By Sheikh Idris Watts
Kinānah
Means an arrow sheath. He was called so because he was protected and honoured by his people or maybe in hope that he would be one who protects his tribe or because he used to conceal the secrets his people confided in him. He was known as Abū an-Naḍr. He refused to eat alone. If he found no one to eat with, he would place a rock in front of him and throw food to it, out of his distaste to eat alone. The Arabs would travel far and wide to take from his knowledge and generosity.
إن الله اصطفى كنانة من ولد إسماعيل و اصطفى قريشا من كنانة و اصطفى من قريش بني هاشم و اصطفاني من بني هاشم
“Verily Allāh chose Kinānah from the children of Ishmael, and He chose Quraysh from the children of Kinānah and He chose the children of Hāshim from Quraysh and He chose me from the children of Hashim.”[1]
He used to inform his people that soon would come a time when a prophet by the name of Aḥmad would come and call them to Allah and piety, generosity and good character and so they should follow him and they will increase in honour and glory and that they should not reject him and thus reject the truth.
[1] A tradition of Wāthilah b. al-Asqa’ related by Muslim and at-Tirmidhī
Picture: ZamZam TV
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