Abd Manaf ibn Qusai

‘Abd Manāf ibn Quṣai (Arabic: عبد مناف بن قصي‎‎) was a Quraishi and great-great-grandfather of Islamic prophet Muhammad. His father was Quṣai ibn Kilāb.

Biography

'Abd Manāf was already honoured in his father's lifetime however Qusai preferred his first-born 'Abd ad-Dar and invested him with all his rights, powers, and transferred the ownership of the House of Assembly shortly before his death.^[1]

After Quṣayy's death Abd Manaf and his brother 'Abd ad-Dar apparently quarreled, and the effects of this conflict continued among their descendants and affected the internal Makkah right up to Muhammad's time. 'Abd ad-Dar was supported by their cousins Makhzum, Sahm, Jumah, their uncle Adi and their families. Abd Manaf contested his inheritance and was supported by their nephew Asad, their uncle Zuhrah ibn Kilab, their father's uncle Taym ibn Murrah (of Banu Taym), and al-Harith ibn Fihr.^[2]

History

The two sides had even got so far as agreeing to go outside the sanctuary of the sacred area in order to battle it out, when a compromise was at last reached, feeling rose so high that the women of the clan of 'Abd Manaf brought a bowl of rich perfume with nutmeg powder and placed it beside the Ka'aba; and Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf and his brothers and all their allies dipped their hands in it and swore a solemn oath of allegiance that they would never abandon one another, rubbing their scented hands over the stone of the Ka'aba in confirmation of their pact. Thus it was that this group of clans were known as the "Hilf al-Mutayyabun" or "Alliance of the Scented Ones". Their rivals the allies of 'Abd ad-Dar likewise swore an oath of union, and also organised themselves into a pact and became known as the "Hilf al-Ahlaf" or "Alliance of the Confederates".^[3] Their descendants in the clans named after them tended to keep this old alliance.^[2]

Neither side wanted a full scale conflict and a compromise was achieved whereby The Confederates retained normal privileges in control of the charity tax and the food and drink for pilgrims, whereas real power resided with the Scented Ones who had the keys to the Ka'aba and the running of the House of Assembly.^[4] Therefore the sons of 'Abd Manaf should have the rights of levying the tax and providing for the pilgrims with food and drink, whereas the sons of Abd ad-Dar should retain the keys of the Ka'aba and their rights, and that their house should continue to be the House of Assembly. Hashim's brothers agreed that he should have the responsibility of providing for the pilgrims.^[3]

Family

‘Abdu Manāf married several wives of influential tribes, including 'Ātikah bint Murrah ibn Hilāl ibn Fālij ibn Dhakwān of Bani Qays Aylan, Hilal of the Banu Hawāzin, Raytah of Ta'if, and Waqida bint Amr.

Raytah had only the son Abd or Abdu'l Amr, who died childless; Waqida also had one son, Nawfal. The Hawazin heiress Atikah, however, bore him five sons and six daughters. The boys were twin sons called Amr (more commonly known as Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf), Abd Shams, Muttalib, Hala and Barra.^[5] Muttalib was younger than Hashim and became his successor. The daughters were Tumadir/Tamadur, Qilaba, Hayya, Raytah/Rita, Umm Akhtham, and Umm Sufyan.^[6]

Burial

The grave of ‘Abdu Manāf can be found in Jannatul Mualla cemetery, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Notable descendents

See also

• Abd Manaf (name)
• Family tree of Muhammad

References

External links

• al-islam.org