Qusayy ibn Kilab

Qusayy ibn Kilab: the gatherer of Quraysh in Mecca, taker of the House's rule from Khuza'a around the year 440 CE, founder of the Dar al-Nadwa, and holder of the five offices.

His father died while he was in his mother's lap; his mother married a man of Banu Udhra — Rabi'a ibn Haram — who carried her to his country on the edge of Syria; when Qusayy grew up he returned to Mecca and asked Hulayl ibn Hubshiyya for his daughter Hubba's hand, and he married her to him ¹.

Then he prevailed over the rule of Mecca and the House after a war with Khuza'a and the arbitration of Ya'mar ibn Awf, in the mid-fifth century CE, year 440 ². He gathered his people from their dwellings into Mecca and apportioned it in quarters among them, founded the Dar al-Nadwa ¹, and held the offices of leadership, the banner, the guardianship of the House, the siqaya and the rifada ³.

Qusayy bequeathed what he held of Quraysh's affairs to his son Abd al-Dar, his eldest, telling him: I will surely join you to the people even should they outrank you ¹. After him Banu Abd Manaf contested Banu Abd al-Dar, and the offices were divided: the siqaya and rifada to Banu Abd Manaf, the Dar al-Nadwa, banner and guardianship to Banu Abd al-Dar ³.