Abyad ibn Hammal

Abyad ibn Hammal al-Ma'ribi al-Himyari, may Allah be pleased with him, was a companion of the Prophet ﷺ who came from the Ma'rib region of Yemen. He came to the Prophet ﷺ as part of a delegation and engaged in a notable exchange regarding the salt deposits of Ma'rib, asking the Prophet ﷺ to grant him those resources as an iqta' (land grant). The Prophet ﷺ initially agreed but then rescinded when informed that it was like flowing water that anyone could benefit from, remarking that one does not grant what is like flowing water and fire. This narrative became an important reference in discussions of the rules of natural resources in Islamic law. He also narrated other hadiths from the Prophet ﷺ relating to property, transactions, and the duties of Muslims. His narrations are preserved in the Sunan of Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi and are cited in classical fiqh discussions of the categories of land and property that may or may not be privately owned in an Islamic state. He is counted among the Yemeni companions who brought prophetic knowledge to their homeland.