عبد الله بن الزبعرى

Abdullah ibn al-Zib'ari

رضي الله عنه
Born
Died
— · —
Tribe
Banu Sahm (Quraysh)

A Tongue That Tore — and Mended

Abdullah ibn al-Zib’ari was a Qurayshi poet who had used his verses to lampoon the Prophet ﷺ. At the conquest of Makkah he was on the kill-on-sight list and fled to Najran. Afterwards he returned to the Prophet ﷺ, embraced Islam, and composed his famous poem of repentance:

“O Messenger of the King — my tongue will mend what it tore.”

1 Seerat-e-Mustafa · Vol 3 · pp. 67–68 — Idris Kandhlawi — Abdullah ibn al-Zib'ari embraces Islam and composes his apologetic poem.
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Life Timeline

Makkan period

Lampoons the Prophet ﷺ as a Qurayshi poet

8 AH / Conquest

Flees to Najran on the kill-on-sight list

After Conquest

Returns to Madinah, embraces Islam, composes his apologetic poem

References

  • Seerat-e-Mustafa — Idris Kandhlawi — Abdullah ibn al-Zib'ari flees to Najran; returns and embraces Islam; the apologetic poem Vol 3 · pp. 67–68