Quss Ibn Sa’ida al-Iyadi (6th–7th cent. A.D.), Bishop of Najran: An Arabic and Islamic Cultural Hero

Abstract

The article deals with the half-legendary Quss Ibn Sa’ida from an ancient North Arab tribe Iyad, who is believed to have been a bishop of the Yemeni city of Najran and a monk (anachorete). The sources from the Quranic and medieval Arab (Muslim) tradition are gathered and analysed to underline the vivid place that Quss had in later historiography and theological works, and his unique position, a Christian, in the history of the Arab-Muslim culture. The case of Quss is not without value as far as the problem of common historical memory is concerned.