Mujam Qabail al-Mamlaka al-Arabiya al-Saudiya
- Author died
- 1421 AH
- Editions
- al-Nadi al-Adabi fi al-Riyad
Mu'jam Qaba'il al-Mamlaka al-Arabiyya al-Saudiya (Dictionary of the Tribes of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is an alphabetical genealogical dictionary compiled by the Saudi scholar Hamad al-Jasir (d. 1421 AH / 2000 CE), documenting contemporary Arabian tribes and their branches in Saudi Arabia.
Purpose and Composition
Al-Jasir conceived the dictionary as a companion to the multi-author project al-Mu'jam al-Jughrafi li-l-Bilad al-Arabiyya al-Saudiya (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), which he had coordinated and contributed to. He noted that readers consulting geographical entries for specific places or water sources frequently encountered tribal names and required a dedicated reference to understand the relationships between different tribes and their branches. Finding no single alphabetical reference comprehensively covering the tribes of Saudi Arabia, he compiled the work from established published sources, completing it in Riyadh on 20 Muharram 1401 AH (November 1980 CE).
Scope and Content
The dictionary focuses strictly on existing tribes within Saudi Arabia. Al-Jasir deliberately excluded several categories:
- Extinct ancient tribes that left no surviving lineage in the region.
- Fully settled clans whose branches had entirely urbanized without retaining a nomadic element.
- Tribes that had entirely migrated outside the country.
He included, however, branches of tribes that had earlier migrated to Iraq or the Levant but retained their original roots in Arabia, particularly those that began returning—such as sections of ‘Anazah, Shammar, and al-Dhafir.
Methodology
The work is organized alphabetically according to tribal names and clan branches. In organizing the entries, al-Jasir adopted specific methodological guidelines:
- Prefix stripping: Common prefixes such as Al, Il, Bani, Dhawi, Dhana, Wild, and Awlad were removed from headwords for alphabetical consistency.
- Phonetics and orthography: Entries were fully vocalized with short vowels (tashkil). Al-Jasir accounted for regional dialectal shifts—such as variations between dad and za, jim and ya, or jim, qaf, and kaf—and recorded names according to contemporary local usage while endeavoring to approximate correct orthography.
- Self-designation: He identified tribes by the names they preferred rather than pejorative designations (e.g., using Bani Rashid instead of Hutaym).
- Genealogical disputes: When authorities differed regarding a clan's affiliation, al-Jasir applied the maxim "people are trusted regarding their lineages" (al-nas ma'munun 'ala ansabihim), adhering to contemporary affiliations.
- Handling uncertainty: Doubtful names were marked with question marks, and non-exhaustive lists of sub-branches were introduced with qualifiers like "among them" (minha), noting that the lineages of several southern tribes remained in need of further field investigation.
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