Abu Quhafa
Arab tribal chief of the Banu Taym
About Abu Quhafa
Lived 542 – 635 (aged 93).
Uthman ibn Amir ibn Amr (, 540635 CE), commonly known by the Abu Quhafa , was the father of the first Rashidun caliph Abu Bakr .
Family Abu Quhafa was the son of 'Amir ibn 'Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.
He lived in Mecca and married Umm al-Khayr Salma bint Sakhar ibn ʿĀmir ibn Kaʿb ibn Saʿd ibn Taym, whose lineage was recorded as such in Nasab Quraysh by Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Muṣʿab al-Zubayrī (d. 236 AH / 851 CE). They had several sons who did not survive infancy. When Abu Bakr was born in 573,
Islam When Abu Bakr became a Muslim in 610, Abu Quhafa remained a pagan. It is said that an ayah of Quran was revealed in response: "You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred..." When Abu Bakr ransomed Muslim slaves who were being persecuted in 613614, Abu Quhafa said to him: "My son, I see that you are freeing weak slaves. If you want to do what you are doing, why don’t you free powerful men who could defend you and protect you?" But Abu Bakr replied: "I am only trying to do what I am attempting for Allah’s sake." This version is rejected by Sunnis as unauthentic.
It is said that when Abu Bakr died in Medina in August 634, Mecca was convulsed by an earthquake. Abu Quhafa asked, "What is that?" and was told that his son was dead. He replied, "It is a terrible calamity. Who has arisen in authority after him?" On being advised that Umar was now Caliph, he said, "He was his companion," implying approval. Abu Quhafa returned his inheritance from his son to his grandson. |Quh=Quhafa
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Important facts
Family & relationships
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Abu Quhafa's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Abu Quhafa?
Arab tribal chief of the Banu Taym (538-635)
When was Abu Quhafa born?
Abu Quhafa was born on 1 July 542 in Mecca.
When did Abu Quhafa die?
Abu Quhafa died on 1 August 635 in Mecca.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Abu Quhafa. https://biography.guide/abu-quhafa/
MLA: "Abu Quhafa." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/abu-quhafa/.
Chicago: "Abu Quhafa." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/abu-quhafa/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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