Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition

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Diḥya
(514 words)

(or Daḥya ) b. K̲h̲alīfa al-Kalbī , Companion of the Prophet and a somewhat mysterious character. He is traditionally represented as a rich merchant of such outstanding beauty that the Angel Gabriel took his features; and, when he arrived at Medina, all the women ( muʿṣir , see LA, root. ʿṣr ) came out to see him (Ḳurʾān, LXII, n, may be an allusion to this occurrence). There is no reason to accept the suggestion put forward by Lammens (EI 1, s.v.) of some commercial connexion with Muḥammad; we only know that a sudden death put a stop to a projected marriage between a niece of Diḥya and …

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Lammens, H. and Pellat, Ch., “Diḥya”, in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 28 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_1850>
First published online: 2012
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004161214, 1960-2007



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