The Bani Assad or Banu Assad (Arabic: بني أسد/ بنو أسد) (Arabic for "Sons of Lion") is an Arab tribe in Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

. They are Adnanite

Adnan

Adnan is the traditional ancestor of the Adnani Arabs of northern, central and western Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtani of Southern and south eastern Arabia who descend from Qahtan.-Origin:...

 Arabs, powerful and one of the most famous tribes. They are widely respected by many Arab tribes, respected by Shia Muslims because they have buried the body of Imam Husayn

Husayn ibn Ali

Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib ‎ was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...

, his family (Ahlul Bayt) and companions with the help of Imam Ali b. Husayn, Zayn al-‘Abidin, the son of the Imam, and many martyrs from the Battle of Karbala

Battle of Karbala

The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...

 are from the tribe. Today, many members of the tribe live in the Iraqi cities of Basra

Basra

Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...

, Najaf

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

, Kufa

Kufa

Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....

, Karbala

Karbala

Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people ....

, Nasariyah, Amara

Amara

Amara, the sun beetles, are a large genus of carabid beetles, mostly holarctic, but a few species are neotropical or occurring in eastern Asia.These ground beetles are mostly black or bronze-coloured...

, Kut

Kut

Al-Kūt is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about 160 kilometres south east of Baghdad. the estimated population is about 374,000 people...

, Hilla, Diyala, Baghdad

Baghdad

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

. There are people from Banu Assad in Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

, Kuwait

Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...

, Qatar

Qatar

Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...

, Yemen

Yemen

The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

, Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

 in Sinai desert who have all migrated from Iraq. There are also members of Bani Assad tribe in Khuzestan, Ahwaz in Iran located with neighboring tribes of Banu Tamim

Banu Tamim

Banī Tamīm Tamim is one of the largest of all Arab tribes. Their history goes back to pre-Islamic times....

, Banu Malik, Banu Kaab

Banu Kaab

The Banu Kaab are an Arab tribe of Iraqi origin settled mostly in southern Iraq, in cities such as Basra and Nasariyah. From the early 18th century onwards, the Banu Kaab began converting from Sunni to Shia Islam....

 and other notable Arab Tribes.

History

The Bani Assad is a Bedouin Arab tribe consisting of Kelabi Arabs who are originally from the Najd like other Kelabi Arabs such as the Bani Zohra. The Bani Assad is one of the most famous Arab tribes. The Bani Assad is a heroic and historically powerful Arab tribe.

Lineage

The Banu Asad are the descendants of Asad ben 'Abd ben Kelab ben Murra ben Ka'b ben Lui ben Galeb ben Fehr Qoreix ben Malek, who is a descendant of Modar ben Nezar ben Ma'ad el Qadri. Qadr is the second son of Ismael

Ismaël

Ismaël is a given name or surname, and may refer to:* Ismaël Alassane , Nigerien football defender* Ismaël Bangoura , Guinean football striker* Ismaël Bouzid , Algerian football player...

 bakr Abraham

Abraham

Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...

.

The prophet Mohammed is from the Bani Hashim. The prophet Mohammad's lineage is:

Mohammad ben 'Abdellah ben Abdul Mottaleb ben Hashim.

This makes the tribe of Asad the progenitor of the Bani Mottaleb as well, in addition to the clan of Nawfal ben Asad.

Relation to the prophet Mohammed

The Banu Asad have been complimented by the prophet Mohammad as only few Arab tribes have been. The prophet Mohammad lived with the Bani Asad in his childhood. The prophet Mohammad's wife, Khadija bent Khweiled, is from among the Bani Asad. Halima, who nursed the prophet Mohammad for two years, is also from the Bani Asad. The Banu Asad spread and developed the Arabic language since the 1st or the 2nd century.

Hadiths of Mohammad about the Bani Asad

Mo'awiyah al-Kalbi asked the prophet Mohammed: " O, messenger of Allah, tell me which is your dearest and most loved Arab tribe?". The prophet Mohammed replied. " The Allies of the Bani Asad and the Bani Ghatafan".

Mo'awiyah al-Kalbi asked another question: " Who has the best Arabic in all terms?" The prophet Mohammed replied "The Banu Asad"

In the 6th century a royal chief of the Kendah tribe named Hojr was killed by the Bani Asad. A contemporary of Imru' al-Qais

Imru' al-Qais

Imru` al-Qais bin Hujr al-Kindi was an Arabian poet in the 6th century AD, and also the son of one of the last Kindite kings. His qaseeda, or long poem, "Let us stop and weep" is one of the seven Mu'allaqat, poems prized as the best examples of pre-Islamic Arabian verse...

, the illustrious Arabian mu'allaqat

Mu'allaqat

The Mu‘allaqāt is the title of a group of seven long Arabic poems or qasida that have come down from the time before Islam. Each is considered the best work of these pre-Islamic poets...

 poet 'Abid ben al-Abras belonged to the Bani Asad and was fond of vaunting Hojr's murder.

Religion

It has been noted from historians that before the prophet Mohammad, the Banu Asad used to practice the religion of Abraham who believed in one God. The tribe embraced the prophet in the 7th century during the beginning of Mohammad's Life. After moving to Kufa in Iraq, they sided with Imam 'Ali. They are among the first Arab tribes to be Shi'a of 'Ali. They also sided with Imam Hosein ben 'Ali at the Battle of Karbala. The entire Banu Asad tribe is Shi'a Moslem, with most in Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 and Ahwaz usually belonging to the Twelver or Ja'fariyah sect. Additionally, there are small Twelver minorities in Hadramaut and a large Zaidi community in northwestern Yemen and southwestern Arabia.

Migration to Iraq

The Banu Asad migrated to Iraq in the 7th century and settled in Kufa. They have settled near the banks of the Euphrates river near Kufa and Karbala and have also settled in Basra and in al Ahwaz, sharing land with Bani Tamim. The Banu Asad sided with Imam 'Ali in the Battle of the Camel. Many companions of the prophet Mohammad and Imam 'Ali are from the Bani Asad. The Banu Asad tribe sided with the son of Imam 'Ali, Hosein, in the Battle of Karbala, which took place on Muharram 10th, 61 AH (October 9 or 10, 680 CE)[1][2] in Karbala, in Iraq. Many martyrs from the Banu Asad clan died with Imam Hosein in the Battle of Karbala.

The Mazyadid State of the Bani Asad

In 998, 'Ali ben Mazyad, leader of the Banu Asad tribe, established a virtually independent Mazyadid state in the Kufa area of Iraq. Backed by a powerful tribal army, the Mazyadids enjoyed great influence in the area for a century and a half. They acquired titles and subsidies from the Buyids in return for military services. Their most lasting achievement was the founding of Hilla, one of the main cities in Iraq, which became their capital in 1012. The originator of the Al Mazidi name was a scholar, hadith narrator and chemist called Mazyad ben Mikhled al Sadaqa. Imad al-Isfahani commented about the rulers of the Mazyadid State, saying:

"They were Arabs, belonging to the Bani Mazyad from the Powerful Bani Asad Tribe. They established themselves with the strength of their swords on the banks of Euphrates. They were the refuge of those who were in need of it, the shelter for the expectants, the helpers of those who sought help and supporters of the weak. People with expectation were attracted towards them and scholars found money with them. What they did in spending on good purpose is too well known and talks of their generosity too common. Sadaqa shook with pride when he listened to poetry and set aside for the poet a special part of his generosity. He made them free from poverty. He accepted them in his audience. He was all ears to listen to the requests of people and very generous in giving them what they needed".

Members of the Banu Assad Clan outside of Iraq

Mansour Moosa Al-Mazeedi played an important role in developing a Kuwaiti constitution issued on January 29, 1963 as part of Al Majles Al Ta'sesy or Founding Parliament.[3]

The Al Mazeedi family are Shi'a in Iraq, dramatically increasing the influence of Shi'ite minorities in Arabia. And there are also Al Mazeedi Shi'a families in Kuwait as well as Sunni. Recently it was discovered that some Al-Mazeedi family members migrated to Yemen a few hundred years ago and settled in the region of Hadramaut. Their tribal name is Al-Mazyad or Banu Assad, their surnames or their family names is Al-Assadi, or Al-Mazeedi, and some (about 1000) were also found in Oman.

Fatalities from the Bani Asad Clan in the Battle of Karbala

Uns ben Hars Asadi, Habib ben Mozahir Asadi(Commander of the left flank)Moslem ben Ausaja Asadi, Qais ben Masher Asadi, Abu Samama Umru ben Abdellah, oreer Hamdani, Hanala ibn Asad, Abis Shakri, Abdul Rahman Rahbi, Saif ibn Hars, Amer ben Abdellah Hamdani.

Burials

On the 13th of Moharram, three days after the massacre, members of the Bani Asad Tribe in Karbala had the honor of burying the bodies of Imam Hosein, his family and their companions. The Banu Asad tribe is widely respected by other Shi'a Arab tribes. Ali ibn Husayn, the 4th Twelver Shia Imam, helped the Banu Assad tribe to bury the martyred bodies and helped them to identify the bodies of Imam Hosein and the Ahl el Beit and their companions.

Clans

All clans are related which goes back to the same tribe or ancestor of Assad.

• Bani Assad
• Al-Khayoon Tribe (clans of Khayoon):
  • Al-Hassan
  • Al-Jayyid
  • Al-Janaah
  • Al-Sheikh
• Bani Askari Tribe (clans of Askari)
  • Al-Abdul Ameer
  • Al-A'beed
  • Al-Sheikh Ali
  • Al-Sh'haab
• Al-Wanis Tribe (clans of Wanis)
  • Al-Freeh
  • Al-Khaitan
  • Al-Badir
  • Al-Ghaithan
  • Al-Jasim
  • Al-Sh'haf
  • Al-Tarshaan
  • Al-Hamad
  • Al-Khamees

Al-Abbas Tribe (clans of Abbas)

• Al-bo Sodah
• Al-bo Sidyo
• Al-bo Zahroon

Al-Haddad Tribe (clans of Haddad)

• Al-Rasheeda
• Al-Mas'ood
• Al-Sajiyah
• Al-Shneen
• Al-Awaad
• Al-Hjool
• Al-Hlool

Al-Aneesa (Anisa) Tribe (clans of Aneesa)

• Al-Sahr
• Al-Ataab
• Al-Sweenij

Al-Abdallah Tribe (clans of Abdallah)

• Al-Sawaad
• Al-Finjaan
• Al-bo Ayaash
• Al-Hajj Sari
• Al-Makhyour
• Al-Oweeti
• Al-Hjemeen
• Al-Rofah (Raufah)
• Al-Sawari
• Al-Dilfeen
• Al-Khazaam
• Al-Saleh Khalawi Jabr
• Al-Rahi
• Al-Sidyo

Al-Mawajid Tribe (clans of mawajid)

• Al-Eisa
• Al-Hwaichim (Huwaijim)
• Al-Hajji
• Al-Ta'ama Nasir
• Al-Shjreeji

Al-Khalisi Tribe (clans of Khalisi)

• Al-bo Mahdi
• Al-bo Ali
• Al-Sabayigh

Al-Khatir Tribe (clans of Khatir)

• Al-Aziz
• Al-Sheikh Mohammed
• Al-Sheikh La'eebi Jabir
• Al-Bazoon
• Al-Jam'iyat
• Al-Bdeer

• Al Abeidallah
• Al-Khazzam
• Al-bu Sedwear
• Al-Sawari
• Al-Sari
• Al-Bu Makhyour
• Bani Mushrif (includes many clans)
• Al-Hilal
• Al-Mazeedi (includes clans)
• Bani Kahel (includes clans)
• Al-Nawashi
• Al-Hul
• Al Reyoufa
• Al-Bu Hmael
• Al-Terrhiyoun
• Al-Kammouna
• Al-Shibeebi
• Al-Hmaed
• Al-Baghdadi
• Al Ghamaas
• Al-Jaza'iri
• There are Sayyids who have joined Bani Assad tribe, in southern Iraq many centuries ago
• There are more tribes and clans of Bani Assad

Population

Currently, very large numbers of the Banu Assad live in Iraq in Basra, Najaf, Nasiriyah, Karbala, Hilla, Amara, Diyala, Salah-e-Deen and Baghdad. Bani Assad are one of the 5 biggest tribes in Iraq. 65% of the 1.2 million population of Karbala are Bani Assad and 40% of Hilla and large numbers in Najaf, Kufa, Basra and Nasariyah. There significant population of Bani Assad in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen and Ahwaz in Iran (Arabs of Iran).

Leading personalities

• Tulayha
  Tulayha
  Tulayha ibn Khuwaylid ibn Nawfal al-Asadi belonged to the Bani Assad tribe. He was a wealthy chief and a great warrior. In 625 he was defeated in the Expedition of Qatan . He also took part in the Battle of the Trench in 627.-History:...
  
  
• Habib ben Mozahir el Asadi
• Uns ben Hars el Asadi
• Saif ben Hars (brother of Uns ben Hars)
• Moslem ben Ausaja al Asadi
• Qais ben Masher el Asadi
• Qobeisa ben Jabir el Asadi
• Abu Samama Umru ben 'Abdellah
• oreer Hamdani
• Hanala ben Asad
• Abis Shakri
• Abdul Rahman Rahbi
• Amer ben 'Abdellah Hamdani
• 'Ali ben Mazyad
• Kumait ben Zaid Al-Assadi (Poet of Ahlul Bait)
• Mutair Al-Assadi
• Al-Hilli Al-Assadi
• Al-Shibeebi Al-Assadi
• Al-Khalisi Al-Assadi
• Umru bin Malik Al-Assadi (Abu Al-Heejaa) who planned the city of Kufa
• Sa'eed bin Jabeer Al-Assadi (The most person with the knowledge of the Arabic language that ever lived)
• Aban bin Taghlib Al-Kuffi Al-Assadi (The first person to publish a book with the meaning of the Holy Quraan and was renewed with meanings every year and still used by many scholars and students today)
• Saleem bin Qais Al-Hilali Al-Assadi (Most Famous Philosopher and Scholar)
• Ali bin Muhammed bin Ubaid bin Zubair Al-Assadi (Known as the son of Kufa from the Arabs and known for the Arabic Language)
• Yahya bin Qasim Abu Baseer Al-Assadi (Known for being one of the first scholars of Fiqh and Philosophy)
• Salman bin Mahraan (Al-Aamash) Al-Assadi (The first Imam/Reader of The Quraan)

• There are many more scholars and famous personalities.

See also

• Osseiran family
  Osseiran family
  The Osseiran Family of Lebanon, like the Haidar and Suleiman families of the Bekaa region, are descended from the Bani Assad tribe of Southern Iraq....
  
   of Lebanon.
• List of Shi'a Muslims dynasties