ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl ibn Mālik ibn Jaʿfar () was a chieftain of the

Banu 'Amir The Banū ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿa ( ar, بنو عامر بن صعصعة) was a large and ancient Arab tribe originating from central Arabia, that dominated Najd for centuries after the rise of Islam. The tribe is an Arab Adnanite tribe and its ...

and a poet. He belonged to the Banu 'Amir's preeminent household, the Ja'far ibn Kilab. He succeeded his father as head of the tribe in its wars with the

Khath'am Khath'am ( ar, خثعم, Khathʿam) was an ancient and medieval Arab tribe which traditionally dwelt in southwestern Arabia. They took part either in cooperation or opposition to the 6th-century expedition of the Aksumite ruler Abraha against Mecc ...

tribe until his injuries and battlefield setbacks forced him to step down. He was reinstated as leader following the death of his uncle Abu Bara.

Life

'Amir ibn al-Tufayl belonged to the Malik ibn Ja'far family, the younger line of the Ja'far clan of the

Banu Kilab The Banu Kilab ( ar, بنو كِلاب, Banū Kilāb) was an Arab tribe in the western Najd (central Arabia) where they controlled the horse-breeding pastures of Dariyya from the mid-6th century until at least the mid-9th century. The tribe was di ...

, itself part of the larger tribe of

.Caskel, p. 442. During the 590s and into the early 7th century, he participated in numerous raids by the Banu 'Amir, sometimes leading his own band. He took over military leadership of the tribe after his father al-Tufayl ibn Malik was slain in combat against the

in south Arabia. After losing an eye in a battle against the Khath'am at Fayf al-Rih, he was considered unsuitable to command the Banu 'Amir. Moreover, he lost eight or nine close relatives during these engagements, while the Banu 'Amir also suffered significant losses. 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl was held responsible for these losses by other elders of the tribe and a legal struggle ensued for leadership between him and Alqama ibn Ulatha ibn 'Awf, the head of the Ja'far's clan eldest line, the Rabi'a. Arbitration did not result in a conclusive decision, but 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl nonetheless regained his good repute during the suit, partially due to the support of the poet

al-A'sha Al-A'sha ( ar, ٱلْأَعْشَىٰ) or Maymun Ibn Qays Al-A'sha (d.c. 570– 625) was an Arabic Jahiliyyah poet from Najd, Arabia. He traveled through Mesopotamia, Syria, Arabia and Ethiopia. He was nicknamed Al-A'sha which means "weak-sig ...

. This proved essential to his reinstatement as leader of the Ja'far clan, and by extension the Banu 'Amir, when his uncle 'Amir Abu Bara ibn Malik died in 624/25. According to Islamic tradition, 'Amir was the worst

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...

enemy of the prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

and violated the protection covenant established between Muhammad and Abu Bara by leading an expedition of Sulaymi tribesmen that massacred dozens of Muslim missionaries at Bi'r Ma'una. He is also said to have plotted the assassination of Muhammad. While these events are ascribed to tradition, it is known that 'Amir died a pagan, having never converted to Islam.

Poetry

Fragments of 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl's poetry has been collected into a '' diwan'' (volume). The English translation is found in ''The Dīwāns of 'Abīd ibn al-Abraṣ of Asad and 'Āmir ibn aṭ-Ṭufail of 'Āmir ibn Ṣa'ṣa'ah'', ed. CJ Lyall (1913 and 1980). Much of his poetry is pervaded by the tribal '' ghazwa'' (warrior ethos),Montgomery, p. 77. though some verses are "moving through its humanity", according to Orientalist W. Caskel, such as no. 11 of the ''diwan'' where 'Amir laments the loss of his eye.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Amir ibn al-Tufayl 6th-century births 6th-century Arabic poets 7th-century Arabic poets Banu Kilab Bedouin tribal chiefs Opponents of Muhammad Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown