Quraysh
Quraysh قُرَيْشٌ | |
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Settled Kinana | |
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Language | Polytheism (230–630)Islam (610/630 – present) |
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Muhammad |
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The Quraysh (
When Muhammad spread Islam in Mecca, they were unconcerned and offered no serious opposition until he began to attack their polytheistic beliefs.[3][4][5] As relations with the Quraysh progressively deteriorated, Muhammad took his followers to Yathrib (Medina) after successful negotiations with Banu Aws and Khazraj to mediate their tribal conflict. This migration event is known as the hijrah.[6][7] In Medina, Muhammad saw a new obstacle appear, as Quraysh banished Muslims from Mecca, consequently banning them from performing the Pilgrimage obligation, and the impossibility of coming to a peaceful conclusion with Quraysh, he saw the only option was to confront them via armed struggle, first by raiding Meccan caravans.[8] This consequently led to armed conflicts between them, some of which included the battles of Badr, Uhud, and the Trench.[9] Sometime after the latter battle and after Muhammad had successfully eliminated the three major Jewish tribes from Medina, he reportedly stopped attacking Quraysh caravans, at which time he focused more on the north, raiding Banu Lihyam and Banu Mustaliq, to name a few.[10]
Over time, as Muhammad's position in Medina became more established, the attitude of the people in his hometown toward him became more approving. The
At the end of 629, a belligerent party—against the advice of Abu Sufyan, who was the Quraysh chief at the time—supported one of their client clans against the Khuza'a, who were allies of Muhammad. This could automatically be viewed by both parties as a violation of the aforementioned agreement. As Muhammad brought his army to besiege Mecca, Abu Sufyan, along with a few others, including Muhammad's friend Khuza'i Budayl ibn Warqa, went to meet him to ask for amnesty for all Quraysh who did not put up armed resistance. Muhammad thus managed to enter Mecca unopposed, and almost all of its inhabitants converted to Islam.[12] Afterwards, leadership of the Muslim community traditionally passed to a member of the Quraysh, as was the case with the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid Caliphates, and purportedly the Fatimids.
Name
Sources differ as to the etymology of Quraysh, with one theory holding that it was the diminutive form of qirsh (shark).[13] The Arab genealogist Hisham ibn al-Kalbi asserted that there was no eponymous founder of Quraysh;[14] rather, the name stemmed from taqarrush, an Arabic word meaning "a coming together" or "association". The Quraysh gained their name when Qusayy ibn Kilab, a sixth-generation descendant of Fihr ibn Malik, gathered together his kinsmen and took control of the Ka'aba. Prior to this, Fihr's offspring lived in scattered, nomadic groups among their Kinana relatives.[15] The nisba or surname of the Quraysh is Qurashī, though in the early centuries of the Islamic Ummah, most Qurayshi tribesmen were denoted by their specific clan instead of the tribe. Later, particularly after the 13th century, claimants of Qurayshi descent used the Qurashī surname.[13]
History
Origins
The Quraysh's
Establishment in Mecca
All medieval Muslim sources agree that Qusayy unified Fihr's descendants, and established the Quraysh as the dominant power in Mecca.[16] After conquering Mecca, Qusayy assigned quarters to different Qurayshi clans. Those settled around the Ka'ba were known Quraysh al-Biṭāḥ ('Quraysh of the Hollow'), and included all of the descendants of Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy and others. The clans settled in the outskirts of the sanctuary were known as Quraysh al-Ẓawāhīr ('Quraysh of the Outskirts'). According to historian Ibn Ishaq, Qusayy's younger son, Abd Manaf, had grown prominent during his father's lifetime and was chosen by Qusayy to be his successor as the guardian of the Ka'ba. He also gave other responsibilities related to the Ka'ba to his other sons Abd al-Uzza and Abd, while ensuring that all decisions by the Quraysh had to be made in the presence of his eldest son Abd al-Dar; the latter was also designated ceremonial privileges such as keeper of the Qurayshi war banner and supervisor of water and provisions to the pilgrims visiting the Ka'ba.[17]
According to historian
According to historian
Control of Meccan trade
Toward the end of the 6th century, the
The sanctuary village of Mecca developed into a major Arabian trade hub. According to Watt, by 600, the leaders of Quraysh "were prosperous merchants who had obtained something like a monopoly of the trade between the Indian Ocean and East Africa on the one hand and the Mediterranean on the other".
[By the end of the 6th century,] Meccan commerce was flourishing as never before, and the leaders in this trade [the Quraysh] had developed from mere merchants into true financiers. They were no longer interested in "buying cheap and selling dear," but also with organizing money and men to realize their commercial objectives. There was emerging, in short, a class of men with well-developed managerial and organizational skills. It was a development unheralded, and almost unique, in central Arabia.[24]
The Banu Makhzum and
Conflict with Muhammad
The Quraysh, who were natives of Mecca, did not present any opposition when Muhammad first began to propagate his new faith in the city. Rather, they seemed unconcerned by his activity, as they did not appear to be particularly interested in devotional meetings. Up until a point when Muhammad started attacking their beliefs.[3][5] As relations with the Quraysh worsened, Muhammad led his followers to emigrate to Medina after he had successfully negotiated with the Arabs from the city to mediate their tribal conflicts. In Medina, Muhammad received a divine revelation authorizing Muslims to attack the polytheists without being attacked first, and thus he targeted Quraysh trade caravans.[25]
After obtaining abundant booty following his attack on a caravan at Nakhla, Muhammad heard that a large caravan of Quraish was on its way back from Gaza. He sent his troops to intercept it,[26] but it turned out that Abu Sufyan, who led the caravan had already caught wind of his plans and rerouted the caravan. Instead of finding a vulnerable caravan, Muhammad found the troops of Amr ibn Hisham, whom Abu Sufyan had asked for help.[25] Despite fighting against a reportedly much larger army, Muhammad managed to win and gained prestige, resulting in more supporters and participants in his raids.[27]
The defeat at Badr was catastrophic for the Quraysh; a number of their influential and experienced men were killed, their prestige plummeted, and their old enemies set their sights on them again.[27] Tired of having their caravans endlessly attacked by Muhammad and to restore their honor for the defeat at Badr, the Quraysh decided to take more decisive measures. Led by Abu Sufyan, some 3,000 troops set out for Medina to confront Muhammad, and the Battle of Uhud ensued. Initially, Muhammad had the upper hand, but it was reversed when the Muslim archers abandoned their positions and pursued the fleeing Meccan soldiers. The Meccan military strategist Khalid ibn al-Walid took advantage of this situation and gained a favorable position on the slopes of Uhud. Muhammad fled. Quraysh did not pursue him and finish him off, as they considered it enough to deter him and restore their honor.[10]
Upon returning to Medina, some of the Jews there who had not participated in the battle made no effort to conceal their delight at Muhammad's defeat. Feeling the need to make an example, Muhammad targeted the Banu Nadir and drove them to Khaybar and other Jewish settlements, with their property becoming booty for the Muslims. Some time later, the Quraysh, with their caravans still under attack by Muhammad and after being urged by the Jews in Khaybar, learned that Muhammad's defeat at Uhud had not necessarily weakened his position; thus, they recognized the importance of occupying Medina. Aware of their small military capabilities, given the fact that they were originally only city merchants, the Quraysh negotiated vigorously with various Bedouin tribes and managed to raise 10,000 troops.[10]
To deal with the Quraysh troops, Muhammad was advised by one of his followers to dig a trench, for which the battle was later named. With the advance of the Quraysh troops hampered by the trench, Muhammad used the time to conduct secret negotiations with the Ghatafan and cleverly induce distrust among his enemies. When the weather became unfavorable, the besiegers lost morale and slowly began to retire. Not long after, Muhammad attacked the Banu Qurayza, the last major Jewish tribe in Medina. Their men were beheaded, while the women and children were divided among the Muslims. With the elimination of the three major Jewish tribes in Medina, this became a turning point in Muhammad's life and the rise of the Islamic community. Muhammad no longer continued his constant attacks on the trade caravans of Mecca; instead, his attention turned more to the north, where he attacked the Banu Lihyan and Banu Mustaliq, among others.[11]
Over time, tensions between Muhammad and the people of Mecca eased, and a ten-year armistice agreement called the Treaty of al-Hudaybiya was signed. Muhammad and his followers were then allowed to perform Umrah next year in Mecca. A short time later, Muhammad attacked the Jewish-inhabited Khaybar, where he instituted a practice that set a precedent for Muslims later on towards Jews and Christians, namely jizya.[11] He did not slaughter those who surrendered but let them stay and tend their fields, with half the produce going to him and his followers.[28] The Jewish colony of Wadi al-Qura also came into his possession with this expedition, making the Muslim community rich.[11]
In early 627, Muhammad, who had become lord in Medina, undertook the Umrah known as the 'fulfilled pilgrimage' in Mecca, during which time he reconciled with his family, the
Islamic leadership
In 630, Muhammad entered Mecca victoriously, prompting the rest of Quraysh to embrace Islam. Muhammad sought to consolidate the unity of his expanding Muslim community by "winning over this powerful group [the Quraysh]", according to Donner; to that end he guaranteed Qurayshi participation and influence in the nascent Islamic state. Thus, despite their long enmity with Muhammad, the Quraysh were brought in as political and economic partners and became a key component in the Muslim elite. Many leading Qurayshi tribesmen were installed in key government positions and in Muhammad's policy-making circle.[29] According to Donner, the inclusion of Quraysh "in the ruling elite of the Islamic state was very probably responsible for what appears to be the more carefully organized and systematic approach to statesmanship practiced by Muhammad in the closing years of his life, as the organizational skills of the Quraysh were put to use in the service of Islam".[30]
With Muhammad's death in 632, rivalry emerged between the Quraysh and the two other components of the Muslim elite, the
A
Clans
Clan | Genealogy | Alliances | Notable members |
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Banu Abd al-Dar | Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Ahlafs | Mus'ab ibn Umayr |
Banu Makhzum | Makhzum ibn Yaqaza ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Ahlafs | Abou Jahl, Walid ibn Al-Mughira, Abu Hudhaifah ibn al-Mughirah ,
Khalid ibn al-Walid |
Banu Adi | Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Ahlafs | Al-Khattâb ibn Nufayl |
Banu Sahm | Sahm ibn Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Ahlafs | al-As ibn Wa'il, Amr ibn al-As |
Banu Jumah | Jumah ibn Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Ahlafs | Umayya ibn Khalaf, Soufwan ibn Umayya |
Banu Umayya )
|
Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Muttayabun then Ahlaf |
|
Banu Nawfal | Nawfal ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Muttayabun then Ahlaf |
Jubayr ibn Muṭʽim |
Banu Émir | Amir ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Suhayl ibn Amr, Abdullah ibn Suhayl | |
Banu Hashim (then Banu Abd al-Muttalib) |
Hashim ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Muttayabun then Fudul |
Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib
Ali |
Banu Zuhrah | Zuhra ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Muttayabun then Fudul |
'Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
|
Banu Taym | Taym ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Muttayabun then Fudul |
Asma bint Abi Bakr
|
Banu Asad | Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Muttayabun then Fudul |
Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr
|
Banu al-Harith ibn Fihr | Al-Harith ibn Fihr.[15] | Muttayabun then Fudul |
Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah |
Banu Mutallib | Al-Mutallib ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr.[15] | Fudul | Al-Shafiʽi (famous scholar)
|
Quraysh relationship tree
Quraysh tribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Waqida bint Amr | Abd Manaf ibn Qusai | Ātikah bint Murrah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Muṭṭalib ibn Abd Manaf | Hashim | Salma bint Amr | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Umayya ibn Abd Shams | ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Abū Lahab | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ʿAbd Allāh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ʿAli ibn ʿAbdallāh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marwanids | al-Ḥasan | Abbasids ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
al-Saffāḥ | al-Mansur | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
- Alaouite dynasty
- Ba 'Alawiyya
- Ba 'Alawi sada
- Hawk of Quraish
- Bannu District
References
- ^ Bosworth et al. 1998, p. 434.
- ^ Bosworth et al. 1998, p. 435.
- ^ a b Buhl & Welch 1993, p. 364.
- ^ "Muhammad | Biography, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ a b Lewis 2002, p. 35–36.
- ^ Buhl & Welch 1993, p. 364-367.
- ^ "Aws and Khazraj". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ Buhl & Welch 1993, p. 269.
- ^ Buhl & Welch 1993, p. 369-370.
- ^ a b c Buhl & Welch 1993, p. 370.
- ^ a b c d Buhl & Welch 1993, p. 371.
- ^ a b Buhl & Welch 1993, p. 372.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Watt 1986, p. 435.
- ^ Peters 1994, p. 14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Watt 1986, p. 434.
- ^ Peters 1994, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Peters 1994, p. 15.
- ^ Peters 1994, pp. 15–16.
- ^ Peters 1994, p. 16.
- ^ a b Hawting 2000, p. 22.
- ^ Fück 1965, p. 883.
- ^ Fück 1965, p. 884.
- ^ a b c Donner 1981, p. 51.
- ^ Donner 1981, p. 52.
- ^ a b Buhl & Welch 1993, p. 364-369.
- ^ Watt 1961, p. 119.
- ^ a b Watt 1961, pp. 124–127.
- ISBN 978-0-7456-3999-4.
- ^ Donner 1981, p. 77.
- ^ Donner 1981, pp. 77–78.
- ^ Donner 1981, p. 273.
- ^ Donner 1981, pp. 273–274.
- ^ a b Donner 1981, p. 274.
- ^ Donner 1981, pp. 274–275.
- ^ Donner 1981, p. 275.
Bibliography
- Lewis, Bernard (2002). The Arabs in History. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280310-8.
- Bosworth, C. E.; Lewis; Pellat; Donzel, E. J. van (1998). Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume V (Khe-Mahi): [Fasc. 79-98, 98a]. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-07819-2.
- Buhl, F.; Welch, A.T. (1993). "Muḥammad". ISBN 978-90-04-09419-2.
- ISBN 9781400847877.
- Fück, J. W. (1965). "Fidjār". In Lewis, B; Pellat, Ch; Schacht, J. (eds.). ISBN 90-04-07026-5.
- ISBN 0-415-24073-5.
- ISBN 0-691-03267-X.
- Watt, W. Montgomery (1961). Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-881078-0.
- ISBN 90-04-07819-3.