Qubath ibn Ashyam al-Laythi

Qubath ibn Ashyam ibn 'Amir ibn al-Mulawwah ibn Ya'mar ibn 'Awf ibn Ka'b ibn 'Amir ibn Layth, according to the lineage from Ibn Shihab that al-Hakim quotes in the Book of Knowing the Companions of the [[work/al-mustadrak-ala-al-sahihayn|Mustadrak]]. ²

Abu al-Huwayrith relates that he heard 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ask Qubath: "Are you greater (akbar), or the Messenger of God?" He replied: "The Messenger of God is greater than I, and I am older than he. The Messenger of God was born in the Year of the Elephant and received prophethood at the turn of forty years after the Elephant." Al-Dhahabi passes over it without comment in the Talkhis. ²

Sulayman ibn Aban relates that Qubath came to Islam when men of his tribe and other Arabs told him that Muhammad had appeared calling to a religion other than theirs. He went to the Prophet, who said, "Sit, Qubath", and then repeated to him a thought he had had: that if the women of Quraysh had come out, they would have driven Muhammad and his companions back. Qubath swore that his tongue had never uttered it and no one had heard it from him, that it was only something that had crossed his mind, and he made the declaration of faith. Al-Dhahabi left this report out of the Talkhis. ¹

'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ziyad relates from him, from the Prophet, that the prayer of two men with one leading the other is purer before God than that of forty praying one after another; the prayer of four with one leading is purer than that of eighty; and the prayer of eight with one leading is purer than that of a hundred. ³