Generalisation is made as regards the name
Al-'Amaaleeq, a tribe that is now extinct. The name is mentioned in
some history books concerning the intermingling of some tribal
lines. The name now merely lives on in the mind because of their
hugeness. Some narratives refute this suggestion as an exaggeration
and embellishment. Of them it was said, "The hyena and her children
sit down in the eye socket of a dead man of Al-'Amaaleeq; and that
four hundred years passed before the death of one of them". There is
no doubt that this narrative and example is a fabrication of the
storyteller who desires to exploit the audience with the
extraordinary and fantastic.
Far from the possible exaggerations, the meaning of
the word (Al-'Amaaleeq) in Arabic means tall. To be clear, those
tribes were differentiated by their extreme height and their
enormous body mass. Some historians have reported that the peoples
of the Arabian Peninsula 1600 years prior to the Hijrah, were very
large. Their descendants remaining after them determined this name.
The Al-'Amaaleeq, in Arab history, are the descendants of 'Amaleeq
bin Liwadh bin Saam bin Nuh (upon him be peace). They, the remaining
descendants of Nuh had been living in an area called Al-Raafideen.
They then left with some other groups and reached the Arabian
Peninsula where they scattered to the Nejd, Bahrain, Yemen and
Tihama, with some eventually reaching the borders of the lands of
Al-Shaam (Syria). The Egyptians were also of them. Al-Tabari
mentioned that those living in Yathrib were from the tribe 'Jaasim'.
Ibn Khaldoon also mentioned some other tribes, Banu Laf, Banu Saad
bin Huzaal, Banu Matar and Banu Al-Azraq. It is not precisely known
when Al-'Amaaleeq settled in Yathrib, but it is possible that they
arrived directly, after having left Al-Raafideen. A second
possibility is that they settled first in Tihama, emigrating to
Yathrib later, when another tribe (Jurhum) Al- Qahtaniyah had driven
them out.
Historians differ as to who first established
Yathrib, the Al-'Amaaleeq tribe or the 'Abeel tribe. Or did the
'Abeel seize it from them? Then, there are also those who believe
that Al-'Amaaleeq and 'Abeel are one and the same. Those who agree
with the presence of Al-'Amaaleeq in ancient times in Yathrib, agree
that they were there at the establishment of it, or arrived directly
thereafter. Those who confirm that Al-'Amaaleeq existed in Yathrib
in ancient times, also confirm that they were Arab. It is related by
Al-Tabari that their (Al-'Amaaleeq) ancestor 'Amaleeq was the first
of the Arabic speakers. The Torah (revealed book of the Jews)
evinces this, as it mentions them several times, by their features
and by their name Al-'Amaaleeq once, and by the name Al-Jibaareen
(the Giants) occasionally. It also mentions the names of some of
their leaders and some of their Arab cities. When their
contemporaries, Bani Isra'il, departed from Egypt, they encountered
them many times and clashed with them in numerous battles in the
Sinai region.
Many of the Al-'Amaaleeq spread out over wide areas
in the Arabian Peninsula and a portion of the lands of Al-Sham and
Egypt. They were several tribes and every tribe or group of tribes
settled in specific regions and lived independently, or
semi-independently, of one another. It is believed that the majority
of them were not found in one state banded together.
It is possible that some of them thrived and
succeeded in establishing a kingdom in the Hijaz region. Al-Tabari
mentions that Al-Arqam was the King of the Hijaaz and was
established in Tayma'. Ibn Khaldoon states that he was the ruler of
"all that was between Tihama and Fadak".
Al-'Amaaleeq established a successful agricultural
community in Yathrib, which realised self-sufficiency. They
pre-occupied themselves with tilling their fertile land and breeding
livestock. They lived their lives savouring the abundance of their
results, at the beginning and when commerce later developed they
shared in it, sending their caravans to Ghazah (Gaza, in Palestine),
but it remained limited, not equivalent to that of the Makkans. More
favourable to them were their agrarian endeavours, as their land was
fertile due to the immediate availability of water. Their fruitful
labours resulted in immense wealth. They were fearful of two other
enemy tribes, whose land was arid and barren, due to insufficient
water in their wells. They built fortifications, which were small
fortresses to accommodate one or several families, as shelter from
the enemy attacks, which they were fearful of.
The Al-'Amaaleeq dwelt in Yathrib by the Will of
Allah. Other tribes arrived and settled with them. The profusion of
the new �migr�s that came prompted the Al-'Amaaleeq to accept them
and exist with them as co-inhabitants. They took advantage of and
benefitted from the toil of these foreigner newcomers. The new
arrivals alleviated their burden of working the land. The owners of
the land improved themselves, enjoying their wealth. It was not long
before the newcomers also benefitted, by some of the land that the
Al-'Amaaleeq did not use in the area. The foreigners thus
transformed themselves into landholders, becoming wealthy neighbours
of the Al-'Amaaleeq.
During the passage of many years of intermingling,
marriages occurred between Al-'Amaaleeq and the arriving tribes. New
generations appeared in whose veins flowed different blood.
They created a new society, but their aim was still
the same, the protection of the naturally fertile land. They, like
their forebears, also made use of fortifications and fortresses for
the protection of their natural resources (the land). They lived a
relatively calm and peaceful life in this community.
It was not long before Al-'Amaaleeq, distinguished
by enormous bodies, became progressively and gradually less in
number. They did not become completely extinct, however, the
remainder staying until after the arrival of the Jews to Yathrib.
Ibn Zubalah of Bani Aneef, an Arab historian, mentioned that they
existed, residing with the Jews, before the arrival of Al-Aous and
Al-Khazraj.
When Islam came to Yathrib, there were not
remaining of them but an isolated few, distinguished by tall
physical frames.
History does not show them encountering the enemy
in many battles or wars. They also did not go to the assistance of
armies that were invading other areas. There is no mention of any
king distinguished by his great deeds. Perhaps there are some things
hidden, which will be brought to light by archaeological
excavations. The little unearthed so far provides some insight into
this hazy period of the past, but we can only envision and
hypothesize about these people with no definite certainty, for no
evidence is
conclusive.
