Hashim b. Abd Manaf: Difference between revisions

After [[Hilf al-Mutayyibin]] he gained the two positions of siqaya (giving water to the pilgrims [hajis]) and rifada (feeding the pilgrims). He was very careful about the ceremony of [[Hajj]] and his two responsibilities.

His original name was 'Amr. Born in Mecca and was the oldest child of 'Abd Manaf. About his kunya there are different opinions: Abu Nadla, Abu Zayd, and Abu Asad.

Hashim and his brother, 'Abd Shams, were conjoined in the time of birth, and they were separated with a blade, so some said that there will be discord between the children of the two (Banu Umayya are descendants of 'Abd Shams).

One year, there was a famine in Mecca, he went to Sham (or Palestine) and brought a lot of bread on many camels, then he ordered to slaughter the camels and made a broth and he was crumbling the bread into the broth and giving it to people; so he became famous as Hashim (the one who crumbles).

Hashim had multiple wives and from them he had four sons and five daughters. Names of his sons were: 'Abd al-Muttalib, Asad, Abu Sayfi, and Nadla; and the names of daughters were: al-Shifa', Khalida, Ruqayya, Habiba, and Da'ifa.

The Prophet (s) are from the descendants of 'Abd al-Muttalib; and Fatima, the mother of Imam 'Ali (a), is the daughter of Asad b. Hashim.

His descendants are only from 'Abd al-Muttalib, although some children of Hashim had children but their offspring didn't continue. For Asad, there is only Fatima bt. Asad, the mother of Imam 'Ali (a), mentioned.

==Activities==

After the demise of 'Abd Manaf, Hashim and his brothers quarreled with the sons of their uncle (Banu 'Abd al-Dar) over the positions of Ka'ba. Each group allied with different branches of Quraysh (see: [[Hilf al-Mutayyibin]]). At last, without any battle, the two sides made peace and Hashim gained the positions of siqaya (giving water to the pilgrims) and rifada (feeding the pilgrims).

Hashim was very careful about his two responsibilities and the ceremony of hajj. Every year near the time of hajj he stood between Quraysh and invited Quraysh to regard the pilgrims and wanted them to feed the pilgrims in the period of hajj. Hashim expend a lot of wealth in the subject and other people of Quraysh paid their share to Hashim according to their budget.

In the period of hajj he put watering places near Ka'ba and brought water to the pilgrims. He dug two wells in Mecca for people.

From the seventh of Dhu al-Hijja that the pilgrims return from [[Mina]], he fed the pilgrims in Mecca, Mina, Mash'ar al-Haram, and 'Arafat.

Hashim was the first to form the trade caravans of Quraysh in winter to Yemen and/or Habasha, and in summer to Sham. Before it, the trade of Quraysh didn't exceed from Mecca, and Mecca was only a market for the non-Arab merchants. He was traveling for trade to Sham and Yemen, he formed the trade of Quraysh and with his encouragement, Quraysh started to trade.

He, in a letter to the ruler of Habasha, requested his permission for Quraysh to enter his territory for trade. Also he signed contracts with the tribes in the way of Mecca to Sham, so that the Quraysh caravan could pass their territories safely and in return the caravan of Quraysh would ship their goods for free.

Hashim was the main element of greatness of Quraysh and they, were very dependent to him; this was to the extent that after his demise they were afraid that other tribes will defeat them.

Hashim, in his last travel among 40 merchants of Quraysh to Sham, when reached Gaza, became ill and demised. After his burial, his companions brought his belongings for his children. Most of the history sources didn't mention his age in the time of demise.