Banu Ghassan (بنو غسان) was a prominent Arab tribe that originated in Yemen and belonged to the Qahtani Arabs. After the collapse of the Ma’rib dam they migrated to the north and eventually settled in the region of al-Sham, where they took up a powerful position of leadership as allies of the Byzantine empire.¹
They were known as Christian Arabs and formed an organized political kingdom that served as a border buffer between Byzantium and the desert tribes of Arabia.
Migration and settlement in al-Shaam
According to the classical historical sources they came from the southern Arab tribes of Azd, and they moved from Yemen by way of Hijaz to the region around Hauran, the Golan and Damascus.²
Here they built up an administrative structure and were recognized as princes over many Arab tribes in that region. Their leaders were known as al-Ghassaniyyun, named after a water source called Ghassan where, according to the traditions, they stayed for a short time during their migration.³
Alliance with Byzantium
Banu Ghassan was supported by Byzantium and functioned as a Christian Arab vassal kingdom, for they supplied troops, controlled desert routes and oversaw tribal conflicts and security in the border regions.⁴
Their position often stood opposite that of Banu Lakhm, who were under the protection of the Persian empire, so that both tribes played important roles in the geopolitics preceding the coming of Islam.
Religion and society
Banu Ghassan adopted Christianity, influenced by their location in Syria and their interactions with Byzantium, and they were known for their churches, their clergy and their contacts with Christian Arab communities.⁵
Yet they retained many elements of Arab tribal culture, among them pride, poetry and chivalry, as described in Arabic literature and the sira accounts.
Interaction with Islam
Although Banu Ghassan was aware of the mission of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the early Muslims, they did not enter Islam as a tribe during his lifetime. It is related, however, that some individuals from Ghassan embraced Islam and had contact with the Muslims.⁶
In the time of the caliphate of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq رضي الله عنه and Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه, the territories of Ghassan came under the authority of the Islamic state after the battles of Yarmuk and the further conquest of al-Sham.⁷
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa-n-Nihayah, sections on the Arab tribes
Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat al-Kubra, mentions of the Azd migrations
Al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan, genealogy and migration accounts
Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, mentions of the Ghassan-Byzantium relations
Ibn Qutaybah, al-Ma’arif, section on the Arab Christian tribes
Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah, mentions of Ghassanid individuals
Al-Tabari, account of the battles in al-Sham and Yarmuk