Abu al-Darda

Uwaymir ibn Zayd ibn Qays al-Ansari (Arabic: عُوَيْمِر بْن زَيْد بْن قَيْس الأَنْصَارِيّ, romanized: ʿUwaymir ibn Zayd ibn Qays al-Anṣārī), better known by the kunya Abu al-Darda (Arabic: أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ, romanized: Abū al-Dardāʾ, died 32 AH/652 CE) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who was known for being a leading authority on and teacher of the Quran. He was the first qadi of Damascus. He was the husband of his fellow companion, Umm al-Darda.

Biography

Abu al-Darda's name was Uwaymir ibn Zayd ibn Qays ibn A'isha ibn Umayya, though his given name may have been Amir, and his father's name is also given in the sources as Tha'laba, Amir, Abd Allah, and Malik. He belonged to the Balharith family of the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib. The Islamic prophet Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Yathrib, which thenceforth became known as 'Medina'. He was embraced by the Khazraj and its brother tribe, the Banu Aws, and the two tribes collectively became known as the Ansar ("helpers"), to differentiate them from the Muhajirun ("emigrants"), the term for Muhammad's fellow emigrants from Mecca.

Although most of his family converted to Islam soon after Muhammad made Medina his seat, Abu al-Darda, then a youth, converted after the Battle of Badr in 624. He may have participated alongside the Muslims against the Quraysh at the Battle of Uhud in 627. When Muhammad designated brotherhoods between the Ansar and Muhajirun, Abu al-Darda was made a 'brother' of Salman al-Farisi.