- Tribe
- Ansar (Khazraj, Banu al-Najjar)
- Accepted Islam
- Before the Hijrah, at the second pledge of ʿAqabah
Biography
Ubayy was one of the scribes of revelation in Madinah and among the best reciters of the Quran. ʿUmar appointed him to lead the people in Tarawih prayer.
He was asked by the Prophet ﷺ which ayah is greatest and answered Ayat al-Kursi. He died in Madinah, around 30 AH by most accounts.
Virtues
One of the four the Prophet ﷺ told the Muslims to learn the Quran from.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3758The Prophet ﷺ told him that Allah had commanded him to recite to Ubayy; Ubayy asked whether Allah had named him, and wept.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4959Asked which ayah is the greatest, he answered Ayat al-Kursi, and the Prophet ﷺ said: “May knowledge be pleasant for you, Abu al-Mundhir.”
Sahih Muslim 810The Prophet ﷺ described him as the best reciter of the nation.
Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi 3790
Prepared from standard seerah and biographical sources; pending scholar review.