User:Alalimun

Please consider this for publication. Al-Ali tribe is an important branch of one of the major Arab tribes, Al-Azd which can be dated back to Joktan( Qahtan) of Sheba ( Saba'a) about 3000 years ago. This article is about part of Al-Ali tribe who migrated out of central Arabia in the 16th century AD and settled in Iraq.

AL- ALI TRIBE  IN  IRAQ Introduction

The tribal pattern in Iraq for the last 4 centuries is such that tribes are grouped under different banners (Raya راية pl. Rayat) and areas of influence.These groups are not necessarily blood -related but they are tribal congregations,each one stems from its own ancestory and ruled by the Shaikh(شيخ), and cooperate in war under the same banner. However, two or three tribes (Asheera عشيرة pl. Ashayer ) may have the same ancestory and cooperate in war under one banner and commanded by one leader who is called Shaikh of the shaikhs(Shaikh al Mashayikh شيخ المشايخ ).The shaikh’s ancestors may not be the same as those of his tribe that he commands, just like the English being ruled by a Welsh king. Any tribe can have the name of the bigger group or keeps its name. Persons too can do the same e.g. one can be called Al-Maliki(related to Malik the ancestor of the bigger group) and at the same time he is called Al-Ali(related to Ali) which is one of the Maliki offshoots. Some members of Al-Ali tribe call themselves Bani Hasan ( the sons of Hasan) which is another tribe of the same Maliki group. This tribal system dates back to the pre-islamic era, to gather people for war under the same banner.

Habits of Iraqi tribes

Iraqi tribes are chivalrous renowned for their noble habits and manners of generosity, courage, honouring neighbours and helping the needy. This was inherited from their ancient Arab ancestors. Every Shaikh of tribe has a guest house called ( Madheef مضيف ) for hosting of the tribe guests and refugees fleeing tribunal too. An settler Arab tribe has its own order of penalties and fines, called " Swani سواني", on crimes committed on its territory, in contrast to nomadic ones. Homicide and rape crimes are resolved by offering the men of the victim tribe a number of women to marry. If the assailant tribe is of another race e.g. black, women are not accepted but instead they "Diyya د ية " in form of money or cattle. Women can only be accepted from a white tribe which is allied to the black tribe.

Bani Malik tribe بني مالك (The sons of Malik)

They are related to the famous knight Malik Al-Ashtar Al-Nakhie who faught with Ali lbn(son of) Abi( father of) Talib, the cousin of prophet Mohammad. Bani Malik comprise the following tribes:

1. Al Ali

2. Al Faraj

3. Al Ismail

4. Al-Awabid

5. Al-Humaidat

6. Al Ibrahim

7. Bani Rzaij

8. Bani Hasan(Bani Hesan)

A hyphenated AL(AL-) means THE if it is prefixed to the tribe name but means THE SON OF... if prefixed to the person name, while the plain AL (آل )and BANI (بني ) or ALBU(ألبو) mean the plural THE SONS OF... Their great ancestor is QAHTAN قحطان ( the father of the south Arabian Arabs who are the aboriginal stock of the Arabian peninsula). Qahtan is called JOKTAN in the old testament. Qahtan is one of the two great fathers of all the Arab tribes, the other being ADNAN عد نان( offspring of Ishmael the son of  prophet Ibrahim, the father of the north Arabicized Arabs who are the naturalized stock of the peninsula). Bani Malik are an offshoot of the bigger tribe called Khuza'a (خزاعة) named after Khuza’a (Haritha) Ibn Amr Ibn Muzaqiba of AI-Azd the major Qahtani tribe. Khuza'a tribe fought with prophet Mohammad against the pagants and infidels, Banu Bakr to conquer Mecca and this has been mentioned and blessed in a verse in the Holy Quran ( Al-Tawba-14). Sulaiman Bin Kuthayer who is one of the Abbasid supporters is from Bani Malik. He was later killed by Abu-Muslim AI-Khurasani a dissident Persian outlaw. Bani Malik lived on the eastern bank of Euphrates river in AI-Diwanyiah district in the middle part of Iraq. Their territory was from AI-Diwanylah in the north to AI-Rumaitha to the south. The area was named after their name. Rivers irrigated the area; AI-Rafi, AI-Yusufyia and AI-Lawah. In 1900 when these rivers dried up they moved to the area around AI-Hindyiah branch of Euphrates river, which was dug by Asif AI-Dawla AI-Hindi at 1205 A.H(After Hijra) =1845 AD.

Al Ali Tribe ( آل علي)

They are one of the offshoots of Bani Malik (بني مالك ). In the 16 century AD they moved north from central Arabia to Ha’il( now part of Saudi Arabia ), UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan, but others had relocated in Iraq as described. In the 13 th century AD they had 4000 worriers, but most of them died in the plague of 1247 A.H=1887 AD. And the number of their worriers being reduced to 150 only. At 1260 AH=1900 AD during the reign of their shaikh, Isa ibn Ehdaib, there was a severe drought which made them leave their land on the eastern bank of Euphrates and migrated near AI-Hindyiah branch of Euphrates, to the village called Janaja and some migrated to AI-Shamyiah to a place called " AI-Kharabah" which was given by Shaikh Thirib ibn Emghamis Al-Khaza'ali. Many of AI-Ali's still live in that area around Um-Hayaya river in Najaf governorate.

Al Ali offshoots

An offshoot is called " Fakhd فخذ" 1. Al-Mahasna

2. Al Bkhair

3. Al Daoud

4. Al-Hayachla

5. Al Faraj (Al Ali): A tribe in its own right, and they kept the name of the main tribe. These divide into :

a- Al Gati آل كاطع- In Janaja village and in the township of Al-Hindyiah( also called Twairij) on the bank of Al- Hindyiah branch of Euphrates river. The families; Albu Haj Ali and Albu Muhsin are some of those who descended from Al Gati offshoot of Al Ali.

b- Al-Rowaj'ih

c- Al Shaiba

d- Al-Matareef

e- An offshoot in the township of Al-Daghara, whose successors are Kashif Al-Ghita'a  and Al Khidhir families. Kashif Al-Gita’a family is renowned by its clergymen, Shaikh Ja’afar Kashif Al-Ghita’a

Influential people of Al-Ali

Deceased

1.Shaikh Khidhir ibn Mohammad ibnYahya ibn Mutar ibn Saif Aldeen Al-Janaji Al-Maliki : The great father of Al Kashif AI-Ghita'a family in Najaf in Iraq. 2.Shaikh Ja'afar, the son of above. He is the one who was given the title of Kashif Al-Ghita'a which means the revealer of all the theological sciences and knowledge.

3.Shaikh Mohammad Hussein Kashif Al-Ghita'a, the philosopher and politician of the early twentieth century and author of many publications on theology, sociology and politics.

4.Mohammad Hassan Abu Al-Mahasin Al-Karbala'ie, poet,and politician. He is one of the leaders of the Iraqi revolution against the British occupation during and after the First World War.He was the president of the Revolutionary Council then (Al- majlis Al- milli المجلس الملي) in 1920. He became the Minister of Education in the first national government of the Royal Reign of King Faisal I after independence in 1922. He is one of Albu Muhsin family of Al Ghati offshoot of AI Ali. He is the grandfather of Nouri Al-Maliki the prime minister of Iraq since 2006.

5.Shaikh Ali Kashif Al-Ghita'a, former president of the Islamic Conference Organization, a clergyman and a writer.

6.Shaikh Rawi Al-Waddai, one of the leaders of the Iraqi revolution in 1920 and the shaikh of Al Ali tribe then.

Contemporaries

1-Abdul-Muhsin Al-Ali, Oil engineer

2 - Dr. Mahmoud Mohammad Hussein Al-Shalkh -Ali, civil engineer who has settled in U.K. since 1953. He is famous in publishing scientific research in geotechnology.

3.Dhia Yahya Al-Ali, a high ranking politician in Iraq and ex-governor of Salahuddin governorate in Iraq and MP until 2003.

4.Dr. Muneer Abdul-Munim Al-Ali, urologist and transplantation surgeon. One of the pioneers of organ transplantation in Iraq who lived in New Zealand (1997-1999), and moved to UK since 1999. He is famous in publishing innovative articles in urology and transplantation.

5.Nouri Al-Maliki, (the grandson of Mohammad Hassan Abu Al-Mahasin Al-Kerbala’ie of Albu-Muhsin family), Iraqi Prime Minister (2006- now ), the third prime minister after the overthrow of Saddam Hussain

All the above contemporaries are from Al Ghati offshoot of Al Ali.

Genealogy

The eldest member of the tribe, Abdul-Muhsin(brother of Abdul-Munim), Ibn Ali, lbn Hussein (brother of Al-Shaikh-Ali), Ibn Hammadi, Ibn Haj Ali, Ibn Mohammad, lbn Muhanna( the brother Sultan ,the ancestor of Abu Al-Mahasin the grand father of Nouri Al-Maliki, the current Iraqi prime minister), lbn Hussein, lbn Ghati ,lbn Saif Aldeen (AI-Maliki) lbn Ehdaib, lbn Hirkil, Ibn ALI (after whose name the tribe is named), lbn Sagr, lbn Abi-Woram, lbn Abi-Firas, Ibn Isa, Ibn Najm, Ibn Woram, lbn Hamad, Ibn Khoulan, lbn Ibrahim, lbn Malik Al-Ashtar, Ibn Al-Harith, lbn Abd-Yaluth, lbn Salama, lbn Rabi'aa, Ibn Jarid, lbn Juthaima, Ibn Sa'ad, lbn Malik, lbn Nakh' ,lbn Amr ,lbn Illa, lbn Abs, Ibn Jalad, Ibn Amr, Ibn Khoulan, lbn Malik, Ibn Haritha( Khuza’a) ,Ibn Amr, Ibn Muzaqiba, lbn Arib, Ibn Yashjub, Ibn Zayd, Ibn Kahlan, lbn Abd Shams Saba'a (Sheba) The Great, Ibn Yashjub Ibn Ya'rub (afer whose name the Arabs are named) lbn Qahtan ( Joktan of the old testament)( born 827 BC) Ibn ‘Abin ruler of Saba’a.

Other three Al-Azd branches

In addition to the aforementioned Khuza’a branch who settled Hijaz and Mecca, the other three sons of Amr Ibn Muzaqiba have led the other 3 branches of Al-Azd in 3rd.Century AD to various destinations, after the flooding of their city Ma’arab, when its dam had been destroyed by a deluge.

1) Azd Oman : descendants of Imran Ibn Amr Ibn Muzaqiba, who were established in western Arabia and invaded Karman and Shiraz in southern Persia.

2) Ghassanids ( Azd Syria) : descendants of Jafna Ibn Amr Ibn Muzaqiba, who today make the majority of Arab christians in Lebanon.

3) Azd Yathrib: descendants of Tha’laba Ibn Amr Ibn Muzaqiba, of his seed are the Aws and Khazraj sons of Haritha Ibn Tha’alaba who are both called the Ansar who produced the great Nassirid dynasty in Granada in Andalus (Spain).

Other influential people or branches of Al-Azd

1) The Ghassanids of Syria 2) The Roman Emperor (Philip the Arab), a Ghassanid Arab from Syria , ruled between 244-249 AD.

3) The Byzantine Emperor (Nikephoros) نقفور, ruled  between 802-811 AD

4) The Nassrid Dynasty, ruled Granada between 1232-1492, the last Arab dynasty in Andalus

5) The Xiberras (Gebara/Sceberras) nobility of Malta (Christian Ghassanid migrants from Alexanderia) 6) The Muscati Maltese nobility of Arab Siculo origin (Azd Uman) converted to Chritianity in the 12th century.

7) Maurice Xiberras the first leader of the Democratic Party of British Gibraltar. He is of Maltese (Sceberras/Gebara)nobility

8) The Dawasir tribe of Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf

9) Jabir ibn Hayyan, the famous Alchemist

10) Ibn Duraid Al-Azdi, poet

11) Khalil ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi, written the first Arabic dictionary( Kitab Al-Ayn), he is the teacher of Sibewayh

12) Kuthayyir, poet, called Kuthayyir Azza

13) Ibn al-Banna, mathmetician and astronomer

14) Jabir ibn Zayd Al-Azdi, the co-founder of the Ibadi sect of Islam

15) The Shaikhs of UAE

16) The Shaikhs of Al-Ali Emirate in Ha’il ( taken over by the Saudi’s in 1921)

17) Mohalib Ibn Abi Suffrah, military commander of Persia and Arabia at the time of Umayyad caliphate, leader of the Islamic forays into India and Sindh.

References

1.Al-Abakat Al-Amberyiah Fe Al-Tabakat Al-Ja'afaryiah,العبقات العنبرية في الطبقات الجعفرية(The amber scent of the Ja'afarians) by Mohammad Hussein Kashif-Al- Gita'a

2.Al-Iber(العبر The Lessons), by lbn Khaldoun

3.History of the Arabs( from the earliest times to the present), by Philip K.Hitti

4.Nihayat Al-Arab Fe Ma'arifat Ansab Al-Arab نهاية الأرب في معرفة أنساب العرب (The ultimate information regarding the Arab ancestory), by Al-Kalkashandi

5.Poems of Abu Al-Mahasin Al-Karbala'aie, by Ali Al-Yacoubi

6.Studies of the Iraqi tribes, by Hmud Al-Sa'idi

7. Britannica entry on Ghassanids

8. The History of Ghassanids from the Sabean Kingdom

9. Philip The Arab: A Study in Prejudice; by Yasmine Zahran; Stacey International (17Jan2004)

10. The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, ed. By Alexander Kazhdan, Oxford University Press, 1991.

11. Norwich, John J. (1991). Byzantium:The Apogee. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.ISBN 0-394-53779-3.

12. Ulrich Haarmann (2001). Geschichte der Arabischen Welt Munich: C. H. Beck

13. History of Analytical Chemistry By Ferenc Szabadváry,P 11,ISBN 2881245692.

14. The Historical Background of Chemistry By Henry Marshall Leicester,P 63.

15. Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition

16. Ibn Khallikan. wafayat alayan p. 524. alwarraq edition.

17. Starkey and Meisami. Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature, Routledge, 1998.

18. Morony, Michael G. Iraq After the Muslim Conquest. p. 491-492.

19.O'Connor, John J; Edmund F. Robertson "al-Marrakushi ibn Al-Banna". MacTutor History of  Mathematics archive.

20.Wink, Andre, "Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World", Brill Academic Publishers, Aug 1, 2002, ISBN 0-391-04173-8

21.Hawting, Gerald R., "The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate Ad 661-750", 2000, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-24072-7