Zayd al-Khayr

The Chief of Tayy

Zayd al-Khayr was a celebrated chief of the tribe of Tayy who came at the head of his people’s delegation to the Prophet ﷺ, and they readily embraced Islam. So impressed was the Prophet ﷺ with him that he said of all the Arabs whose qualities had been praised to him, he found them less than their repute — save Zayd, who surpassed it — and he changed his name from Zayd al-Khayl (“of the horses”) to Zayd al-Khayr (“of the good”). 1 Seerat-e-Mustafa · Vol 3 · pp. 139 — Idris Kandhlawi — the Tayy delegation; the Prophet renames Zayd al-Khayl to Zayd al-Khayr, finding his nobility beyond its fame.