Abu Khirash Huwaylid b. Murra al-Hudhali

Abu Khirash Huwaylid b. Murra al-Hudhali was a mukhadram Arab poet, a poet of the transition from the pre-Islamic period, of the tribe of Hudhayl. The encyclopaedia's entry, signed by H. Peres, says that he became a Muslim and died under the caliphate of 'Umar, from the bite of a snake while he was drawing water for Yemenite pilgrims, who were then required to pay the caliph their blood-money. ¹

He is counted among the pre-Islamic warriors who could run faster than horses, a distinction he shared with his nine brothers, Abu Djundab, 'Urwa, al-Ahbab, al-Aswad, Abu l-Aswad, 'Amr, Zuhayr and Sufyan, who were also poets of rank. His diwan was published by J. Hell (Leipzig, 1933). ¹