Ahnaf ibn Qais

Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qays was a Muslim general who lived during the time of Muhammad. He hailed from the Arab tribe of Banu Tamim and was born of two noble parents. His father named him ad-Dhahhak, but everybody called him al-Ahnaf (the clubfooted), because of a defect in his feet.

In the early years of Islam, Muhammad sent a missionary to the tribe of Banu Tamim. The tribe members informed the missionary that no decisions could be made until they knew Al-Ahnaf's opinion. Al-Ahnaf listened and questioned the missionary until he and his entire tribe accepted Islam. Al-Ahnaf never met Muhammad because he remained with his people during Muhammad's lifetime. After Muhammad's death in 632, many tribes reneged and rebelled but al-Ahnaf and his people remained Muslims. When he heard about Musaylimah's claim of prophecy, al-Ahnaf went with his uncle to meet him. After listening to Musaylimah, he returned to his people and discouraged them from hearing his falsehood.

When Umar ibn al-Khattab became caliph in 634, the Muslim conquests outside the Arabian Peninsula increased, and Al-Ahnaf encouraged his people to participate. When the Persians surrounded a Muslim division led by al-'Alaa ibn al-Hadrami, in Iraq, Umar ordered Utbah ibn Ghazwan to go to their rescue. Utbah sent a force of 12,000, most of them form the Banu Tamim, and among them was al-Ahnaf who played a major role in breaking the siege.

In 639 al-Ahnaf came back to Medina bringing news of the conquest of Tustar, and informing Umar of affairs in Persia. After listening to him, Umar said;

Al-Ahnaf replied:

Umar gave him permission to pursue Yazdgerd III, and put al-Ahnaf at the head of an army to complete the conquest of Khurasan in the last stages of its annexation.

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