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All people of Makkah in general and chieftains of
Quraish in particular have realized their duties towards the
Ka`bah and its pilgrims. They thought they were invested with the
rights of sacredness and choice over all the Arabs because they
were chosen by God to be the neighbors of the Sacred House. They
also considered themselves the people of the House and its
guardians as well as they knew the importance of their land and
what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Honor and Sacredness.
Thereby, they co-operated to shoulder their responsibilities
towards the pilgrims regarding them as guests of Allah's House
in their land.
At that time, there were fifteen outstanding posts
in (the tribe of) Quraish which they distributed among its clans
to guarantee balance and peace and to prevent struggle and
competition amongst them over these posts. Also, they aimed to
secure the necessary peace and tranquility to encourage pilgrims
and traders to come to Makkah every year. The most honorable of
these posts were guarding the House, watering and feeding the
pilgrims.
As for the post of guarding the House, its holder
guards, maintains, retains the Ka`bah's keys, opens its door for
people and closes it. This is absolutely the most unparalleled
post. The second post is the right of watering the pilgrims. This
task was not an easy one because of the scarcity of water in
Makkah. The one who assumes this right used to establish cisterns
of leather in the precinct of the Sanctuary to which he transfers
fresh water from the wells around Makkah on camels. The right of
watering the pilgrims was invested with Banu Hashim Ibn `Abd
Manaf. The third post is the right of feeding (i.e. levying a tax
to provide for the pilgrims). The one invested with this right
used to levy a tax from notables of Quraish every year to provide
food for those of the pilgrims who were too poor to provide for
themselves regarding them as guests of the Ka`bah. Qusayy Ibn
Kilab was the first to assume this right. Then it moved to Banu
Nawfal, then to Banu Hashim. Maintenance of the Sacred House is
also amongst the highest posts which are connected to the Ka`bah.
It means not to let any obscenity, or wickedness, or wrangling in
the Sanctuary.
Quraish spared no effort to encourage pilgrims
from all over the world to come to Makkah. They used to stand on
the side of the oppressed and to deal justly with people. For the
furtherance of justice and the protection of the weak, they had
signed a pact of chivalry that henceforth, at every act of
oppression in Makkah, they stand together as one man on the side
of the oppressed against the oppressor until justice is done,
whether the oppressed was a man of Quraish or one who had come
from abroad.
Qusayy Ibn Kilab, the founder of Quraish, assumed
the right of levying a tax from its notables to provide for the
pilgrims. His posterity inherited this right after his death. So
it became a hereditary tradition. Ibn Hisham defined the right of
levying a tax to provide for the pilgrims saying that they paid
Qusayy Ibn Kilab a tax every year on their flocks, so that he
might feed those of the pilgrims who were too poor to provide for
themselves. When Qusayy firstly imposed this tax on Quraish, he
said, "O men of Quraish, you are God's neighbors, the people
of His House and the people of the Sanctuary; and at this feast
come to you God's visitors, the pilgrims to His House. They are
God's guests, and no guests have such claim on your generosity
as His guests. So, provide them with food and drink in seasons of
Hajj so that they may talk of your generosity." They voluntarily
agreed to pay him a tax every year from their properties to
provide food for the pilgrims.
Qusayy ruled over them all as king, with
undisputed power. He assumed the posts of guarding the House,
watering the pilgrims, providing for the pilgrims, he also lead
the House of the Assembly and the ensign of war. Qusayy Ibn Kilab
ordered people of Quraish to build their houses near the Ka`bah
and to leave enough space for circumambulation around the Ka`bah.
Three children were born to Qusayy; they are `Abd
Ad-Dar, `Abd Manaf and `Abd Al-`Uzza. `Abd Ad-Dar was his eldest
son, but `Abd Manaf was the most honored and the highly respected
in his people. Qusayy preferred his first-born, `Abd Ad-Dar, and
shortly before his death he said to him, "My son, none shall
enter the Ka`bah except that you open it for him, and no hand but
thine shall knot for Quraish their ensign of war, nor shall any
pilgrim draw water for drink in Makkah except it be of thy
providing, nor shall Quraish resolve upon any matter except it be
in thy house."
After the death of Qusayy, `Abd Ad-Dar and then
his posterity assumed all these posts. But very soon, sons of `Abd
Manaf Ibn Qusayy, `Abd Shams, Hashim, Al-Muttalib and Nawfal,
disputed with sons of `Abd Ad-Dar regarding these rights and
demanded that they should be transferred to their clans. This
dispute divided clans of Quraish and they were about to go to war
when a compromise was suggested, and it was agreed that the sons
of `Abd Manaf Ibn Qusayy should have the rights of levying the tax
and providing the pilgrims with food and drink, whereas the sons
of `Abd Ad-Dar Ibn Qusayy should retain the keys of the Ka`bah,
the ensign of war and their other rights, and that their house
should continue to be the House of the Assembly.
Hashim's brothers agreed that he should have the
responsibility of levying the tax and providing for the pilgrims.
Once Quraish passed through a period of drought from which they
suffered much. Thereby, Hashim traveled to Palestine and bought a large amount of flour and then came back instantly to
Makkah to make bread from this flour and then he smashed this
bread to be offered to his people. That was why they called him
Hashim instead of his original name `Amr. He then slaughtered
animals and offered them to his people. Hashim was held in much
honor throughout the Arabian Peninsula.
Hashim's younger brother Al-Muttalib took over
the rights of watering the pilgrims and of providing for them
after Hashim's death. When `Abd Al-Muttalib grew old, he was
involved in disputes over his father's posts: but with the help
of his maternal uncles from Banu An-Najjar, `Abd Al-Muttalib was
able to restore his father's posts. Ibn Hisham mentioned the
outstanding position of `Abd Al-Muttalib saying, "`Abd
Al-Muttalib took over the rights of feeding and watering the
pilgrims and levying the tax to provide for them after his
uncle's death. It was even said that he surpassed his
forefathers in the fulfillment of this task. He became the most
outstanding among his people and he was held in much respect and
honor.
`Abd Al-Muttalib shouldered the heavy
responsibility of feeding and watering the pilgrims. He suffered
much in providing the necessary amounts of water for the pilgrims
and the newcomers to Makkah; especially that Makkah passed by a
long period of drought during which there was scarcity of rains
and the wells around Makkah were about to dry up while they were
near the season of Hajj. One night, `Abd Al-Muttalib saw a vision
that led him to discover the old place of the Well of Zamzam. `Abd
Al-Muttalib along with his son Al-Harith came out to the place
where he knew that he must dig. They succeeded in their endeavor
and water gushed forth from this Sacred Well to provide water
generously for the pilgrims and the people of Makkah.
While digging the Well of Zamzam, `Abd Al-Muttalib
found a treasure for Maddad Al-Jurhumi who had previously buried
it in this well and filled it up (with earth) when he had been
forced to leave Makkah and so that his enemies shall not find it.
Also, he was unable to carry this treasure with him to his exile.
With the passing of years, this treasure was hidden under heaped
up sands. People of Quraish disputed with `Abd Al-Muttalib
regarding this treasure and claimed the right to a share in it.
`Abd Al-Muttalib agreed that lots should be cast to put an end to
this dispute.
The treasure included two pieces of gold in the
shape of gazelles, swords and coats of mail. The process of
divining arrows resulted in that the two pieces of gold went to
the Ka`bah, whereas the swords and the coats of mail went to `Abd
Al-Muttalib who made of these swords a door to the Ka`bah and then
hanged the two gold pieces over this door.
After the discovery of the Well of Zamzam, `Abd
Al-Muttalib had become transferring water from it to the nearby
cisterns surrounding the Ka`bah. He used to desalinate this water
with dried dates and raisins since his son Al-`Abbas had gardens
of grapes in (the nearby town of) At-Ta'if and he used to
provide his father with the necessary needs from raisins.
Up till now, the rights of guarding the House,
watering the pilgrims and providing for them are unparalleled
honors.
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