Banu Lam
Encyclopedia
Banu Lam is an Arab
tribe of central Arabia and southern Iraq
. The tribe claims descent from the ancient Arab tribe of Tayy
, and dominated western Nejd (the region between Medina
and al-Yamama
) before the 15th century. The tribe split into three main bedouin
(nomadic) groups: the Fudhool, the Al Kathir, and the Al Mughira. The Bani Lam tribes gradually left Nejd, settling mostly in southern Iraq
, where they converted from Sunni to Shi'a Islam
largely just before or during the 19th century.. Many clans from Bani Lam, however, remained in Nejd as settled townspeople. The Fudhool were the last of Bani Lam to leave Nejd, in the 18th century.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
tribe of central Arabia and southern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The tribe claims descent from the ancient Arab tribe of Tayy
Tayy
Tayy is a large and ancient Arabian tribe belonging to the southern or Qahtanite branch of Arab tribes. Their original homeland was the area of the two mountains Aja and Salma in north central Arabia , though, like all Qahtanite tribes, it is believed they originally moved there from Yemen...
, and dominated western Nejd (the region between Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
and al-Yamama
Al-Yamama
Al-Yamamah is an ancient district lying to the east of the plateau of Najd in modern-day Saudi Arabia, or sometimes more specifically, the now-extinct ancient village of Jaww Al-Yamamah, near Al-Kharj, after which the rest of the region was named...
) before the 15th century. The tribe split into three main bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
(nomadic) groups: the Fudhool, the Al Kathir, and the Al Mughira. The Bani Lam tribes gradually left Nejd, settling mostly in southern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, where they converted from Sunni to Shi'a Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
largely just before or during the 19th century.. Many clans from Bani Lam, however, remained in Nejd as settled townspeople. The Fudhool were the last of Bani Lam to leave Nejd, in the 18th century.