Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Thlib 55
how the Arabs viewed it and affirmed its virtue. We will start with
Quraysh and move on to Banu ~ 2shim.~~
1.3.1. The tribe of Quraysh
All the Arabs acknowledged the sublime and noble lineage of
Quraysh, their leadership, the purity of their language, their fluency
and eloquence, their noble attitude, courage and chivalry. That
became like a byword, indisputable and i~refutable?~ They were
united allies who still adhered to a great deal of the law of Ibrsheem
al-Khaleel [the Prophet Abraham ('alayhi as-salGm -peace be upon
him)]. They were not like the Bedouin, who had no respect for
religion and no good manners. They loved their children, went on
pilgrimage to the Ka'bah, performed the rituals (of hajj), shrouded
their dead, washed in the case of impurity resulting from sexual
activity, regarded as msguided the guardians of the fire temples28,
and kept away from incest with daughters, granddaughters, sisters
and nieces out of decency and a wish to shun the way of the Magians.
The Noble Qw'an was revealed approving of their behaviour and
good choices in that regard. They married with a dowry and
witnesses and gave three-stage div0rces.2~ What increased them in
honour was the fact that they married from any tribe they wanted
without stipulating any conditions, but they would not give their
daughters in marriage to anyone until they had stipulated that he
should be a strict follower of their religion. They thought that because
of their high status, it was not permissible for them to give their
daughters in marriage until the other party submitted to them and
followed their way.30
1.3.2. Banu Hsshim
Banu H2shim was the most prominent clan of Quraysh. If we
read what historians and the biographies of the Prophet Muhammad