Dar al-Nadwa (دار الندوة) was the council house and political centre of the Quraysh in Mecca before the coming of Islam. It was a place of deliberation, decision-making and communal representation, where the leaders of the Quraysh gathered to discuss questions of war, trade, diplomacy and religion.
The founding of Dar al-Nadwa was an important moment in the history of Mecca, because it marked the transition from loose tribal structures to a more organised form of governance. It illustrates how Mecca before Islam was not merely a religious, but also a political centre for the Arab tribes.
The founding of Dar al-Nadwa
Dar al-Nadwa was established by Qusai ibn Kilab, the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. According to Ibn Hisham and Ibn Kathir, Qusai bought the house on the northern side of the Kaʿbah and made it into a gathering place for the Quraysh.¹
The word Nadwa means literally “gathering” or “council”. Qusai laid down that no important matter could be decided without deliberation in Dar al-Nadwa, and only men of the Quraysh aged forty and above were permitted to take part in the assemblies.²
The functions of Dar al-Nadwa
Dar al-Nadwa fulfilled several functions within Meccan society:
Political and strategic council
Here decisions were made about war, trade routes and treaties with other tribes, and envoys were also chosen for diplomatic missions.
Ceremonial function
The leaders gathered here for marriages, important arrivals or the funerals of tribal chiefs.³
Stewardship of the Kaʿbah and pilgrimage
From Dar al-Nadwa the Quraysh arranged the order surrounding the pilgrimage and the economic organisation of Mecca.
Crisis deliberation
In times of threat, such as the rise of Islam, Dar al-Nadwa became the centre of conspiracy and deliberation against the message of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.⁴
Dar al-Nadwa and the conspiracy against the Prophet ﷺ
When the message of Islam began to spread, Dar al-Nadwa became the place where the leaders of the Quraysh deliberated their strategy against the Prophet ﷺ.
According to Ibn Ishaq and al-Tabari, a crucial meeting took place shortly before the Hijra. The Quraysh were divided over what they should do with Muhammad ﷺ, whether they should imprison him, banish him or kill him. In the end Abu Jahl proposed choosing one man from each tribe to kill him together, so that Banu Hashim could not avenge themselves upon a single tribe.⁵
This plan was approved, but Allah ﷻ revealed their intention to the Prophet ﷺ, whereupon he departed safely from his house in the night and migrated to Medina.
Sources
Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, volume 1, chapter on Qusai ibn Kilab.
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah, volume 2, section on Mecca before Islam.
Al-Azraqi, Akhbar Makkah, chapter on Dar al-Nadwa.
Ibn Ishaq, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, account of the conspiracy of the Quraysh.
Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, chapter on the Hijra.