muwallad

Muwallad is an Arabic term used historically to describe a person of mixed parentage, often indicating some connection to both Arab and non-Arab heritage. The word literally derives from the Arabic root for birth and the prefix mu-, forming a descriptor for someone “born of” mixed lineage. In different regions and periods, the exact social sense of muwallad varied.

In the Islamic world, muwallad commonly referred to individuals who had one Arab parent and one non-Arab parent, or more broadly to people of mixed lineage within Muslim communities. The term was especially associated with the social dynamics of the mawālī—non-Arab Muslims who were attached to Arab tribes or communities—and with the descendants of converts and local populations integrated into Arab-dominated networks. In the Iberian Peninsula, the related term mulad (or muwallad) described Muslims of mixed origin, often encompassing descendants of Arab conquerors and local converts, who formed a distinct but influential segment of society in al-Andalus.

The usage of muwallad varied by era and place, and it did not have a single legal status across Islamic law. In modern Arabic, muwallad can still be understood as “of mixed heritage,” but the term is largely historical and can carry sensitive or context-dependent connotations depending on usage.

See also: mawla, mawālī, muladi.