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Abdullah ibn al-Zib'ara

عبد الله بن الزبعرى

One of the finest poets of Quraysh, harsh against the Muslims, who embraced Islam at the conquest; he fled to Najran after the fall of Mecca, verses of Hassan ibn Thabit reached him, he returned and became Muslim and composed verses of apology; al-Marzubani says the Prophet ordered him a robe when he praised him.

Depth

At a glance

Roles
Companion
Tradition
Sunni
Era
The Prophetic Era · The Rashidun Caliphate
Region
Arabia
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

Converts and those who leaveLiterature

Place in the story

  • CompanionTradition

Sunni (transmitted)

Roles are dated and sourced; the museum describes the act and attributes the judgement.

Summary

Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra (with kasra on the zay) ibn Qays ibn Adi al-Sahmi al-Qurashi; his mother Atika bint Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah 1. "He was among Quraysh's most poetic men, and was harsh on the Muslims, then became Muslim at the conquest" 1.

After the conquest

Ibn Ishaq said: when the Prophet conquered Mecca Hubayra ibn Abi Wahb and Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra fled to Najran; Hassan lampooned them in verses which reached Abdullah, who came and became Muslim 1.

His verse on his Islam

Of his verse when he became Muslim: he told the Prophet his tongue was "a mender of what I had split, when I was ill-starred", that he had raced Satan down the paths of error, and that today his heart believed in the Prophet Muhammad 1.

What was said of his poetry

Al-Marzubani said: he was known as Abu Sa'd — Quraysh's poet — then became Muslim and praised the Prophet, who ordered a suit for him 1. Al-Zubayr said: in my view Dirar's poetry is stronger than his and less loose 1.

Connections

Member of
QurayshBanu Sahm
Participated in
The Conquest of Mecca (Fath Makka)

People and things also explored

QurayshThe early Muslim communityHakim ibn HizamKhalid ibn al-Walidal-Zubayr ibn al-AwwamAbdullah ibn Amr ibn al-AsAbu Sufyan ibn HarbAbu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah

Sources

  1. al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-sahaba — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, p. 875
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Abdullah ibn al-Zib'ara”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/abdullah-ibn-al-zibara/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.

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Wing

People

Prophets, companions, scholars, rulers, scientists, poets, travelers: women and men who shaped the story.
Related

Quraysh

The tribe that held Mecca and the custodianship of the Kaaba — the Prophet's own people, its elite his fiercest opponents for a decade, then, after 630, the core of the new community's leadership.