Banu Kalb (بنو كلب) was a large and influential Arab tribe that lived in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula, chiefly in the region of Dumat al-Jandal, parts of al-Shaam, and the northern Hijaz. The tribe descended from Qudaah, which places them among the southern Arabs (Qahtanites).
Before and during the coming of Islam, Banu Kalb fulfilled an important role in the political and social relations between the Arab tribes and the great empires to the north, in particular the Byzantine Empire.
Geographical position and way of life
The territory of Banu Kalb lay strategically between Arabia and ash-Shaam, around Dumat al-Jandal and further towards the Levant.
This location gave the tribe an important role in trade, caravan routes and military alliances, for they controlled the desert routes and were both herders and merchants. Some parts of the tribe were sedentary, dwelling in oases, while others were nomadic.
Because of their strategic position they had close relations with the Byzantine Empire, and many members of Banu Kalb adopted Christianity before Islam, just as other northern tribes such as Banu Ghassan had done.¹
Banu Kalb in the time of the Prophet ﷺ
In the era of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Banu Kalb was known as a tribe of considerable military and political influence, and they held marriage ties with other influential Arab tribes that likewise stood under Byzantine influence.
Certain parts of the tribe had contact with Islam, although they did not convert to Islam on a large scale during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ. It is, however, recorded that a few individuals embraced the faith and became attached to the Muslim community.² Their geographical distance from Medina and their political ties with Byzantium made their entry into Islam gradual.
Banu Kalb during the Riddah period
After the death of the Prophet ﷺ, when certain Arab tribes fell back into rebellion and apostasy, large portions of Banu Kalb remained faithful to their agreements and did not relapse into rebellion.³ This is remarkable, since many tribes in the north and centre of Arabia wavered during the Riddah wars.
The Umayyad period and the prominent role of Banu Kalb
Under the Umayyads, Banu Kalb gained a great political role, and their influence grew through marriage ties and strategic support for the Umayyad dynasty. The mother of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan رضي الله عنه, the first Umayyad caliph, was Hind bint ‘Awf ibn Zahrah al-Kalbi of Banu Kalb,⁴ through which strong family bonds and political loyalty to Banu Umayyah arose.
Religious position and conversion
Because many within Banu Kalb were Christian, their wholesale entry into Islam proceeded gradually and was spread across the first two generations after the Prophet ﷺ.⁵
The sources describe them as a tribe that accepted Islam on the basis of conviction and political stability, not out of opportunism or coercion, and their transition was finally confirmed in the time of Muawiyah رضي الله عنه.
Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, references to Banu Kalb and their ties with Byzantium.
Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, chapter on the delegations and the northern tribes.
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah, section on the events of the Riddah.
Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat al-Kubra, references to Muawiyah’s mother and kin.
Al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan, section on ash-Sham and the conversion of the tribes.