'Fihr ibn Malik' (, ), is counted among the direct ancestors of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who is considered to be the last prophet. In the lineage of Muhammad from Adnan, he precedes Muhammad by eleven generations.

Etymology

Some writers stated that his name was also "Qarish" (''hard'', diminutive is "Quraysh"), which fits him being the progenitor of the

Quraysh The Quraysh () are an Tribes of Arabia, Arab tribe who controlled Mecca before the rise of Islam. Their members were divided into ten main clans, most notably including the Banu Hashim, into which Islam's founding prophet Muhammad was born. By ...

tribe. However most genealogists reject this version.

Role in pre-Islamic Arabia

Fihr ibn Malik traded with other Arabic tribes and also was in charge for the needs of Arabic pilgrims going on Hajj which is a pilgramige in Islam.

Fight against the Himyarites

Fihr ibn Malik defended the city of

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

from the

Himyarite Kingdom Himyar was a polity in the southern highlands of Yemen, as well as the name of the region which it claimed. Until 110 BCE, it was integrated into the Qataban, Qatabanian kingdom, afterwards being recognized as an independent kingdom. According ...

; the latter intended to take away the stones of the

Kaaba The Kaaba (), also spelled Kaba, Kabah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaba al-Musharrafa (), is a stone building at the center of Islam's most important mosque and Holiest sites in Islam, holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Sa ...

and transport them to

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

so the

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

would be transported there instead. Fihr led a joint force of

and warriors from the Arabian tribes of

Mudar The Mudar () was a principal grouping of the northern Arab tribes. History The Mudar and Rabi'a are recorded in central Arabia in the Arabic histories of the pre-Islamic period; the kings of the Kindah bore the title of "king of the Ma'add ( ...

, Banu Kinana, Banu Asad,

Banu Hudhayl Banu Hudhayl () is an Arab tribe that originated in the Hejaz. The tribe mainly inhabits Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt. The tribe was one of the tribes in contact with the Islamic prophet Muhammad and they are known throughout history f ...

and

Banu Tamim The Banū Tamīm () are an Arab tribe that originated in Najd and Hejaz in the Arabian Peninsula. It is mainly present in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon, and has a strong presence in Algeria, and Morocco, Palestine, ...

which repelled the Himyarites. The enemy general, Hassan ibn 'Abd-Kulal was captured and imprisoned for three years until he was able to ransom himself out of custody.

Genealogy

Fihr ibn Malik married Layla bint al-Harith, a woman from the

tribe, and from this marriage he had several sons, including Ghalib, Muharib, Harith, As'ad, Awf, Jawn, and Dhi'b. When Islam began to rise in the 7th century, the descendants of Fihr amongst the

tribal confederation held influential positions in

Qurayshi tribes descended from Fihr ibn Malik

Source: *

Banu Adi Banu Adi () was a clan of the Quraysh tribe descended from Adi ibn Ka'b. The Banu Adi were with the Meccans as part of the escort that preceded the Battle of Badr; they did not join Quraysh further. Notable members Clan members include: * Umar ...

* Banu Taim * Banu Zuhrah *

Banu Sahm The Banu Sahm () is a clan of the Quraish tribe. They are related to the Banu Jumah, as they both were part of a larger clan descended from the same ancestor, the Banu Husays. People * Khunais ibn Hudhaifa * 'Amr ibn al-'As * Hisham ibn al-A'as ...

Banu Jumah The Banu Jumah () was an Arab clan of the Quraysh. They are notable for being allies to the polytheist Meccans and being in war with the Muslims. They are related to the Banu Sahm, as they both were part of a larger clan descended from the sam ...

Banu Makhzum The Banu Makhzum () was one of the wealthy clans of the Quraysh (tribe), Quraysh. They are regarded as being among the three most powerful and influential clans in Mecca before the advent of Islam, the other two being the Banu Hashim (the tribe of ...

* Banu 'Abd al-Darr * Banu 'Abd al-Manaf ** Banu Mutallib ** Banu 'Abd Shams **

Banu Hashim Banu Hashim () is an Arab clan within the Quraysh tribe to which the Islamic prophet Muhammad belonged, named after Muhammad's great-grandfather Hashim ibn Abd Manaf. Members of this clan, and especially their descendants, are also referred ...

** Banu Nawfal * Banu As'ad * Banu Muharib

References

{{Adam to Muhammad Ancestors of Muhammad 3rd-century Arab people People from Mecca Kinana