# Who was Qusayy ibn Kilab and where was he raised?

*His theory: Petra as an agent in Islam's formation, and Qusayy's upbringing in Wadi al-Qura*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/3/
- Date: 2019-12-17 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (5:15–10:31)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=315s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/

**Topics:** Pre-Islamic Arabia; Atheists and polemicists

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti proposes that Petra shaped early Islam through the Prophet's great-grandfather Qusayy, who was raised as a foreigner in Wadi al-Qura, which Mufti Abu Layth identifies with Petra. Qusayy's name means 'little stranger', and his longing for belonging drew him back to Makkah.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth proposes that Petra shaped early Islamic phenomena through Qusayy ibn Kilab, the Prophet's great-grandfather, whom he believes was raised in Wadi al-Qura, a place he identifies with Petra.

**Evidence, his words at 5:39:** “Petra has I feel being an actor if you like an active agent in the formation of certain Islamic phenomena” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=339s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says Gibson may be right that the early foundations pointed closer to Petra than to Makkah, and asks why. His theory is that Petra, not through any scheme, was an active agent in the formation of certain Islamic phenomena, beginning with and concretised by the Prophet's great-grandfather Qusayy, whose real name he gives as Zayd [?]. He recounts that Qusayy's father Kilab died when he was an infant; his mother remarried a man from her tribe, Rabi'a [?], who lived in Sham; the elder brother Zuhra [?] stayed behind while the infant and his mother were taken to a place called Wadi al-Qura, the valley of settlements. Mufti says he believes Wadi al-Qura was Petra, since the sources say tribes such as Banu Udhra [?] settled there, Banu Udhra lived around northern Arabia and Petra, and Petra was also called Umm al-Qura, the mother of settlements; Muslim historians, he says, are unsure where Wadi al-Qura was, because Petra was forgotten within a century or two and rediscovered only in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. He explains that Qusayy means 'little stranger', a disparaging diminutive given by the people of that region who saw him as a foreigner, and that he complained to his mother, who told him he was the son of Kilab of the noble tribe of Quraysh; this longing for identity and belonging led him, as a grown man, to leave Sham for Makkah.

## Sources and names cited

- Qusayy ibn Kilab
- Kilab
- Rabi'a, Qusayy's stepfather [?]
- Zuhra, Qusayy's brother [?]
- Banu Udhra [?]
- Quraysh
- Umm al-Qura (mother of settlements)
- Dan Gibson

## Transcript (machine tier, 5:15–10:31)

[5:05] were just replicating how they pointed from Damascus I thought that's just come on however what do I feel about all this these mustards pointing towards Petra is this a I mean is it just wrong I think that he may be right you know that these massive foundations may have pointed to it's Petra now was in more closer to Petra than to them to Makkah now why is the question now my theory people my

[5:39] theory is that Petra um be knowing Li like not like innocently if you like not as a part of like a scheme or a plot but Petra has I feel being an actor if you like an active agent in the formation of certain Islamic phenomena now I feel that I'll come to this point a bit more I feel that began with really and was

[6:17] concretize by one of the great grandfather's of the prophet muhammad salallahu alaihe salam his name was and that was in his actual name his actual name I believe was 8 but Jose is what he's known by Jose you see in his lifetime you see when Jose was a young and sorry no your money was just a little boy when he was a little boy his father passed he's the son of Caleb his father passes away now his mother remarries this man who is is an Arab he's from her tribe I believe they were

[6:56] who's that I believe they may have been Pillai actually but he's from her tribe he marries her but he lives in sham now he Jose is an elder brother I believe his name is Zahra but because he's like a young man so the stepfather the news father he leaves him he's not really bothered but because this is an infant he takes Kosei and his wife Jose's mom up to sham now he takes them

[7:34] home to this place called Wadi el Cora the valley of settlements now Petra I believe that was Petra because when you look at it it states that worthier Bora had the tribes certain tribes settled they like the tribes of Bani or Zara now Benny Asura were settled around northern Arabia but also around Petra Petra also had the name amaura you see the mother of of settlements why he was between valleys voir dire ah most Muslim historians when they write about what

[8:14] the Quran they say that he was a stepfather his name was Robbie and by the way that Robbie lived in Waddell Parag we're not quite sure where that is we think it's up there by mother in SOL there some people say it's over here and so they so they don't seem to know where it is because Petra after like maybe within a century or so after the prophet or century or within two centuries definitely disappears some people forget about Petra and only rediscovered in really the 18th 19th centuries so now okay so let's let's get to that story so

[8:52] go say he seems to be brought up the Gosei means a stranger okay the term Cassie comes from North Cassie it was a thought yeah and the people of that region although his stepfather was really good with him but the people of that region had a disregard for him they saw him as a foreigner and they would always they would call him because and they wouldn't call Cassie therefore Jose which is a diminutive form so it's like disparaging more disrespectful so this call inclusive cause a so this Kosei got like a little stranger this stuck with him so this became his name now course I

[9:30] always had this identitarian issue going on like an identity crisis because the people around him when he or other and these people would never accept him so he told his mom this is transmitted he complained that oh they keep calling every time I say something is they are who are you you're a foreigner you know you're not from from us you know so she says to him that don't you worry about them you're the son of Caleb Caleb was from a much more noble tribe the tribe of Parrish now whether Koresh were that noble or not in the eyes of other Arabs

[10:07] the important thing is they be they definitely were noble now in Kosice eyes so Jose has this longing for this sense of identity and belonging he wants to so as he becomes a grown man he leaves sham and returns to Makkah when he returns to Makkah he's he's they say you know he's very handsome he was charming he was a strong man they say he was a warrior he was a very good fighter and he charms his way or he's is seen as attractive he marries the daughter of the high priest

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment -JYtKJ9z1cw/s/3. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/3/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.