At a glance
- Roles
- Politician
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
Life in time
Place in the story
- OpponenttowardMuhammad · c. 631 CE · c. 10 AH†Tradition
Roles are dated and sourced; the museum describes the act and attributes the judgement.
Summary
One of the chiefs of Banu Amir and the maternal brother of the poet Labid. He drew his sword behind the Prophet during the delegation of 9 AH, but his hand was held back, as the Sira tells, and lightning struck him on his return 1.
His account
Arbad ibn Qays was Labid's maternal brother and one of the chiefs of Banu Amir in their delegation of 9 AH 1. He plotted with Amir ibn al-Tufayl to kill the Prophet. He went round behind him and drew his sword a span, but God held back his hand so that he could not draw it fully 1. The Prophet prayed against them both. When they returned, God sent lightning upon Arbad and his camel, and it burned him 1.
For young visitors
A man of Banu Amir who meant to harm the Prophet with his sword, but could not draw it out. The Sira tells that lightning struck him on his way back.
In Ibn Hisham's Sira
Ibn Ishaq names him Arbad ibn Qays ibn Juz' ibn Khalid ibn Ja'far, one of the chiefs of the delegation of Banu Amir. The editors note that the manuscripts differ between "Juz'" and "Juzi" 2. Amir charged him with striking the Prophet with the sword while he distracted him with talk, but he did nothing. He later excused himself, saying that Amir kept coming between him and the man so that he could not see anyone else 3. When he returned to his people's land, he said that Muhammad had called them to worship something he wished he had in hand, so that he could shoot it with arrows. God sent lightning upon him and his camel a day or two later, and it burned them both; see his death by lightning 4. He was Labid ibn Rabi'a's maternal brother, and Labid lamented him in elegies, in one of which he addressed him by the kunya Abu Huraiz 4 5.
Connections
- Member of
- Banu Amir ibn Sa'sa'a
- Sibling of
- Labid ibn Rabi'a
- Participated in
- The plot of Amir ibn al-Tufayl and Arbad ibn Qays· The death of Arbad ibn Qays by lightning
- Mentioned in
- Labid ibn Rabi'a's elegies for his brother Arbad
People and things also explored
The death of Arbad ibn Qays by lightning· Labid ibn Rabi'a· The plot of Amir ibn al-Tufayl and Arbad ibn Qays· Banu Amir ibn Sa'sa'a· Labid ibn Rabi'a's elegies for his brother Arbad· Amir ibn al-Tufayl· Jabbar ibn Salma· The death of Amir ibn al-Tufayl
Sources
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p. 453
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/213
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/214
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/215
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/217
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Zad al-Ma'ad — Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Arbad ibn Qays”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/arbad-ibn-qays/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.