Genealogy and kinship are conventionally established through the paternal line, whereby a man declares his ancestry accordingly. Nevertheless, there are numerous prominent Muslim figures who were attributed to their mothers. Their attitudes toward this matrilineal attribution were not uniform; some accepted being ascribed to their mothers and took pride in it, such as Ibn adh-Dhiʾbah, who composed poetry regarding this matter, stating:
“I am, to he who denies me, the son of adh-Dhiʾbah…
[She is] noble, chaste, and of high lineage.”
Similarly, Ibn Māwiyah took pride in his attribution to his mother, saying:
“I am the son of Māwiyah when the struggle intensifies…
And the horses arrive in swarms.”
Conversely, there were those whose attribution to their mother was intended as defamation and satire; they detested being addressed by such names. An example is Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam, who was addressed as “Ibn az-Zarqāʾ.” This referred to his grandmother and was intended as an insult, as she was among those who possessed the flags indicating brothels in the Pre-Islamic era (Jāhiliyyah).
Similarly, Ziyād ibn Abīh was referred to as “Ibn Sumayyah” [as a form of denigration], just as ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Ziyād was known as “Ibn Marjānah,” a title used to shame him because she was a Magian.
In his Dictionary of Those Attributed to Their Mothers, Fuʾād as-Sayyid compiles biographies of Muslim notables and Arabs falling into this category. Perhaps the most prominent figures and influential personalities in history among them are the following:
Ibn Umm Maktūm
The practice of designating several Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) by their mothers’ names indicates that matrilineal attribution was not meant for shaming regarding the woman; rather, it served as a mark of honor and glorification. Among the most famous of these is the Companion ʿAbdullāh ibn Umm Maktūm. His mother was ʿĀtikah bint ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAnkathah ibn ʿĀmir ibn Makhzūm bin Yaqaẓah al-Makhzūmiyyah. Being among the earliest emigrants (Muhājirūn), he was attributed to her, and called Ibn Umm Maktūm or Ibn ʿĀtikah. He served as the Messenger of Allah’s (peace be upon him) muezzin alongside Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with them both), and he was blind. He is the individual concerning whom Sūrah ʿAbasa was revealed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was meeting with men from the Quraysh, among them ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah, when Ibn Umm Maktūm approached to ask him about something. The Prophet turned away from him, and thus [the verses] “He frowned and turned away, because there came to him the blind man” were revealed.
Ibn Ḥabtah
He is an esteemed Companion named Saʿd ibn Buḥayr. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) observed him fighting fiercely on the Day of the Trench (al-Khandaq). Being young in age, the Prophet asked him, “Who are you, O young man?” He replied, “Saʿd ibn Ḥabtah.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Your grandfather is fortunate (Saʿd); come close to me.” He approached, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) wiped his head. He became known and famous by his mother’s name, that is, Ibn Ḥabtah. He was attributed to her, Ḥabtah the daughter of Mālik ibn ʿAmr al-Anṣāriyyah.
Ibn Taymiyyah
He is Aḥmad ibn ʿAbdul-Ḥalīm ibn ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Abī al-Qāsim al-Khiḍr ibn Muḥammad an-Namayrī al-Ḥarrānī ad-Dimashqī. He was born (T.N: Not in Damascus, but Harran) and died in Damascus, adhered to the Ḥanbalī school of jurisprudence, and was known as Taqī ad-Dīn, Abū al-ʿAbbās, and Ibn Taymiyyah; his grandfather and father were also known by this title. He is considered one of the most prominent advocates of religious reform from his era to the present day. He lived in Egypt for a period and authored numerous works, including as-Siyāsah al-Ilāhiyyah wa al-Āyāt an-Nabawiyyah (Divine Politics and Prophetic Signs), al-Fatāwā (The Fatwas) in five volumes, Taʿāruḍ al-ʿAql wa-an-Naql (The Conflict between Reason and Revelation), al-Masāʾil al-Iskandariyyah (The Alexandrian Issues) in refutation of the Ittiḥādiyyah (Monists) and Ḥulūliyyah (Incarnationists), and al-Jawāb as-Ṣaḥīḥ li-man Baddala Dīn al-Masīḥ (The Correct Answer to Those Who Altered the Religion of Christ).
Regarding the reason for his being known as Ibn Taymiyyah, she was one of his distant grandmothers. As for the origin of this appellation, accounts differ.
It is said that his father or grandfather performed the Hajj while his wife was pregnant; while in Taymāʾ, he saw a young girl emerging from a tent. Upon returning to Ḥarrān, he found that his wife had given birth to a daughter; when he saw her, he named her Taymiyyah because she resembled the young girl he had seen in Taymāʾ.
Another view holds that his eldest grandmother was named Taymiyyah and was a preacher (wāʿiẓah), so he was attributed to her and became known by her name; thus, his progeny continued to be identified by it.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah
He is Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him). He played a significant role in Islamic history alongside his brothers al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn (may Allah be pleased with them). However, his mother was Khawlah bint Jaʿfar al-Ḥanafiyyah, and thus he was attributed to her. Ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah was one of the heroes of early Islam and possessed vast knowledge. He is among those whose title prevailed over their name to the extent that they were not known except by it.
(Originally in Arabic by Aamaal Saami, posted on 10th Sept 2021, on masrawy.com. Translated into English by Mohammed bin Thajammul Hussain Manna.)
Saheehus-Seerah 