| Banu 'Akk | |
| Local Name: | بنو عك |
| Type: | Adnanite/Qahtanite |
| Ethnicity: | Arab |
| Nisba: | Al-'Akki العكي |
| Location: | Yemen |
| Religion: | Arabian Paganism, later Islam |
| Branches: | Banu Ghafiq |
| Descended: | Al-Dith ibn Adnan |
Banu 'Akk (pronounced as /ar/, Ancient South Arabian:lit. ʿkm, ʿAkkum; Greek:’Αχχιται) or simply
According to Ibn Hisham the members of the Banu 'Akk tribe are descendants of a man called Al-Dith ibn Adnan or also known as
The mother of Madh'hij, who is the founder of the Madh'hij tribe, is said to be from 'Akk.
The tribe of Banu Ghafiq from which the general Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi descended, is a branch of Banu 'Akk.
The Arab tribes were known to go on a pilgrimage to the temples of the pagan deities of Arabia. Banu 'Akk tribesmen would travel from Yemen to Mecca to perform the pilgrimage to the deity Wadd. According to Kitab al-Asnam (The Book of Idols) of Ibn al-Kalbi, The Banu 'Akk had a unique chant and rituals to Wadd. The tribe would bring two young African slaves of theirs in front of the tribesmen, and the slaves proceed to shout: "We are the crows of 'Akk!" The tribesmen reply and shout: "'Akk to you submits, Your worshippers from Yemen. May we once more make this pilgrimage!"[4] [5]
The Banu 'Akk participated in many battles and conflicts. Under the Rashidun Caliphate, Amr ibn al-'As entered Egypt with an army that included approximately 3,000 to 4,000 men from the tribe of Banu 'Akk.[6]
In 817 AD, the Banu 'Akk participated in a revolt alongside Banu Ash'ar against Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun's governor of Yemen[7]
Among the tribe's members are: