Position in Medina
Ibn Ubayy was one of the chiefs of the Khazraj, who at his time were in conflict with the other major Arab tribe of the city, the Banu Aws. During the fidjar, the so-called "sacrilegious war", Ibn Ubayy had led parts of the Khazraj tribe on the first day of fighting, but held aloof on the second day. Neither did he participate in the Battle of Bu'ath, due to a quarrel with another leader over the execution of Jewish hostages. It appears that at one point during this conflict, his life was saved by his Jewish allies from the tribe of Banu Qaynuqa, as he would later exclaim: "300 soldiers armed in mail, and 400 unequipped, -- they defended me on the fields of Hadaick and Boath from every foe."
Ibn Ubayy "used every effort to end the fratricidal strife" and achieved a partial reconciliation between the two factions, which both recognized the leadership of Ibn Ubayy. He occupied a high status in pre-Islamic Medinan society, and his supporters aimed for him to become "king". This aim was not realized, however, due to the arrival of Muhammad in 622: since the tribal conflict was never completely resolved, some citizens looked towards another arbitrator and called in Muhammad, whose preaching had made him famous beyond his home town of Mecca. The arrival of a man who claimed to speak in the name of God eclipsed Ibn Ubayy's influence. This provoked his jealousy, which he was careful to conceal, but was mitigated by his moderation and peacefulness. Ibn Ubayy nonetheless remained a well-respected man. According to Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Ubayy was "a man of great authority in Medina before the advent of the apostle" and "remained a continuing thorn in the flesh of his success."
Read more about this topic: Abd-Allah Ibn Ubayy
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