THE HONORABLE GENEALOGY OF THE PROPHET
The details of the lineage (genealogy) of the Prophet up to ^Adnan are a case of consensus among the Muslims. The Prophet is: Muhammad the son of ^Abdullah the son of ^Abdul-Muttalib the son of Hashim the son of ^Abdu Manaf the son of Qusayy the son of Kilab the son of Murrah the son of Ka^b the son of Lu’ayy the son of Ghalib the son of Fihr the son of Malik the son of an-Nadr the son of Kinanah the son of Khuzaymah the son of Mudrikah the son of Ilyas the son of Mudar the son of Nizar the son of Ma^add the son of ^Adnan.
^Adnan is a descendant of Prophet Isma^il, the son of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). According to the authentic narrations, Isma^il is the one whom Allah ordered Prophet Ibrahim to slaughter. The scholars hold different opinions as to the details of the lineage between ^Adnan and Isma^il. May Allah raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, the Master of the sons of Adam, and the ranks of all his brothers’ prophets and messengers?
Prophet Muhammad, who has the above mentioned honorable lineage, is the elite of the sons of Hashim and the greatest among them. Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih, as did others from the route of Wathilah Ibn al-Asqa^, that he said, “The Prophet said:
<< إن الله اصطفى كنانة من ولد إسمعيل واصطفى قريشا من كنانة واصطفى من قريش بنى هاشم واصطفانى من بنى هاشم >>“
This means: <<Allah chose the tribe of Kinanah from the sons of Isma^il, the tribe of Quraysh from Kinanah, the tribe of Hashim from Quraysh. And Allah chose me from the sons of Hashim.>> In his Sunan, at-Tirmidhiyy narrated the following hadith of the Prophet, which according to Abu ^Isa, is hasan sahih:
<< إن الله اصطفى من ولد إبراهيم إسماعيل واصطفى من ولد إسماعيل كنانة واصطفى من كنانة قريشا واصطفى من قريش بنى هاشم واصطفانى من بنى هاشم >>
This means: <<Allah chose Isma^il from the sons of Ibrahim, Kinanah from the sons of Isma^il, Quraysh from Kinanah, the tribe of Hashim from Quraysh, and He chose me from the sons of Hashim.>>
These texts, and more, unequivocally testify that the Prophet is definitely the choicest of the choicest.