Page 39 - History of The Quranic Text | Kalamullah.Com

EARLY HISTORY OF ISLAM: A BRIEF LOOK 19

I will pass over numerous details and pick up the trail with Qu~ayy, the
great-great-great grandfather of the Prophet.

iii. Qusayy Gains Full Control of Makkah

Some two hundred years prior to the Prophet's birth, Qusayy; a keenly
intelligent, powerful and highly administrative chieftain, ascended within
the ranks of Makkah's political scene. Taking advantage of the Byzantine
interest in Makkah, he acquired their help in securing fullcontrol of the city
while successfully remaining outside Byzantine influence and neglecting
their regional interests.P
Qu~ayy
(born c. 365 C.E.)

'Abd Manaf
'Abdul-Dar 'Abd 'Abdul-'Uzza
(born c. 430 C.E.)
~
Hashim
Naufal Muttalib 'Abd Shams
(born c.442 C.E.)
~---I----.....,---------,
'Abdul
Asad Muttalib Abu Saifi Na<;lla
(born c. 497 C.E.)
i
...
«e
cS·

'Ali ]a'far M~auun.ad(Ii)
(born c.570 C.E.)
Figure 2.1: A briefgenealogy qf Q,ll.}qyy.

Qusayy married Hubba bint Hulail, the daughter of the Khuza'ite
chieftain of Makkah; this chieftain's death allowed him to assume further

29 Ibn Qutaiba, al-Ma'drif, pp. 640-41. The Byzantine Empire had a new prospect
of extending their influenceon Makkah a fewgenerations later when a Makkan, 'Uthman
ibn al-Huwairith of the Asad clan, embraced Christianity.The Emperor placed a crown
on his head and sent him to Makkah with Ukase, ordering the Makkans to accept
him as their king. But even his own tribe refused to accept him. [TheCif:y State if Mecca,
pp. 256-7, quoting as-Suhaili (Raurf.ul urif, i:146) and others].