If one traces back the family tree of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and that of Hazrat Khadijah (ra), one will find that Qusayy was their common ancestor. Qusayy lived about a century and a half before the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas).

Khuwailid, father of Hazrat Khadijah (ra), was the great grandson of Qusayy, while Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Holy Prophet (sas), was also the great grandson of Qusayy.

These two families had other links as well. The maternal grandmother of Aaminah, the mother of the Holy Prophet (sas), was a sister of Khuwailid. Moreover Safiyah (ra), an aunt of the Holy Prophet (sas), was married to ‘Awwaam, brother of Hazrat Khadijah (ra).

Qusayy was a man of remarkable character and intelligence. He brought together the disunited clans of the Quraish. In his days, Makkah was a small town. There were no permanent houses. People used to live in tents. Qusayy persuaded the Quraish to build houses around the Ka‘bah leaving enough space for the pilgrims to walk around the ancient building of the Ka‘bah. Qusayy is thus regarded as the founder of the city of Makkah. He allotted specific duties to each clan of the Quraish tribe in connection with the service of the Ka‘bah, the regulations of the pilgrimage, and the administration of the city. He erected a building right opposite the Ka‘bah, called Daar-un-Nadwah, or House of Consultation, where leaders of the Quraish used to gather for consultation in matters of importance and where tribal policies were discussed in public. Qusayy thus founded a democratic form of Government in Makkah as well as in the surrounding areas.

The House of Consultation was also used for social gatherings. The people of Makkah used to perform their marriage ceremonies in this building.

In the sixth century, the Quraish tribe began to play a leading role in trade with the neighbouring countries. Their trade caravans travelled as far as Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq and Persia in the north and to The Yemen and Abyssinia in the south. There was also a certain amount of trade with India and China. The Arab traders used to supply luxury items like pearls, ivory, diamonds, silks, weapons, dyes and pepper.

From the seaports of Aden and Mocha, the bales of goods were taken from the ships and loaded on camels. Sometimes the caravan consisted of one thousand camels, which made the long journey from the seaports to Makkah and then to Damascus in Syria and beyond.

Makkah was prosperous because of the profits derived from the trade and because of the sanctity of the Ka‘bah, the House of Allah, which had been a centre of pilgrimage for ages. The religious rites of the pilgrimage lasted only three days but a series of fairs were held at various sites in the neighbourhood during the preceding weeks where the Quraish sold the articles brought by their caravans.

As a settled community, Makkah attracted various types of individuals, other than those belonging to the Quraish tribe. They were artisans, slaves, domestic servants, carpenters, sword makers, weavers and leather workers. Guards were also employed for the safe journey of the caravans.

Thus Makkah was no longer restricted to one tribe. Instead it gradually emerged as an urban society.