Māzin ibn Mālik
Recorded as a branch of Banū Tamīm — and the clearest case of a tribal name that recurs in four or five unrelated lines.
- Grouping
- Mālik ibn ʿAmr ibn Tamīm, under Muḍar — as reported
- Diyār
- Najd; afterwards Basra and the country of Iraq
- Note
- Māzin recurs in al-Azd, Qays, Ghaṭafān and Bakr — unrelated lines
- Name
- Māzin — the eggs of the ant; set beside muzn, rain cloud
- Scope
- Historical — no modern attribution
Overview
Māzin ibn Mālik ibn ʿAmr ibn Tamīm is recorded as a branch of Banū Tamīm, and its people are named in the akhbār of Najd and afterwards in Basra. The name is among the most repeated in the books of nasab: a Māzin is recorded in al-Azd, another in Qays in the line of Manṣūr, another in Ghaṭafān through Dhubyān, another among the tribes of Bakr — and this one in Tamīm, with the sources differing over some of the chains. The genealogists tell them apart by what follows the name and never by the name alone, so a reader who meets Banū Māzin in a document with no chain attached has learnt very little from it. In the lexicon the personal name is referred to māzin, the eggs of the ant, and set beside muzn, the rain cloud. This page describes a historical tribe and makes no statement 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
Are all Banū Māzin one tribe?
No. Groups of the name are recorded in Tamīm, al-Azd, Qays, Ghaṭafān and Bakr, and the genealogists reckon them to different lines.
Sources
- ابن حزم الأندلسي، جمهرة أنساب العرب، 456هـ — في أنساب تميم
- ابن منظور، لسان العرب، 711هـ — مادة مزن
This page is an educational, historical reference compiled from published sources.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