Jabalah ibn al-Aiham

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Jabalah ibn al-Aiham was the last ruler of the Ghassanid state in Syria and Jordan in the seventh century AD. He commanded a Christian Arab army in the Battle of Yarmouk in 636. After Muslim's conquest of Levant he converted to Islam in around 638. He went back to Christianity later on and lived in Anatolia until he died in around 645

[edit] Jabalah Ibn-Al-Aiham ordeal with Islam

There are different opinions why Jabalah and his followers didn't convert to Islam. All the opinions go along the general idea that the Ghassanids were not interested yet in giving up their status as the lords and nobility of Syria below the famous story of Jabalah return to the Byzantines land.

Jabalah Ibn-Al-Aiham sided with the Ansar (Azdi muslims from Medina) saying, "You are our brethren and the sons of our fathers" and professed Islam. After the arrival of 'Umar ibn-al-Khattab in Syria, year 17 (638AD), Jabalah had a dispute with one of the Muzainah (Non Arab Caste) and knocked out his eve. 'Umar ordered that he be punished, upon which Jabalah said, "Is his eye like mine? Never, by Allah, shall I abide in a town where I am under authority." He then apostatized and went to the land of the Greeks (the Byzantines). This Jabalah was the king of Ghassan and the successor of al-Harith ibn-abi-Shimr.