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When Qusay grew old, he delegated the offices that had been his—the foremost honors of Quraysh: feeding the pilgrims (rifādah), providing them with water (siqāyah), the custodianship of the Kaʿbah (ḥijābah), carrying the banner (liwāʾ), and presiding over the Council House (nadwah)—to his eldest son, ʿAbd al-Dār. He granted him all of these because his other sons—ʿAbd Manāf, ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā, and ʿAbd—had already risen to prominence and strength during their father’s lifetime. Wishing ʿAbd al-Dār to attain equal standing, Qusay entrusted the offices to him. His brothers did not contest the decision, but once they passed away their children quarreled over the matter.

They said, “Qusay entrusted these duties to ʿAbd al-Dār only to place him on a par with his brothers; we therefore deserve what our fathers deserved.” The descendants of ʿAbd al-Dār replied, “Qusay assigned this responsibility to us, and we are the ones most entitled to it.” The dispute grew intense, and the clans of Quraysh split into two camps.

One faction pledged itself to the sons of ʿAbd al-Dār and allied with them; the other pledged itself to the sons of ʿAbd Manāf and allied with them. In sealing their pact they plunged their hands into a bowl filled with perfume, and when they rose they wiped their hands on the corners of the Kaʿbah. For this reason they were called “the Alliance of the Scented Ones” (Ḥilf al-Muṭayyibīn).

Those who sided with the sons of ʿAbd Manāf were the clans of Banū Asad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā ibn Qusay, Banū Zuhrah, Banū Tamīm, and Banū al-Ḥārith ibn Fihr. With the sons of ʿAbd al-Dār stood Banū Makhzūm, Banū Sahm, Banū Jumah, and Banū ʿAdī. Banū ʿĀmir ibn Luʾayy and Muḥārib ibn Fihr kept apart from both parties.

Eventually they reached a settlement: the rifādah and the siqāyah would belong to the sons of ʿAbd Manāf, while the custodianship, the banner, and the Council House would remain with the sons of ʿAbd al-Dār. The matter was thus fixed and stayed that way.

Al-Umawī related, through al-Athram, from Abū ʿUbaydah, that a group from Khuzāʿah claimed the following: When Qusay married Hubbāʾ, daughter of Ḥulayy, and Ḥulayy withdrew from the guardianship of the Kaʿbah, he assigned it to his daughter Hubbāʾ and appointed Abū Ghubshān Salīm ibn ʿAmr ibn Luʾayy ibn Milkān ibn Qusay ibn Ḥārithah ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿĀmir to act on her behalf. Qusay then purchased that guardianship from him for a wineskin of wine and a young camel. Thus the proverb arose, “More disastrous than the deal of Abū Ghubshān.” When Khuzāʿah saw what had happened they became enraged with Qusay, so he sought help from his brother, who arrived with his followers, and events unfolded as they did.