₦airaland Forum

Sunnah, culture, and the guardrails that keep it halal (and classy)

Men braiding their hair sits right where grooming meets public meaning. In one place it’s seen as heritage and masculinity; in another it’s read as feminine-coded fashion. Islam’s approach is actually very practical: the base rule for grooming is permissibility, but your hairstyle must stay inside a few clear boundaries.
This article lays out the actual evidence, the role of Quraysh-era Arab custom, and how the four Sunni madhhabs typically frame the issue without exaggeration.

1) What the Sunnah actually establishes
The clearest hadith used in this topic is the narration of Umm Hani: The Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah with four plaits/braids (Sunan Abi Dawud, 4191).
That’s huge, because it means braiding is not inherently haram. If an action was done by Prophet Muhammad, the act itself cannot be automatically forbidden.
But it’s equally important not to overstate it: braiding isn’t usually treated as an “act of worship Sunnah” that everyone should copy. Most scholars place it under customary actions (ʿādah / jibilliyyah). Things that happen as part of life, climate, travel, and local norms.
A well-known explanation is that when his hair grew long (often due to travel or busyness), he braided it in line with Arab custom at the time.

2) It wasn’t “only the Prophet” — Companion evidence exists
Sometimes people ask: “Do we have anything from the Sahabah?” Yes.
In Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 5919), Abdullah ibn Abbas describes the Prophet ﷺ moving him during night prayer by taking hold of his two braids/locks.
This matters because it shows braids weren’t viewed as a bizarre, forbidden novelty among early Muslims. At minimum, it confirms the practice existed among boys/men in that environment.

3) What about ʿUmar’s statement (narrated by Abdul ibn Umar): “Whoever braids his hair should shave it”?
This is a key piece to include—with the correct context.
In Sahih al-Bukhari (5914), Umar ibn al-Khattab is quoted: whoever braids his hair should shave it - on finishing ihram, and he warns against “talbīd” (binding/matting hair).
So, what does it actually prove?
1. It proves braiding/binding hair was a known practice among men.
2. It also shows jurists took it seriously enough to give Hajj/ʿUmrah rulings about how to exit ihram properly.
What it does NOT prove: that Umar banned braids in everyday life. The narration is tied to ihram completion rules, not daily grooming.

4) Was braiding a Quraysh custom?
People often say, “braiding was Quraysh culture.” The cleanest way to phrase this is:
Braiding was part of broader Arab custom in the Hijaz during that era, and Quraysh being the ruling tribe in Mecca lived inside that cultural world.
The sources most often describe it as “custom of the Arabs”, not a unique Quraysh-only marker.
So yes, it’s reasonable to call it normal Arab custom of the time (including Meccans/Quraysh) but it’s safer and more accurate to avoid claiming it was a “Quraysh-exclusive identity practice” unless you’re quoting a precise historical text.
And for modern times (2026): “Quraysh” today is mostly lineage, not a single global community with one shared hairstyle tradition. The tribe historically existed as a Meccan confederation, but descendants are spread widely and follow local norms.

5) The four madhhabs: where they converge, and why they sound different
Instead of “one madhhab says halal / the other says haram,” it’s more accurate to say: all four schools treat grooming as permissible by default, and they differ in how strongly they apply two filters:
a. tashabbuh (imitation especially of women, or distinctive immoral identities)
b. ʿurf / muru’ah (local custom and dignified public appearance)

1. Abu Hanifa (Hanafi lens)
Hanafi discussions often emphasize gender distinction and “what this looks like in your society.” A widely cited Hanafi summary: braids for men can be permissible if they do not resemble women’s braids and do not imitate distinctive non-Muslim styles.
At the same time, you will find some Hanafi fatwa responses that are stricter (especially in societies where braiding is strongly coded as female grooming) arguing a man should avoid it to stay clear of imitation.
Takeaway: under the Hanafi lens, the ruling can shift with culture and “what message it sends.”

2. Malik ibn Anas (Maliki lens)
The Maliki approach is famously attentive to ʿurf (custom) and muru’ah (dignified manliness). Even when a source isn’t explicitly labeling it “Maliki,” the principle is the same: follow what your society recognizes as dignified and normal, and avoid what makes you a target for mockery or suspicion.
A mainstream, widely circulated juristic conclusion says exactly that: follow custom and tradition in men’s braiding so you don’t expose yourself to people’s mockery/backbiting.
(That sentence captures the Maliki-style reasoning very well, even though it’s not limited to Malikis.)

3. Al-Shafi'i (Shafiʿi lens)
Shafiʿi framing typically treats hair styling as permissible grooming unless it collides with a clear prohibition. This school is also careful about prophetic prohibitions like qazaʿ (partial shaving), which becomes relevant in modern “braids + extreme fade” styles. A commonly cited Shafiʿi authority, al-Nawawi, is quoted explaining qazaʿ and its disliked/prohibited nature based on hadith.
Takeaway: permissibility is broad, but keep your haircut within prophetic grooming boundaries.

4. Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Hanbali lens)
A clear modern summary of the Hanbali line states: prolonging hair is allowed, and it can be permissible for a man to braid it with conditions: don’t seek fame, don’t attach it to unethical identity signals, and don’t violate the accepted customs of your society.
Takeaway: permissible, but disciplined by intention + public meaning.

6) The two guardrails that decide the ruling in real life
Guardrail A: Avoid tashabbuh (imitation)
The issue isn’t “braids are female by nature.” The issue is: are you adopting a look that your society reads as women-exclusive or morally-coded?
A balanced Hanafi guideline puts it plainly: braids are allowed if they don’t imitate women’s braids or distinctive non-Muslim styles.
Practical application:
I. Keep it simple and functional, not ornamental.
II. Avoid women-coded accessories (beads/jewels) if that’s how your society reads them.
III. Ask: Would reasonable people here say I’m copying a women’s style? If yes, choose a different approach.

Guardrail B: Avoid qazaʿ (partial shaving / patchy cuts)[/b]
The Prophet ﷺ forbade qazaʿ (shaving parts and leaving tufts/patches).
This is where modern barber trends enter the conversation. “Braids with a skin fade” can resemble the qazaʿ pattern depending on how extreme it is.
A useful clarification: cutting hair shorter on the sides doesn’t automatically equal qazaʿ—but very short sides with long top can resemble it, and the safer route is a more even, non-extreme cut.

[b]7) So… is it Sunnah to braid?
If you mean: “Will I be rewarded just for braiding?” Most scholars won’t present it that way. Many explicitly say braiding is not a regular Sunnah practice done consistently; it happened on occasion, tied to circumstance and custom.

A better way to say it is:
Braiding can be permissible, and it can be a valid way to manage long hair.
Your “reward” comes from intention and adab: cleanliness, modesty, avoiding vanity, and obeying the prophetic limits.
And don’t forget the broad prophetic principle: if you have hair, honor it - meaning keep it clean, cared-for, and dignified.

A simple “halal braids” checklist (2026-friendly)
If you want the simplest fiqh-safe route:
1. Hair is clean, maintained, and not neglected.
2. The braid style is normal/masculine in your environment (or at least not women-exclusive).
3. No imitation of women’s distinctive styling in your culture.
4. Avoid qazaʿ / extreme uneven shaving.
5. Intention is grooming/convenience/culture—not fame or “look at me.”

Conclusion
Men braiding their hair is not automatically haram. The Sunnah preserves a clear report of the Prophet ﷺ entering Makkah with four braids, Companion-era evidence exists, and jurists across the madhhabs treat it as customary grooming permissible so long as it doesn’t cross into tashabbuh, qazaʿ, or vanity/fame-seeking.

Your research isn't completed. This hadith I'm going to post will nullify everything you have said



Hadith

"حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، أَخْبَرَنِي مُخَوَّلُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَعْدٍ، - رَجُلاً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ - يَقُولُ رَأَيْتُ أَبَا رَافِعٍ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ رَأَى الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي وَقَدْ عَقَصَ شَعْرَهُ فَأَطْلَقَهُ أَوْ نَهَى عَنْهُ وَقَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ الرَّجُلُ وَهُوَ عَاقِصٌ شَعْرَهُ ‏.‏"

Mukhawwal said:
“I heard Abu Sa’d, a man from the people of Madinah, say: ‘I saw Abu Rafi’, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he saw Hasan bin ‘Ali performing prayer, with his hair braided. He undid it, or told him not to do that, and said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade a man from performing prayer with his hair braided.”

Hasan (Darussalam)

Sunan Ibn Majah, 1042
In-Book Reference: Book 5, Hadith 240
English Reference: Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 1042

You can't plait your hair as a man
You can't use ear rings
You can't use anything that's feminine

BlackfireX:
confusion



The Almighty Quran is clueless , the hadiths are completely opposite


Kafirs

You're the one confused and that's exactly why you're kafir

Nobody can tell me what to do with my hair.

I like dreadlock most especially not too long and well treated but I can never do it. That's personal decision. I don't need any book to tell me that

ShaheedBinAliyu:
You can't plait your hair as a man
You can't use ear rings
You can't use anything that's feminine

Islam should kuku tell their members to stop living as their free will have been restricted

Don't do those, dont do that,don't eat those,where then is the free will

TaofeeqAA:
Sunnah, culture, and the guardrails that keep it halal (and classy)

Men braiding their hair sits right where grooming meets public meaning. In one place it’s seen as heritage and masculinity; in another it’s read as feminine-coded fashion. Islam’s approach is actually very practical: the base rule for grooming is permissibility, but your hairstyle must stay inside a few clear boundaries.
This article lays out the actual evidence, the role of Quraysh-era Arab custom, and how the four Sunni madhhabs typically frame the issue without exaggeration.

1) What the Sunnah actually establishes
The clearest hadith used in this topic is the narration of Umm Hani: The Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah with four plaits/braids (Sunan Abi Dawud, 4191).
That’s huge, because it means braiding is not inherently haram. If an action was done by Prophet Muhammad, the act itself cannot be automatically forbidden.
But it’s equally important not to overstate it: braiding isn’t usually treated as an “act of worship Sunnah” that everyone should copy. Most scholars place it under customary actions (ʿādah / jibilliyyah). Things that happen as part of life, climate, travel, and local norms.
A well-known explanation is that when his hair grew long (often due to travel or busyness), he braided it in line with Arab custom at the time.

2) It wasn’t “only the Prophet” — Companion evidence exists
Sometimes people ask: “Do we have anything from the Sahabah?” Yes.
In Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 5919), Abdullah ibn Abbas describes the Prophet ﷺ moving him during night prayer by taking hold of his two braids/locks.
This matters because it shows braids weren’t viewed as a bizarre, forbidden novelty among early Muslims. At minimum, it confirms the practice existed among boys/men in that environment.

3) What about ʿUmar’s statement (narrated by Abdul ibn Umar): “Whoever braids his hair should shave it”?
This is a key piece to include—with the correct context.
In Sahih al-Bukhari (5914), Umar ibn al-Khattab is quoted: whoever braids his hair should shave it - on finishing ihram, and he warns against “talbīd” (binding/matting hair).
So, what does it actually prove?
1. It proves braiding/binding hair was a known practice among men.
2. It also shows jurists took it seriously enough to give Hajj/ʿUmrah rulings about how to exit ihram properly.
What it does NOT prove: that Umar banned braids in everyday life. The narration is tied to ihram completion rules, not daily grooming.

4) Was braiding a Quraysh custom?
People often say, “braiding was Quraysh culture.” The cleanest way to phrase this is:
Braiding was part of broader Arab custom in the Hijaz during that era, and Quraysh being the ruling tribe in Mecca lived inside that cultural world.
The sources most often describe it as “custom of the Arabs”, not a unique Quraysh-only marker.
So yes, it’s reasonable to call it normal Arab custom of the time (including Meccans/Quraysh) but it’s safer and more accurate to avoid claiming it was a “Quraysh-exclusive identity practice” unless you’re quoting a precise historical text.
And for modern times (2026): “Quraysh” today is mostly lineage, not a single global community with one shared hairstyle tradition. The tribe historically existed as a Meccan confederation, but descendants are spread widely and follow local norms.

5) The four madhhabs: where they converge, and why they sound different
Instead of “one madhhab says halal / the other says haram,” it’s more accurate to say: all four schools treat grooming as permissible by default, and they differ in how strongly they apply two filters:
a. tashabbuh (imitation especially of women, or distinctive immoral identities)
b. ʿurf / muru’ah (local custom and dignified public appearance)

1. Abu Hanifa (Hanafi lens)
Hanafi discussions often emphasize gender distinction and “what this looks like in your society.” A widely cited Hanafi summary: braids for men can be permissible if they do not resemble women’s braids and do not imitate distinctive non-Muslim styles.
At the same time, you will find some Hanafi fatwa responses that are stricter (especially in societies where braiding is strongly coded as female grooming) arguing a man should avoid it to stay clear of imitation.
Takeaway: under the Hanafi lens, the ruling can shift with culture and “what message it sends.”

2. Malik ibn Anas (Maliki lens)
The Maliki approach is famously attentive to ʿurf (custom) and muru’ah (dignified manliness). Even when a source isn’t explicitly labeling it “Maliki,” the principle is the same: follow what your society recognizes as dignified and normal, and avoid what makes you a target for mockery or suspicion.
A mainstream, widely circulated juristic conclusion says exactly that: follow custom and tradition in men’s braiding so you don’t expose yourself to people’s mockery/backbiting.
(That sentence captures the Maliki-style reasoning very well, even though it’s not limited to Malikis.)

3. Al-Shafi'i (Shafiʿi lens)
Shafiʿi framing typically treats hair styling as permissible grooming unless it collides with a clear prohibition. This school is also careful about prophetic prohibitions like qazaʿ (partial shaving), which becomes relevant in modern “braids + extreme fade” styles. A commonly cited Shafiʿi authority, al-Nawawi, is quoted explaining qazaʿ and its disliked/prohibited nature based on hadith.
Takeaway: permissibility is broad, but keep your haircut within prophetic grooming boundaries.

4. Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Hanbali lens)
A clear modern summary of the Hanbali line states: prolonging hair is allowed, and it can be permissible for a man to braid it with conditions: don’t seek fame, don’t attach it to unethical identity signals, and don’t violate the accepted customs of your society.
Takeaway: permissible, but disciplined by intention + public meaning.

6) The two guardrails that decide the ruling in real life
Guardrail A: Avoid tashabbuh (imitation)
The issue isn’t “braids are female by nature.” The issue is: are you adopting a look that your society reads as women-exclusive or morally-coded?
A balanced Hanafi guideline puts it plainly: braids are allowed if they don’t imitate women’s braids or distinctive non-Muslim styles.
Practical application:
I. Keep it simple and functional, not ornamental.
II. Avoid women-coded accessories (beads/jewels) if that’s how your society reads them.
III. Ask: Would reasonable people here say I’m copying a women’s style? If yes, choose a different approach.

Guardrail B: Avoid qazaʿ (partial shaving / patchy cuts)[/b]
The Prophet ﷺ forbade qazaʿ (shaving parts and leaving tufts/patches).
This is where modern barber trends enter the conversation. “Braids with a skin fade” can resemble the qazaʿ pattern depending on how extreme it is.
A useful clarification: cutting hair shorter on the sides doesn’t automatically equal qazaʿ—but very short sides with long top can resemble it, and the safer route is a more even, non-extreme cut.

[b]7) So… is it Sunnah to braid?
If you mean: “Will I be rewarded just for braiding?” Most scholars won’t present it that way. Many explicitly say braiding is not a regular Sunnah practice done consistently; it happened on occasion, tied to circumstance and custom.

A better way to say it is:
Braiding can be permissible, and it can be a valid way to manage long hair.
Your “reward” comes from intention and adab: cleanliness, modesty, avoiding vanity, and obeying the prophetic limits.
And don’t forget the broad prophetic principle: if you have hair, honor it - meaning keep it clean, cared-for, and dignified.

A simple “halal braids” checklist (2026-friendly)
If you want the simplest fiqh-safe route:
1. Hair is clean, maintained, and not neglected.
2. The braid style is normal/masculine in your environment (or at least not women-exclusive).
3. No imitation of women’s distinctive styling in your culture.
4. Avoid qazaʿ / extreme uneven shaving.
5. Intention is grooming/convenience/culture—not fame or “look at me.”

Conclusion
Men braiding their hair is not automatically haram. The Sunnah preserves a clear report of the Prophet ﷺ entering Makkah with four braids, Companion-era evidence exists, and jurists across the madhhabs treat it as customary grooming permissible so long as it doesn’t cross into tashabbuh, qazaʿ, or vanity/fame-seeking.

Stop worrying about what other people do with their lives, as long as they don't violate the right of other people. Leqve dem with dem braids.. Plenty of don'ts, life becomes boring.

Of all the 5 million species of animals on earth, the 400 billion stars in our galaxy, the 2 trillion galaxies in an infinite universe, it is my haircut that God cares about. This right here is one of the reasons I stopped practicing Islam.

Men are only allowed to carry long beards and look like edi afuonu. allah loves beards more than common sense

helinues:
Islam should kuku tell their members to stop living as their free will have been restricted

Don't do those, dont do that,don't eat those,where then is the free will

I like you and I used to like your response towards issues here on NL.
But you're biased against islam.
Religion that have no laws definitely can't survive...!

Mukhawwal said:
“I heard Abu Sa’d, a man from the people of Madinah, say: ‘I saw Abu Rafi’, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he saw Hasan bin ‘Ali performing prayer, with his hair braided. He undid it, or told him not to do that, and said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade a man from performing prayer with his hair braided.”

Does this passage [Hadith] confirmed Muhammad as a slave master/owner?

Please, an extreme fanatics that knows the religion [Islam] in-and-out should answer this question, as it'll broaden our view and help in documentation of the Prophets deed.

Thanks.

ShaheedBinAliyu:
You can't plait your hair as a man
You can't use ear rings
You can't use anything that's feminine

helinues:
Islam should kuku tell their members to stop living as their free will have been restricted

Don't do those, dont do that,don't eat those,where then is the free will

Non of what that post said that kill a man or make his living any bad than those who do them.

It is okay to be irreligious, that is well within your Rights but to come and castigate those who have choosen to live with a belief system sounds odd.

RaySimran:
Does this passage [Hadith] confirmed Muhammad as a slave master/owner?

Please, an extreme fanatics that knows the religion [Islam] in-and-out should answer this question, as it'll broaden our view and help in documentation of the Prophets deed.

Thanks.

It says "A freed Slave" of Muhammad.

In Mecca and Medina, there were men and women who are bondmen/Women. Some were freed after the Muslims paid their owners etc.

But you get to read about them with that tag "freed slaved of so and so" because the narrators of these events/episodes always includes the tag simply because that Nations was so steeped in Class and Class distinction.

Bilal was a freed slave and you will get to hear of that tag with the narrators but in actual fact he stood behind the Prophet in Prayers as with any of the four Khalifas.

ShaheedBinAliyu:
Your research isn't completed. This hadith I'm going to post will nullify everything you have said



Hadith

"حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، أَخْبَرَنِي مُخَوَّلُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَعْدٍ، - رَجُلاً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ - يَقُولُ رَأَيْتُ أَبَا رَافِعٍ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ رَأَى الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي وَقَدْ عَقَصَ شَعْرَهُ فَأَطْلَقَهُ أَوْ نَهَى عَنْهُ وَقَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ الرَّجُلُ وَهُوَ عَاقِصٌ شَعْرَهُ ‏.‏"

Mukhawwal said:
“I heard Abu Sa’d, a man from the people of Madinah, say: ‘I saw Abu Rafi’, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he saw Hasan bin ‘Ali performing prayer, with his hair braided. He undid it, or told him not to do that, and said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade a man from performing prayer with his hair braided.”

Hasan (Darussalam)

Sunan Ibn Majah, 1042
In-Book Reference: Book 5, Hadith 240
English Reference: Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 1042

This hadith is fabricated!

TenQ:
This hadith is fabricated!

Your dalil.. proofs. Explain the chain of narration

helinues:
Islam should kuku tell their members to stop living as their free will have been restricted

Don't do those, dont do that,don't eat those,where then is the free will

Since you are not a Muslim, what's your concern?

Free will is why you choose to antagonise islam. That's you using your free will. Problem ti e niyen


We Muslims, we hear and we obey. Qur'an and hadiths is the manual for human being

Islam is repackaged Quraysh religion.

Hehe see confusion lol. Lies will never make sense

ShaheedBinAliyu:
Your dalil.. proofs. Explain the chain of narration

The grade is Hasan and not Sahih isn't it?

Let me give you my reasons from the chain of transmission

1. Abu Sa'd, is a man from the people of Madinah is unknown
2. Mukhāwil ibn Rāshid is considered fairly trustworthy but with bad memory and precision, making him a weak narrator


Therefore, no one should trust this hadith

helinues:
Islam should kuku tell their members to stop living as their free will have been restricted

Don't do those, dont do that,don't eat those,where then is the free will

If they are not enforcing it on anybody that's no problem. As a Christian too, I don't support all those things but I can't force anyone.

tunde1200:
I like you and I used to like your response towards issues here on NL.
But you're biased against islam.
Religion that have no laws definitely can't survive...!

Same way I have been biased with other religion. Too much flops in their story

Talk more about Islamic terrorists that kills men, women, children n our soldiers shouting allaharkbar..
Is it d same allah yall worshipping

This could only be possible outside middle east

TenQ:
The grade is Hasan and not Sahih isn't it?

Let me give you my reasons from the chain of transmission

1. Abu Sa'd, is a man from the people of Madinah is unknown
2. Mukhāwil ibn Rāshid is considered fairly trustworthy but with bad memory and precision, making him a weak narrator


Therefore, no one should trust this hadith

Laughing.. so Hadith Hasan is weak? Lol

By who are those narrators condemned?

Lukuluku69:
Non of what that post said that kill a man or make his living any bad than those who do them.

It is okay to be irreligious, that is well within your Rights but to come and castigate those who have choosen to live with a belief system sounds odd.

Please is logical questions not allowed in your religion? Because I think that could be the missing link

helinues:
Please is logical questions not allowed in your religion? Because I think that could be the missing link

Of course Logical questions being asked and answers being giving is part of Faith building.

You never asked any question in that post but went all out to attack a prescribed way of grooming.

Please point me to your logical question Sir.

helinues:
Islam should kuku tell their members to stop living as their free will have been restricted

Don't do those, dont do that,don't eat those,where then is the free will

If you read the Hadith from the Apostle Paul, then it gives a general guiding principle that we can all work with and applies to many other scenario -
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient (profitable or proper): all things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify.
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, OR DO, do all to the glory of God. But do not cause offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles nor to the Arabs,