Abu al-Tufayl
Hadith scholar and narrator
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Abu al-Tufayl Amir ibn Wathila al-Kinani (Arabic: أبو الطفيل عامر بن واثلة الكناني, romanized: Abū al-Ṭufayl ʿĀmir bin Wāthila al-Kinānī c. 625–732) was a poet,[1] and a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[2]
Companion of Ali ibn Abi Talib, participation in key Islamic events.
Amir ibn Wathila al-Kinani | |
|---|---|
عامر بن واثلة الكناني | |
| Title | Abu al-Tufayl |
| Personal life | |
| Born | c. 625 CE Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia (present-day Saudi Arabia) |
| Died | c. 732 CE |
| Known for | Last surviving companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Companion of Ali ibn Abi Talib, participation in key Islamic events. |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
Abu al-Tufayl went to Kufa during the reign of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman and then to Al-Mada'in. For many years, he was a companion of Ali, and learned a lot from him. After the death of Ali, he returned to Mecca and stayed there until the end of his life,[3] around 102 AH (732 CE).[4]
Life
His full name was Abu al-Tufayl Amir ibn Wathila ibn Abdullah ibn Umayr ibn Jabir ibn Humays ibn Juday ibn Sa'ad ibn Layth al-Kinani,[5] was born in the year that coincided with the battle of Uhud, and was present in the last eight years of Muhammad's life.[6]
He was considered a reliable narrator of hadiths, a limited number of which was narrated from Muhammad,[7] and a large number from his important companions, including Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, Muadh ibn Jabal and Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud. Among the imams, he narrated hadiths from Ali, Hasan ibn Ali, and Zayn al-Abidin. It is stated in Kitab al-Kafi that he narrated hadith from Muhammad al-Baqir.According to Ibn Babawayh in his book, Ilal al-sharayi', Abu al-Tufayl narrated hadiths from Ja'far al-Sadiq too. The narrations of Abu al-Tufayl from Jafar al-Sadiq were before al-Sadiq reached the Imamate and was during the life of Muhammad al-Baqir.[8]
When Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr asked for allegiance from Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, who refused, Ibn al-Zubayr imprisoned him along with some of his companions, including Abu al-Tufayl, in the branches of Bani Hashim. Abu al-Tufayl was in prison until the uprising of Mukhtar al-Thaqafi. He was the standard-bearer of the army in Mukhtar's uprising to avenge the blood of Hussein.[9][10]
In response to Mu'awiya's question regarding his presence in the murder of Uthman, Abu al-Tufayl answered in the assembly of Mu'awiya I that he was present at the scene of Uthman's murder but he did not participate in it.[11] He emphasized his strong friendship with Ali to Mu'awiya.[12]
Abu al-Tufayl and his son, whose name was al-Tufayl, participated in the uprising that Ibn al-Ash'ath started against Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. In the war that took place in Muharram 82, his son al-Tufayl was killed, and Abu al-Tufayl wrote a poem in grief over his death.[13][14] The last of Muhammad's companions to die was Abu al-Tufayl, in 732.[15]