| Mudar مُضَر | |
|---|---|
| Adnanite Arab tribe | |
| Location | Hejaz,Arabia |
| Descended from | Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn Adnan |
| Parent tribe | Nizar |
| Branches | |
| Religion | Islam |
TheMudar (Arabic:مُضَر) was a principal grouping of thenorthern Arab tribes.
The Mudar andRabi'a are recorded in central Arabia in the Arabic histories of thepre-Islamic period; the kings of theKindah bore the title of "king of the Ma'add (or Mudar) and Rabi'a", and they played a role in the conflicts with the Yemeni (southern Arab) tribes.[1] It is unclear, however, in how far these tribes really emerged in the manner described, or are later, artificial designations that emerged through inter-tribal rivalries and conflicts. Even the conflict between the Yemeni and northern tribes is considered by some modern scholars to be a later invention, reflecting the tribal rivalries of theUmayyad period rather than the realities of pre-Islamic Arabia.[2] According to the Arabic sources, a large number of Mudar (identified by some modern scholars with the Μαυζανῖται,Mauzanitae likely one of the smaller tribes known asMuzayna of theByzantine sources) also migrated toUpper Mesopotamia, where they gave their name to the district ofDiyar Mudar.[1] After the collapse of the Kindah kingdom, the Mudar of central Arabia came under the control of theLakhmid kings ofal-Hira during the reign ofal-Mundhir III.[1]
The Mudar dominatedMecca after driving out the Jurhum, and held some of the religious offices connected with theKa'aba sanctuary. Unlike the Rabi'a, who converted toChristianity in large numbers, the Mudar remained attached to thetraditional polytheistic religion.[1] The idol ofal-Uzza atNakhla, "revered by all the Mudar" according toal-Tabari, was destroyed byKhalid ibn al-Walid in 630. Although theMuzayna boasted of having accepted Muhammad and Islam already inAH 5 (626/7 CE), it was not until the "Year of the Deputations" in 631 that the other Mudar tribes began converting to Islam.[1]
According to the Arab genealogists, Mudar was the son ofNizar ibn Ma'add ibn Adnan by Sawda bint Akk ibn Adnan.[3]