It is narrated from Mus'ab bin Abdullah al-Zubayri that al-Hadrami, the father of al-Ala', was actually named Abdullah bin Abbad bin Akbar bin Rabi'ah bin Malik bin Uraym bin Malik bin al-Khazraj bin Iyad bin al-Sadif. He belonged to Hadramawt (of Kindah), and he died in the year 21 AH while returning from Bahrain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Ala' bin al-Hadrami (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me (as an official) to mixed people, some of whom were Muslims and some polytheists, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that I collect the tithe ('ushr, one tenth) from the Muslim and the jizyah from the polytheist.

The son of al-Ala' bin al-Hadrami narrates from his father that he wrote a letter to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and (as a matter of etiquette, at the start of the letter) wrote his own name first.