Banu Kalb
Dawmat al-Jandal was one of the large commercial towns of Arabia, widely known for its rich and much-frequented market. It was also an important communication centre, a meeting point of routes from Central Arabia, Iraq and Syria. At about the time when Khalid ibn Walid set off from Yamamah for the invasion of Iraq, Abu Bakr had sent Iyad ibn Ghanm to capture Daumat-ul-Jandal and once again bring the northern tribes into submission. Iyad arrived at Daumat-ul-Jandal to find it strongly defended by Banu Kalb, a large Christian Arab tribe inhabiting this region and the eastern fringe of Syria.