Ya'rub

Ya'rub (Arabic: يعرب‎‎, also spelled Ya'rob, Yarrob, Yarab or Yaarub) is an ancient Arabic personal name. Arab and Islamic genealogies identify Ya'rub as the grandson of Hud (biblical Eber), being the son of Qahtan (biblical Joktan) and the ancestor of the Himyarite kings of Yemen.^[1][2] A similar account places Ya'rub as Qahtan's grandson (Ya'rub bin Yashjub bin Qahtan) and holds that he is the forefather of al-'Arab al-'Ariba ("the arab arabs" or "pure arabs"), who are generally identified with the Qahtanites and its two main tribes, the Himyar and the Kahlan.^[3] Some legendary accounts relate that Ya'rub was the first to speak Arabic and that the language was named for him.^[2][4] Shams-i Qais Razi, writing in the 12-13th century CE, traced the origins of Arabic poetry to Ya'rub and he is also credited with having invented the Kufic script.^[5][6]

Ancestor of kings

Ya'rub was said to be one of greatest Arab kings; he was the first to rule the entire lands of Yemen (southwestern Arabia). He expelled or destroyed the Adites, consolidated the empire of Yemen, and gave to his brothers Oman and Hadhrarmaut. His son was the king Saba or Sheba, the founder of Saba or Sheba kingdom, mentioned in the Qur'an.

Descendant of the Prophet Ishmael, Son of Abraham

The lineage of the Islamic prophet Muhammad was traced by some Arab and Islamic genealogists back to Adam through Ya'rub, who in these accounts is designated the grandson of Nabit, who was the son of Ishmael. For example, Ibn Kathir quoting Mohammed Ibn Ishak in As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah denotes the part of the lineage of Mohammad from Adnan through to Abraham as follows:

Adnan ibn Udad ibn Muqawwam ibn Nahor ibn Terah ibn Ya'rub ibn Yashjub ibn Nabit ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim Al-Khalil.

Note that ibn means "son" and al-Khalil, the appellation appended to Ibrahim (Abraham)'s name means "the Friend of God".^[7]

References

1. van Donzel, 1994, p. 483.
2. Crosby, 2007, pp. 74-75.
3. Prentiss, 2003, p. 172.
4. Sperl, 1989, p. 209.
5. Sperl et al., 1996, p. 138.
6. Thackston, 2001, p. 7.
7. Abu Khalil, 2004, p. 54.

Bibliography

• Abū Khalīl, Shawqī (2004). Atlas of the Prophet's biography: places, nations, landmarks. Darussalam. ISBN 9789960897714.
• Crosby, Elise W. (2007). The history, poetry, and genealogy of the Yemen: the Akhbar of Abid b. Sharya al-Jurhumi: Volume 1 of Gorgias Dissertations in Arabic and Islamic Studies. Gorgias Press LLC. ISBN 9781593333942.
• Prentiss, Craig R. (2003). Religion and the creation of race and ethnicity: an introduction. NYU Press. ISBN 9780814767016.
• Sperl, Stefan (1989). Mannerism in Arabic poetry: a structural analysis of selected texts : (3rd century AH/9th century AD-5th century AH/11th century AD) (Illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521354851.
• Sperl, Stefan; Shackle, C.; Awde, Nicholas (1996). Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa: Classical traditions and modern meanings - Volume 20 of Studies in Arabic literature. BRILL. ISBN 9789004102958.
• Thackston, Wheeler McIntosh (2001). Album prefaces and other documents on the history of calligraphers and painters: Volume 10 of Studies in Islamic art and architecture (Illustrated ed.). BRILL. ISBN 9789004119611.
• van Donzel, E. J. (1994). Islamic desk reference (Illustrated ed.). BRILL. ISBN 9789004097384.