Zufar ibn al-Harith al-Kilabi
| Zufar ibn al-Ḥārith al-Kilābī | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Abu al-Hudhayl |
| Allegiance |
Aisha (656–661) Umayyad Caliphate (661–684) Zubayrids (684–691) Umayyad Caliphate (691-death) |
| Battles/wars |
Battle of the Camel (656) Battle of Siffin (657) Hejaz Expedition (683) Qays–Yaman war (686–691) |
| Relations | Al-Harith ibn Yazid al-'Amiri (father) Hudayhl (son) Kawthar (son) Majza'a ibn Kawthar (grandson) |
| Other work | Chieftain of Banu 'Amir (656-death) Governor of Jund Qinnasrin (684) Leader of Qays (684-death) |
Zufar ibn al-Ḥārith al-Kilābī (also known as Zufar Abū al-Hudhayl) was a Muslim general, chieftain of the Arab tribe of Banu 'Amir, and the preeminent leader of the Qays faction in the 7th century. He commanded his tribesmen in Aisha's army during the First Muslim Civil War, and later served as the Umayyad governor of Jund Qinnasrin. In 684, during the Second Fitna, he supported Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr's bid to wrest the caliphate from the Umayyads. Afterward, he based himself in al-Qarqisiyah (Circesium) and led the Qays tribes against the Yaman, launching several raids against the latter in the Syrian Desert. By 688–689, he also became entangled in a conflict with the Banu Taghlib. Zufar made peace with the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 by abandoning Ibn al-Zubayr's cause in return for stately and military privileges. During the reigns of Abd al-Malik's successors, Zufar and his family maintained their high-ranking positions in the Umayyad government.
Zufar belonged to the 'Amr branch of the Banu Kilab, which itself was a major branch of the large Arab tribe of Banu 'Amir. The 'Amr branch was known to be one of the more militant and warlike divisions of the Banu Kilab. Zufar's father was al-Harith ibn Yazid al-'Amiri, who participated in the Muslim conquest of Hit and al-Qarqisiyah (Circesium) in the mid-630s.
Prior to the First Muslim Civil War (656–661), Zufar settled in Basra. At the Battle of the Camel in November 656, he fought alongside Aisha's forces and commanded troops from the Banu 'Amir. He also participated in the Battle of Siffin in 657. Sometime later during the war, he migrated to Upper Mesopotamia (al-Jazira). During the reign of Umayyad caliph, Yazid I (680–683), Zufar served as a commander in Muslim ibn Uqba's army in its 683 campaign to quash a rebellion in the Hejaz; the rebellion was in support of Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr's bid for the caliphate. Zufar is also said to have met with Ibn al-Zubayr in the Hejaz at that time.
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