Qusai ibn Kilaab is a central figure in the history of Mecca and the Quraysh. He is regarded as the one who brought the fragmented clans around the Ka’bah together and strengthened its standing in the Arab world.
Origins and youth
Qusai ibn Kilaab descends from the line of Ibrahim through Ismaʿīl, via the lineage of Adnan. His father was Kilaab ibn Murrah.ⁱ When Kilaab died while Qusai was still young, his mother Fatimah bint Saʿd married Rabiʿah ibn Haram, and Qusai spent part of his upbringing outside Mecca, possibly in as-Shaam (Syria / Palestine) under the care of his stepfather.ⁱⁱ Because of that distance he was given the name “Qusai” (which can mean ‘to be far away’), instead of his original name (some sources call him “Zayd”).
Later he decided to return to Mecca, and his mother urged him to wait for a sacred month, so that he could travel with the stream of pilgrims and his return could take place respectably.
Power acquired in Mecca
On his return, Qusai set out to gain a leading role in Mecca. He married Hubbah bint Hulail, the daughter of the last custodian of Banu Khuza‘a over the Ka’bah.ⁱⁱⁱⁱ Through this marriage and his political skill he gradually obtained authority over the sakan (the governance of Mecca) and the keys of the Ka’bah.
An important moment in his rise to power was the confrontation with Banu Khuza‘a, who until then had held much of the control over Mecca. Qusai rallied clan loyalty to his side — his fellow tribesmen the Quraysh — and succeeded in taking over control of Mecca and the role of custodian of the Ka’bah. Under his authority he introduced institutional offices such as:
- Saqāyah: providing water to the pilgrims
- Rifādah: providing food to those who came to Mecca
- Hijābah / the custody of the Ka’bah and its covering
- Al-Liwaʾ: bearing the banner
- Dar al-Nadwa: the council hall where decisions and disputes were discussed
In later Islamic tradition, Qusai is praised as the one who gave organizational structure to the Quraysh “al-Bitah” (the Quraysh living around the Ka’bah), as opposed to the Quraysh “az-Zawaahir” (the Quraysh outside the center).