نُعَيْمُ بْنُ مَسْعُود
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud
Of Ghatafan · Came to the siege as an enemy · Broke the alliance from inside it
may Allah be pleased with him
Ghatafan — Banu Ashja' · Madinah, at the siege in 5 AH
A man of Ghatafan who arrived at the siege of Madinah among the forces ranged against the Muslims, accepted Islam there in secret, and asked the Prophet ﷺ how he could help — then used his standing with both sides to turn them against each other until the alliance came apart.
Known for
He came to Madinah among the tribes besieging it, from Ghatafan
He accepted Islam during the siege, and told no one outside the Muslims
He asked the Prophet's ﷺ permission to say whatever was needed to help, since deception was allowed in war
He set the besieging tribes and Banu Qurayzah against each other until neither would move first
He had standing with both sides from before Islam, and used it to plant a different doubt in each — recorded in full in the moment below.
Story
His story in moments
Short episodes from his life, in order. Read one at a time.
In full
Life & legacy
Among the Confederates
Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud was of Banu Ashja', part of the Ghatafan confederation that joined Quraysh and other tribes in besieging Madinah in 5 AH. He had a personal standing with Banu Qurayzah from before Islam that neither the rest of the Confederates nor the Muslims had.
During the siege he came to the Prophet ﷺ and accepted Islam without anyone outside the Muslims learning of it. He then asked what he could do to help, since he could not fight for the Muslims openly without giving himself away.
He was told to say whatever would serve, if he judged it would help turn the enemy back — war, he was told, permits deception.
Breaking the alliance
He went first to Banu Qurayzah, who trusted him, and warned them that the Confederates might abandon the siege and leave them to face the Muslims alone — so they should demand hostages from Quraysh and Ghatafan before joining the fighting, as a guarantee.
He then went to Quraysh and Ghatafan and warned them that Banu Qurayzah now regretted their part in the siege and planned to ask for hostages to hand over to the Muslims — so they should refuse to give any.
When Banu Qurayzah asked for hostages and the Confederates refused, each side read the other's refusal as proof of betrayal. The alliance stalled, and a heavy storm during the same period made the siege still harder to sustain. The Confederates withdrew, and the siege ended without the city being taken.
How the sources describe him
He moved between hostile camps knowing what would happen to him if he were found out
He used what each side already believed about the other, and gave each one reason to believe it more
Connect
People around him
Alongside
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion
He accepted Islam through him in secret during the siege, and was told he could say whatever would help, since war permits deception.
Full timeline
- 5 AH
Arrives at Madinah among the besieging Confederate tribes
- 5 AH
Accepts Islam in secret during the siege
- 5 AH
Sets Banu Qurayzah and the Confederates against each other
- 5 AH
The alliance stalls, the siege fails, and the Confederates withdraw
Part of
Sources & review
Draft content — undergoing reviewThis content was written for SahabaMate and has not yet been checked by a reviewer against the works below. Treat it as a starting point, not a citation.
As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyahالسيرة النبوية
Classical biography · Ibn Hisham, from the recension of Ibn Ishaq
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى
Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd
Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة
Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani
SahabaMate editorial summary
Editorial summary
Where a reference names a work without a page or number, that is deliberate: SahabaMate does not publish a locator it cannot stand behind.
SahabaMate Pro
Want to remember what you learn about the Sahabah?
Pro will help you retain what you have read — personalised review, learning paths, and your own Sahaba Album.