The connection of A’li—u. w. b.—the commander of the faithful with the prophet—u. w. b.—originated in the family of A’bd-ul-Muttalleb, A’li having been the son of Abu Tâleb, the son of A’bd-ul-Muttalleb, the son of Hâshem whose name was O’mar, called O’mrân the high, on account of his dignity. During a year of famine and hardship O’mrân had gone to Syria, and thence imported bread, on an infinite number of dromedaries, to the sanctuary, so that every day two camels were slaughtered and roasted; and the dry breads, having been moistened, were distributed twice daily. He was the first among the Arabs who invited guests to a repast prepared of moistened bread, and was therefore surnamed Hâshem. Other chroniclers, again, have said that Hâshem means one who breaks bread in a cup to make a kind of porridge, but the difference between the two meanings is obvious.* Hâshem was proverbial for his liberality and unrivalled in graceful­ness; the luminous beams of distinction radiated in such a manner from his forehead that whoever beheld his countenance had not the boldness to contemplate it, but looked to the ground. This the Christian sovereigns knew from their sacred books, and wished to enter into connection with him. One of these was Harqal,* who sent him an ambassador and offered him a virgin whom he guarded in his private apartments, but Hâshem refrained from complying with his petition. Afterwards, however, he entered—in consequence of a dream he had had—into a matrimonial alliance, at Madinah, with Solma, one of the noblest ladies of the Beni Najjâr, who was decorated with the ornaments of intellect and sagacity, on condition that her confinement should take place in her own house. After the consummation of the marriage the lady was taken to Mekkah, but on her becoming pregnant with A’bd-ul-Muttalleb she was on account of the condition again conveyed back to Madinah, but after she had given birth to A’bd-ul-Muttalleb, Hâshem went to Syria, fell sick in the vicinity of Damascus, and gave directions in his last agony to surrender the bow of the prophet Esma’il, the banner, and the key of the house of the Ka’bah, which he had inherited from his forefathers, to Abd-ul-Muttalleb, and having, though young, bidden farewell to this perish­able world, he was buried in that country, where his tomb is still known and visited. Some say that Hâshem went to Syria before the birth of A’bd-ul-Muttalleb, and that he had himself given the just-mentioned articles to his brother Muttalleb, to whom he had also transferred the guber­natorial office, whilst the latter, in his turn, surrendered everything to A’bd-ul-Muttalleb. But Muttalleb was the son of A’bd Munâf whose name was [also] Moghairah and surname A’bd-ush-Shams,* but Munâf was likewise the name of an idol. On account of his great beauty, he was also named Qamar [full moon], and because he had inherited the sovereignty from his father, the surrounding kings hastened to join A’bd Munâf. He had four sons*: one of them was Hâshem, about whom some circumstances have already been recorded above. A’bd-ush-Shams was the ancestor of the Beni O’mmayya [called Ommiade Khalifs by European authors]; Naufil was the forefather of Habib the son of Mua’zim, and Muttalleb of A’li Shâfa’i; the latter was thus surnamed because it is related that Hâshem and A’bd-ush-Shams were twins, whose foreheads were connected at their birth and could not be separated, until at last the sword was resorted to. An intelligent man, who had been informed of this proceeding, considered it to be a sign that the descendants of the two brothers would decide their quarrels with the sabre, which prediction was actually fulfilled in the enmity between his lordship the prophet and Abu Sofiân, between A’li—u. w. b.—the select and Moa’viah, and between the Emâm Husain— u. w. b.—and Yazid I.

As for O’thmân, his relationship to the prophet—u. w. b. —is as follows: O’thmân was the son of O’ffân, son of Abu A’ass, son of O’mmayya, son of A’bd-ush-Shams, son of A’bd Munâf, who was the son of Qossai, whose name was Zaid and epithet Mujmi’ [collector], because, after the Qoraish had dispersed, he again collected them, which happened as follows: They had once expelled the Beni Khazifah from Mekkah, and he, having assembled the Qoraish, distributed sites to them. To the more dis­tinguished he assigned places within, and to those who were less so, without the city of Mekkah, wherefore the former were called insiders [bâttah] and the latter outsiders [zoâher], and for this reason his lordship’s epithet is Battahi.

With reference to Qossai, the saying was current: ‘Your father, O Qossai, was an adversary of Mujmi’, and verily Allah caused the nations to hear.’ He was named Marfahi and Qossai because he had, after the demise of his father, gone in the service of his mother to the limits of Syria, where he dwelt for some time, and as he was remote [Qossai], namely, distant from his tribe, he was surnamed Qossai. He had built the house of assembly wherein the Qoraish transacted all their business; there, also, the people congregated and conversed. He used to enjoin his family to guard themselves from Divine wrath and punish­ment, to respect the rights of their fellow-citizens, to restrain their tongues and hands from evil, to make veracity their motto, to eat in such a way as to deserve reproach neither in this nor in the next world, and to act in such a way as to merit the praise of all their descendants. He bequeathed dignity and greatness to his sons, and after he had completed his last injunctions he appointed every one of them to a certain office. A’bd Munâf he installed as governor and magistrate; A’bdullah he intrusted with the Hejâba and the banner; but A’bd-ul-U’zza was made administrator of the pilgrims, of the well Zamzam, and of the Ka’bah.*

The connection of Zobeir with the prophet—u. w. b. —was as follows: Zobeir was the son of A’wâm, son of Jaluvid, son of Asad, son of A’bd-ul-U’zza, son of Qossai, son of Kallâb, who was the most exalted individual among the Qoraish, and the most noble of the tribe A’dnân. When the sight of Kallâb was illuminated by the pulchri­tude of Qossai, he said: ‘Glad tidings to you, tribe of the Qoraish, because my children will be ennobled by the founder of a religion, who will come forth from among them; and your offspring will likewise participate in that nobility. Whoever will treat him well shall remain free from the afflictions of time and eternity, but woe to the man who attacks, slights, or opposes him.’ These words, however, remained unknown to the people till the rise of Islâm.

A’bd-ur-rahman A’wuf and Sa’d, the son of Abu Woqâss, are likewise somewhat connected, A’bd-ur-rahman having been the son of A’wuf, son of Hâreth, son of Kallâb; and Sa’d was the son of Woqâss, son of Mâlek, son of Wahab, son of A’bd Munâf, son of Qossai, son of Kallâb, son of Marrah. In all matters the Qoraish acted according to the far-seeing opinion of Marrah, and did not disobey him. He always kept food in store for the nourishment of the poor and destitute, and during seasons of famine he kept various kinds of provisions always ready on the table of his hospitality. He constantly exhorted his children to act well, to obey the Creator, and to esteem His creatures. When he was on the point of death, he assembled the members of his family, and said: ‘I have heard from my fathers and ancestors that in our family a prophet will arise, whom the Arabs will be inclined to follow, and will gird their loins in obedience to him. The kings of the earth will submit themselves to him, and his opponents will be vanquished and despised. My injunction to you is, to depose the embryo of prophecy only in wombs of purity not belonging either to fools or to infidels. Let it be known to you that whoever is of noble descent pos­sesses a magnanimous heart; that whoever is hasty in his affairs, falls into the vortex of misery; and whoever looks to the consequences of his acts will be respected. Who­ever begins anything without preparation, distrusts his own experience, and being suspicious thereof, is deserving of blame.’ He also said: ‘A’mru, the son of Yahia, has changed the religion of your fathers, Ebrâhim [Abraham] and Esma’il [Ishmael], and has led astray his children; but you must abide by the orthodox faith; for my father has imparted this commandment to me.’ A’mru, the son of Yahia, and Qama’h were two brothers, sons of Aliâs, the son of Mazar, son of Abu Bakr, son of Wurrâq, son of Quhâfah,s on of O’thmân, son of A’mru, son of Ka’b, son of Sa’id, son of Tolhah, son of A’bdullah, son of Sa’d, son of Marrah. The last-mentioned was the son of Kallâb, who administered all his life the affairs of the commonwealth, and said, when he was about to die, to his son Qossai: ‘I was governor; I dealt justly with my subordinates, I observed the injunctions of our predecessors, I protected widows and orphans, I restrained the insensate of our tribe from com­mitting evil deeds, I implanted a desire to listen to wisdom into the assemblies of our people, and now my death is approaching. Soon, however, an individual will arise from thy seed who will reign over the earth from east to west. I command thee to enjoin thy son, and to cause him to recommend it to all his children from generation to genera­tion, in a covenant and agreement, to act according to the dictates of intellect and knowledge, because by dealing in a contrary way no one can be happy. Know thou that the course of events produces misfortunes, veracity engenders distinction and nobility, intellect glory and high position, liberality success, amiability the love of the people, and Allah the Most High—whose name be glorified—will befriend him who makes kindness his rule, and will be inimical to him who pursues only pleasure.’

O’mar, the son of Khattâb—u. w. b.—was also connected with the prophet, and his genealogy is as follows: O’mar, son of Khattâb, son of Nasl, son of A’bd-ul-U’zza, son of Riâh, son of A’bdullah, son of Tauttah, son of Râh, son of A’da, son of Ka’b, son of Sa’d, son of Zeid, son of O’mar, son of the well-known Ba’l, who was the ancestor of the discerner;* he was the son of Lowa, a governor of the Qoraish, always obeyed and consulted by them, and Lowa was the son of Ghâleb, one of the eminent among the princes of the Qoraish, and always consulted by them.*

On his death-bed Mâlek said to his son: ‘One of the signs of an intelligent man is, that he guards himself from a misfortune ere it befalls him; but when it unexpectedly surprises him he patiently endures it. Now that I am about to die, I recommend thee to quench the fire blazing in the oven of thy mind against the wickedness of evil-doers with the water of patience; and thou wilt be able to do this if thou considerest that every living being is liable to be beset by evil, and must fall a prey to death. What little property falls to thy lot is to be contentedly and thankfully accepted by thee, because content is not a sequel of abundance.’

He* who has been surnamed Qoraish was the son of Mâlek,* and there are various explanations how the epithet ‘Qoraish’ was applied to Nasser. In the first place, it is said that there exists a beast which governs all marine animals and is named Qoraish, and that when Nasser, the son of Qoraish, attained full dominion he was thus sur­named. Secondly, ‘Qoraish’ is said to be taken from ‘Taqarish,’ which means inquiry; and as he made proper inquiries into the affairs of men, and governed them justly, this epithet was attributed to him. Another statement is that this word was adopted [Qoraish meaning industry], and as he sent people to trade, he became known by that name. All these derivations may, however, be true. Some have also said that Qoraish means to collect, and that Nasser was thus named because he collected his whole progeny.

He* was the son of Nasser, and his cognomen was Abu Nassîr. It is related that one night he was sleeping in a room and heard the following words: ‘We leave thee to choose between present dominion and eternal happiness.’ He replied: ‘O Lord! I have selected what endures for ever.’ On his death-bed he exhorted his children to practise virtue and justice in their intercourse with people, and warned them to abstain from covetousness and envy, saying: ‘Be ye to the people instead of their fathers; pro­tect their property, etc.’ He was a prince among the Arabs, and consulted by them on important affairs. Before his departure to the eternal abode he assembled his tribe and said: ‘Ye are the children of Ebrâhim and Esma’il the prophet, and have inherited glory and praise from your ancestors; have, therefore, regard for your dignity, and thankfully exercise the gubernatorial power among the Arabs, which has been delegated to you by Allah. Laud Him, and sincerely endeavour to please Him by good deeds; also make it your duty to abstain from everything which may bring you to judgment. Keep your covenants, and do not be estranged from anyone because of his poverty, because riches are useless and perishable.’

And he* was the son of Modrekah, whose name was A’amal, called Modrekah [attainment] because he had attained the nobility of his fathers. Others say that one day he was pursuing a hare, and attained him, wherefore he was called Modrekah; at any rate, this word is used for the purpose of distinction. He* was the son of Aliâs, and it is said that the latter was thus named at his birth, when his parents had been rejoiced after a long despondency [iâs]. After he had acquired excellent qualities and attained nobility, he invited the sons of Esma’il, who had deflected from the law of Ebrâhim, and from the straight way, and were travelling in the vale of aberration, to follow the religion of the Friend. When the Arabs became aware of his great knowledge, perfect excellence, and benevolence, they came from far and near to gird their loins of obedience to him, and to place their heads submissively on the line of his commands. The Arab poets have composed many odes in his praise. Towards the end of his life he was attacked by tumours, and Khandaf, the mother of his children, made a vow that after the death of her husband she would not stop under the shadow of any roof, nor marry again, nor wear handsome clothes. After his demise Khandaf kept her vow, and wandered about in the valley of exile till she withdrew her head within the curtain of the grave. Aliâs endeavoured to strengthen the orthodox religion and followed the law of Ebrâhim.

There is a tradition that the lord of prophecy heard a man saying:

Distich:

I am the freest of the Hemiarites, forget it not; A man must be of our tribe, or he will not succeed.

His lordship replied: ‘These words are far from the view of God and the prophet.’ It is also related that he said:

Verses:

He who sows evil, reaps repentance; The death of a good man is glorious; But your soul dislikes what is best for it. And is most anxious in the pursuit of its own devices.

He* was the son of Nazâr; his cognomen is Abu Rabia’h, and also Abu Ayad. He was called Nazâr because when born his father sacrificed one thousand camels from grati­tude, and was therefore by the people called a spend­thrift. He replied, however, that in return for such a blessing vouchsafed to him by the Most High he considered the sacrifice too small. Nazâr is said to have been possessed of much property, and to have in his last hour bequeathed his money to Mozar, the horses to Rabia’h, and the slaves to Ayyâd, but the remainder of the property to his other children.

He* was the son of Moa’d, and it is said that sweet­meats and fresh dates are called by his name. It is related that his aspect was so blooming as to excite the wonder of men and genii. His cognomen is the father of Qazaa’h, who was one of his best-known sons. The Beni Moa’d are said to have been extremely brave and valiant, so that Zohâk, the son of Moa’d, attacked with forty men a number of Esrâilites, to note down whose amount is beyond the power of the Qalam.* He took possession of their property and made them all captives, whereon they requested their prophet to curse the Beni A’dnân that a calamity might befall them. He turned his face towards the Qiblah of prayer and wished to carry out his intention; he heard, however, all of a sudden the following Divine revelation: ‘Restrain thy hand from this request, because the real, the most excellent, and the best of prophets will be a descendant of A’dnân.’

He* was the son of A’dnân, and it is said that the latter, having once been in a solitary place, was followed by seventy men who bore enmity towards him, and was over­taken by them between two mountains. He fought with them till his steed fell; then he retreated to the top of the mountain, where his enemies again reached him, and defended himself till he became exhausted, but took refuge with the Bountiful Sovereign, whereon suddenly a hand appeared and snatched him up to the pinnacle of the mountain, and such a shout struck the ears of his foes that they all perished. And this was one of the miracles of our prophet [by anticipation, he being a descendant of A’dnân].