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The Life of Ash'ath ibn Qays - Al-Shia The Scientific and Cultural Website of Shia belief The Life of Ash’ath ibn Qays 2023-05-21 1591 Views Al-Ash'ath ibn Qays , Maʿdīkarib ibn Qays Al-Ashʿath ibn Qays al-Kindī was a chief of the Kinda tribe of Hadhramawt in Yemen. According to some historical reports, his teknonym was Abu Muhammad and his original name was Ma’dikarib, ibn Qays but he was popularly known as Al-Ash’ath (meaning, ‘the dishevelled’) because he was known to have dishevelled hair.

His nickname possibly derived from his status as a warrior, being unconcerned with his physical appearance and luxury. Like his father and grandfather, al-Ash’ath was a chief of the Banu Jabala house, a clan of the Kinda’s main division, the Banu Mu’awiya. Maʿdīkarib ibn Qays al-Ashʿath was born around 599 CE in the eastern Hadhramawt region of South Arabia.

His father, Qays ibn Ma’dikarib, was a convert to Judaism which, in his time, had become widespread in South Arabia, including among al-Ash’ath’s tribe, the Kinda. Al-Ash’ath was probably also Jewish before his later conversion to Islam. According to reports, Al-Ash’ath embraced Islam in the presence of the noble . After the death of the noble Prophet (PBUHH), al-Ash’ath refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr, so the latter sent a number of troops to Yemen to arrest and bring him to Medina.

Al-Ash’ath led his tribesmen against the caliphate troop during the Battle of Ridda but surrendered during a siege of his fortress, after which many Kindites were executed. He was imprisoned, but afterwards, Abu Bakr pardoned and set him free (r. 632–634) upon his repentance and wed his sister Umm Farwa to al-Ash’ath. During the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, al-Ash’ath participated in the Battle of Yarmuk, the conquest of Iraq, and the Battle of Qadisiyya and he later resided in Kufa.

Thereafter, he became the governor of Uthman ibn Affan in Azerbaijan and remained in that position during the caliphate of Imam Ali. It was documented that after the Battle of Jamal, the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) wrote a letter to al-Ash’ath ibn Qays (al-Kindi) who had been the Governor of Azarbayjan from the days of Uthman, to send the revenue and levies of his province.

But since he had fears about the future of his position and assignment, he intended to swallow all this money like other officers of Uthman.