Which two incumbent heads of state in the Arab world claim to be descended directly from the Prophet Muhammad?
Question #148304. Asked by pehinhota.
Last updated Feb 21 2021.
Originally posted Feb 21 2021 4:43 PM.
Red_John
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Red_John 8 year member
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The two monarchies that claim descent from the prophet are those of Morocco and Jordan. The Alaouite dynasty, which is the ruling house of Morocco, was founded by Sultan Al-Rashid, whose reign began in 1666. In 1957, the Sultanate transitioned to become the Kingdom of Morocco. The current king is Mohammed VI, who succeeded to the throne in 1999. The dynasty claims its descent from Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet, which is where the name of the dynasty is descended from.
The Hashemites are the ruling dynasty of Jordan. The dynasty came about following the appointment of Hussein bin Ali as Sharif and Emir of Mecca in 1908. Subsequent to this, in 1916 he was also appointed as King of Arab countries, with his sons Abdullah and Faisal named as the rulers of Transjordan and Iraq respectively. Abdullah reigned as Emir of Transjordan until 1946, when the region was renamed as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, with Abdullah reigning as King Abdullah I. The current king is Abdullah II, who succeeded to the throne in 1999. The dynasty's descent from the prophet stems from Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, who was the great-grandfather of Muhammed.