Wikipedia's first sentence called it “noted”. Today it says “tribal chief of the tayy tribe who converted to islam and became one of the sahaba”.
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The opening as it read in October 6, 2023
Zayd al-Khayr ( Arabic : زيد الخير) was a noted, significant companion of Muhammad , the prophet of Islam . Hailing from the tribe of Tayy in northern Nejd . He was originally known as Zayd al-Khayl ("Zayd of the Steeds", a reference to his chivalry), but after becoming Muslim , Muhammad renamed him Zayd al-Khayr ("Zayd of Goodness" or "of Bounty"). After learning information about Muhammad, Zayd made enquiries and decided to travel to Medina and meet him, taking a delegation of his people including Zurr ibn Sudoos, Malik ibn Jubayr, Aamir ibn Duwayn and others. When they reached Medina, they entered Masjid al-Nabawi while he was addressing his congregation. Zayd and his delegation were astonished by the attention of the Muslims and the effect of his words on them. Muhammad said: "I am better for you than al- Uzza (one of the main idols of the Arabs in the pre-Islamic era) and everything else that you worship. I am better for you than the black camel which you worship besides God." Some of Zayd's delegation responded positively and accepted Islam while others Such as Zurr ibn Sudoos did not. When Muhammad had finished speaking, Zayd stood up and said: "O Muhammad, I testify that there is no god but God and that you are the messenger of God." Muhammad approached him and asked who he was, to which Zayd replied, "I am Zayd al-Khayl the son of Muhalhil." "From now on you are Zayd al-Khayr ("Zayd the good") instead, not Zayd al-Khayl," said Muhammad. Muhammad said about him, "Of every Arab's virtues I heard, after meeting him, I found it overestimated - except Zaid whom I found more than I had heard about him (in virtues)" During this visit in Medina all those who stayed with Zayd became Muslims. However, there was an epidemic of fever in Medina and Zayd al-Khayr succumbed to it. He attempted to return home despite his illness, hoping to get back to his people so they might become Muslims at his hands. He struggled to overcome the fever but he died before reaching Najd .1
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 1136268446.
The opening as it stood in 2010
Zayd al-Khayr was a noted, significant companion of Muhammad , the prophet of Islam . Hailing from the tribe of Tayy in northern Nejd . He was originally known as Zayd al-Khayl ("Zayd of the Steeds", a reference to his chivalry), but after becoming Muslim , Muhammad renamed him Zayd al-Khayr ("Zayd of Goodness" or "of Bounty"). After learning information about Muhammad, Zayd made enquiries and decided to travel to Medina and meet him, taking a delegation of his people including Zurr ibn Sudoos, Malik ibn Jubayr, Aamir ibn Duwayn and others. When they reached Medina, they entered Masjid al-Nabawi while he was addressing his congregation. Zayd and his delegation were astonished by the attention of the Muslims and the effect of his words on them. Muhammad said: "I am better for you than al- Uzza (one of the main idols of the Arabs in the pre-Islamic era) and everything else that you worship. I am better for you than the black camel which you worship besides God." Some of Zayd's delegation responded positively and accepted Islam while others did not. When Muhammad had finished speaking, Zayd stood up and said: "O Muhammad, I testify that there is no god but God and that you are the messenger of God." Muhammad approached him and asked who he was, to which Zayd replied, "I am Zayd al-Khayl the son of Muhalhil." "From now on you are Zayd al-Khayr ("Zayd the good") instead, not Zayd al-Khayl," said Muhammad. During this visit in Medina all those who stayed with Zayd became Muslims. However, there was an epidemic of fever in Medina and Zayd al-Khayr succumbed to it. He attempted to return home despite his illness, hoping to get back to his people so they might become Muslims at his hands. He struggled to overcome the fever but he died before reaching Najd.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 291658968.
The opening as it stood in 2020
Zayd al-Khayr was a noted, significant companion of Muhammad , the prophet of Islam . Hailing from the tribe of Tayy in northern Nejd . He was originally known as Zayd al-Khayl ("Zayd of the Steeds", a reference to his chivalry), but after becoming Muslim , Muhammad renamed him Zayd al-Khayr ("Zayd of Goodness" or "of Bounty"). After learning information about Muhammad, Zayd made enquiries and decided to travel to Medina and meet him, taking a delegation of his people including Zurr ibn Sudoos, Malik ibn Jubayr, Aamir ibn Duwayn and others. When they reached Medina, they entered Masjid al-Nabawi while he was addressing his congregation. Zayd and his delegation were astonished by the attention of the Muslims and the effect of his words on them. Muhammad said: "I am better for you than al- Uzza (one of the main idols of the Arabs in the pre-Islamic era) and everything else that you worship. I am better for you than the black camel which you worship besides God." Some of Zayd's delegation responded positively and accepted Islam while others Such as Zurr ibn Sudoos did not. When Muhammad had finished speaking, Zayd stood up and said: "O Muhammad, I testify that there is no god but God and that you are the messenger of God." Muhammad approached him and asked who he was, to which Zayd replied, "I am Zayd al-Khayl the son of Muhalhil." "From now on you are Zayd al-Khayr ("Zayd the good") instead, not Zayd al-Khayl," said Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad said about him, "Of every Arab's virtues I heard, after meeting him, I found it overestimated - except Zaid whom I found more than I had heard about him (in virtues)" During this visit in Medina all those who stayed with Zayd became Muslims. However, there was an epidemic of fever in Medina and Zayd al-Khayr succumbed to it. He attempted to return home despite his illness, hoping to get back to his people so they might become Muslims at his hands. He struggled to overcome the fever but he died before reaching Najd.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 958965828.
The opening as it stood in 2025 13 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad Zayd al-Khayr ( Arabic : زيد الخير), formerly Zayd al-Khayl was a tribal chief of the Tayy tribe who converted to Islam and became one of the Sahaba .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1290120978. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “noted”. Today it says “tribal chief of the tayy tribe who converted to islam and became one of the sahaba”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
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Oct '23
2025
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What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
noted
Now
tribal chief of the tayy tribe who converted to islam and became one of the sahaba
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.