Al-Ali (tribe)

Al-Ali is an Arab tribe a branch of Bani Malik from Central Arabia. Bani Malik are a branch of Azd Mecca ( the descendants of Khuza'a Ibn Amr ). Azd Mecca are one of four branches of Azd or Al Azd one of the major pre-Islamic tribes. They were a branch of Kahlan which was one of the branches of Qahtan the other being Himyar. Most of Al-Ali tribe migrated by the end of the 16th century from what is now Saudi Arabia to different neighboring countries. Members of Al-Ali tribe live in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan.

The Al-Mu'alla Ruling Family of Umm-al-Qaiwain come from this tribe.

Al-Ali tribe in Iraq

The tribal pattern in Iraq for the last four centuries is such that tribes are grouped under different banners Raya (راية, plural Rayat) and areas of influence. These groups are not necessarily blood-related but they are tribal congregations, each one stems from its own ancestry and ruled by the Shaikh (شيخ), and cooperate in war under the same banner. However, two or three tribes (Asheera عشيرة pl. Ashayer) may have the same ancestry and cooperate in war under one banner and commanded by one leader who is called Shaikh of the shaikhs (Shaikh al Mashayikh شيخ المشايخ ). The shaikh's ancestors may not be the same as those of his tribe that he commands.

Any tribe can have the name of the bigger group or keeps its name. Persons too can do the same e.g. one can be called Al-Maliki (related to Malik, the ancestor of the bigger group) and at the same time he is called Al-Ali (related to Ali), which is one of the Maliki offshoots. Some members of Al-Ali tribe call themselves Bani Hasan (the sons of Hasan) which is another tribe of Bani Malik.

This tribal system dates back to the pre-Islamic era.

Habits of Iraqi tribes

Every Shaikh of an Iraqi tribe has a guest-house called Madheef (مضيف) for hosting of the tribe's guests and refugees fleeing their tribe following a tribunal too.

A settler Arab tribe has its own order of penalties and fines, called Swani (سواني), for crimes committed on its territory, in contrast to nomadic ones. Homicide and rape crimes are resolved by offering men of the victim's tribe a number of women to marry. If the assailant tribe is of another race, women are not accepted but instead they give "Diyya" (دية) in form of money or cattle stock. Women can only be accepted from a white tribe allied to the assailant's black tribe.In Addition, Al Ali tribe is known to be one of the richest tribes in the middle east.

Al Ali tribe (آل علي)

They are one of the offshoots of Bani Malik (بني مالك). In the 16th century they moved north from central Arabia to UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, but others had relocated in Iraq as described.

In the 13th century they had 4000 warriors, but most of the tribesmen had died in the plague of 1247 AH (1887 AD) so the number of their warriors was reduced to 150 in 1260 AH (1900). During the reign of their shaikh, Isa ibn Ehdaib, there was a severe drought which made them leave their land on the eastern bank of Euphrates and migrated near AI-Hindyiah tributary of Euphrates river, to the village called Janaja and some migrated to AI-Shamyiah to a place called AI-Kharabah which was offered by Shaikh Thirib ibn Emghamis Al-Khaza'ali. Many of AI-Ali's still live in that area around Um-Hayaya river in Najaf Governorate.

Al Ali offshoots

An offshoot is called Fakhd (فخذ)

This offshoot divides into: 1) Al Gati آل كاطع- In Janaja village and the township of Al Hindiyah (also called Twairij) on the bank of Al-Hindyiah tributary of Euphrates river. The families Albu Haj Ali and Albu Muhsin are some of those who descended from Al Gati offshoot of Al Ali. 2) Al-Rowaj'ih 3) Al Shaiba 4) Al-Matareef 5) Another offshoot in the township of Al-Daghara, whose successors are Kashif Al-Ghita'a and Al Khidhir families.

Influential people of Al-Ali

Deceased

Contemporaries

All the above contemporaries are from the Al Ghati offshoot of Al Ali.

Genealogy

The eldest member of the tribe, Abdul-Muhsin (brother of Abdul-Munim), Ibn Ali, lbn Hussein (brother of Al-Shaikh-Ali), Ibn Hammadi, Ibn Haj Ali, Ibn Mohammad, lbn Muhanna, lbn Hussein ( brother of Sultan, the ancestor of Muhammad Hasan Abi al-Mahasin, lbn Ghati, lbn Saif Al-Deen (AI-Maliki), lbn Ehdaib, lbn Hirkil, Ibn ALI (after whom the tribe is named), lbn Sagr, lbn Abi-Woram, lbn Abi-Firas, Ibn Isa, Ibn Najm, Ibn Woram, lbn Hamad, Ibn Khoulan, lbn Ibrahim, lbn Malik Al-Ashtar( leader in the army of Prophet Muhammad's cousin Ali Ibn Abi Talib, after whom the larger Bani Malik tribe are named), Ibn Al-Harith, lbn Abd-Yaluth, lbn Salama, lbn Rabi'aa, Ibn Jarid, lbn Juthaima, Ibn Sa'ad, lbn Malik, lbn Nakh', lbn Amr, lbn Illa, lbn Abs, Ibn Jalad, Ibn Amr, Ibn Khoulan, lbn Malik, Ibn Haritha (Khuza'a of Al-Azd), Ibn Amr, Ibn Muzaqiba, lbn Arib, Ibn Yashjub, Ibn Zayd, Ibn Kahlan, lbn Abd Shams Saba'a (Sheba) The Great, who is the founder of Sheba kingdom (Arabic 'Saba'a, which queen Balkis ruled in the 10th century BC), Ibn Yarub the forefather of the pure indigenous Arabs of the Arabian peninsula after whom the Arabs are named), Ibn Yashjub, lbn Qahtan(biblical Joktan)who is a descendent from Prophet Hud (biblical Eber) 1817 BC.

Other three Al-Azd branches

Al-Azd tribe is one of the major pre-Islamic Arab tribes. In addition to the aforementioned Khuza'a (Haritha) branch who settled in Hijaz and Mecca, the other three sons of Amr Ibn Muzaqiba have led the other 3 branches of Al-Azd in 3rd century AD to various destinations, after the flooding of their city Ma'arab, when its dam had been destroyed by a deluge:

  1. Azd Oman– descendants of Imran Ibn Amr Ibn Muzaqiba, who were established in western Arabia and invaded Karman and Shiraz in southern Persia.
  2. Ghassanids who are (Azd Syria) – descendants of Jafna Ibn Amr Ibn Muzaqiba, who make the majority of the Arab Christians in Lebanon.
  3. Azd Yathrib – descendants of Tha’laba Ibn Amr Ibn Muzaqiba, of his seed are Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj descendents of his son Haritha Ibn Tha’alaba who are collectively called The Ansar( Arabic for Supporters of Prophet Muhammad who produced the great Nasrid dynasty in Granada in Andalus (Spain).

Other influential people of various branches of Al-Azd

• Juwayryyah Bint Al-Harith, Wife of Prophet Muhammad

References