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THE HASHEMITE ROYAL FAMILY
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The Hashemite royal family is interwoven into the life of Jordan, having established the modern state in
1921. It is impossible, therefore, to understand the fabric of Jordan’s modern history without some
knowledge of the royal family. The Hashemites, or “Bani Hashem,” are descendants of the Arab chieftain
Quraysh, a descendant of the Prophet Ismail, himself the son of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham).
Quraysh first came to the holy city of Mecca during the second century CE. The first generation of
Quraysh to rule the city came six generations later, when Qusayy bin Kilab ascended to the leadership of
Mecca in the year 480 CE. The name “Hashem” is actually that of Qusayy’s grandson, who was the
great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Hashemites are thus the direct descendants of
the Prophet through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali bin Abi Talib, who was also the Prophet’s
paternal first cousin and the fourth caliph of Islam.
Ali and Fatima had two sons: Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein. The direct descendants of their eldest son,
Hassan, are known as “Sharifs” (nobles), while the descendants of Hussein are called “Sayyids” (lords).
The royal family of Jordan, the Hashemites, is descended through the Sharifian branch of lineage.
Various Sharifian families ruled over the Hijaz region in Western Arabia between 967 and 1201 CE.
Moreover, King Hussein’s branch of the Hashemite family ruled the holy city of Mecca from 1201 CE until
1925 CE, although they recognized the sovereignty of the Ottoman sultan in 1517. This makes King
Hussein the head of the Hashemite family which, in addition to being directly descended from the
Prophet, also represents over one thousand years of rule in the area, and almost two thousand years of
recorded presence in the holy city of Mecca.
During the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, King Hussein’s great-grandfather, Al-Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of
Mecca and King of the Arabs (later he also became known as King of the Hijaz), led the liberation of Arab
lands from their domination by the Ottoman Turks. After freeing the lands of Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine,
Iraq, Syria and the Hijaz, Sharif Hussein’s son Abdullah assumed the throne of Transjordan and his
second son Faisal assumed the throne of Syria and later Iraq. The Emirate of Transjordan was founded
on April 11, 1921, and became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan upon formal independence from Britain
in 1946.
During his thirty-year reign, King Abdullah presided over the forging of a viable and durable state out of a
tribal, nomadic society. He developed the institutional foundations of modern Jordan, establishing
democratic legitimacy by promulgating Jordan’s first Organic Law in 1928 (the basis for today’s
Constitution), and holding elections for its first assembly in 1929. While guiding Jordan’s development into
a modern state, King Abdullah negotiated a series of treaties with Britain which earned increasing
freedom for Jordan. King Abdullah achieved full independence from Britain on May 25, 1946.
After successfully defending Arab East Jerusalem and the “West Bank” during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War,
King Abdullah regularly traveled to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to participate in the Friday prayers. On
July 20, 1951, King Abdullah was assassinated by a lone gunman while attending the Friday prayers
there with his grandson Hussein, who was saved from a bullet by a medal his grandfather had recently
awarded him.
After King Abdullah’s martyrdom, King Talal, his eldest son, ruled for a brief period. Due to King Talal’s
illness, his eldest son, Hussein, was proclaimed King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on August 11,
1952. He assumed his constitutional powers on May 2, 1953, after reaching the age of eighteen
according to the Muslim calendar. During the nine months between his coronation and the assumption of
powers, King Hussein’s mother -Queen Zein al-Sharaf- played an important role in ensuring the orderly
transfer of power as head of a Regency Council. Queen Zein, who remained ever popular with the people
of Jordan, passed away on April 26, 1994.
The passing away of His Majesty King Hussein on February 7, 1999 marks the end of an era in Jordan's
history. While the country, and indeed much of the world, mourns the death of King Hussein, Jordanians
look with optimism and pride to a future under the reign of King Abdullah, eldest son of the late King
Hussein and current bearer of the Hashemite torch.
Islam and the Hashemites
Understanding Islam
Hashemite Restorations of the Islamic
Holy Places in Jerusalem
Holy Sites in Jordan
http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/islam_hashemites.html
Understanding Islam
As the capstone of a long monotheistic tradition which began with Judaism and Christianity, Muslims
believe that Islam completes the revelation of God’s message to man. Islam—which in Arabic means
“submission”—is an assertion of the unity, completeness and sovereignty of God. Muslims believe that
God, or Allah, as He is known in Arabic, revealed His final message to mankind through the Prophet
Muhammad Praise Be Unto Him (PBUH) and the Glorious Qur’an, which is the divine, eternal and
immutable word of God.
With its focus on the equality of man before the one true God, Islam is in many ways a return to the
original doctrine of pure monotheism that characterized the early Judeo-Christian tradition. By the early
seventh century, polytheistic religions and idol worship were prevalent throughout the Arabian peninsula.
While a few tribes still adhered to their Christian or Jewish traditions, pagan tribes had, over time, become
the most powerful in Mecca—the birthplace of Muhammad—and throughout Arabia. The Ka’aba (which in
Arabic means cube, describing its shape), built by Ibrahim (Abraham) as the House of God, had lost its
traditional purpose and had become a reservoir of idols.
Born in 570 CE, Muhammad grew up as an orphan in the house of his uncle Abu Talib. As a young man,
he became known and trusted because of his attempts to resolve inter-tribal differences. In fact, he was
known within his Quraysh tribe as al-Ameen, or “the trustworthy.” Soon, however, Muhammad began to
earn the displeasure of some of his kinsmen. Even before he began to receive religious revelations,
Muhammad had always rejected the worship of idols. In 610 CE, though, he had a vision in which the
archangel Gabriel commanded him to read a message sent from God saying that man was a creature of
God and meant to serve Him. The Prophet received his first divine revelation when he was 40 years old.
As Muhammad continued to receive revelations and attract a community of believers, he also attracted
the hostility of Mecca’s aristocracy, which reaped profits from the pilgrimages and trade brought by
Mecca’s role as a center for idol worship. His uncompromising message of monotheism brought
persecution from the ruling class, forcing Muhammad and about 70 of his followers to migrate from Mecca
in the year 622 CE. The flight from Mecca al-Mukarrama to al-Medina al-Munawwara—known as the Hijra
in Arabic—marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
In Medina, Muhammad and his followers demonstrated the practicality of the new religion’s social
application by resolving bitter rivalries and tensions among the city’s rival groups and clans. Seeing the
virtues of Islam in action, many inhabitants of Medina became Muslims. After consolidating the new
religion in Medina, Muhammad led his followers back to Mecca, conquering the city in 630 CE. His first
act upon returning to Mecca was to cleanse the Ka’aba of its pagan idols, restoring it to the Abrahamic
tradition of monotheism. The advent of Islam brought about a social revolution in the Arabian peninsula,
as the new religion fought against slavery, the mistreatment of women and other social injustices that had
become an accepted way of life.
In Mecca, the Islamic umma, or “community,” began to gather strength and soon burst forth upon the
world in a spectacular expansion that eventually unified much of the known world under a common
religious, social, political, cultural and linguistic tradition. Today there are over 800 million Muslims
throughout the world. The diversity found among Muslim communities in language, culture, skin color and
ethnic origin is a source of pride for Muslims, who believe in the universal and timeless message of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Islamic tradition has crystallized five fundamental observances, or “pillars,” that are as important as faith
in defining Islamic identity and strengthening the common bond that ties all Muslims together. Devout
Muslims are aware of the Qur’anic exhortation to “strive in the way of God,” and seek to increase their
faith and righteousness by practicing the five pillars of the faith.
1. The Confession of Faith: “I testify that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is His messenger.”
This oral declaration springs from the monotheistic tradition and affirms the Muslim belief that God’s
revelation through the Prophet Muhammad is true. The recitation of this credo, known in Arabic as the
shahada, is the one requirement which is absolutely obligatory for one to be considered a Muslim.
2. Prayer: Muslims are enjoined to pray five times daily—at daybreak, noon, afternoon, sunset and
evening. Before commencing prayer, a Muslim must be clean, decently attired, and facing the qibla,
Mecca. Muslims can perform their daily prayers anywhere.
3. Fasting: During the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to fast during daylight
hours. Exceptions are made for those who are traveling or physically unable to fast, and they may donate
a prescribed amount to the poor or to Islamic institutions. From sunrise until sunset during Ramadan,
nothing whatsoever is to be consumed, including water. Sexual activity and smoking are also prohibited
during fasting, while prayer and the refinement of the spiritual self are encouraged. When the fast is
broken at sunset, Ramadan assumes a festive character with families and friends gathering for the iftar
meal. When done in the proper spirit, fasting imparts empathy for the poor, strengthens the power of mind
over body, and allows one to experience self renewal and introspection.
4. Almsgiving: The fourth pillar of Islam concerns tithing and almsgiving. The practice of zakat requires
that Muslims give a fixed percentage of annual income and property assets to the poor.
5. Pilgrimage: The Holy Qur’an commands Muslims who are physically and financially able to go on
pilgrimage (known in Arabic as the hajj) to the Ka’aba in the holy city of Mecca, at least once in their
lifetime. Performed during the last month of the Islamic calendar, the hajj brings Muslims from throughout
the world together to reaffirm their commonality under God and to rededicate themselves to Islam.
As Muslims from all walks of life come together in plain white robes for the pilgrimage, the hajj reinforces
the concept of equality before God that is at the heart of Islam.
Hashemite Restorations of the Islamic Holy Places in Jerusalem
The Hashemite clan ruled over parts of the Hijaz region of Arabia from 967 CE to 1925 CE in unbroken
succession. Moreover, the late King Hussein’s branch of the Hashemite family ruled the holy city of
Mecca from 1201 CE until 1925 CE. The history of Hashemite leadership in the Arab and Islamic world
finds Jordan's current monarch, King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, at the head of a family which represents
over a thousand years of rule in the region, and with a long history as guardian of the Islamic faith and the
holy city of al-Quds al-Sharif (or Jerusalem).
In the center of the Old City of Arab East Jerusalem sits a sprawling compound known as al-Haram alSharif (The Noble Sanctuary). The compound, which contains two mosques, many shrines and public
fountains, as well as the tombs of Muslim saints, is so holy and dear to Muslims that in the advent of
Islam the faithful turned towards Jerusalem, and not, as they later did and continue to do so today,
towards Mecca. Al-Haram al-Sharif is described as the first qibla (direction to which Muslims turn in
prayer), and the third holiest shrine after Mecca and Medina.
At the visual center of the area lies the golden Dome of the Rock which was completed in 691 CE by
Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. The Dome of the Rock was built to commemorate the Prophet
Muhammad’s famous night journey (al-Isra’ waal mi’raj). In the year 620 CE he was transported from
Mecca to Jerusalem in a mystical flight, and from the rock around which the shrine was later built, he
ascended to heaven. Today Muslims celebrate this annually during al-Isra’ waal mi’raj, which this year will
be on November 16th.
The second mosque in al-Haram al-Sharif, at the end of a walkway connecting it to the Dome of the Rock,
is al-Aqsa Mosque, or “The Farthest Mosque.” It is so named in reference to the Qur’anic verse citing
Jerusalem as “The far distant place of worship.” Al-Aqsa Mosque was completed in the year 715 CE, and
is distinguished by its silver dome, slightly lower in height than the Dome of the Rock.
The First Hashemite Restoration, 1922-1924
Zionist claims to al-Quds (Jerusalem) at the
beginning of the 20th century proved a threat to
the city, which is sacred to all members of the
three great monotheistic religions. Al-Haram alSharif, the primary symbol of the Arab presence in
and right to Jerusalem, became a symbolic
rallying point of Arab unity. In 1922, a nongovernmental Islamic organization, the Islamic
Higher Council (IHC) was established to preserve
Islamic ideals and sanctuaries alike. The IHC was
the institution which took responsibility for raising
capital to restore the Dome of the Rock. In
harmony with his religious responsibility, Sharif
Hussein contributed generously to the restoration
and took personal interest in its administration.
This first Hashemite restoration was completed in
1924. Sharif Hussein’s tomb is located in the
southern corridors of the mosque.
The Contributions of King Abdullah
Sharif Hussein’s son Abdullah, the first ruler and
king of Transjordan, took up the responsibilities of
his father. During the 1948 war, al-Haram al-Sharif
suffered considerable damage. It was King
Abdullah who sounded the call for the restoration
of Zakaria’s mihrab, as well as the reconstruction
of the surrounding buildings which had suffered
structural damage. In 1949, King Abdullah
personally helped to extinguish a fire which almost
destroyed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
located next to al-Haram al-Sharif. He held the role
of guardian throughout his reign, maintaining and
repairing the holy sites of Jerusalem from the
1920s until the time of his martyrdom in al-Aqsa
Mosque during Friday prayers on June 20, 1951.
The Second Hashemite Restoration, 19521964
On May 8, 1952, six days after the coronation of
the young King Hussein, the Jordanian
government again took action towards restoring
the Dome of the Rock. The 1920s restoration, a
replacement of the outer wooden dome with an
aluminum, gold-coated dome, was unsuccessful in
stopping water leakage into the interior. The dome
was also losing its exterior golden luster. The new
king made the maintenance of this symbol of
Islamic pride among his primary responsibilities.
In 1959, the second restoration commenced,
funded by Jordan (JD 60,000) with some support
from other Islamic countries (JD 86,000). The
second restoration was completed on August 6,
1964.
The Emergency Restoration, 1969
Salah Eddin’s minbar, in al-Aqsa Mosque suffered
great damage when it was set on fire on August
21, 1969, by an Australian Jew, Dennis Rohan.
The restoration of this minbar (a stepped platform
for preaching brought from Aleppo to Jerusalem by
the legendary Muslim leader Salah Eddin, who
liberated the city from the Crusaders in 1187 CE)
cost the Jordanian treasury JD 6 million (US$ 9
million). Fortunately, the restoration team was able
to salvage the original minbar and eradicate 95%
of the damage.
Abdullah bin al-Hussein
(translated from Arabic)
Amman on: 11 Thul Hijja 1364
Corresponding to: 16 November 1945
Presidency of the Arab League - Cairo
The best way to save Palestine and maintain it as an Arab country or to save the remaining part of
Palestine is through concentration of efforts on the following:
First: Strengthening of the Palestine Nation’s Fund and making it capable of maintaining the lands of the
Arabs in the hands of Arabs through buying the land put for sale for urgent conditions and through
restoration of lands in need for so.
Second: Taking the necessary arrangements for the entry of Arab immigrants into Palestine on a monthly
basis and in numbers equal to the Jewish immigrants, and not to rely on the possibility of persuading the
Western democracies; particularly after the recent resolutions.
This is an urgent action. The Arab nation is wailing the urgent magnanimity of the Arab States and there
is no time to waste, otherwise the Jews will be able to buy new lands and push new immigrants to
Palestine.
This, in my point of view, is the effective step, and after that there is no harm in having the publicity offices
and political expectations.
CC: Transjordan’s representative in Cairo.
The Third Hashemite Restoration, 1992-1994
By the late 1980s, the dome was again beginning to dull in brightness, and damage resulting from
regional violence could be seen in both the interior and exterior. King Hussein again initiated actions
towards preserving the holy sites. Under his instruction, Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf commissioned the
Irish construction firm Mivan for the unprecedented job of guilding the dome with 5000 glittering new gold
plates, as well as rebuilding the roof supports, repairing the basic structure of the building and fireproofing
the compound. Special attention was also paid to the restoration of the Salah Eddin’s minbar and to the
selection of the materials, which most closely resembled those innitially used. The late King Hussein
spent more than US$ 8 million of his personal wealth to finance the project, which was widely acclaimed
as one of the most ambitious religious restoration jobs in history.