Abd al-Qays

In the 5th year of the Hijrah, the Prophet ﷺ prophesied in a khutbah that a delegation of "the best people from the east" would soon arrive. Days later, delegates of Abd al-Qays, a tribe from the area of Bahrain mixed between Christians and pagans, reached Madinah. Umar ibn al-Khattab RA, recognizing them from the marketplace, rushed to greet them with the good news. The youngest delegate, later known as Ashaj Abd al-Qays, alone stayed behind to bathe and dress properly before meeting the Prophet ﷺ, who praised him for the Allah-given qualities of al-hilm and al-anat. The delegation explained that the hostile tribe of Mudar lay between them and Madinah, so they could only travel during the Sacred Months, and asked to be taught something that would admit them to Jannah so they could teach their people. The Prophet ﷺ answered by defining Iman as the shahada, prayer, fasting Ramadan, and zakat (Hajj not yet mentioned, as it had not been legislated). He ﷺ also forbade them the various alcoholic drinks common to their cold climate. The tribe is said to have been the first to build a masjid outside the Hejaz and the first to pray Jumu'ah outside Madinah.