Umayr ibn Wahb al-Jumahi

Umayr ibn Wahb al-Jumahi (died after 8 AH) was a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ whose story of conversion is one of the most dramatic in Islamic history. He was initially a fierce opponent of Islam and participated in the persecution of the early Muslim community in Mecca. After the Battle of Badr, in which his son was taken prisoner, he met with Safwan ibn Umayyah in Mecca and the two allegedly plotted to assassinate the Prophet ﷺ.

According to the account preserved in the seerah, Umayr traveled to Medina under the pretext of ransom negotiations for his son, concealing a poisoned sword. When he arrived at the Prophet's mosque, the Prophet ﷺ — who had been informed of the plot either through revelation or through his intelligence network — confronted Umayr about the conspiracy. Stunned that the Prophet knew, Umayr accepted Islam on the spot, overwhelmed by what he recognized as prophetic knowledge.

He then became one of the most devoted Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ sent him back to Mecca as a preacher, and he reportedly brought a number of Meccans to Islam. His conversion transformed him from a hired assassin into a missionary. The contrast between his intent on arriving in Medina and his mission on leaving became one of the stories of divine guidance and sudden transformation in the prophetic biographies.

After embracing Islam, he participated in campaigns and served the community. His son, whom he had come to ransom, was released, and both father and son lived as Muslims. Umayr's conversion story became a staple of prophetic biography illustrating both the foreknowledge of the Prophet ﷺ and the capacity for complete personal transformation.