Am r . ▁ ▁Geographic ▁distribution ▁According ▁to ▁Arab ▁legend , ▁the ▁original ▁hom eland ▁of ▁the ▁Q ays i ▁tribes ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁low - lying ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Ti ham ah ▁along ▁the ▁He j az . ▁By ▁Muhammad ' s ▁time ▁( ca . ▁ 5 7 0 ▁CE ), ▁the ▁numerous ▁branches ▁of ▁the ▁Q ays ▁had ▁spread ▁to ▁the ▁areas ▁sout heast ▁and ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁Me cca , ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Med ina , ▁other ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁He j az , ▁the ▁high lands ▁of ▁the ▁Naj d ▁and ▁al - Y am am ah , ▁Eastern ▁Arab ia , ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁Lower ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁where ▁the ▁Ban u ▁Lak hm ▁ruled . ▁Like ▁other ▁Arab ian ▁groups , ▁numerous ▁Q ays i ▁tribes ▁migr ated ▁north ward ▁during ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁Muslim ▁con quest s . ▁Q ays i ▁tribes ▁spread ▁throughout ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Mes op ot am ia , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁parts ▁of ▁those ▁regions ▁in ▁the ▁provinces ▁of ▁Q inn as rin ▁( around ▁Ale ppo ) ▁and ▁Di yar ▁M ud ar . ▁However , ▁they ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁presence ▁around ▁H ims , ▁Dam asc us , ▁the ▁Gh ut ah ▁and ▁Haw ran ▁pla ins , ▁the ▁Gol an ▁He ights , ▁Palest ine , ▁Trans j ord an ▁( al - Bal qa ), ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁cities ▁of ▁K uf a ▁and ▁al - Bas rah . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁