Hashim ibn Abd Manaf

Islamic hagiographers give an exotic narration concerning the birth of Hashim. This narration states that Hashim and 'Abd Shams were conjoined twins born with Hashim's leg attached to his twin brother's head. It says that they had struggled in their mother's womb seeking to be firstborn. Their birth was remembered for Hashim being born with one of his toes pressed into the younger twin brother's forehead. Legend says that their father, 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusai, separated his conjoined sons with a sword and that some priests believed that the blood that had flown between them signified wars between their progeny (a confrontation did occur between Banu al-'Abbās, a branch of the Banu Hashim, and Banu Umayyah, a branch of the Banu 'Abd Shams, in the year 750 CE). The astrologers of Arabia predicted that Abd Manaf had committed a grave error when he separated both of them by means of a sword. Hashim was born to an Adnanite Arabian tribe. ==Life==

Hashim was the son of Abd Manaf, who argued with his brother 'Abd ad-Dar over the inheritance. 'Abd ad-Dar was supported by their cousins Makhzum, Sahm, Jumah, their uncle Adi and their families. Abd Manaf contested his inheritance and was supported by their nephew Asad, their uncle Zuhrah ibn Kilab, their father's uncle Taym ibn Murrah, and al-Harith ibn Fihr. The effects of this conflict continued among their descendants, especially and affected the internal history of Mecca right up to Muhammad's time. Hashim's brothers agreed that he should have the responsibility of providing for the pilgrims. Their descendants in the clans named after them tended to keep this old alliance. ==Legacy==

Hashim was held in much honour, both at home and abroad. It was he who first realised the potential for his family of taking part in the lucrative trade between Syria and Egypt that passed through Arabia. Trading was the most important means of livelihood for the inhabitants of Mecca, a barren 'valley without cultivation'. He initiated and established the two great trade caravan journeys of Quraish from Mecca, the Caravan of Winter to Yemen and the Caravan of Summer to north-west Arabia, and beyond it to Palestine and Syria, which were then under Byzantine rule as part of the Roman Empire. After obtaining privileges from the Ghassanid king of Syria, even went in person to Byzantium and procured an edict from the Byzantine Roman Caesar, exempting Quraish from duties or taxes when operating in the countries under his domain. Caesar also wrote to the King Negus of Abyssinia to admit the Quraish there for trade, and Hashim's brother 'Abd Shams had a special permit with him. Muttalib had his treaty with the Himyarites of Yemen, and their half-brother Nawfal with the Persian governments of Iraq and Iran. His descendants are still known as Hashemites today. ==Death==

According to Muslim tradition, Hashim died after falling ill on a journey returning from Syria, in Gaza, Palaestina Prima, in 497. According to tradition, Hashim's tomb is located beneath the dome of Sayed al-Hashim Mosque in the al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza which is named in his honor. The mosque itself was built around the 12th century. His business passed to none of his sons, but to his brothers, the sons of Atikah bint Murrah. ==Family==

His father was 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusai who according to Islamic tradition is a descendant of Ibrahim (Abraham) through his son Ismail (Ishmael). His mother was ʻĀtikah bint Murrah ibn Hilāl ibn Fālij ibn Dhakwān. Hashim had two full brothers, the elder was 'Abd Shams and younger was Muttalib who would succeed him, and half-brother Nawfal whose mother was Waqida bint ʿAmr. He had at least five wives, four sons, and six daughters. His first three wives were his grandmother Hubba bint Hulail's niece Qaylah (or Hind) bint ʿAmr ibn Malik of the Banu Khuza'a, Halah (Hind) bint ʿAmr ibn Thalabah al-Khazrajiyah, and a woman from the Banu Quda'a, the people of Qusai's stepfather who had been so supportive of his cause. For his fourth wife, he married his father's widow, Waqida bint ʿAmr (Abu Adiy) al-Maziniyyah, who was the mother of his half-brother Nawfal. His fifth wife was Salma bint ʿAmr, a woman from Yathrib, one of the most influential women of the Banu Khazraj tribe and the daughter of ʿAmr of the Banu Najjar clan. By Qaylah, he had a son Asad (Ali's maternal grandfather). By Halah, he had the son Abu Saifi, and daughter Hayyah (or Hannah). By Waqida, he had the daughters Khalidah and Da'ifa. By the woman of Banu Quda'a, he had the son Nadla (or Nadh) and daughter Ash-Shifa. By Salma bint ʿAmr he had Shaiba/'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, the paternal grandfather of Muhammad, and a daughter Ruqayyah. There was another son Sayfayyah and another daughter Jannah. ==Notable descendants==

Family tree Dynasties The following royal and imperial dynasties claim descent from Hashim: Europe • Hummudid dynasty (through Idris ibn Abdullah) Arabia • Hashemite dynasty(through Qatadah ibn Idris) • Abbasid dynasty of the Abbasid Empire (through Abbas ibn Muttalib) • Fatimid dynasty of the Fatimid dynasty including the later Agha Khans. (through Ismail ibn Jafar) • Rassid dynasty of Yemen (through Ibrahim al Jamr bin Hassan al Muthanna) • Mutawakkilite dynasty of Yemen (through Ibrahim al Jamr bin Hassan al Muthanna as cadets of the Rassid dynasty) Africa • Aluoite dynasty of Morocco (through Muhammad Nafs az zakiyah bin Abdullah al Kamal ) • Idrisid dynasty of West Africa (through Idris ibn Abdullah) • Senussi dynasty of Libya (through Idris ibn Abdullah as cadets of the Idrisid dynasty) • Ishaqids: • Tolje'lo dynasty of the Isaaq Sultanate (through Sheikh Ishaaq bin Ahmed) • Guled dynasty of the Isaaq Sultanate (through Sheikh Ishaaq bin Ahmed) • Alid of Tabaristan (through Zayd bin Hassan al Muthana) • Zaydi dynasty of Tabarstan (through Zayd ibn Ali) • The Agha Khans (Through Ismail ibn Jafar as cadets of the Fatimid dynasty) • Sabzwari dynasty (through Ali al Reza) • Najafi dynasty of Bengal. Including the later Nawabs of Murshidabad and the Tabatabai family of Iran (through Ibrahim Tabataba ibn Ismail al Dibaj) East Asia • Sultans of Siak (through Ahmad al Muhajir as cadets of the Ba alawai) • Bendahara dynasty of Pahang and Terengannu (through Ahmad al Muhajir as cadets of the Ba alawai) • Bolkiah dynasty of Brunei (through Ahmad al Muhajir as cadets of the Ba alawai) • Jamal al layl dynasty of Perak and Perlis (through Ahmad al Muhajir as cadets of the Ba alawai) • Sultans of Pontianak (through Ahmad al Muhajir as cadets of the Ba alawai) • House of Temenggong of Johor (through Ahmad al Muhajir as cadets of the Bendahara dynasty) ==See also==