Iyad ibn Ghanm

Iyad ibn Ghanm al-Fihri al-Qurashi (died 20 AH / 641 CE) was a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ who served as a senior commander and governor during the early Islamic conquests of the Levant. He was from the Fihr clan of Quraysh and participated in the major campaigns of the conquest of Syria under the command of Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah.

He was particularly involved in the conquest of northern Syria and the Jazira (upper Mesopotamia). After Abu Ubayda's death in the Plague of Amwas in 18 AH, and after the subsequent death of his replacement Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan, Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan became the main governor of Syria. Iyad ibn Ghanm operated in the northern territories, overseeing the conquest of regions including the area around the Euphrates.

He conducted the conquest of al-Jazira (northern Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates) and the upper Euphrates region, extending Muslim rule into these territories largely through negotiated surrenders rather than prolonged battles. He was known for treating the local Christian and Jewish populations according to the terms of the dhimma covenant, protecting their lives and property in exchange for the jizya tax.

He died in 20 AH, relatively soon after the great conquests in which he played a key role. His administration of the northern Syrian and Mesopotamian territories helped consolidate early Islamic rule in what would become some of the most important provinces of the Umayyad caliphate.