“Anyone who says that the Prophet is black should be killed”: The ...

tribes - MuÈammad’s own Quraysh tribe, and his H§shim clan in particular – were famous for
their black complexion and, thus, pure genealogy. 63
The Quraysh consisted of several sub-clans. One important Qurayshī sub-clan is the
Banå ’l-Mughīra of the larger Qurayshī sub-clan of the Banå Makhzåm. According to al-JaÈií:
“The clan of Mughīra is the Khu∙r of the tribe of Makhzåm.” 64 By “the Khu∙r” al-JaÈií means
the exceptionally dark or black-skinned (akh∙ar). 65 Thus, the second caliph ‘Umar’s mother,
Khaythama bt. H§shim b. al-Mughīra is described as black (såd§"). 66 Another significant subclan
is the Banå Zuhra, the tribe from which the prophet’s mother, Amīa bt. Wahb, hailed. Its
members were likewise noted for their dark-complexion. See for example the famous Sa#d b. Abī
Waqqās (d. 54/646), cousin of Amīa and uncle of MuÈammad. He is described as black-skinned
(§dam), 67 flat-nosed (afãas) and tall. 68 MuÈammad, it should be noted, was quite proud of his
uncle Sa#d. We are told that once MuÈammad was sitting with some of his companions and Sa#d
walked by. The prophet stopped and taunted: “That’s my uncle. Let any man show me his
uncle.” 69
The Qurayshī sub-clan Banå H§shim is MuÈammad’s own family (usra), his clan (rahã),
kinsfolk (§l), and relatives (dhawu l-qurb§). As the ahl al-bayt (family) of the Prophet the Banå
H§shim enjoyed special status, both during his life time and in the early post-prophetic
community.70F70 This special status accorded the Banå H§shim was related to their noted purity.71F71
Henry Lammens remarks that they are “généralement qualifies de ﻢﺪﺁ = couleur foncée,” but he
attributes this to the supposed fact that the Banå H§shim were “famille où dominait le sang
nègre”.72F72 This is unnecessary. The convergence of H§shimÊ blackness and genealogical nobility
is well represented by the lineage of #Abd al-Muããalib (d. 578), the Prophet’s paternal
grandfather. According to al-J§Èií:
The ten lordly sons of #Abd al-Muããalib were deep black (dalham) in color and big
(∙ukhm).73F73 When Amir b. al-•ufayl saw them circumambulating (the Ka#ba) like dark
camels, he said, “With such men as these is the custody of the Ka#ba preserved.” #Abd
All§h b. #Abb§s was very black and tall. Those of Abå •§lib’s family, who are the most
noble of men, are black and tall (såd wa ādam wa dulm).”74F74
63 As Robert F. Spencer remarks: “It is said that the Quraysh explained their short stature and dark skin by the fact
that they always carefully adhered to endogamy.” Robert F. Spencer, “The Arabian Matriarchate: An Old
Controversy,” Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 8 (Winter, 1952) 488.
64 Al-JāÈií, Fakhr al-såd§n #al§ al-bidan, 208 (Ar.); 18 (Eng.).
65 Al-JaÈií, Fakhr al-såd§n #al§ al-bidan, 207, 208 (Ar.); 17, 18 (Eng.): “Blacks according to the Arabs are alkhu∙r
because al-akh∙ar is black (li-anna al-akh∙ar aswad).”
66 Al-Mas’ådÊ, Muråj al-dhahab wa-ma#§din al-jawhar, ed. C. Barbier de Meynard, Les Prairies d’Or 9
vols. (Paris: Imprimerie impériale, 1861-[1930]), IV: 192; EI 2 6:139 s.v. Makhzåm, Banå by M. Hinds.
67 On §dam see below n. 122.
68 Al-DhahabÊ, Siyar, I:97.
69 #Abd al-RaÈmān Rāfat al-Bāshā, ‘uwar min Èayāt al-‘aÈābah (Karachi: al-Maktabah al-GhafårÊya al-
#$ßimÊyah, 1996 ) 287.
70 See W.F. Madelung, “The ‘H§shimiyy§t’ of al-Kumayt and H§shmÊ Shi#ism,” Studia Islamica 70 (1989) 5-26.
71 Madelung, “The ‘H§shimiyy§t’,” 24.
72 Études sur le siècle des Omayyades (Beirut: Imprimerie Calholique, 1930) 44.
73 Dalham is an intense blackness, aswad mudlahimm. See Lis§n al-#arab, XII: 206 s.v. ﻢﻬﻟﺩ;Lane, Arabic-English
Lexicon, I: 908 s.v. ﻢﻬﻟﺩ.
74 Al-JaÈií, Fakhr al-såd§n #al§ al-bidan, I:209.
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