The tribe of Jurhum was an ancient Arab tribe from South Arabia (Yemen) which, according to Islamic tradition, played an important role in the early history of Mecca. They were Qahtanite in origin, descendants of Qahtan, and are regarded as one of the oldest Arab tribes to settle in the Hijaz.¹
The discovery of the valley of Mecca
According to authentic narrations, the tribe of Jurhum one day passed by the valley where Hajar عليها السلام and her son Ismaʿil عليه السلام found themselves, after Ibrahim عليه السلام had left them there by the command of Allah عز وجل.²
When the spring of Zamzam began miraculously to flow beneath the feet of Ismaʿil عليه السلام, birds appeared and circled above the valley. The people of Jurhum, who were travelling at some distance with their flocks, saw this sight and said to one another:
“These birds do not circle above a place unless water is to be found there.”³
They sent a few riders to investigate, and when they arrived they found Hajar with the flowing water. They returned to inform their people, after which the entire tribe of Jurhum came to the valley.
They asked Hajar for permission to settle beside her, on the condition that she would retain the right to the water. Hajar accepted this offer, and so the tribe settled in the immediate surroundings of the spring.⁴
Living alongside Ismaʿil عليه السلام
The presence of Jurhum brought life into the until then deserted valley. The young Ismaʿil عليه السلام grew up among them, learned their language and later married a woman from their tribe.⁵
Through this the family of Ismaʿil became bound to the tribe of Jurhum, which made Mecca a place of continuous habitation.
Custodianship of the Kaʿbah and the decline of the tribe
After the passing of Ismaʿil عليه السلام, Jurhum took upon themselves the custodianship of the Kaʿbah. They cared for the pilgrims, managed the offerings and guarded the sacred place, and this responsibility lent them standing in the region.⁶
In the course of time, however, as related in the accounts of Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham and al-Tabari, Jurhum grew arrogant and corrupt, for they seized possessions that had been dedicated to the Kaʿbah and acted with injustice.⁷
As a consequence the tribe was driven out by the Khuzaʿah, who took over the rule of Mecca. Before Jurhum departed, out of spite they buried the spring of Zamzam and concealed the treasures that had been gifted to the Kaʿbah, so that their successors could derive no benefit from them.⁸
Centuries later the spring was rediscovered by ʿAbd al-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, after a dream that led him to it.⁹
Significance in the Islamic tradition
The tribe of Jurhum holds a special place in the Islamic tradition. They represent the first era of human habitation in Mecca after Hajar and Ismaʿil عليهما السلام, and they formed the link between the prophetic house of Ibrahim and the later tribes of the Hijaz, among them Quraysh, the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Their story symbolizes how the leadership and habitation of Mecca were guided by Allah عز وجل from prophets to tribes, and how arrogance and injustice ultimately always lead to the loss of blessing.
¹ See the genealogical references in Ibn Hisham, al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir concerning the descent of Jurhum from Qahtan.
² Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari (the ḥadīth about Hajar and her departure to the valley of Mecca).
³ Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Anbiya, on the words of the people of Jurhum when they saw the birds.
⁴ Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah of Ibn Hisham records Hajar’s permission and the settlement of Jurhum beside Zamzam.
⁵ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Surat Ibrahim 14:37 and al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah.
⁶ Tarikh al-Tabari on the custodianship of the Kaʿbah by Jurhum.
⁷ Ibn Ishaq and al-Baladhuri on the decline of Jurhum.
⁸ Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah of Ibn Kathir, describing the burial of the spring and the treasures.
⁹ Sahih al-Bukhari (the ḥadīth about ʿAbd al-Muttalib and the rediscovery of Zamzam).