Al-Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi

“O Allah, grant him a sign to help him in the good he intends to do.” [From the Prophet’s supplication for him]

Al-Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi was the chief of the Daws tribe in the pre-Islamic era, a nobleman of high standing among the Arabs, and one of the most renowned men of generosity and virtue. His home was always open, his cooking pot never left the fire, and no visitor was ever turned away. He fed the hungry, gave refuge to those in fear, and protected those who sought his help.

Beyond his generosity, he was a man of wisdom, intelligence, and eloquence—a poet with a refined sensibility, keen perception, and a deep appreciation for the beauty and power of words. Speech affected him like magic, stirring his soul and shaping his thoughts.

Al-Tufayl set out from his homeland in Tihamah, heading toward Makkah while the struggle between the noble Prophet ﷺ and the Quraysh disbelievers was at its peak. Each side sought to win supporters and rally allies—the Prophet ﷺ calling people to Allah with faith and truth, while Quraysh fought his message with every weapon and blocked people from him by any means.

Unintentionally, Al-Tufayl found himself caught in the midst of this conflict, drawn into its depths without prior intent. He had not come to Makkah for this purpose, nor had the matter of Muhammad and Quraysh ever crossed his mind before.

And so, Al-Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi’s encounter with this struggle became a story worth remembering—one of the most remarkable tales.

Listen closely, for it is truly extraordinary…

Al-Tufayl narrated his own story, saying:

“I arrived in Makkah, and as soon as the leaders of Quraysh saw me, they warmly welcomed me and honored me as their guest. Soon after, their nobles and chiefs gathered around me and said:

‘O Tufayl, you have come to our land at a critical time. There is a man here who claims to be a prophet, and he has corrupted our affairs, torn our unity apart, and scattered our people. We fear that he may do the same to you and your leadership among your people. So, do not speak to him or listen to anything he says, for his words are like magic—they separate a son from his father, a brother from his sibling, and a husband from his wife.’

They continued telling me strange stories about him, warning me and instilling fear in my heart about what he might do to me and my tribe. Their words affected me so deeply that I resolved not to approach him, speak to him, or listen to anything he had to say.

The next morning, I went to the Kaaba to perform tawaf and seek blessings from the idols we used to worship. Fearing that I might hear something from Muhammad, I stuffed my ears with cotton to block out his words.

But as soon as I entered the mosque, I saw him standing near the Kaaba, praying in a manner different from ours and worshiping in a way unlike our own. His sight captivated me, and his devotion moved me. Without intending to, I found myself drawing closer to him, step by step, until I was near him.

Allah willed that some of his words reach my ears despite my precautions. I heard speech that was beautiful and profound.

I said to myself, ‘May your mother lose you, O Tufayl! You are an intelligent man, a poet who can distinguish between good and bad. What prevents you from listening to this man? If what he says is good, accept it; if it is bad, reject it.’

I waited until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had finished his prayer and returned home. Then, I followed him and entered his house.

I said, ‘O Muhammad, your people have told me many things about you. They warned me so persistently that I blocked my ears with cotton to avoid hearing your words. But Allah willed that I hear some of them, and I found them beautiful. So, tell me more about your message.’

The Prophet ﷺ presented Islam to me and recited Surah Al-Ikhlas and Surah Al-Falaq. By Allah, I had never heard words more beautiful, nor seen a cause more just.

At that moment, I extended my hand to him, testified that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger, and I embraced Islam.

I remained in Makkah for some time, learning the teachings of Islam and memorizing as much of the Qur’an as I could. When I decided to return to my people, I said:

‘O Messenger of Allah, I am a man of influence among my tribe. I am going back to them to call them to Islam. Pray to Allah to grant me a sign that will aid me in my mission.’

The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘O Allah, grant him a sign.’

As I approached my people’s dwellings, a radiant light appeared between my eyes, shining like a lamp. I feared that they might think it was a punishment for leaving their religion, so I prayed:

‘O Allah, move it away from my face.’

The light shifted and settled on the tip of my whip, making it glow like a hanging lantern as I descended toward my people.

When I arrived, my father—who was an elderly man—came to meet me. I said to him, ‘Stay away from me, O my father! You are not from me, and I am not from you!’

He asked, ‘Why, my son?’

I replied, ‘I have embraced Islam and followed the religion of Muhammad ﷺ.’

He said, ‘My son, your religion is my religion.’

I said, ‘Then go and purify yourself—bathe, cleanse your clothes, and come back to me so I can teach you what I have learned.’”

So he went and washed and cleansed his clothes, then he came, and I presented Islam to him, and he became Muslim.

Then my wife came, and I said:

“Stay away from me! I am no longer of you, nor are you of me.”

She asked in shock, “Why, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you?”

He replied, “Islam has separated us, for I have embraced it and followed the religion of Muhammad ﷺ.”

She responded immediately, “Then my religion is your religion!”

Al-Tufayl said to her:

“Go and purify yourself in the water of Dhu’l-Shara.” (Dhu’l-Shara was an idol worshiped by the tribe of Daws, surrounded by a stream flowing from the mountain.)

She hesitated and said, “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! Do you fear that Dhu’l-Shara will harm our children?”

He retorted, “Woe to you and to Dhu’l-Shara! I am telling you to go and cleanse yourself in that water away from people, and I assure you that this lifeless stone can do nothing to you.”

She went, performed the purification, and returned. He then presented Islam to her, and she accepted it.

Al-Tufayl then began calling the people of Daws to Islam, but they were slow to respond—except for Abu Hurayrah, who was the fastest among them to embrace the faith.

Al-Tufayl said:

“I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah, bringing Abu Hurayrah with me. The Prophet asked me, ‘What news do you bring, O Tufayl?’

I replied, ‘Their hearts are covered with veils, and disbelief is deeply rooted. Daws has been overtaken by sin and disobedience.’”

Upon hearing this, the Prophet ﷺ performed ablution, stood up, prayed, and then raised his hands to the sky.

Abu Hurayrah, witnessing this, feared that the Prophet might invoke a curse against his people and they would be destroyed. He said, “O my people!”

But the Prophet ﷺ instead prayed:

“O Allah, guide Daws! O Allah, guide Daws! O Allah, guide Daws!”

Then he turned to Al-Tufayl and said:

“Return to your people, treat them gently, and continue calling them to Islam.”

Al-Tufayl obeyed and remained among his people, persistently inviting them to Islam. He continued until after the Prophet ﷺ had migrated to Madinah, and the battles of Badr, Uhud, and the Trench had taken place.

Finally, Al-Tufayl arrived in Madinah with eighty families from Daws, all of whom had embraced Islam wholeheartedly. The Prophet ﷺ was overjoyed at their arrival and assigned them a share in the spoils of Khaybar, just as he did for the other Muslims.

The people of Daws said:

“O Messenger of Allah, place us on the right flank of your army in every battle, and let our battle cry be: Mabrur (Accepted).”

Al-Tufayl continued to stand by the Prophet ﷺ until Allah granted him victory over Makkah.

After the conquest, he approached the Prophet and said:

“O Messenger of Allah, send me to destroy Dhu’l-Kafayn, the idol of ‘Amr ibn Hammah, so that I may burn it!”

The Prophet ﷺ granted him permission. Al-Tufayl set out with a detachment of his people to destroy the idol.

When they arrived, the men, women, and children of the area gathered, expecting a calamity to strike him if he dared harm their idol.

But Al-Tufayl approached boldly, set the idol aflame, and chanted:

“O Dhu’l-Kafayn, I am not of your worshippers!

Our birth is older than yours!

I have filled your heart with fire!”

As the flames consumed the idol, the last remnants of polytheism in Daws burned away, and the entire tribe embraced Islam with sincerity.

Al-Tufayl ibn ‘Amr remained steadfast in his devotion to the Prophet ﷺ until the Prophet departed from this world.

When Abu Bakr as-Siddiq assumed the caliphate, Al-Tufayl placed himself, his sword, and his son at the service of the new leader.

As the Ridda Wars erupted, he was among the first to march out at the head of the Muslim army against Musaylimah the Liar. Accompanying him was his son, ‘Amr.

During the journey to Yamamah, Al-Tufayl had a dream. He gathered his companions and said:

“I have seen a vision. Interpret it for me.”

They asked, “What did you see?”

He replied:

“I saw my head shaved, and a bird emerged from my mouth. A woman then placed me in her womb, and my son ‘Amr followed me closely but was prevented from reaching me.”

They said, “It is a good dream.”

But he interpreted it himself, saying:

“As for the shaving of my head, it means that I will be beheaded. The bird represents my soul departing from my body. The woman who placed me in her womb symbolizes the earth that will embrace me when I am buried. And I hope to be killed as a martyr. As for my son following me, it means he will seek martyrdom as I will, but he will attain it later.”

In the fierce Battle of Yamamah, Al-Tufayl fought with unmatched bravery until he fell, martyred on the battlefield.

As for his son ‘Amr, he continued fighting valiantly until he was severely wounded. His right hand was cut off, forcing him to return to Madinah with his father’s body and his hand left behind on the battlefield.

During the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, ‘Amr ibn Al-Tufayl entered upon the Caliph while a meal was being served. ‘Umar invited him to eat, but ‘Amr hesitated and withdrew.

‘Umar asked, “Why do you hesitate? Are you embarrassed because of your missing hand?”

‘Amr replied, “Yes, O Commander of the Faithful.”

‘Umar then declared, “By Allah, I will not taste this food until you mix it with your severed hand! By Allah, there is no one among us whose part is already in Paradise except you—meaning his severed hand!”

Since the day he buried his father, the dream of martyrdom never left ‘Amr.

So when the great Battle of Yarmouk erupted, he rushed to join the ranks of the believers, fighting fiercely alongside them. With unwavering determination, he battled on until he finally attained the martyrdom his father had once foretold.

May Allah have mercy on Al-Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi—both the martyr and the father of a martyr.

- Suwar min Hayat al-Sahabah (Scenes from the Lives of the Companions) | Abdul Rahman Ra’fat al-Basha