Amir bin Tufayl

ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl ibn Mālik ibn Jaʿfar was a chieftain of the Banu 'Amir and a poet. He belonged to the Banu 'Amir's preeminent household, the Ja'far ibn Kilab. He succeeded his father as head of the tribe in its wars with the Khath'am tribe until his injuries and battlefield setbacks forced him to step down. He was reinstated as leader following the death of his uncle Abu Bara.

Life 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl belonged to the Malik ibn Ja'far family, the younger line of the Ja'far clan of the Banu Kilab, itself part of the larger tribe of Banu 'Amir. During the 590s and into the early 7th century, he participated in numerous raids by the Banu 'Amir, sometimes leading his own band. Much of his poetry is pervaded by the tribal ghazwa (warrior ethos), though some verses are "moving through its humanity", according to Orientalist W. Caskel, such as no. 11 of the diwan where 'Amir laments the loss of his eye.