▁" ʿ A yl an " ▁was ▁actually ▁the ▁ep ith et ▁of ▁al - N ā s , ▁a ▁son ▁of ▁M ud ar ▁ibn ▁N izar ▁ibn ▁Ma ' ad ▁ibn ▁Ad nan . ▁The ▁theory ▁that ▁A yl an ▁is ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁Q ays ▁is ▁rejected ▁by ▁I bn ▁Kh ald un ▁( d . ▁ 1 4 0 6 ), ▁a ▁medieval ▁historian ▁of ▁Arab ▁tribes , ▁and ▁is ▁indirect ly ▁rejected ▁by ▁other ▁medieval ▁Arab ▁histor ians . ▁R ather , ▁I bn ▁Kh ald un ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁" Q ays ▁ ʿ A yl an " ▁is ▁the ▁ep ith et ▁of ▁al - N as ▁ibn ▁M ud ar ▁ibn ▁N izar ▁ibn ▁Ma ' ad ▁ibn ▁Ad nan . ▁These ▁histor ians ▁hold ▁varying ▁theories ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁" ʿ A yl an " ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ep ith et ; ▁among ▁these ▁are ▁that ▁ ʿ A yl an ▁was ▁either ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁al - N as ' s ▁famous ▁horse , ▁his ▁dog , ▁his ▁bow , ▁a ▁mountain ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁born , ▁or ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁raised ▁him . ▁ ▁Q ays ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁sub div isions ▁of ▁M ud ar , ▁the ▁other ▁being ▁Kh ind if ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁al - Y ā s ). ▁As ▁descend ants ▁of ▁M ud ar , ▁the ▁Q ays ▁are ▁considered ▁Ad nan ites ▁or ▁"