Quraysh

The Quraysh were a prominent Arab tribe and confederation based in Mecca in the Hijaz region of the Arabian Peninsula. They traced their line to Quraysh ibn Kilab and became Mecca’s leading mercantile and political power, overseeing access to the Kaaba and supervising the annual pilgrimage.

The Quraysh comprised several clans, including Banu Hashim (the Prophet Muhammad’s clan), Banu Umayya, Banu Makhzum, Banu Taym, and Banu Zuhra. These subgroups wielded influence within Mecca and often formed rivalries, while collectively dominating local commerce and religious affairs.

In pre-Islamic times, the Quraysh controlled major caravan trade routes linking the Arabian interior with the Levant and Yemen, and they held custodianship of the Kaaba, a position that conferrred prestige and economic power.

With the rise of Islam in the 7th century, Muhammad, a member of Banu Hashim, emerged among the Quraysh. Some Quraysh converted early, while others opposed him, leading to conflicts that included battles around 624–627 CE. After the Hijra to Medina, Quraysh forces fought at Badr, Uhud, and the Trench. In 630 CE, Mecca was conquered and many Quraysh embraced Islam, although former rival factions persisted in different forms. Later, the Umayyad clan, a branch of Quraysh, established the Umayyad Caliphate, while other Quraysh lines, including Hashim and Abbas, continued to shape early Islamic leadership, including the Abbasid transition.

In Islamic history, the Quraysh were a central social and political force in Mecca and in the broader Muslim world during the early centuries. The term is commonly used to refer to the tribe collectively or to its elite factions.