Banu Khatma

A branch of al-Aws; Khatma is Abd Allah ibn Jusham ibn Malik ibn al-Aws. ²

They built fortified houses and planted palm trees. They lived scattered among their fortified houses, and no one lived in the main quarter of their homes. Al-Mutari considers, according to the data, that their homes were in al-'Awali east of the Mosque of the Sun. ²

When Islam came, they built their mosque, and a man of theirs who lived beside it was asked about every morning, for fear that a wild beast would attack him. They grew in number until they were called "Gaza", after Gaza in Syria. ²

Among their fortified houses was "Sa'b Dhara'", near the branch known as Dhara'. ²

They were among "the Aws of God", together with Banu Umayya ibn Zayd, Wa'il and Waqif. Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat held them back from Islam until Badr, Uhud and the Trench had passed, and then they all embraced Islam. ³

Asma bint Marwan was married to a man of theirs called Yazid ibn Zayd, and Umayr ibn Adi of their tribe killed her. ⁴ Ibn Ishaq says that many of Banu Khatma had been set against her, and that those among them who had embraced Islam concealed it. When Umayr declared the killing and defied them, that day was the first time Islam became strong in their homes, and the first to embrace Islam among them were Umayr ibn Adi, Abd Allah ibn Aws and Khuzayma ibn Thabit. ⁵ See the account and its parallels.