Islamica

Dar Al-Nadwah

Summary

Dar al-Nadwah is where the nobles of the Quraysh in Makkah would gather for counsel and making decisions regarding various issues during the Era of Ignorance. Some of the important decisions made in Dar al-Nadwah include the treaty between the Khuzaah and the Bani Hashim, the laying of the foundations for the Hilf al-Fudul and the Quraysh’s decision to murder the Holy Prophet.

Literal root

The word ‘nadwah’ in this form is from the root letters ‘nadawa’ which means preparing and gathering. [1] Therefore, Dar al-Nadwah means the place of congregation.

Founder

This place was a building belonging to Qusay ibn Kilab, an ancestor of the Holy Prophet. [2] ((Tārīkh ‘al-‘Umam wa ‘al-Mulūk [3] As he founded this place and brought the tribes of the Quraysh together, they titled him ‘Mujammi’ i.e. the one who gathers. [4] [5] Dar al-Nadwah was Qusay’s house. [6] [7] It was situated to the west of Masjid al-Haram and its door would open towards the Kaabah. [8] [9] The Quraysh would consult each other and make decisions in Dar al-Nadwah regarding political and social matters such as declaring war, marriage, announcing that girls have reached the age of maturity and giving them special clothes and the circumcision of boys. Also, every business caravan in Makkah would leave from Dar al-Nadwah. [10] [11] [8] [12] ((Tārīkh ‘al-‘Umam wa ‘al-Mulūk [13] By establishing Dar al-Nadwah, Qusay established Makkah’s civilisation [14] as the first house other than the Kaabah to be built was Dar al-Nadwah and the others built their houses around it. [15] [16]

Members

All of Qusay’s children were members of Dar al-Nadwah, but people from other tribes of the Quraysh could participate if they were forty years of age even though it is said that Abu Jahl was thirty years old when he became a member. [17] [18]

Dar al-Nadwah after Qusay

After Qusay’s death, the supervision of Dar al-Nadwah was passed down to his son Abd al-Dar [19] and eventually, after conflict between the children of Abd al-Dar and the children of Abd Manaf over its supervision, the supervision fell to the children of Abd al-Dar [20] until Hakim ibn Hizam bought Dar al-Nadwah from Mansur ibn Amir ibn Hisham ibn Abd Manaf ibn Abd al-Dar ibn Qusay. Ikrimah ibn Hisham then bought it from Hakim ibn Hizam. [21] In the Islamic era, he sold it to Muawiyah for one hundred thousand dirhams. [22] Muawiyah made Dar al-Nadwah the governing headquarters of Makkah. [23] [24] Later on, during the era of the Umayyads and the Abbasids, this place was the residence of the caliphs during the Hajj season. [25] Despite this, Harun Abbasi ordered for another building to be built and from then on, the building of Dar al-Nadwah was in ruins. [26] Towards the end of the third century A.H. during the era of al-Mutadid Billah (the Abbasid caliph), this building was joined to Masjid al-Haram and became part of it after repairing it and renovating its pillars and arches. [27] [28] [8]

Some important decisions made in Dar al-Nadwah

One can consider the following decisions as the historical and important decisions of Dar al-Nadwah:

  • The treaty between the Khuzaah and the Bani Hashim [24]
  • Laying the foundations for Hilf al-Fudul [29]
  • The decision to murder the Holy Prophet which resulted in his and all of the other Muslims’ migration to Madinah [11] [30]


References

  1. ↑ ‘al-`Ayn, vol. 8, p. 76
  2. ↑ Ṭabaqāt, vol. 1, p. 52
  3. ↑ Tārīkh Ṭabarī), vol. 2, p. 259
  4. ↑ Jamharaḧ ‘al-Nisab, vol. 1, p. 25
  5. ↑ ‘al-Ma`ārif, p. 70
  6. ↑ ‘al-Sīraḧ ‘al-Nabawiyyaḧ, vol. 1, p. 137 and vol. 2, p. 124
  7. ↑ ‘al-Kāmil, vol. 2, p. 102
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ṭabaqāt, ibid
  9. ↑ Masālik wa Mamālik, p. 18
  10. ↑ ‘al-`Ayn, ibid
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 ‘al-Sīraḧ ‘al-Nabawiyyaḧ (‘Ibn Hishām), vol. 1, p. 137
  12. ↑ Tārīkh Ya`qūbī, vol. 1, p. 240
  13. ↑ Tārīkh Ṭabarī), vol. 2, p. 259-60
  14. ↑ Sīraḧ Rasūl ‘Allāh, p. 42
  15. ↑ Futūḥ ‘al-Buldān, p. 52
  16. ↑ Tārīkh Ya`qūbī, vol. 1, p. 239
  17. ↑ Kitāb ‘al-‘Ishtiqāq, vol. 1, p. 155
  18. ↑ Sīraḧ Rasūl ‘Allāh, ibid
  19. ↑ Ṭabaqāt, vol. 1, p. 55
  20. ↑ Ṭabaqāt, vol. 1, p. 58-9
  21. ↑ Kitāb Nisab Quraysh, p. 254
  22. ↑ Jamharaḧ ‘Ansāb ‘al-`Arab, p. 127
  23. ↑ Jamharaḧ ‘al-Nisab, vol. 1, p. 66
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 ‘al-Munammaq fī ‘Akhbār ‘al-Quraysh, p. 21
  25. ↑ Ṭabaqāt, vol. 1, p. 59
  26. ↑ ‘al-Munammaq fī ‘Akhbār ‘al-Quraysh, ibid
  27. ↑ ‘al-Kāmil, vol. 2, p. 23
  28. ↑ Marāṣid ‘al-‘Iṭṭilā`, vol. 2, p. 508
  29. ↑ Murūj ‘al-Dhahab wa Ma`ādin ‘al-Jawhar, vol. 3, p. 9
  30. ↑ Ṭabaqāt, vol. 1, p. 193-4
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