At a glance
- Era
- Pre-Islamic Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
Al-Samawal ibn Adiya is a proverb among the people of the Jahiliyya for keeping faith. Al-Mubarakfuri's "Al-Rahiq al-Makhtum" says that covenant was for them a debt they held fast to, and for it they made light of killing their children and ruining their homes. The story of Hani ibn Mas'ud al-Shaybani, al-Samawal ibn Adiya and Hajib ibn Zurara al-Tamimi is enough to know this. 2 See the virtues of the people of the Jahiliyya.
What is not set out here
Al-Rahiq mentions only briefly the story of al-Samawal and the armour of Imru' al-Qays and the killing of his son before his eyes. His accounts in al-Mas'udi are in the data of this entry.
For young visitors
Al-Samawal is a man proverbially praised for keeping faith. The story says he preferred that his son be killed rather than betray a trust he held.
Connections
- Protected by
- امرؤ القيس بن حجر
People and things also explored
Kinda· 'Amr ibn Qami'a· حجر بن الحارث الكندي· امرؤ القيس بن حجر
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi , p. 500
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.47
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “al-Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/al-samawal-ibn-adiya/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.