Amr ibn Ma'dikarib

Amr ibn Ma'dikarib al-Zubaydi, "the famous knight-poet", kunya Abu Thawr. Ibn Makula said he has companionship and transmission; Abu Nu'aym said he has the famed Jahiliyya exploits and a fine showing at al-Qadisiyya in Islam ¹.

Ibn Ishaq said Amr ibn Ma'dikarib came to the Messenger of God in Zubayd's delegation and became Muslim — he has a story with Qays ibn Makshuh al-Muradi ¹. In Ibn Sa'd's account from al-Waqidi, when the Prophet's affair reached them, Amr said to Qays: "it has been mentioned to us that a man of Quraysh called Muhammad has come out in the Hijaz saying he is a prophet — let us go to him until we learn his matter, for if he is a prophet it will not escape us." Qays came, and Amr rode to Medina and alighted on Sa'd ibn Ubada, who honoured him; he became Muslim and returned to his people a Muslim obedient ¹.

When the Prophet died Amr apostatised, as Sayf mentions in the Book of the Ridda; al-Muhajir ibn Abi Umayya captured him and sent him to Abu Bakr, and he returned to Islam ¹.

• Whether he came as a delegate to the Prophet: al-Khatib says in al-Muttafaq wa-l-Muftaraq "it is said he came on a delegation"; others say he never met the Messenger of God, only coming to Medina after his death and attending al-Qadisiyya where he fought gallantly ¹.

Ibn Hajar relates in the Manaqib al-Shafi'i that the Prophet dispatched Ali and Khalid ibn Sa'id to Yemen; word of what had been said against a group of his people reached Amr ibn Ma'dikarib, who told them: "let me go to these men — I have never named myself to anyone but he feared me." When he drew near them he cried: "I am Abu Thawr, I am Amr ibn Ma'dikarib!" Both rushed at him, each saying "leave him and me"; Amr said: "the Arabs take refuge in me, yet to these two I seem a morsel" — and turned back ¹.