Quraysh

Quraysh was a tribal confederation that dominated Mecca before and during the rise of Islam. Muhammad’s clan, the Banu Hashim, belonged to it.

Mecca: Mecca is a city in western Arabia and the birthplace of Muhammad, centered on the Kaaba. Quraysh established its dominance in Mecca and organized much of the city’s public life.
Banu Hashim: Banu Hashim was a Qurayshi clan that included Muhammad and his close paternal relatives. This clan placed Muhammad within Quraysh while distinguishing his family from other clans.
Asabiyyah: Asabiyyah is social solidarity, especially the group loyalty that binds members of a lineage or community. Kinship solidarity helps explain Quraysh’s capacity for collective action and internal rivalry.
Hijra: The Hijra is Muhammad and his followers’ migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Conflict with Meccan Quraysh formed the immediate political background to the migration.
Kaaba: The Kaaba is a sacred sanctuary in Mecca toward which Muslims pray. Quraysh held authority over the sanctuary before Islam, giving the confederation religious standing.
Muhammad: Muhammad was the religious and political founder of Islam, regarded by Muslims as God’s final prophet. His Qurayshi lineage connected his mission to the confederation’s leading society.
Arabian tribal society: Arabian tribal society organized many communities through kinship, alliances, protection, and shared obligations. Quraysh’s confederated clans operated within this wider social framework.
Battle of Badr: The Battle of Badr was a 624 CE conflict in which Muhammad’s forces defeated a larger Meccan force. The battle turned the struggle between Muhammad’s community and Quraysh into open warfare.
Qusayy ibn Kilab: Qusayy ibn Kilab was a traditional ancestor credited with consolidating Quraysh’s authority in Mecca. Traditions associate Quraysh’s ascendancy in Mecca with his leadership.
Abu Talib: Abu Talib was Muhammad’s uncle and a leader of Banu Hashim who protected him in Mecca. His protection shows how clan obligations could shield Muhammad despite Qurayshi opposition.

Linked from 21 pages