Banu 'Ajal


Banu 'Ajal also known as Banu 'Ijl was an Arab tribe of the Arabian Peninsula. The tribe is a branch of the famous tribe of Banu Bakr ibn Wa'il. And they were part of the Lahazim tribal alliance.

Ancestry

The ancestor of the Banu 'Ajal is a man called 'Ijl ibn Lujaim ibn Sa'b ibn 'Ali ibn Bakr ibn Wa'il ibn Qasit ibn Hanab ibn Da'mi ibn Jadila ibn Asad ibn Rabi'a ibn Nizar ibn Ma'ad ibn Adnan.
'Ijl had three sons: Tha'labah, Abd al-Aswad and Yazid. And the tribe produced three sub-clans: Banu Dubay'a ibn 'Ijl, Banu Sa'd ibn 'Ijl and Banu Rabi'a ibn 'Ijl.

History

The Banu 'Ijl inhabited the region from Ayn al-Tamr to the southern shores around the town of Al-Ubulla. Some members of the Banu 'ijl also lived in Al-Yamama. The tribe was also a part of the large tribal alliance known as Al-Lahazim. Other tribes who were part of the alliance are Banu Qays, Banu Taym and Banu Anazzah. This tribal alliance was made as a defensive coalition against other tribes, mainly the Banu Yarbu' and Banu Shayban. Banu 'Ijl also participated in the famous battle of Dhi Qar in which the Arab tribes defeated the Sassanian army. In the early Islamic conquests, the Banu 'Ijl Muslim tribesmen also joined the army of Khalid ibn al-Walid in the battles of Walaja and Ullais. in the Battle of Walaja it is reported that the Muslims of Banu 'Ijl fought against their own fellow Christians tribesmen of Banu 'Ijl who sided with the Sassanian army.
Christians were a significant part of the Banu 'Ijl tribe. In the eve of Islam, The leader of the tribe Abjar ibn Jabir was of Christian faith and he remained as such until his death in 660 in al-Kufa.

Notable members