Leader Name: Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman

Faction Name: The Banu Abs Tribe

Map Province: Located very close to the tri-border between the provinces of Al-Azd, Banu Taghlib and Banu Hanifa, centred around the town of Ha'il

History/Bio: The Banu Abs are an ancient Arab tribe and pride themselves on their numbers and illustrious history, as well as the many great poets their tribe has come out with over the eras - of them being the famed Antarah bin Shaddad al-Absi.
The tribe had long been told by its elders and chiefs that there will come a day when a man to unite the Arabs would rise, and that when he came they must willingly follow him. And so the Prophet has come and gone, and the Banu Abs have been of his most willing followers and most ardent supporters. It is now their duty to carry his message of light to the world, with words to those who will listen and with the sword to those who are obstinate and stubborn fools.

Known for their numbers, courage and their warrior ways, the Banu Abs were vital during the Ridda Wars against the treacherous apostates and false prophets, and now they are among the most willing followers of the Caliph. Their warriors thirst to be sent forth against the disbelievers and forge an Islamic Empire to topple the decadent and misguided ones of old.

Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman was not born the son of a chief of the Banu Abs, but with the death of the old and the converging of the tribal council, he has been chosen as a most worthy chief indeed. He is well known to have been among the closest of the Companions to the Prophet, praised by the Messenger for his intelligence, quick wit and ability to keep a secret against the greatest pressures - it is Hudhayfa, after all, who is [i]The Keeper of the Prophet's Secret[/i]. Hudhayfa was entrusted by the Prophet with the names of all the hypocrites and commanded to keep an eye on them, but to keep their names a secret from anyone. These most evil ones, who pretend at faith while their hearts disbelieve, still roam around, and people often look for whether Hudhayfa is present at a person's funeral or not to know whether to conduct the funeral prayer or not - for Hudhayfa would never be present at the funeral prayer of a hypocrite.

Hudhayfa participated in all of the Prophet's battles bar the Battle of Badr, and his father was killed in error by the Muslims during the Battle of Uhud, though Hudhayfa was quick to forgive and donated the blood-money to the Muslims as [i]sadaqah[/i] - charity. During the Battle of the Ditch, too, Hudhayfa was present, having remained when the majority of people, foremost among them the hypocrites, had abandoned the battle. And he was the one sent by the Prophet to find out what the enemy forces of the Quraysh were up to, only to discover that they were retreating, and it was he who brought this joyous news.

Now the Prophet is gone and the Muslims have been left the weighty burden of continuing his message of light and guidance to mankind. Hudhayfa would rather never have existed than betray this most hefty trust!