Hashim ibn Abd Manaf
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Hashim ibn Abd al-Manaf (Arabic: هاشم بن عبد مناف) (died ca. 497) was the great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and Ali ibn Abi Talib (the first Shia Imam & fourth Sunni Caliph). He also was the originator of the Banu Hashim clan of the distinguished Quraish tribe in Mecca.
His real name was Amr which means ruler/commander, but he was given the nickname Hashim which translates as pulverizer in Arabic - because he initiated the practice of providing crumbled bread in broth for the pilgrims to the Kaaba in Mecca. According to tradition, he was a descendant of Ishmael and thus Ibrahim. He married Salma bint Amr, a woman of Madina. He is said to have died while doing business in Gaza, Palestine in 497. His grave is preserved, and Gaza is also called Ghazzah Hashim or Hashim's Gaza.
He is credited with initiating trade caravans of the Quraish after obtaining an edict from the Byzantine emperor, exempting Quraish from duties or taxes when operating in the countries under his domain. He obtained the same concession from the emperor of Ethiopia. Thus, the Quraish engaged in trade in Yemen, Syria and Ankara which allowed them to flurish economically.
His father was Abd al-Manaf ibn Qusai and he had two brothers we are aware of, the elder Abd Shams ibn al-Manaf and a younger brother Muttalib ibn Abd al-Manaf who would become his successor. According to Ibn Hisham, his sons are:
- Asad ibn Hashim (Ali's maternal grandfather)
- Abu Saifi ibn Hashim
- Nadla ibn Hashim
- Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim (Muhammad and Ali's paternal grandfather)
and his daughters are:
- Ash-Shifa bint Hashim
- Khalida bint Hashim
- Da'ifa bint Hashim
- Ruqayyah bint Hashim
- Jannah bint Hashim
He is believed to be a Hanif by Shia Muslims.
