Banī Layth
A Kinānī tribe of the valleys about Mecca — and a name common enough that unrelated groups carry it.
- Grouping
- Bakr ibn ʿAbd Manāt, of Kināna
- Homeland
- The valleys about Mecca toward Ṭāʾif
- Note
- The name is borne by unrelated groups
- Scope
- Historical — no modern attribution
Overview
Layth ibn Bakr ibn ʿAbd Manāt ibn Kināna is one of the lines the sources most often name under Bakr, with Ḍamra and al-Duʾil, and Banū Bakr as a whole appear together in the accounts of what passed between Kināna and Khuzāʿah. Its diyār are recorded in the valleys about Mecca on the Ṭāʾif side. A caution belongs on this page more than on most: layth is the lion in Lisān al-ʿArab and was among the more common Arab personal names, so groups called Banū Layth are recorded independently in more than one region, and a nisba of al-Laythī may go back to the personal name and to no tribe at all. This page describes a historical tribe and makes no claim about any modern family.
On lineage
Branch lists and affiliations here are given as reported by the classical genealogists, who themselves disagree. Nothing on this page establishes any living family's descent: a shared name may reflect descent, alliance (ḥilf) or clientage (walāʾ), and the sources usually say which only when they know.
Frequently asked questions
Is every al-Laythī from this tribe?
No. Layth was a common personal name — the lion — so the nisba may go back to an ancestor of that name rather than to Layth ibn Bakr of Kināna, and separate groups called Banū Layth are recorded in different regions.
Sources
- ابن حزم الأندلسي، جمهرة أنساب العرب، 456هـ — في بكر بن عبد مناة من كنانة
- ابن منظور، لسان العرب، 711هـ — مادة ليث
- ياقوت الحموي، معجم البلدان، 626هـ — في ذكر ديار بني ليث حول مكة
This page is an educational, historical reference compiled from published sources. It is not an authority on lineage. Where sources differ, we report the difference without taking a position. Corrections are welcome via our contact page.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-07