Aws and Khazraj: Difference between revisions

'Aws' and 'Khazraj', are two important [[Arab]] tribes from [[Yemen]], which settled in [[Medina]] long before [[Islam]]. After [[hijra]] (the emigration) they became named as [[Ansar]] (the helpers). The role of these two tribes is significant in the history of [[Islam]], especially in ''hijra'' and in battles.

Bloodline of Aws and Khazraj reaches to the great tribe of [[Azd]] in [[Yemen]]. Most of genealogists and historians of the first centuries of Islam had mentioned the lineage of the two tribes through Banu Mazin b. Azd.

The great ancestor of the two tribes, [['Amr b. 'Amir]] is known as Muzayqiya; and Aws and Khazraj were the two sons of Haritha b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. 'Amir. Their bloodline reaches to the tribe [[Banu Quda'a]] through their mother, named Qayla bt. Kahil; so Aws and Khazraj also had named themselves as Banu Qayla.

Aws is short of Aws Manat which shows their connection to one of famous idols of [[the age of ignorance]]. Khazraj means strong wind or southern breeze.

History of residence of Aws and Khazraj in [[Yathrib]] has a close connection to the dispersion of Azd tribe, who were living in [[Yemen]], in various parts of [[Arabian Peninsula]].

The most common narration in old sources, shows that migration of an Azdite group from Yemen, was result of destruction of the [[Ma'rab Dam]] because of a flood; but there's no agreement among current historians about their cause of migration and date of it. Some other narrations say that they migrated before the destruction of the Ma'rab Dam.

Historians believe that migration of Azdites from Yemen didn't happen all at once. Later, these immigrants in the north of the Arabian Peninsula, close to [[Sham]], formed the little state of Ghassanids, and some other groups formed the state of Al Mundhir or Lakhmids in some parts of [[Iraq]] (Hira); each one was a client state of one of the two great empires of the time, [[Iran]] and [[Rome]].

Connection of Jews, and Aws and Khazraj, first began with cooperation, especially in agriculture, but as the immigrants were becoming more and more, the dominance of Jews became less. It's likely that from this time, by formation of different clans and branches, the procedure of separation of the two tribes began.

The dominance of Aws and Khazraj on [[Yathrib]], caused another event which has connections to the dependency of the city to the two client states of Ghassanids and Lakhmids. According to a narration, Jews were paying tribute to the representative of [[Sasanid]] empire, and ruling of Yathrib was given to Jews by them.

According to another narration, after Aws and Khazraj got tired of the oppression of the Jew governor, sought help from Ghassanids. So Malik b. 'Ajlan came for helping them and from that time superiority of Aws and Khazraj in Yathrib began.

Anyway, according to some signs, Aws and Khazraj were feeling themselves closer to Ghassanids who were descendants of Azd like them. Although the representatives of [[Sasanid]] empire were ruling Yathrib until the middle of the 6th century –as some authors guessed- but from that time, with the entrance of Aws and Khazraj to Yathrib, the situation had changed in favor of Ghassanids, and there's some narrations available regarding this.

There's no information about the management of [[Yathrib]], when Aws and Khazraj were ruling the city, especially when such a competition had begun between the two tribes which lead to long and bloody wars, and certainly Jews were actively involved in fanning the flames between the two tribes.

Because the power of the two tribes was almost equal, each tribe was trying to gain superiority by making alliances with Jewish tribes in Yathrib, as Aws were allied with [[Banu Qurayza]] and Khazraj with [[Banu Nadir]].

In the first battle, named Sumayr, Aws won, but in most of the later battles Khazraj became victor.

In the last battle, named Bu'ath, which occurred in [[Yathrib]], a little before [[Hijra]] of the [[Prophet (s)]], some Awsites went to [[Mecca]] to make alliance with [[Quraysh]] in order to gain victory over the opponent, but didn't see any interest. Then a connection established between some of them and the Prophet (s).

Apparently Khazrajites wanted to make [['Abd 'Allah b. 'Ubay]] ruler of the city.

With the [[Hijra|emigration]] of the [[Prophet (s)]] to [[Yathrib]], Aws and Khazraj accepted Islam and became named as [[Ansar]] (the Helpers), of which they were very proud. After all, their long time rivalry was breaking out in some occasions, as they had disagreement and pride about which one of them had pledged allegiance sooner in the [['Aqaba allegiance]].

Also, there was a competition about their presence in other Islamic events. It looks like in the Islamic period, Khazrajites have the upper hand, as among the [[twelve Naqibs]] 3 of them were from Aws and 9 were from Khazraj; also in the [[Battle of Badr]] ''Khazrajites'' were more than ''Awsites''.

In the battles of [[Battle of Muraysi'|Muraysi']] and [[Battle of Banu Qurayza|Banu Qurayza]], and the story of [[Ifk]], discord between Aws and Khazraj became apparent, but the Prophet (s) extinguished the flame. After the demise of the Prophet (s), [[Abu Bakr]] and his supporters took advantage of the competition of Aws and Khazraj for taking succession of the Prophet (s).

Each of Aws and Khazraj had 5 clans. Each of these clans was divided into branches; which number reached up to 40. This was beside other tribes and clans which had alliance of the tribes.

Aws and Khazraj were famous for their bravery. Each one had poets; among Aws, Qays b. Khatim known as "the tongue of Aws", and Abu Qays b. Aslat are famous. [[Hassan b. Thabit]], whose eulogy about the [[Prophet (s)]] is famous, and Ka'b b. Malik are from Khazraj.

Some of great [[companions of the prophet (s)|companions]] of the Prophet (s) were from the two tribes, and later each of the two tribes were proud of them. From Aws, [[Hanzala al-Ghasil al-Mala'ika]], [['Asim b. Thabit]], [[Sa'd b. Ma'adh]]; and from Khazraj, [[Zayd b. Thabit]], [[Ma'adh b. Jabal]], and [['Ubay b. Ka'b]] could be noted.

It's said that some of [[Qur'an]] [[verse]]s are revealed about Aws and Khazraj, especially verse 103 of [[Sura Al 'Imran|Al 'Imran]] which commands believers to be unified and avoid division.

Amongst historians, Abu 'Ubayda Mu'ammar b. al-Muthanna, al-Waqidi (d. 207 AH/822), and 'Allan al-Shu'ubi (d. late 2 AH/7 century), have books about Aws and Khazraj, their genealogy, battles, and vices.