Arabian tribe
Zahran
(
Arabic
:
?????
), also known as
Ban? ?Zahr?n ibn Ka?ab
,
[1]
is one of the oldest Arabian tribes in the
Arabian Peninsula
.
[2]
It is regarded as one of the largest tribes in
Al Bahah Province
, also known as 'the Garden of Hejaz' and 'the region of 1001 towers' due to its natural beauty and numerous traditional stone towers dotted throughout the region.
[3]
Al Baha
is the homeland of Zahran and Ghamid.
[4]
However, many tribes that descend from Zahran and
Azd
migrated to Oman and Tanukh (Levant) under leadership of Malik bin Fehm in the
3rd century
.
[5]
[6]
Oman
's modern royal family,
Al Said
, is said to descend from Zahran through Malik ibn Fehm.
[7]
Moreover, many currently live in
Mecca
,
Jeddah
,
Riyadh
, and
Dammam
due to large migration from villages and small cities during the 1960s and 1970s in search of a better life.
Zahran is a well-known tribe before and after Islam. Many of them left their houses, homes, and relatives and joined the Prophet Mohammed in
Medina
.
[4]
Name
[
edit
]
Zahran (
Arabic
: ?????) is the name of the shared common ancestor of Zahran. Etymological sources indicate that it is of Arabic Semitic origin, meaning "bright" and "pure".
[8]
Lineage
[
edit
]
Al-Zahrani is a
nisba
to
Zahran
ibn Ka’ab ibn Al-Harith ibn Ka’ab ibn Abdullah Ibn M?lik ibn
Nasr
ibn
Al-Azd
, an
Azdite
offshoot.
[9]
Islamic Prophecy
[
edit
]
There are Islamic prophecies with regards to 'End-Times' that have quoted the tribe; like the following by Abu Hurairah:
Abu Hurairah said, “I heard the Prophet say, The Hour will not come until the buttocks of the women of Daws move (quiver) while going around Dhu l-Khalasah”. Dhu l-Khalasah was an idol worshiped by the tribe of Daws and neighboring clans during the
Jahiliyyah
. (Hadith from Bukhari.) And Dhu l-Khalasah is named after Khalasah: a valley in Zahran’s homeland, specifically in
Daws
,
[10]
one of the biggest clans in Zahran.
[11]
Recent history
[
edit
]
The author of
Kitab Akhbar Makka Lil’Azraqi
(Azraqi's Revisioned Book of Reports about Mecca), mentions that the local clans in the region used to re-honor Dhu l-Khalasah in the early 20th century and slay tributes to it. The prominent Saudi geographic researcher:
Rushdi Saleh Malhas
, dedicated a section under the title "Security Crisis and Return to Dhu l-Khalasah" to comment on the issue of "Dhu l-Khalasah":
"When the security cord in the
Arabian Peninsula
was diminished in recent times and its residents lacked comfort and tranquility, and poverty and destitution prevailed in the land, souls felt the desire for asceticism and faith, and the need for a refuge to which they dread, so local clans returned to their first
Jahiliyyah
, by re-honoring Dhu l-Khalasah, clinging to heresies and superstitions."
During the emergence of the
third/modern Saudi state
between 1341- 1344
Hijri
/ 1921 ? 1925
AD,
Dhu l-Khalasah was destroyed by order of
king Abdulaziz
, otherwise known as
Ibn Saud
. The order was carried in
delegation
by
Abdulaziz Al Ibrahim
, who led a campaign that demolished most of the image cult and threw its ruins into a nearby valley. One of those who engaged in the campaign emphasized that the structure of
Dhul-Khalasa
was immensely strong, stating that the force of dozens of men was required to move a single stone and that its durability indicates considerate tactful building skills.
[12]
Pre-Islamic History
[
edit
]
Oman's first Arabian Settlements
[
edit
]
Zahran's pre-Islamic history is popularly linked to
Malik ibn Fehm
, who was one of the first Arabians to settle in Oman.
[6]
This eventually led to conflict between Malik ibn Fehm's Azdite men and the Persians, who claimed Oman's territory, with the latter succumbing in the great Salut Battle (recorded by al-Awtabi), carving the path for the Arabization of Oman.
[13]
While not much is known about Malik ibn Fehm, his extensive presence in pre-Islamic Arabian poetry and literature denotes that Arabians gained great fame from his raids and wars.
[14]
Founding of the Tanukh Confederation
[
edit
]
Malik ibn Fehm went on later to establish the saracen tribal confederation
Tanukh
(Βασιλε?? Θανουην?ν) centered initially in the ancient city of
Al-Hira
.
The ancient Tanukh tribal confederation was largely taken over by several branches of the large
Azd
and
Quda'a
tribes. In the 4th century AD, the Tanukhids became the first Arabian tribal confederation to serve as
foederati
(allies) in the
Roman East
.
[15]
Although Malik ibn Fehm is of dubious historic authenticity,
[16]
archaeological and epigraphic evidence confirms the existence of his son,
Jadhima ibn Malik ibn Fehm
.
[17]
[18]
Nicknamed 'the Leper' due to his leprosy,
a skin disease that causes insensitivity to pain,
[20]
Jadhima later became the king of Tanukh in the second half of the
3rd century CE
.
In medieval historical sources and literature, Jadhima is portrayed as a pivotal figure in the pre-Islamic history of the Arabs, especially in the context of the
Roman?Persian Wars
over supremacy in the Middle East.
However, the historical kernel around which these traditions is impossible to reconstruct today.
Numerous traditions around him and his companions and family became the subject of poetry and proverbial wisdom. Such episodes include his boon companions, the marriage of his sister Riqash to Adi, and his marriage to, and death by, al-Zabba (
Zenobia
).
Some fragments of poems are also attributed to him, and he is listed among the pre-Islamic poets by later anthologists.
He was succeeded by his nephew
Amr ibn Adi
, the son of Riqash and Adi.
Maintenance of the Meccan Kaaba
[
edit
]
Al-Jadara
(translation: the Wall-Masons)
were a Zahranid family that settled in Mecca.
[26]
[27]
They were called "Al-Jadra" because their progenitor, Amer ibn Amr ibn Ja'thama, is said to be the first to reconstruct the walls of the
Kaaba
after
Abraham
and
Ishmael
, earning him the title "Amer the Builder".
[28]
[29]
Alliance with Quraysh & Banu Al Du'al
[
edit
]
Al-Jadara formed an alliance with the Banu Al Du'al in Mecca. This alliance extended to the
Quraysh
, who were also allies of Banu Al Du'al. A significant marital union occurred when
Kilab ibn Murrah
of the Quraysh married
Fatimah bint Sa’d Al-Jadari
, with whom he bore Zuhrah and
Qusay
.
[28]
[29]
Qusay ibn Kilab is best known for being an
ancestor
of the
Islamic prophet
Muhammad
as well as the third and the fourth
Rashidun caliphs
,
Uthman
and
Ali
, and the later
Umayyad
,
Abbasid
, and
Fatimid
caliphs
along with several of the most prominent
Hashemite
dynasties in the orient.
[30]
- * indicates that the marriage order is disputed
- Note that direct lineage is marked in
bold
.
Branches
[
edit
]
- Banu Daws
comprises three divisions: Banu Manhib, Banu Fahm and Banu Ali.
[31]
[32]
- Banu 'Amr
includes four divisions: Banu Bashir, Banu Harir, Banu Jundob, and Banu 'Adwan (Banu 'Adwan occupied
Adwan village
in Syria and gave the village its name).
[31]
[33]
- Banu Aws
includes five divisions: Banu Hasan, Bal-Khirmar, Banu Kinanah (not to be confused with
Banu Kinanah
), Banu 'Amir (not to be confused with
Banu 'Amir
) and Ahl Baydan.
[31]
Zahran in Popular Culture
[
edit
]
- In the American thriller series
Designated Survivor
, "Ibrahim bin Zahrani" is featured as a Saudi crown prince in a time of political upheaval, caused by president Kirkman's remarks.
[
citation needed
]
- The short drama film "Bakrush" tells part of the story of the Battle of Wadi Quraish, which was led by the knight Bakrush ibn Alas Al-Zahrani, and fought under the banner of the Imam of the
first Saudi state
.
[34]
Zahrani Arabic dialect
[
edit
]
Zahrani Arabic dialect is closely related to
standard Arabic language
.
[2]
Ahmed Abdul Ghafur Attar, a Saudi poet and
linguist
, said in an article that the language of the
Hejaz
, especially that which is spoken in Belad Ghamdi and Zahran, is close to the Classical Language.
[35]
Faisal Ghori (Arabic: ???? ????), a famous scholar of Arabic literature, in his book
Qabayil Al- Hejaz
(Hejazi tribes) wrote: "We can say is that there are some tribes in Arabia whose language today much closer to the classical Arabic language. The tribes of Belad Ghamid and Zahran are a good example of this."
[35]
Zahrani tribal governance
[
edit
]
Members of the tribe in Al Baha elected their
tribal chief
in 2006, the first election of its kind in Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad Bin Yahya Al Zahrani
won the election.
[36]
[37]
Notable people
[
edit
]
- Malik ibn Fehm
, pre-Islamic king and founder of
Oman
and
Tanukh
[43]
- ?mir Al Jadir
(translation: Aamir the wall-mason), is said to be the first to reconstruct the walls of the
Kaaba
after
Abraham
and
Ishmael
and is the father of the clan of Banu ?mir
[44]
- Junada ibn Abi Umayya
, a
Syria
-based commander of naval and land forces under the
Umayyad
caliph
Mu'awiya I
[
citation needed
]
- Jadhima Al Abrash
, king of
Tanukh
and son of Malik Bin Fehm
[43]
- Suleimah ibn Malik
, who killed his father, Malik ibn Fehm, then escaped to and ruled
Kerman
in
ancient Persia
[43]
- Jamaz ibn Malik
, pre-Islamic poet and king
[43]
- Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi
, Arabian
lexicographer
and
philologist
[45]
- Ibn Thamirah,
19th century
poet
and knight
[
citation needed
]
- Ahmed ibn Sa’eed Al Busaidi
,
Imam
and founder of the
Al Busaid Dynasty
(
House of Al Said
)
[
citation needed
]
- Musaddid ibn Msrahid, hadith narrator and imam
[46]
- Bakhrush ibn Alas,
emir
of Zahran and
Saudi
military commander of the West Arabian Brigade during the
Saudi-Ottoman War
[47]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
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"?225 ? ???? ??????? ??????? ? ???? ?? ??? ? ??????? ??????? ???????"
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al-maktaba.org
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Alzahrani, Halimah.
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. p. 2.
- ^
"Things to do in Al Bahah - Places to Visit in Al Bahah - Welcome Saudi"
.
welcomesaudi.com
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2024-05-26
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An A to Z of Places and Things Saudi
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ISBN
9781900988407
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"?259 - ???? ??????? ??????? - ??? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??? ? ??????? ??????? ???????"
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Caskel, Werner (1966).
Ghamharat an-Nasab: Das Genealogische Werk des Hisam Ibn Muhammad al-Kalbi
. E.J. Brill. pp. 40?45.
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Al Seiyyabi, Salim.
"????? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ????"
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.
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2024-05-24
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Ghamharat an-Nasab: Das Genealogische Werk des Hisam Ibn Muhammad al-Kalbi
. E.J. Brill. pp. 40?41.
It is not clear what prompted this and where he obtained it. The Arabs gained great fame from Malik's raids and wars, which is noted in the accounts of his battles with Amr b. Luhay, Zarih, and Zabba (Tab. 766 f., 757 ff. and the above-mentioned places). It is impossible to determine the exact historical core, but the presence of Malik and Amr in the accounts of their wars shows the extent of their influence.
- ^
Mohammad Rihan (30 May 2014).
The Politics and Culture of an Umayyad Tribe: Conflict and Factionalism in the Early Islamic Period
. I.B.Tauris. p. 43.
ISBN
9781780765648
.
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Rothstein (1899).
Die Dynastie der Lahmiden in al-Hira, ein Versuch zur arabisch-persichen Geschichte zur Zeit der Sasaniden
. pp. 40?41.
- ^
Caskel, Werner (1966).
Ghamharat an-Nasab: Das Genealogische Werk des Hisam Ibn Muhammad al-Kalbi
. E.J. Brill. p. 42.
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Rihan, Mohammad (2014-06-04).
The Politics and Culture of an Umayyad Tribe: Conflict and Factionalism in the Early Islamic Period
. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 31.
ISBN
978-0-85772-405-2
.
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Worobec SM (2008).
"Treatment of leprosy/Hansen's disease in the early 21st century"
.
Dermatologic Therapy
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(6): 518?537.
doi
:
10.1111/j.1529-8019.2009.01274.x
.
PMID
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S2CID
42203681
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???? ?????
(in Arabic). Vol. 16. ??? ???? ????? ????????. 1995. p. 108.
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??????? ?? ????? ????? ?????
(in Arabic). ?. ??. ?. ??. ?. ??. ?. ?????????. p. 69 ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ????? (?????? ????? ?????).
ISBN
978-9960-27-742-4
.
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a
b
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.
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(in Arabic). p. 105
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"??????? ?2 - ? - ?"
.
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. Retrieved
2022-01-11
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(PDF)
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.
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(in French)
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.
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a
b
Nadwi, Abdullah Abbas (1968).
A study of the Arabic dialects of the Ghamid and Zahran region of Saudi Arabia based on original field recording and an examination of the relationship to the neighboring regions
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.
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a
b
Caskel, Werner (1966).
Ghamharat an-Nasab: Das Genealogische Werk des Hisam Ibn Muhammad al-Kalbi
. E.J. Brill. p. 43.
The poet and bandit H?jiz b. 'Uzaynah, 600, who in one of his poems mentions that the Zahr?n and the Azd of pre-Islamic times possessed 'lions' (am?r al-Ghitrif, 24), thus depicting the prominent lineage of the Zahr?n. The only clearly identifiable figure is al-Sanf?r? from the Hinw (to which he belongs, though some speculate otherwise), while al-Fahd?, the famous philologist who influenced Arabic, Persian, and Turkish metrics, emerged from 213, 32 from G?d?yil al-Kirm?n?, who stood out during the Umayyad dynasty's battles in Khurasan, supporting the Arab Empire's dominance. Under Sulaim, 214, 32, is also Abu Hurairah, 'the cat man,' a well-known companion of the Prophet, and another notable figure from the Zahr?n lineage.
- ^
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(1 ed.). Ibn Hisham. p. 181.
- ^
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