Quraysh
Encyclopedia
- Quraysh is also the name of a SurahSuraA sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
in the Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
.
The Quraysh or Quraish were a powerful merchant tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
that controlled Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and its Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur'an states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham, or Ibraheem, in Arabic, and his son Ishmael, or Ismaeel, as said in Arabic, after he had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque...
upon the appearance of the religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Muhammad was born into the Banu Hashim
Banu Hashim
Banū Hāshim was a clan in the Quraysh tribe. Muhammad, was a member of this clan; his great-grandfather was Hashim, for whom the clan is named. Members of this clan are referred to by the Anglicised version of their name as Hashemites, or Huseini or Hasani...
clan of the Quraysh tribe.
Early history
According to Arabic history books, the Quraysh were a branch of the Banu KinanahBanu Kinanah
Banu Kinanah is the largest Adnanite tribe of western Saudi Arabia in Hejaz. Since Islamization they started to claim that they are descended from Kinanah, who was a grandson of Ilyas who was named after the prophet Elijah.- Ancestry :The tribe traces a genealogical history backwards from their...
tribe, which descended from the Khuzaimah. For several generations they were spread about among other tribal groupings. About five generations before Muhammad the situation was changed by Qusai ibn Kilab
Qusai ibn Kilab
Qusai ibn Kilab ibn Murrah was the great-grandfather of Shaiba ibn Hashim . He was fifth in the line of descent to the Islamic Muhammad, and attained supreme power at Makkah. Qusai is amongst the ancestors of Sahaba and the progenitor of the Quraysh.-Background:He was born into the famous Quraysh...
. By war and diplomacy he assembled an alliance that delivered to him the keys of the Kaaba, an important pagan shrine which brought revenues to Mecca because of the multitude of pilgrims that it attracted. He then gathered his fellow tribesmen to settle at Mecca, where he enjoyed such adulation from his kin that they adjudged him their de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
king, a position that was enjoyed by no other descendant of his. Different responsibilities were apportioned between different clans. There were some rivalries among the clans, and these became especially pronounced during Muhammad's lifetime.
Opposition to Muhammad
Some clan leaders did not appreciate Muhammad's claim of prophethood and tried to silence him by putting pressure on his uncle, Abu TalibAbu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib
Abi Tlib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib also known as Abu Talib ibn al-Muttalib.Talib was in reality the elder son of Abd Munāf and elder brother to Ali Ibn Abd Munāf. He was an head of Bani Hashim clan of Quraysh tribe of Mecca in Arabia. He was married to Fatima bint Asad and was an uncle of the...
. Many of the clans also began to persecute the followers of Muhammad, for example by boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
ing them. A number of the followers took refuge with the Christian king of Abyssinia
Aksumite Empire
The Kingdom of Aksum or Axum, also known as the Aksumite Empire, was an important trading nation in northeastern Africa, growing from the proto-Aksumite Iron Age period ca. 4th century BC to achieve prominence by the 1st century AD...
, while Muhammad himself would later emigrate to Yathrib, now Medina
Hijra (Islam)
The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
.
The Quraysh fought many battles against Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, one major clash was the Battle of Badr
Battle of Badr
The Battle of Badr , fought Saturday, March 13, 624 AD in the Hejaz region of western Arabia , was a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in Muhammad's struggle with his opponents among the Quraish in Mecca...
, where the Quraysh were defeated, the event was seen as a turning point for Muslims.
After Muhammad's conquest of Mecca
Conquest of Mecca
Mecca was conquered by the Muslims in January 630 AD .-Background:In 628 the Meccan tribe of Quraysh and the Muslim community in Medina signed a 10 year truce called the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah....
in 630, he pardoned many of those who had oppressed him before, and peace among the different clans was maintained. After Muhammad's death, clan rivalries reignited, playing central roles in the conflicts over the caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
and contributing to the Shi'a
Shi'a Islam
Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
-Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
divide.
Clans and the Caliphate
After the introduction of Islam, the Quraysh gained supremacy and produced the three dynasties of the Ummayad Caliphate, the Abbasid Caliphate and the Fatimid Caliphate.The split between the Shi'a and Sunni branches of Islam centers over the succession to Muhammad
Succession to Muhammad
The Succession to Muhammad concerns the various aspects of successorship of Muhammad after his death, comprising who might be considered as his successor to lead the Muslims, how that person should be elected, the conditions of legitimacy, and the role of successor...
. The Sunnis believe Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...
was elected as Muhammad's successor while the Shi'a (literally "party [of Ali]") believe Muhammad appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor.
Ali was a member of Muhammad's clan, the Banu Hashim. Abu Bakr, while a close companion of Muhammad, came from the Banu Tamim
Banu Tamim
Banī Tamīm Tamim is one of the largest of all Arab tribes. Their history goes back to pre-Islamic times....
clan.
The second caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
, Umar ibn al-Khattab, was from the Banu Adi clan.
The third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, was from the Banu Umayyah clan.
When Ali was made caliph after the death of Uthman, the Caliphate was in the hands of the Banu Hashim, but he was almost immediately challenged by Muawiyah
Muawiyah I
Muawiyah I was the first Caliph of the Umayyad Dynasty. After the conquest of Mecca by the Muslims, Muawiyah's family converted to Islam. Muawiyah is brother-in-law to Muhammad who married his sister Ramlah bint Abi-Sufyan in 1AH...
, who was a member of the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
clan. After Ali's assassination at the hands of the Kharajites, the Shi'a hoped his son Hasan would become Caliph, but he was forced to defer to Muawiyah, who, in violation of the treaty signed with Hasan bin Ali, established the Umayyad line of Caliphs.
After the death of Muawiyah, his son Yazid
Yazid I
Yazīd ibn Mu‘āwiya ibn Abī Sufyān , commonly known as Yazid I, was the second Caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate . He ruled for three years from 680 CE until his death in 683 CE. Many Muslims condemn Yazid's rule as contentious and unjust...
became caliph but was almost immediately challenged by Ali's younger son, Hussein. Hussein would not swear allegiance to Yazid for a number of reasons, among those the alleged corruption of Yazid and Hussein's acknowledgment of the caliphate's non-hereditary lineage, which Yazid had breached. Hussein was killed by the stronger forces of Yazid at the Battle of Karbela. This event would ultimately lead to a full schism between Shi'a Islam and Sunni Islam.
In the Shi'a view Muhammad's descendants through Ali were persecuted by Umayyad Caliphs which did not help the matter.
Arab lineages
According to traditional legends, Arab lineages allegedly originate from three groups:- Perished Arabs (العرب البائدة): These are the ancients of whose history little is known. They include ‘Ad‘AdAd is the great-grandson of Shem, son of Noah who came from the northeast and was the progenitor of the Adites...
, ThamûdThamudThe Thamūd were a people of ancient Arabia who were known from the 1st millennium BC to near the time of Muhammad. Although they are thought to have originated in southern Arabia, Arabic tradition has them moving north to settle on the slopes of Mount Athlab near Mada'in Saleh...
, Tasam, Jadis, Imlaq and others. - Pure Arabs (العرب العاربة): They originated from the progeny of Ya‘rub bin Yashjub bin Qahtan bin HudHud (prophet)Hud is the name of a prophet of ancient Arabia, who is mentioned in the Qur'an. The eleventh chapter of the Qur'an, Hud, is named after him, though the narrative of Hud comprises only a small portion of the chapter.-Historical context:...
so were also called Qahtanian Arabs. - Arabized Arabs (العرب المستعربة): They originated from the progeny of IshmaelIshmaelIshmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
and were also called ‘Adnanite Arabs. The Quraysh are a branch of the "Arabized Arabs".
Clans
Quraysh branched out into various sub-clans, who in turn branched out into yet further sub-clans. Roughly the division corresponded to the family lines of the current chieftain of that clan having sons.- Banu Quraysh — Quraysh was divided into several sub-clans.
- Banu Abd-al-darBanu Abd-al-dar-History:Their progenitor is Abd-al-Dar ibn Qusai ibn Kilab. Historically, this tribe carried the banner in war, and Muhammad continued that tradition. In battles between the Makkans and the Muslims, the banner was frequently carried on both sides by a member of this tribe....
— sub-clan of Quraysh - Banu Abd Manaf — sub-clan of Quraysh
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-
- Banu NawfalBanu NawfalBanu Nawfal is a notable Arabic sub-clan of the Quraish tribe. Its progenitor is Nawfal ibn Abd Manaf .Chief: Mut`im ibn ‘Adi...
— sub-clan of Banu Abd Manaf, clan of Mut`im ibn ‘Adi - Banu Muttalib — sub-clan of Banu Abd Manaf
- Banu HashimBanu HashimBanū Hāshim was a clan in the Quraysh tribe. Muhammad, was a member of this clan; his great-grandfather was Hashim, for whom the clan is named. Members of this clan are referred to by the Anglicised version of their name as Hashemites, or Huseini or Hasani...
— sub-clan of Banu Abd Manaf, clan of MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
and AliAli' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
. - Banu Abd ShamsBanu Abd ShamsBanu Abd Shams refers to a clan within the Meccan tribe of Quraish. The clan names itself from Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf, the son of Abd Manaf ibn Qusai and brother of Hashim, the great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.-Connection with the Umayyads:...
— sub-clan of Banu Abd Manaf, parent clan of Banu Umayyah.
-
- Banu Umayyah — sub-clan of Banu Abd Shams, clan of Abu Sufyan and Uthman ibn Affan
- Banu Nawfal
-
- Banu MakhzumBanu MakhzumBanū Makhzūm was one of the wealthy clans of Quraysh, the Arab tribe of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.Famous individuals of the Banū Makhzūm include*Amr ibn Hishām better known as Abu Al-Hakam or Abu Jahl*Walid ibn al-Mughira...
— sub-clan of Quraysh, clan of Khalid ibn al-WalidKhalid ibn al-WalidKhālid ibn al-Walīd also known as Sayf Allāh al-Maslūl , was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is noted for his military tactics and prowess, commanding the forces of Medina and those of his immediate successors of the Rashidun Caliphate; Abu Bakr and Umar... - Banu ZuhrahBanu ZuhrahBanu Zuhrah is a clan of the Quraish tribe.Akhnas ibn Shariq al-Thaqifi and the Banu Zuhrah where with the Meccan as part of the escort that preceded the battle of Badr, but since he believed the caravan to be safe, he did not join Quraish on their way to a festival in badr...
— sub-clan of Quraysh, clan of Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas - Banu TamimBanu TamimBanī Tamīm Tamim is one of the largest of all Arab tribes. Their history goes back to pre-Islamic times....
— sub-clan of Quraysh, clan of Abu BakrAbu BakrAbu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death... - Banu AdiBanu AdiBanu Adi is a clan of the Quraish tribe.Banu Adi were with the Meccans as part of the escort that preceded the Battle of Badr, they did not join Quraish further.-list:Among the clan members can be found:*Khattab ibn Nufayl. Father of Caliph Omar...
— sub-clan of Quraysh, clan of Umar ibn al-Khattab - Banu Asad (Quraysh) — sub-clan of Quraysh, clan of Abd-Allah ibn al-ZubayrAbd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr`Abd Allah al-Zubayr or ibn Zubayr 624 - 692) was an Arab sahabi whose father was Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and whose mother was Asma bint Abi Bakr, daughter of the first Caliph Abu Bakr. He was the nephew of Aisha, Prophet Muhammad's third wife....
and Khadijah - Banu JumahBanu JumahThe Banu Jumah is a clan of the Quraish tribe. They are notable for being allies to the polytheist Meccans and being in war with the Muslims.In the Battle of the Camel a group of Banu Jumah was with A'ishah ....
— sub-clan of Quraysh - Banu Sahm — sub-clan of Quraysh, clan of Amr ibn al-As
Leaders of the Quraysh
The leaders of Quraysh, who formed Mecca's aristocracy upon the appearance of Muhammad, were referred to as the Lords of Quraish (by conventional translation), Dominants of Quraish (by literal translation) (Arabic: Sadat Quraysh).A list of them include:
- Aaes ibn Waeel (Banu Saham)
- Abu Jahl (Banu Makhzum)Amr ibn Hisham‘Amr ibn Hishām , better known as Abu al-Hakam, was one of the Meccan pagan Quraysh leaders, known for his hostility against and persecution of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the early Muslims in Mecca....
- Abu Lahab (Banu Hashim)Abu Lahab ibn 'Abdul MuttalibAbu Lahab was one of the enemies of Islam at Muhammad's time, condemned by name in the Qur'an in sura Al-Masadd. His full name was Abd-al-Uzza, but he was called Abu Lahab because his cheeks were always red or inflamed...
- Abu Sufyan ibn Harb (Banu Umayyah)Abu Sufyan ibn HarbSakhr ibn Harb , more commonly known as Abu Sufyan was a leading man of the Quraish of Mecca. He was a staunch opponent of the Islamic prophet Muhammad before accepting Islam later in his life.-Opposition to Islam:...
- Akhnas ibn Shariq (Haleef Banu Aadi)Akhnas ibn ShariqAkhnas ibn Shariq al-Thaqifi or Abi al-Hakam ibn Akhnas ibn Sharif ath-Thaqafi was a contemporary to Muhammad and one of the leaders of Mecca .-Muhammad's visit to Ta'if — 619:...
- Aswad ibn Mutlib (Banu Asad)
- Hakeem ibn Huzaam (Banu Asad)
- Matum ibn Aadi (Banu Nawfal)
- Mughirah ibn Abd-Allah (Banu Makhzum)Mughirah ibn Abd-AllahMughirah, Mughira or Muggeera was the father of Hisham ibn al-Mughirah and Walid ibn al-Mughira. He was from the Banu Makhzum tribe. He was one of the Leaders of Quraish...
- Nabeeha ibn Hujaj (Banu Jumahe)
- Nazar ibn Harris (Banu Abdudaar)
- Suhayl ibn Amr (Banu Aamir)Suhayl ibn AmrSuhayl ibn Amr was a prominent leader among the Quraysh, being known as the Khatib or orator of the tribe. Clever and articulate, Suhayl's personal opinion carried great weight among his tribe.-Biography:...
- Umayyah ibn Khalaf (Banu Jumahe)
- Uqba ibn Mueet (Banu Abdudaar)
- Utba ibn Rabi'ah (Banu Abdushams)Utba ibn Rabi'ahUtbah ibn Rabi'ah was one of the prominent Leaders of Quraish during the era of Muhammad.-Family:Utba's father was Rabi'ah ibn Abd Shams. Utba's daughter, Hind bint Utbah, married Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, another of the Leaders of the Quraish and Muhammad's arch-enemy...
Related tribes
- Banu KinanahBanu KinanahBanu Kinanah is the largest Adnanite tribe of western Saudi Arabia in Hejaz. Since Islamization they started to claim that they are descended from Kinanah, who was a grandson of Ilyas who was named after the prophet Elijah.- Ancestry :The tribe traces a genealogical history backwards from their...
- Banu HothailBanu HothailBanu Hothail are an Adnanite tribe of western Saudi Arabia in Hijjaz. They are descended from Hothail, who was a grandson of Ilyas who was named after the prophet Elijah.- Ancestry :...
- Banu Sulaym
- Banu TamimBanu TamimBanī Tamīm Tamim is one of the largest of all Arab tribes. Their history goes back to pre-Islamic times....
- Bani Assad
- Thaqif
- Huwazin
- Banu GhatafanBanu GhatafanBanu Ghatafan are a massive ancient tribe north of Medinah and from them come the tribes of Banu Abs and Ashga and Banu Thibyaan. They were one of the Arab tribes that interacted with Muhammad. They are notable for allying themselves with the Banu Quraish in the Battle of the trench....
See also
- Abbasid Caliphate
- Alaouite dynastyAlaouite DynastyThe Alaouite Dynasty is the name of the current Moroccan royal family. The name Alaouite comes from the ‘Alī of its founder Moulay Ali Cherif who became Prince of Tafilalt in 1631. His son Mulay r-Rshid was able to unite and pacify the country...
- Banu HashimBanu HashimBanū Hāshim was a clan in the Quraysh tribe. Muhammad, was a member of this clan; his great-grandfather was Hashim, for whom the clan is named. Members of this clan are referred to by the Anglicised version of their name as Hashemites, or Huseini or Hasani...
- Ba 'Alawiyya
- DarodDarodThe Darod is a Somali clan. The father of this clan is named Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, but is more commonly known as Darod. In the Somali language, the word Daarood means "an enclosed compound," a conflation of the two words daar and ood .The Darod population in Somalia lives principally...
- HashemiteHashemiteHashemite is the Latinate version of the , transliteration: Hāšimī, and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe...
- Idrisid dynasty
- IsaaqIsaaqThe Isaaq is one of the main Somali clans. Members of the clan principally live in the northwestern Somaliland region of Somalia, and the Somali Region of Ethiopia. The populations of five major cities of Somaliland – Hargeisa, Burco, Berbera, Ceerigaabo and Gabiley – are predominantly Isaaq...
- QuraishiQuraishiQuraishi , is a family name that originates from Arabs in Saudi Arabia, particularly from the city of Mecca.- Lineage :...
- SayyidSayyidSayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
- Treaty of HudaybiyyahTreaty of HudaybiyyahThe Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is the treaty that took place between the state of Medina and the Quraishi tribe of Mecca in March 628CE .-Background:...
- al-Ubaid (tribe)
- MuseMuseThe Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
External links
- http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/itl/denise/quraysh.htm