Jurhum
Encyclopedia
Jurhum was a Qahtani
tribe in the Arabian peninsula
. An old Arab
tribe, their historical abode was Yemen
before they emigrated to Mecca
.
According to Arabic
accounts, the tribe of the Jurhum gave protection to Hagar
and her son Ishmael
, a relationship cemented with Ishmael's marriage to a Jurhumite woman, al Muḍaḍ ibn 'Amr. The Jurhum are said to have been involved in the worship centering around the Kaaba
, the holy sanctuary rebuilt by Ishmael and his father Abraham
and revered as a pilgrimage site, where one of them rebuilt the temple there. According to one tradition, their custodianship over the Kaaba ended after they were ousted by the Khuza'a
, a tribal group from the south.
Islam
ic tradition further holds that Hagar and Ishmael found a spring in Mecca, the Zamzam well
, from which the Jurhum wanted to drink, and that after their ousting by the Khuza'a tribe, that the Jurhum collected the treasures dedicated to the Kaaba and destroyed the Zamzam well so that nobody would find it.
The historical reality of the Jurhum is not in question, as they are also mentioned in Ancient Greek
sources. The tribe's existence during the time of the biblical Ishmael
is unlikely, and their emergence as an important tribe in their affairs of Najran, and Mecca, more likely dates to the few centuries before the rise of Islam.
Qahtanite
The terms Qahtanite and Qahtani refer to Semitic peoples either originating in, or claiming genealogical descent from the southern extent of the Arabian Peninsula, especially from Yemen....
tribe in the Arabian peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. An old Arab
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, their historical abode was Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
before they emigrated to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
.
According to Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
accounts, the tribe of the Jurhum gave protection to Hagar
Hagar
-People:* Hagar , handmaid of Sarah and mother of Abraham's son Ishmael* Hagar Finer, Israeli WIBF bantamweight champion* Albert Hagar, Canadian politician* Mandy Hagar, New Zealand children's author...
and her son Ishmael
Ishmael
Ishmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
, a relationship cemented with Ishmael's marriage to a Jurhumite woman, al Muḍaḍ ibn 'Amr. The Jurhum are said to have been involved in the worship centering around the Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur'an states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham, or Ibraheem, in Arabic, and his son Ishmael, or Ismaeel, as said in Arabic, after he had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque...
, the holy sanctuary rebuilt by Ishmael and his father Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
and revered as a pilgrimage site, where one of them rebuilt the temple there. According to one tradition, their custodianship over the Kaaba ended after they were ousted by the Khuza'a
Banu Khuza'a
the Khuza'a or Banu Khuza'a form a branch of the South Arabian tribe of Azd-Origin:Most traditionalists trace the origins of the tribe to Amr ibn Lahi al-Khuza'i, and agree that with the other branches of the Azd they at some point left the Yemen and moved north. 'Amr ibn Luhay and his clan...
, a tribal group from the south.
Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic tradition further holds that Hagar and Ishmael found a spring in Mecca, the Zamzam well
Zamzam Well
The Well of Zamzam is a well located within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, east of the Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam...
, from which the Jurhum wanted to drink, and that after their ousting by the Khuza'a tribe, that the Jurhum collected the treasures dedicated to the Kaaba and destroyed the Zamzam well so that nobody would find it.
The historical reality of the Jurhum is not in question, as they are also mentioned in Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
sources. The tribe's existence during the time of the biblical Ishmael
Ishmael
Ishmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
is unlikely, and their emergence as an important tribe in their affairs of Najran, and Mecca, more likely dates to the few centuries before the rise of Islam.
Additional reading
- Adil Salahi (1995). Muhammad: Man and Prophet, pg. 4-8, The Islamic FoundationThe Islamic FoundationThe Islamic Foundation, established in 1973 in the city of Leicester, is a centre for education, training, research and publication of issues related to Islam. The Foundation seeks to build bridges between Muslims and others....
(UK), or Barnes and Noble (NY), or Element Books Limited, Shaftesbury, Dorset.