Abu Zayd al-Hilali

Abu Zayd is the legendary hero of the Banu Hilal romances, the cycle of Arabian tribal epics about the migration of the Hilal tribes to the Maghrib. In the romances he is the son of Rizq, ruler of the Bilad al-Sarw, and of Khadra', a daughter of the sharif of Mecca. He is not known as a historical figure.

The Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.) describes Abu Zayd as black-skinned, and says that his original name was Barakat. After various adventures in Arabia, he went with his people to the Maghrib, where the other chief figure of the romances, Diyab (or Dhi'ab), treacherously murdered him. Abu Zayd was then avenged by the killing of Diyab. The article notes that no documentary evidence has yet been found to show that Abu Zayd was a historical personage, and refers readers to the article on the Banu Hilal for details and bibliography. ¹