Rabi'a ibn Rufay' (Ibn al-Dughunna)
ربيعة بن رفيع السلمي (ابن الدغنة)
A warrior of Banu Sulaym (known as Ibn al-Dughunna) who caught up with the aged Durayd ibn al-Simma at Awtas after the rout of Hunayn and killed him after an exchange of swords.
At a glance
- Roles
- Companion
- Counted among
- Sunni
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Place in the story
- CompanionTradition
Sunni (transmitted)
Roles are dated and sourced; the museum describes the act and attributes the judgement.
Summary
A knight of Banu Sulaym known as Ibn al-Dughunna; he caught up with the old man Durayd ibn al-Simma at Awtas after the rout of Hunayn and killed him after a famous exchange 1.
The killing of Durayd ibn al-Simma
Rabi'a caught up with Durayd ibn al-Simma as he sat in his litter on his she-camel, too old to fight; Rabi'a struck him with his sword but cut nothing. Durayd said to him in mockery: "how poorly your mother armed you! Take this sword of mine from the back of the litter and strike with it — keep clear of the bones — and tell your mother you killed Durayd ibn al-Simma; many a day I defended your women" — and he struck him with his own sword and killed him 1.
His daughter Umm al-Banin Ruqayya bint Durayd mourned him in famous verses recalling her father's feats and his killer's inadequacy 2.
For young visitors
A fighter of Banu Sulaym who pursued the routed in the valley of Awtas, met Durayd ibn al-Simma in his litter, and killed him at the battle's end.
Connections
- Member of
- Banu Sulaym
- Participated in
- The expedition to Awtas
People and things also explored
The Battle of HunaynAbu Amir al-Ash'ariDurayd ibn al-SimmaAwtasThe expedition to AwtasThe Weepers (al-bakka'un)The army of hardship (jaysh al-usra)Staying behind from the Tabuk expedition
Sources
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/93-94
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/94
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Rabi'a ibn Rufay' (Ibn al-Dughunna)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/rabia-ibn-rufy/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.