The Prophet Muhammad’s Ancestors

Lineage being an important consideration in Arab society, the Prophet’s family tree was well-documented. He was born into a family that traced its ancestry back to the Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham) through Isma’eel (Ishmael).

The Prophet’s lineage is as follows: Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abdu Munaf bin Qusayy bin Kalib bin Murrah bin Ka’b bin Luayy bin Ghalib bin Fihr bin Malik bin Mudhr bin Nizar bin Ma’d bin Adnan. While the scholars agree that Adnan was the descendant of Isma’eel , there is much dispute about the number of generations between the two and the names of each descendant.

The Prophet’s mother was Amina, the daughter of Wahb bin Abdu Munaf bin Zuhra bin Kilab, Kilab also appears as a paternal ancestor of the Prophet . It is said that his real name was Urwa or Hakim, but he was known as Kilab because of his passion for hunting with dogs (called “Kilab” in Arabic). The Prophet’s Tribe The Prophet belonged to the tribe known as Quraysh, the most respected tribe in Arabia.

“Quraysh” was in fact, the surname of Fihr bin Malik or Nadir bin Kinana. Later, his progeny came to be known by the name Quraysh. The Quraysh enjoyed a position of honour in the peninsula. One member of this tribe, Qusayy, played an especially vital role in establishing the greatness of this tribe. His real name was Zayd, and upon his father’s death, his mother settled among the Azra tribe near Syria.

It was there that Qusayy was brought up. He returned to Makkah during his youth, and assumed the trusteeship of the Ka’bah.1 Because of his prestigious position, he  1 The Ka’bah was the first house of worship built for mankind. It was built by Adam, and later rebuilt by the Prophets Ibraheem and Isma’eel. 15 was at liberty to open the door of the Ka’bah whenever and to whomever he liked.

He established the system of playing host to the pilgrims who journeyed to Makkah, preparing large quantities of food for them, and serving beverages made from honey, dates or raisins. Qusayy also built a house north of the Ka’bah which he named Dar Al-Nadwah, and in it were held many of the tribe’s official activities.

Dar Al-Nadwah housed the tribal parliament, and marriages were also performed on it premises. Qusayy was entrusted with the standard and bow of the Quraysh. No one but he had the right to fasten on the battle standard. Gracious and wise, he was obeyed unhesitatingly by his tribesmen who, under his leadership, settled in Makkah, and grew from a scattered band of people into a homogeneous community.