Moulana Hashim bin Moulana Abdenaaf AS succeeded his father. Though his name was Amr he was known as Amr al-´Ulaa for his loftiness. The word ´Ulaa means ‘great height’ in Arabic. He was named “Hashim” because he served ‘hashmo’ a mixture of bread and meat to the pilgrims of Makkah al-Mukarramah (the Arabic verb hashama means to crush). Moulana Hashim had four brothers – Abde Shams, Muttalib, Naufal, Abde-abi Amr, but he was the one who inherited the honour of Siqaayat – providing water to those who came to Makkah al-Mukarramah for Hajj, and Rifaadat – taking care of the needs of Hujjaaj (pilgrims).
Moulana Hashim AS would address the people of Quraish on the first of Zilhijja, in the precincts of the Kaabah, and call them towards the practice of noble deeds. In one of his sermons he stated. “O people of Quraish, amongst all Arabs you are the most pleasing in appearance, the greatest of them in intelligence, most honourable of them in lineage, and the closest of all Arabs to Arabs in kinship. O Quraish you are the neighbors of Baitullah. Allah Ta´ala has graced you with his walaayat, chosen you over Bani Ismail to be His neighbors and has taken care of you like no other neighbor would. Now, it is for you to be good hosts to His guests and the pilgrims to His Bait (house). They travel to you from every city, soiled and covered in dust from their journey. I swear by the Lord of this Bait, if I had enough funds I would have hosted them by myself and would not have sought your help. I spend from the honest wealth I have, that I have earned by halal, without severing relations, or by doing injustice to anyone, untainted by any form of haram. Those of you who wish to contribute, may do so according to his capacity. However, I beseech you by the sanctity of Baitullah that out of respect of its pilgrims, not one of you shall contribute anything but it be from the purest of their wealth, that which has not been wrongfully gained, either by means of haram or by doing injustice to anyone or by severing relations.”
Every year, Moulana Hashim AS ensured that waterskins were placed on the spot of the Zamzam (before the well of Zamzam was discovered). These waterskins were providedto the Hujjaaj to quench their thirst. He would serve bread and meat, cream, dates and milk to the Hujjaaj in Makkah Mukarramah during the same days of the hajj that we perform today. He would provide them with enough water to see out their journey back home. Because of such noble deeds and out of respect for his honour and nobility, he was known as “Hashim”, and also as Qamar (the moon).
Though Quraish were a trading tribe, they would not venture outside Makkah. It was Moulana Hashim AS who first made travelling to and from Makkah safe for the Arabs. He initiated two trade caravan journeys of Quraish from Mecca, the Caravan of Winter to Yemen and the Caravan of Summer to north-west Arabia, and beyond it to Palestine and Syria, which was then part of the Byzantine Empire. When Moulana Hashim AS went to Syria, he stayed as a guest of its Byzantine rulers. During his stay, Moulana Hashim would every day slaughter a goat, have it cooked and invite all present to partake from it. Since his persona was the most striking amongst the Quraish, the ruler soon came to know of him and called him. He was greatly impressed by Moulana Hashim AS and afforded him great respect. Moulana Hashim AS sought from the ruler an edict that would permit Quraish to travel freely to Syria for trade and commerce. The Byzantine ruler provided him with such a letter and thus the caravans of Quraish commenced their journeys in winter and summer (the “Eilaafe Quraish” in al-Quran al Kareem refers to these caravans).
Shortly after securing this pact, Moulana Hashim AS departed for his heavenly abode. His qabr mubarak is in Gaza, Palestine. The tomb and mausoleum of Moulana Hashim AS was dedicated by Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA in 1421 H.