Banu Hāshim

The Banu Hāshim were one of the ten main clans of the Quraysh tribe, which was the ruling tribe of Mecca at the time of the Prophet Muhammad's birth. The Banu Hāshim clan is particularly significant because it was the Prophet Muhammad's own clan.1

The Quraysh controlled the sacred enclave of Mecca and established trade agreements that facilitated commerce throughout Arabia and beyond. They held a superior position among the tribes due to their role as custodians of the Kaʿbah, the central shrine in Mecca.2

While the Quraysh held significant influence, the leadership after the Prophet Muhammad's death was contested. The first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar I, were not from the Banu Hāshim clan, which led to a feeling among some that their rights were overlooked. Ali, Muhammad's stepbrother and son-in-law, became a focal point for claims to succeed the Prophet.2