Amru bin Ma'adi Yakrib

Amr (Amru) ibn Maadi bin Yakrib al-Zubaidi al-Madhhiji was a famous Arabian knight before and during Islam. He was from the prominent House of Zubaid, part of the House of Madhhij. He was very brave and he converted to Islam at time of Muhammad, being one of his Sahabah. When Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas asked the Khalifah Umar ibn al-Khattab to send him reinforcement for the battle of Qadisiyah. Umar replied: "I have sent you 2000 men: Amr bin Ma'adi Yakrib and Tulayhah al-Asadi. Each one of them counts as a thousand." ^[1] The bravery of Amru is well recorded and the fact that he participated as a commander in the 3 greatest battles in the Rashidun Caliphate's Islamic expansion only increases the regard which he is held at. Amru was one of the commanders in the battles of Al-Qādisiyyah, Yarmouk and Nahāvand. His military expertise and strategy was instrumental in the defeat of the persians in al-Qādisiyyah; when he and Tulayha composed a plan to turn the tide of the battle. He was one of the three men who infiltrated the Persian camp at night and captured one of the Persian commanders under the noses of the Persians. He was a martyr in the battle of Nahāvand, a battle which was instrumental in Muslim expansion into modern day Iran and consolidation of their presence in Iraq. He was mentioned by al-Hamdani in Geography of the Arabian Peninsula as a valiant knight of the Madhhij of Yemen.^[2]

Descendants

The direct patrilineal descendants of Amru are many. Many distinguished Arab tribes descended from Amru and include Al-Obaid, Al-Dulaim and Al-Jubur to name just a few. Most of Amru's descendants are found residing in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria. Their numbers have been estimated to far exceed 20 million and their place in history is assured, Amru is famed for producing many poets, warriors and distinguished Sheikhs.^[3]

References