HISTORY - ~ Location and Nature of Arab Tribes

Beyond a shadow of doubt, the biography of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be
upon him) manifestedly represents an exhaustive embodiment of the
sublime Divine Message that he communicated in order to deliverthe
human race from the swamp of darkness and polytheism to the paradise
of light and monotheism. An image, authenticas well as comprehensive,
of this Message is therefore only attainable through careful study and
profound analysis of both backgrounds and issues of such a biography.
In view of this, a whole chapter is here introducedabout the nature
and development of Arab tribes prior to Islam as well as the
circumstantial environment that enwrapped the Prophet's mission.
LOCATION OF THE ARABS:
Linguistically, the word "Arab" means deserts and waste barren land
well-nigh waterless and treeless. Ever since the dawn of history, the
Arabian Peninsula and its people have been called as such.
The Arabian Peninsula is enclosed in the west by the Red Sea and
Sinai, in the east by the Arabian Gulf, in the south by the Arabian
Sea, which is an extension of the Indian Ocean, and in the north by
old Syria and part of Iraq. The area is estimated between a million
and a million and a quarter square miles.
Thanks to its geographical position, the peninsula has always
maintained great importance.. Considering its internal setting, it is
mostly deserts and sandy places, which has rendered it inaccessible to
foreigners and invaders, and allowed its people complete liberty and
independence through the ages, despite the presence of two
neighbouring great empires.
Its external setting, on the other hand, caused it to be the centre of
the old world and provided it with sea and land links with most
nations at the time. Thanks to this strategic position the Arabian
Peninsula had become the centre for trade, culture, religion and art.
ARAB TRIBES:
Arab kinfolks have been divided according to lineage into three groups:
Perishing Arabs: The ancient Arabs, of whose history little is known,
and of whom were 'Ad, Thamûd, Tasam, Jadis, Emlaq, andothers.
Pure Arabs: Who originated fromthe progeny of Ya'rub bin Yashjub bin
Qahtan. They were also called Qahtanian Arabs.
Arabized Arabs: Who originated from the progeny of Ishmael. They were
also called 'Adnanian Arabs.
The pure Arabs – the people of Qahtan – originally lived in Yemen and
comprised many tribes, two of which were very famous:
1. Himyar: The most famous of whose septs were Zaid Al-Jamhur, Quda'a
and Sakasic.
2. Kahlan: The most famous of whose septs were Hamdan, Anmar, Tai',
Mudhhij, Kinda, Lakhm, Judham, Azd, Aws, Khazraj and the descendants
ofJafna — the kings of old Syria.
Kahlan septs emigrated from Yemen to dwell in the different parts of
the Arabian Peninsula prior to the Great Flood (Sail Al-'Arim of
Ma'rib Dam), due to the failure of trade under the Roman pressure and
domain on both sea and land trade routes following Roman occupation of
Egypt and Syria.
Naturally enough, the competition between Kahlan andHimyar led to the
evacuation of the first and the settlement of thesecond in Yemen.
THE EMIGRATING SEPTS OF KAHLAN CAN BE INTO FOUR GROUPS:
1. Azd: Who, under the leadershipof 'Imran bin 'Amr Muzaiqbâ',
wandered in Yemen, sent pioneers and finally headed northwards.
Details of their emigration can be summed up as follows:
2. Tha'labah bin 'Amr left his tribe Al-Azd for Hijaz and dwelt
between Tha'labiyah and Dhi Qar. When he gained strength, he headed
for Madinah where he stayed. Of his seed are Aws and Khazraj, sons of
Haritha binTha'labah.
Haritha bin 'Amr, known as Khuza'a, wandered with his folks in Hijaz
until they came to Mar Az-Zahran. Later, they conquered the Haram, and
settled in Makkah after having driven away its people, the tribe of
Jurhum.
'Imran bin 'Amr and his folks went to 'Oman where they established the
tribe of Azd whose children inhabited Tihama and were known as
Azd-of-Shanu'a.
Jafna bin 'Amr and his family, headed for Syria where he settled and
initiated the kingdom of Ghassan who was so named after a spring of
water, in Hijaz, where they stopped on their way to Syria.
3. Lakhm and Judham: Of whom was Nasr bin Rabi'a, father of Manadhira,
Kings of Heerah.
4. Banu Tai': Who also emigrated northwards to settle by the so-
called Aja and Salma Mountains which were consequently named as Tai'
Mountains.
5. Kinda: Who dwelt in Bahrain but were expelled to Hadramout and Najd
where they instituted a powerful government but not for long , for the
whole tribe soon faded away.
*. Another tribe of Himyar, knownas Quda'a, also left Yemen and dwelt
in Samawa semi-desert on the borders of Iraq