Abu al-Fida' quotes in his Tarikh (book of history) a...

Abu al-Fida' quotes in his Tarikh (book of history) a tradition wherein the Prophet says: “Gabriel said to me: ‘I looked at the earth from the east to the west, but I did not find anyone superior to Muhammad, and I looked at the Earth from the east to the west but did not find any progeny superior to the progeny of Hashim.’ The Children of Isma'il Prophet Ibrahim had brought his eldest son Isma’il with his mother Hajira (Hagar) from Ken’an to the barren valley of Mecca.

He used to visit them once a year. When Isma’il was old enough to help him, Prophet Ibrahim built the House of Allah known as the Ka’ba. There was no water in the land when Isma’il and Hajira were left there. The well of Zamzam miraculously appeared for Isma’il. Read how this miraculous event is portrayed in the Bible: And God heard the voice of the lad [Ishmael]; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her: What aileth thee, Hagar?

Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise and lift up the lad and hold him in thy hand, for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. Genesis, 21:17-20 Finding the well, the tribe of Jurham sought the permission of Hajira to settle there. During Prophet Ibrahim's annual visit, permission was given to them, and ultimately Ishmael married in the same tribe. He begot twelve sons; the eldest was called Qidar (Cedar).

The Ishmaelites increased in number, thus fulfilling the promise of Allah to Ibrahim to multiply Ishmael exceedingly, as we read in Genesis. The Ishmaelites, by and by, spread all over Hijaz. They were not organized and consequently had no power. About 200 years before Christ, ‘Adnan from the children of Qidar arose to some fame. The genealogy of ‘Adnan up to Qidar is not agreed upon. The Arabs have narrated various genealogies.

The Prophet, in order to emphasize the Islamic ideology that personal qualities, rather than genealogy, was the criterion of excellence, and with a view not to entangle himself in such unnecessary and useless arguments, ordered the Muslims thus: “When my genealogy reaches ‘Adnan, stop.’ In the third century of the Christian Era (CE), there arose a leader named Fahr in that family.

He was son of Malik, son of Nadar, son of Kinanah, son of Khuzaymah, son of Mudrikah, son of Ilyas, son of Mazar, son of Nazar, son of Ma’d, son of ‘Adnan.