Lesson 95: Offices of Quraysh

Step 1 of 5: Learn

A reading of this kind has three layers. There is the narrative, told in the perfect with فَ and ثُمَّ marking each step. There are the technical terms, here the names of five offices, which the text itself explains in a short nominal sentence introduced by هِيَ or هُوَ, or which an editor explains in a footnote. And there is the glossary, which gives you only the words you have not met. Read the story first for its shape (who held what, who objected, how it ended), then go back to the terms. The facts are those recorded by the early historians of Mecca; the wording here is our own.

Rule 1: 1. Nouns of office and trade: فِعَالَة

A noun of the pattern فِعَالَةٌ, with i after the first radical and a feminine ending, names an office, a function or a craft. Three of the five offices of Quraysh have it: حِجَابَةٌ the office of door-keeper (from حَجَبَ to screen, keep out), سِقَايَةٌ the office of giving drink (سَقَى to give to drink), رِفَادَةٌ the office of provisioning (رَفَدَ to support). The pattern is alive everywhere: زَعَامَةٌ leadership, رِئَاسَةٌ presidency, خِلَافَةٌ caliphate, إِمَارَةٌ emirate, وِزَارَةٌ ministry, تِجَارَةٌ trade, زِرَاعَةٌ agriculture, صِنَاعَةٌ industry, craft.

كَانَتِ الْحِجَابَةُ فِي بَنِي عَبْدِ الدَّارِ.
kānati l-ḥijābatu fī banī ʿabdi d-dāri
The ḥijāba was in (the family of) Banū ʿAbd al-Dār.
تَوَلَّى هَاشِمٌ السِّقَايَةَ وَالرِّفَادَةَ.
tawallā hāshimuni s-siqāyata wa-r-rifādata
Hāshim took charge of the siqāya and the rifāda.
زَعَامَةُ الْقَبِيلَةِ لِأَشْرَفِ رِجَالِهَا.
zaʿāmatu l-qabīlati li-ashrafi rijālihā
The leadership of the tribe belongs to the noblest of its men.
عَمِلَ جَدِّي فِي التِّجَارَةِ وَعَمِلَ أَبِي فِي الزِّرَاعَةِ.
ʿamila jaddī fi t-tijārati wa-ʿamila abī fi z-zirāʿati
My grandfather worked in trade and my father in agriculture.

Vocabulary

Why do words end with “-un”?

The -un ending is called tanween (nunation). It marks indefinite nouns — similar to “a/an” in English.

كِتَابٌ (kitaabun) = a bookvsكِتَاب (kitaab) = book (base word)

To find the base word, simply remove the final “-un” sound (the double-stacked damma بٌ on the last letter).

حِجَابَةٌ

ḥijābatun

the office of keeper of the Kaʿba (door-keeping)

سِقَايَةٌ

siqāyatun

the office of watering the pilgrims

رِفَادَةٌ

rifādatun

the office of feeding the pilgrims

لِوَاءٌ

liwāʾun

banner, standard; the office of bearing it

نَدْوَةٌ

nadwatun

council, assembly

مَنْصِبٌ

manṣibun

office, position, post

وَظِيفَةٌ

waẓīfatun

function, duty, post

زَعَامَةٌ

zaʿāmatun

leadership

حَوْضٌ

ḥawḍun

basin, cistern

حَاجٌّ

ḥājjun

pilgrim

مَكَانَةٌ

makānatun

standing, rank, prestige

تَوَلَّى يَتَوَلَّى

tawallā, yatawallā

to take charge of, hold (an office)

سَلَّمَ إِلَى يُسَلِّمُ

sallama ilā, yusallimu

to hand over to, deliver to

تَشَاوَرَ يَتَشَاوَرُ

tashāwara, yatashāwaru

to take counsel together, consult one another

قَسَّمَ يُقَسِّمُ

qassama, yuqassimu

to divide, distribute

ظَلَّ يَظَلُّ

ẓalla, yaẓallu

to remain, continue (doing)

كَادَ يَكَادُ

kāda, yakādu

to be on the point of, almost (do)

Step 2 of 5: Read

The offices of Quraysh after Quṣayy

مَنَاصِبُ قُرَيْشٍ بَعْدَ قُصَيٍّ

Tap any word to look it up.

Notes

Comprehension

1.Why did Quṣayy give the offices to ʿAbd al-Dār rather than to ʿAbd Manāf?
2.What was the rifāda?
3.Who were the four sons of ʿAbd Manāf?
4.Which offices did Banū ʿAbd al-Dār keep after the settlement?

In the Quran

سِقَايَةَ ٱلْحَآجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ
Surah At-Tawbah · 9:19
سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ: two nouns of office of the pattern فِعَالَة, 'the watering of the pilgrim and the upkeep of the Sacred Mosque', the very office of this reading.
- سِقَايَةَsiqāyatathe providing of water
- ٱلْحَآجِّl-ḥāji(to) the pilgrims
- وَعِمَارَةَwaʿimārataand (the) maintenance
- ٱلْمَسْجِدِl-masjidi(of) Al-Masjid Al-Haraam
- ٱلْحَرَامِl-ḥarāmi(of) Al-Masjid Al-Haraam
Read in context
لِإِيلَـٰفِ قُرَيْشٍ
Surah Quraysh · 106:1
لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ: the tribe named, with the genitive after لِـ + verbal noun; the sūra goes on to the trade journeys of the next history reading.
- لِإِيلَـٰفِliīlāfiFor (the) familiarity
- قُرَيْشٍqurayshin(of the) Quraish
Read in context

Step 3 of 5: Practice

Exercises

Strict harakat

Exercise 1 of 60/0 correct

Match

Match each office with what it involved

Tap an item on the left, then its match on the right.

Step 4 of 5: Quiz

Translate from Arabic to English

Type your translation, then check it. Spelling and vowel marks are graded leniently.

1.

كَانَ عَبْدُ الدَّارِ أَكْبَرَ أَبْنَاءِ قُصَيٍّ سِنًّا.

2.

سَلَّمَ الشَّيْخُ مِفْتَاحَ الْمَسْجِدِ إِلَى ابْنِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ.

3.

تَشَاوَرَ رِجَالُ الْقَبِيلَةِ فِي دَارِ النَّدْوَةِ ثُمَّ تَصَالَحُوا.

4.

كَانَتْ قُرَيْشٌ تَدْفَعُ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ مَالًا لِطَعَامِ الْحُجَّاجِ.

5.

تَوَلَّى هَاشِمٌ السِّقَايَةَ وَالرِّفَادَةَ بَعْدَ أَبِيهِ.

6.

ظَلَّ الْمِفْتَاحُ فِي أَيْدِي بَنِي عَبْدِ الدَّارِ إِلَى أَنْ جَاءَ الْإِسْلَامُ.

Translate from English to Arabic

Type your translation, then check it. Spelling and vowel marks are graded leniently.

1.

The ḥijāba is the keeping of the key of the Kaʿba.

2.

The pilgrims drank from the basins near the Kaʿba.

3.

The tribe split into two parties.

4.

War almost broke out between the two parties, then they came to an understanding.

5.

Who took charge of the banner after ʿAbd al-Dār?

6.

The leadership of the tribe remained with the sons of ʿAbd Manāf.

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

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