Abu Dahbal al-Jumahi

Abu Dahbal al-Jumahi, Wahb b. Zam'a, was a Quraysh poet of Mecca who began to compose before 40/660 and died after 96/715. The encyclopaedia's entry, signed by Ch. Pellat, places him among the erotic poets of the Hijaz. ¹

His verses are devoted to three women: 'Amra, a Meccan woman of a noble family; a Syrian woman who led him to break with his family; and especially Atika, daughter of Mu'awiya, whom he first saw on pilgrimage. Atika's attention brought him to Damascus, but the caliph, though he recognised that the poet's relations with his daughter were chaste, took offence and sent him away. An important part of his work is in praise of Ibn al-Azraq, governor of al-Janad in Yemen for Ibn al-Zubayr, and of 'Umara b. 'Amr, governor of Hadramawt. ¹

The incident with Mu'awiya seems to have turned him away from the Umayyads and made him a partisan of the anti-caliph Ibn al-Zubayr. The Aghani quotes verses that allude to the killing of al-Husayn b. 'Ali. Fayyad Krenkow has collected his verses. ¹