Hashim ibn Abd Manaf Establishes Trade Routes

Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, the great-grandfather of Prophet Muhammad, established the two great trade caravans of the Quraysh referenced in Surah Quraysh: the winter journey to Yemen and the summer journey to Syria. He negotiated safe passage agreements with the Byzantine emperor, the kings of Abyssinia, and the Ghassanid rulers, securing commercial privileges that made Mecca a thriving trade hub. Hashim also instituted the practice of tharid (crumbled bread with meat stew) to feed pilgrims during Hajj, earning him his name (Hashim means 'the one who crumbles bread'). His trade diplomacy transformed the Quraysh from a local tribe into one of the most prosperous merchant communities in Arabia.