The lineage of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the most honorable lineage on the face of the earth.
His exalted status placed him at the highest peak of honor — even his enemies acknowledged his noble descent.
One of the best proofs of this is the testimony of Abu Sufyan before Heraclius, the Emperor of Byzantium, who admitted the Prophet’s noble ancestry.
The Prophet’s tribe, Quraysh, was the noblest among the Arabs;
his clan (Banu Hashim) was the most distinguished of all clans,
and his family the most honorable among them.
Muhammad, son of Abdullah, son of Abdul-Muttalib,
son of Hashim, son of ʿAbd Manāf,
son of Quṣayy, son of Kilāb,
son of Murrah, son of Kaʿb,
son of Luʾayy, son of Ghālib,
son of Fihr, son of Mālik,
son of an-Naḍr, son of Kinānah,
son of Khuzaymah, son of Mudrikah,
son of Ilyās, son of Muḍar,
son of Nizār, son of Maʿd, son of ʿAdnān.
The scholars have unanimously agreed on this genealogy up to ʿAdnān,
and Ibn Kathīr confirmed that this lineage is authentically and unanimously transmitted.
Allah Almighty chose His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from among the purest and most noble tribes.
He was the most honorable among his people in terms of ancestry and lineage.
According to a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“I was sent from among the best generations of the children of Adam, generation after generation,
until I was sent from the generation I belong to — the best of them.”
Also, when Heraclius questioned Abu Sufyan about the Prophet ﷺ and asked,
“What is his lineage among you?”
Abu Sufyan replied:
“He is of noble lineage among us.”
In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah chose Kinānah from the descendants of Ishmael,
chose Quraysh from Kinānah,
chose Banu Hashim from Quraysh,
and chose me from Banu Hashim.”
