Ham ibn Nuh

Ham was a son of Prophet Nuh AS who boarded the ark with his father during the flood. Like his brother Sam (Shem), he is not mentioned by name in the Quran but appears in Islamic historical tradition through the writings of classical scholars. Islamic scholarship following the tradition of the People of the Book (which Islam accepts with appropriate caution) identifies Ham as an ancestor of the African peoples and others in the southwestern regions of the ancient world. Ibn Kathir records genealogical traditions placing various peoples of Africa, Egypt, and surrounding regions as descendants of Ham. The sons of Ham mentioned in classical Islamic and Biblical genealogies include Kush, Misraim (associated with Egypt/Misr), Phut, and Canaan. Importantly, while the Biblical account contains a 'curse of Ham' narrative, Islamic tradition does not endorse racial hierarchy or the theological use of genealogy to justify subjugation. Islam holds that no person bears the burden of their ancestors' deeds, and all people are equal before Allah except in taqwa (piety). Ham's significance in Islamic historiography is primarily genealogical — part of understanding how the post-flood world was repopulated from the three sons of Nuh.