Hassan. Khalid took his brocade gown laced with gold and sent it to the Prophet.
At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
In space
Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph
Summary
The Prophet called Khalid ibn al-Walid and sent him to Ukaydir ibn Abd al-Malik al-Kindi, the Christian king of Duma, telling him he would find him hunting wild cattle. Khalid went out; on a moonlit night Ukaydir came out when the cattle's horns scraped against his palace door, the Prophet's cavalry met him and took him, killed his brother Hassan, and Khalid stripped him of a brocade gown interwoven with gold and sent it ahead to the Prophet. 1
The account
The Prophet called Khalid ibn al-Walid and sent him to Ukaydir of Duma — Ukaydir ibn Abd al-Malik, a man of Kinda who was its king and a Christian. 2
The Prophet said to Khalid: you will find him hunting wild cattle. 1
Khalid went out until he was within sight of his fortress on a bright summer's moonlit night; Ukaydir was on his rooftop with his wife when the cattle began scraping the palace door with their horns. 3
His wife said to him: have you ever seen the like of this? He said: no, by God. She said: who would leave this? He said: no one. He went down, ordered his horse saddled, and rode with a party of his household — a brother of his called Hassan among them — taking their hunting gear with them. 3
When they came out, the Prophet's cavalry met them, took him and killed his brother; on him was a gown of brocade interwoven with gold, which Khalid stripped and sent ahead to the Prophet before bringing Ukaydir to him. 3
Ibn Ishaq relates from Asim ibn Umar ibn Qatada, from Anas ibn Malik, that he saw Ukaydir's gown when it was brought to the Prophet, the Muslims touching it and marvelling at it, and the Prophet said: do you marvel at this? By Him in whose hand my soul is — the kerchiefs of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh in Paradise are finer than this. 3
Markers of weakness and doubt
- The killing of Hassan, Ukaydir's brother, occurred when the Prophet's cavalry met Ukaydir and his household; the text says only "they took him and killed his brother" without detail (p. 170).
- The Prophet's words to Khalid "you will find him hunting cattle" and the cattle story are accounts in the context of proofs of prophethood in Ibn Ishaq; he follows them with verses by a man of Tayy (p. 170).
Connections
- Had participant
- Hassan, brother of UkaydirUkaydir ibn Abd al-MalikKhalid ibn al-WalidMuhammad
- Part of
- The expedition to Tabuk
- Occurred at
- Dumat al-Jandal
People and things also explored
The treaty with UkaydirMuhammadAbu Dharr lags behind and follows on footAbu Khaythama catches up with the ProphetAbu Ruhm and the stragglers of Ghifar and Aslamal-Jadd ibn Qays asks leave to stay behindAli is left in charge of the Prophet's familyThe Battle of Hunayn
Sources
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/169-170
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/169
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/170
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Khalid's mission to Ukaydir of Dumat al-Jandal”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/khalid-expedition-to-ukaydir/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.