Al-Walid ibn Uqba

Al-Walid was born in Mecca to father Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt of the Banu Umayya clan and mother Arwa bint Kurayz of the Banu Rabi'a.[1] Both of his parents belonged to clans from the Banu Abd Shams branch of the Quraysh tribe, which dominated Mecca. He was also a maternal half-brother of Uthman ibn Affan, a member of the Banu Umayya who went on to become caliph in 644.[1] Like most Meccans at the time, his family was polytheistic and opposed Muhammad. His father died fighting against the latter at the Battle of Badr in 624.[1] However, al-Walid converted to Islam after the Muslim conquest of Mecca in 630.[1] He was charged by Muhammad with collecting the sadaqat (charitable tribute) from an Arab tribe known as the Banu Mustaliq.[1]

During the rule of Caliph Umar (r. 634–644), al-Walid was charged with collecting the sadaqat from the Banu Taghlib tribe in Upper Mesopotamia.[1] His uterine brother, Uthman, appointed him governor of Kufa in 645/46, but his behavior and wine consumption riled the pious Muslims of that city, compelling Uthman to recall him in 649/50.[1] He fled to Upper Mesopotamia following Uthman's assassination in 656 and died in al-Raqqa in 680.[1] His son Aban served as governor of Homs under Caliph Abd al-Malik.