# The Origins of the Islamic State/Part 1/Chapter 8

CHAPTER VIII
The Wells of Makkah
Before Ḳuṣai brought Ḳuraish together, and before they entered Makkah, they used for drinking purposes reservoirs, rain-water tanks on mountain tops, a well called al-Yusairah dug by Luʾai ibn-Ghâlib outside the Ḥaram and another well called ar-Rawa dug by Murrah ibn-Kaʿb and which lay just beyond ʿArafah. Later, Kilâb ibn-Murrah dug outside of Makkah three wells Khumm, Rumm and Jafr; and Ḳuṣai ibn-Kilâb dug another which he called al-ʿAjûl and prepared a drinking place in connection with it.
After the death of Ḳuṣai a certain man of the banu-Naṣr ibn-Muʿâwiyah fell into al-ʿAjûl well and it was no more used.
Badhdhar was a well dug by Hâshim ibn-ʿAbd-Manâf. It lies close to Khandamah at the mouth of abu-Ṭâlib's water-course. This Hâshim also dug Sajlah which Asad ibn-Hâshim gave to ʿAdi ibn-Naufal ibn-ʿAbd-Manâf abu-l-Muṭʿim. It is asserted by some, however, that he sold it to him, and by others that it was ʿAbd-al-Muṭṭalib who gave it to him when he dug Zamzam and the water became abundant in Makkah. This Sajlah was later included in the Mosque.
ʿAbd-Shams ibn-ʿAbd-Manâf dug out aṭ-Ṭawi which lay in the upper part of Makkah. He dug out another for his ​special use called al-Jafr. Maimûn ibn-al-Ḥaḍram, an ally of the banu-ʿAbd- Shams ibn-ʿAbd-Manaf, dug his own well which was the last to be dug in Makkah during the pre-Islamic period. Near by this well, lies the tomb of al-Manṣûr the "Commander of the Believers." The first name of al-Ḥaḍrami was ʿAbdallâh ibn-ʿImâd. Besides, ʿAbd-Shams dug two wells which he called Khumm and Rumm after Kilâb ibn-Murrah's wells. Khumm lay near the dam, and Rumm near Khadîjah's house.
Banu-Asad ibn-ʿAbd-al-ʿUzza ibn-Ḳuṣai dug a well called Shufiyah, the well of the banu-Asad.
Umm-Aḥrâd was one dug by the banu-ʿAbd-ad-Dâr ibn-Ḳuṣai.
Banu-Jumaḥ dug as-Sunbulah well which is the same as the well of Khalaf ibn-Wahb al-Jumaḥi.
Banu-Sahm dug the well called al-Ghamr which is the well of al-ʿÂṣi ibn-Wâʾil.
Banu-ʿAdi dug al-Ḥafîr.
Banu-Makhzûm dug as-Suḳya, the well of Hishâm ibn-al-Mughîrah ibn-ʿAbdallâh ibn-ʿUmar ibn-Makhzûm.
Banu-Taim dug ath-Thuraiya which is the well of ʿAbdallâh ibn-Judʿân ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Kaʿb ibn-Saʿd ibn-Taim.
The banu-ʿÂmir ibn-Luʾai dug an-Naḳʿ.
Jubair ibn-Muṭʿim had a well—the banu-Naufal well, which has lately been included in Dâr al-Ḳawârîr erected by Ḥammâd al-Barbari in the caliphate of Harûn ar-Rashîd.
In the pre-Islamic period, ʿAḳîl ibn-abi-Ṭâlib had dug a well which is now included in the house of ibn-Yûsuf.
Al-Aswad ibn-abi-l-Bakhtari ibn-Hâshim ibn-al-Ḥârith ibn-Asad ibn-ʿAbd-al-ʿUzza had at al-Aswad gate near by al-​Ḥannâṭîn [embalmers'] a well that was later added into the Mosque.
ʿIkrimah well was named after ʿIkrimah ibn-Khâlid ibn-al-ʿÂṣi ibn-Hâshim ibn-al-Mughîrah; ʿAmr well, as well as ʿAmr water-course, after ʿAmr ibn-ʿAbdallâh ibn-Ṣafwân ibn-Umaiyah ibn-Khalaf al-Jumaḥi. Aṭ-Ṭalûb, which lay in the lower part of Makkah, was the property of ʿAbdallâh ibn-Ṣafwân. Ḥuwaiṭib well was named after Ḥuwaiṭib ibn-ʿAbd-al-ʿUzza ibn-abi-Ḳais of banu-ʿÂmir ibn-Luʾai, and it lay in the court of his house at the bottom of the valley. Abu-Mûsa well belonged to abu-Mûsa-l-Ashʿari and lay at al-Maʿlât. Shaudhab well was named after Shaudhab, Muʿâwiyah's freedman, and was later added to the Mosque. Some say that this Shaudhab was the freedman of Ṭâriḳ ibn-ʿAlḳamah ibn-ʿUraij ibn-Jadhimah-l-Kinâni, others that he was the freedman of Nâfiʿ ibn-ʿAlḳamah ibn-Ṣafwân ibn-Umaiyah … ibn-Shiḳḳ al-Kinâni, a maternal uncle of Marwân ibn-al-Ḥakam ibn-abi-l-ʿÂṣi ibn-Umaiyah. Bakkâr well was named after a man from al-ʿIrâk who lived in Makkah, and it lay in dhu-Ṭuwa; Wardân well after Wardân, a freedman of as-Sâʿib ibn-abi-Wadâʿah ibn-Ḍubairah as-Sahmi. Sirâj drinking place lay in Fakh and belonged to Sirâj, a freedman of the banu-Hâshim. Al-Aswad well was named after al-Aswad ibn-Sufyân … ibn-Makhzûm and lay near the well of Khâliṣah, a freed-maid of al-Mahdi the "Commander of the Believers." Al-Barûd which lay in Fakh belonged to Mukhtarish al-Kaʿbi of [the tribe of] Khuzâʿah.
Certain houses and gardens in Makkah. According to ibn-al-Kalbi, the owner of ibn-ʿAlḳamah house in Makkah was Ṭâriḳ ibn-ʿAlḳamah ibn-ʿUraij ibn-Jadhîmah-l-Kinâni. ​According to abu-ʿUbaidah Maʿmar ibn-al-Muthanna, ʿAbd-al-Malik ibn-Ḳuraib al-Aṣmaʿi and others, ibn-ʿÂmir garden was the property of ʿUmar ibn-ʿUbaidallâh … ibn-Luʾai and was by mistake called ibn-ʿÂmir or the banu-ʿÂmir garden. In reality, it is ibn-Maʿmar's garden. Others say that it was so called after ibn-ʿÂmir al-Ḥaḍrami; still others, after ibn-ʿÂmir ibn-Kuraiz, and all that is mere guessing.
I was told by Musʿab ibn-ʿAbdallâh az-Zubairi that Makkah in pre-Islamic times was called Ṣalâḥ.
Ibn-Sibâʿ jail. The following was told to me by al-ʿAbbâs ibn-Hishâm al-Kalbi:—A certain Kindi inquired in writing from my father about the one after whom ibn-Sibâʿ jail of al-Madînah was named, about the story of Dâr an-Nadwah, Dâr al-ʿAjalah, and Dâr al-Ḳawârîr in Makkah. My father wrote back the following answer: "As for ibn-Sibâʿ jail, it was a house for ʿAbdallâh ibn-Sibâʿ ibn-ʿAbd-al-ʿUzza ibn-Naḍlah ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Ghubshân al-Khuzâʿi. Sibâʿ was surnamed abu-Niyâr and his mother was a midwife in Makkah. In the battle of Uḥud, he was challenged by Ḥamzah ibn-ʿAbd-al-Muṭṭalib who cried, 'Come, thou son of the female circumciser!' and killed him. As Ḥamzah stooped on his victim to take his armor, he was thrust with a spear by Waḥshi. The mother of the poet Ṭuraiḥ ibn-Ismâʿil ath-Thaḳafi was the daughter of ʿAbdallâh ibn-Sibâʿ, an ally of the banu-Zuhrah.
Dâr an-Nadwah. As for an-Nadwah [council-chamber], it was built by Ḳuṣai ibn-Kilâb, and people used to meet in it and have the cases decided. Later, Ḳuraish used to assemble in it to consult about war and general affairs, to assign the standard-bearers and to contract marriages. This was the first house established in Makkah by Ḳuraish.
​Dâr al-ʿAjalah}. Then comes Dâr al-ʿAjalah which belonged to Saʿîd ibn-Saʿd ibn-Sahm. The banu-Sahm claim that it was built before an-Nadwah; but this is a false claim. An-Nadwah remained in the hands of the banu-ʿAbd-ad-Dâr ibn-Ḳuṣai until it was sold by ʿIkrimah ibn-Hâshim ibn-ʿAbd-Manâf ibn-ʿAbd-ad-Dâr ibn-Ḳuṣai to Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân, and the latter converted it into a governor's house.
Dâr al-Ḳawârîr. Dâr al-Ḳawârîr belonged to ʿUtbah ibn-Rabîʿah ibn-ʿAbd-Shams ibn-ʿAbd-Manâf, then to al-ʿAbbâs ibn-ʿUtbah ibn-ʿAbd-Shams ibn-ʿAbd-al-Muṭṭalib, and later to Jaʿfar's mother, Zubaidah, daughter of abu-l-Faḍl ibn-al-Manṣûr the "Commander of the Believers." Because earthen jars were partly used in making its pavement and walls, the hall was called al-Ḳawârîr [the jar building]. It was built by Ḥammâd al-Barbari in the caliphate of ar-Rashîd.
Ḳuʿaiḳiʿân and Ajyâd. It was related by Hishâm ibn-Muḥammad al-Kalbi that ʿAmr ibn-Muḍâḍ al-Jurhumi fought with another Jurhum man named as-Sumaidaʿ. ʿAmr appeared carrying arms that were rattling. Hence Kuʿaiḳiʿân [rattling] the name of the place from which he appeared. As-Sumaidaʿ appeared with bells covering his horses' necks. Hence Ajyâd [necks] the name of the place whence he appeared. According to ibn-al-Kalbi, it was said that he appeared with horses that were marked, hence the name Ajyâd [steeds]. The common people of Makkah, however, call it "Jiyâd aṣ-Ṣaghîr" and "Jiyâd al-Kabîr."
Al-Walîd ibn-Ṣâliḥ from Kathîr ibn-ʿAbdallâh's grandfather, who said:—"We accompanied ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb on his visit in the year 17, and on the way were met by the owners of the wells, who asked ʿUmar for permission to build dwelling places between Makkah and al-Madînah where, up to that time, no houses stood. ʿUmar granted them permission, but imposed the condition that the wayfarer should have the first claim on the water and shade."
* ↑ Azraḳi, pp. 436, 439, 496; Hishâm, p. 95.
* ↑ A few verses composed in regard to this and other wells have been omitted from the translation.
* ↑ Bakri, p. 766; Fâkihi, p. 120.
* ↑ Nawâwi, p. 432.
* ↑ Bakri, pp. 318, 437–438.
* ↑ Azraḳi, p. 438.
* ↑ Azraḳi, p. 437.
* ↑ Azraḳi, p. 441.
* ↑ Azraḳi, p. 442, gives al-Muṭṭalib; cf. Hishâm, p. 462.
* ↑ Azraḳi, p. 442, gives Khirâsh.
* ↑ "An expression of contumely used by the Arabs whether the mother is really a female circumciser or not." (Tâj al-ʿArûs.)
* ↑ Azraḳi, pp. 65, 66; Diyârbakri, vol. i, p. 175; Ṭabari, vol, i, p. 1098; Iṣtakhri, p. 16.