Muhammad_Article.349.. - Dr. Wesley Muhammad
Muhammad_Article.349.. - Dr. Wesley Muhammad
Muhammad_Article.349.. - Dr. Wesley Muhammad
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tribes - MuÈammad’s own Quraysh tribe, and his H§shim clan in particular – were famous for<br />
their black complexion and, thus, pure genealogy. 63<br />
The Quraysh consisted of several sub-clans. One important Qurayshī sub-clan is the<br />
Banå ’l-Mughīra of the larger Qurayshī sub-clan of the Banå Makhzåm. According to al-JaÈií:<br />
“The clan of Mughīra is the Khu∙r of the tribe of Makhzåm.” 64 By “the Khu∙r” al-JaÈií means<br />
the exceptionally dark or black-skinned (akh∙ar). 65 Thus, the second caliph ‘Umar’s mother,<br />
Khaythama bt. H§shim b. al-Mughīra is described as black (såd§"). 66 Another significant subclan<br />
is the Banå Zuhra, the tribe from which the prophet’s mother, Amīa bt. Wahb, hailed. Its<br />
members were likewise noted for their dark-complexion. See for example the famous Sa#d b. Abī<br />
Waqqās (d. 54/646), cousin of Amīa and uncle of MuÈammad. He is described as black-skinned<br />
(§dam), 67 flat-nosed (afãas) and tall. 68 MuÈammad, it should be noted, was quite proud of his<br />
uncle Sa#d. We are told that once MuÈammad was sitting with some of his companions and Sa#d<br />
walked by. The prophet stopped and taunted: “That’s my uncle. Let any man show me his<br />
uncle.” 69<br />
The Qurayshī sub-clan Banå H§shim is MuÈammad’s own family (usra), his clan (rahã),<br />
kinsfolk (§l), and relatives (dhawu l-qurb§). As the ahl al-bayt (family) of the Prophet the Banå<br />
H§shim enjoyed special status, both during his life time and in the early post-prophetic<br />
community. 70 This special status accorded the Banå H§shim was related to their noted purity. 71<br />
Henry Lammens remarks that they are “généralement qualifies de ﻢﺪﺁ = couleur foncée,” but he<br />
attributes this to the supposed fact that the Banå H§shim were “famille où dominait le sang<br />
nègre”. 72 This is unnecessary. The convergence of H§shimÊ blackness and genealogical nobility<br />
is well represented by the lineage of #Abd al-Muããalib (d. 578), the Prophet’s paternal<br />
grandfather. According to al-J§Èií:<br />
The ten lordly sons of #Abd al-Muããalib were deep black (dalham) in color and big<br />
(∙ukhm). 73 When Amir b. al-•ufayl saw them circumambulating (the Ka#ba) like dark<br />
camels, he said, “With such men as these is the custody of the Ka#ba preserved.” #Abd<br />
All§h b. #Abb§s was very black and tall. Those of Abå •§lib’s family, who are the most<br />
noble of men, are black and tall (såd wa ādam wa dulm).” 74<br />
63 As Robert F. Spencer remarks: “It is said that the Quraysh explained their short stature and dark skin by the fact<br />
that they always carefully adhered to endogamy.” Robert F. Spencer, “The Arabian Matriarchate: An Old<br />
Controversy,” Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 8 (Winter, 1952) 488.<br />
64 Al-JāÈií, Fakhr al-såd§n #al§ al-bidan, 208 (Ar.); 18 (Eng.).<br />
65 Al-JaÈií, Fakhr al-såd§n #al§ al-bidan, 207, 208 (Ar.); 17, 18 (Eng.): “Blacks according to the Arabs are alkhu∙r<br />
because al-akh∙ar is black (li-anna al-akh∙ar aswad).”<br />
66 Al-Mas’ådÊ, Muråj al-dhahab wa-ma#§din al-jawhar, ed. C. Barbier de Meynard, Les Prairies d’Or 9<br />
vols. (Paris: Imprimerie impériale, 1861-[1930]), IV: 192; EI 2 6:139 s.v. Makhzåm, Banå by M. Hinds.<br />
67 On §dam see below n. 122.<br />
68 Al-DhahabÊ, Siyar, I:97.<br />
69 #Abd al-RaÈmān Rāfat al-Bāshā, ‘uwar min Èayāt al-‘aÈābah (Karachi: al-Maktabah al-GhafårÊya al-<br />
#$ßimÊyah, 1996 ) 287.<br />
70 See W.F. Madelung, “The ‘H§shimiyy§t’ of al-Kumayt and H§shmÊ Shi#ism,” Studia Islamica 70 (1989) 5-26.<br />
71 Madelung, “The ‘H§shimiyy§t’,” 24.<br />
72 Études sur le siècle des Omayyades (Beirut: Imprimerie Calholique, 1930) 44.<br />
73 Dalham is an intense blackness, aswad mudlahimm. See Lis§n al-#arab, XII: 206 s.v. ﻢهلد;Lane, Arabic-English<br />
Lexicon, I: 908 s.v. ﻢهلد.<br />
74 Al-JaÈií, Fakhr al-såd§n #al§ al-bidan, I:209.<br />
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