The land of Wabar
أرض وبار
The lost land in the sands of 'Alij where Wabar's people perished — in the tellers' account once earth's most fertile ground, then guarded by jinn who hurl sand and whirlwinds at intruders and sire the wild-camel herds upon their camels, though al-Mas'udi notes sober men call it vain 1.
At a glance
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Overview
The land of Wabar is the land known as the sands of 'Alij, where Wabar ibn Umaym and his people settled, and perished because of their transgression, as al-Mas'udi relates from the akhbaris (historians of reports). 2
The account of the akhbaris
According to the akhbaris, it was among the most fertile lands of God, abundant in trees and good in fruit. The jinn lived in their homes and protected them from the humans who came to it. They would throw dust in his face and stir whirlwinds, and sometimes lead him astray or kill him. 2
They report that today only jinn and wild camels inhabit it, and that the wild camels are descended from the camels of the jinn. Al-Mas'udi mentions that this place is false in the view of many people of understanding. 3
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 456-457
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.456
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.457
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The land of Wabar”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/place/wabar/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.