Banu Thaqif (بنو ثقيف) was a well-known Arab tribe settled in the city of Taif, to the south-east of Mecca in the Hijaz region, and they belonged to the Hawazin confederation, descending from Thaqif ibn Munaab ibn Thaqif ibn Nadr according to the genealogical notices in the classical works.¹
They were known for their organisation, their economic activity, their strong fortified towns and their close ties with Quraysh and the trade routes of the Hijaz.
Territory and strength
Banu Thaqif inhabited Taif, a region of fertile valleys, farmland and walled dwellings. Ibn Sa’d and al-Baladhuri record that they were known for their:
- Fortress-building and the protection of their city
- Agriculture and horticulture (grapes and grain in particular)
- Trade and a strategic location between Najd and Mecca²
This geographical protection gave their tribe a strong political and military profile in the Jahiliyyah.
Banu Thaqif in the age of the Jahiliyyah
Before Islam, Thaqif was known as a proud tribe of standing in the Hijaz, for they possessed a sanctuary with the idol al-Lat, one of the most famous idols in Arabia, as established in the sources of Ibn Hisham and Ibn Kathir.³
Thaqif worked closely with Quraish and the other tribes of the Hijaz within commercial and social networks.
The encounter with the Prophet ﷺ
After the revelation they confronted the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and at first rejected Islam. The most famous incident is his visit to Taif after the deaths of Abu Talib and Khadijah رضي الله عنها, where Thaqif turned him away and incited the young to assail him with stones.⁴
The conversion of Banu Thaqif
After the Conquest of Mecca and the Battle of Hunayn, in which parts of Hawazin, including Thaqif, fought against the Muslims and were defeated, they strengthened their position in Taif.⁶
Later they sent a delegation to Medina to accept Islam, as recorded by Ibn Hisham and Ibn Sa’d. They asked for a relaxation of certain religious obligations, but the Prophet ﷺ refused any concession in religious duties, and in the end they accepted fully.⁷
Their sanctuary and their idol al-Lat were thereafter destroyed by order of the Prophet ﷺ.⁸
Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat al-Kubra, genealogy of Thaqif
Al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan, description of Taif and its surroundings
Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, mention of al-Lat and Thaqif
Ibn Hisham, account of the journey to Taif
Sahih Muslim, hadith on the angel of the mountains
Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari, accounts of the Battle of Hunayn
Ibn Sa’d, delegations during aam al-wufud
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa-n-Nihayah, the destruction of al-Lat