They trace back to the Mudar family and belong to the Qays ʿAylān confederacy through its previous name, Hawazin.

[7][8] Although Adnan is at the head of the tribal genealogy, genealogists and poets typically refer to two of his descendants: his son Ma'add (a later collective term for all north Arabian tribes) and his grandson Nizar, ancestor of Rabi'ah and Mudar.

The tribe's common ancestors are Otaibah, Guzayah, Banu Jusham, Sa'd, Bakr, Hawāzin, Manṣūr, ʿIkrima, K̲h̲aṣafa, Qays ʿAylān, Mudir, Nijzar, Ma'add and Adnan of the Ishmaelites.

Those who remained, formed the largest Hawazin alliance in our present time, and it was named Otaibah.Other works by al-Kalbi include the Book of Idols and The Abundance of Kinship.

"[full citation needed] Ibn Kathir wrote in his 14th-century book, The Beginning and the End: There is no doubt that Adnan is from the lineage of Ishmeal, the only fact that is disagreed upon (or being disputed) is the number of ancestors between the two.

Most of what was said (and known) is that the exact number is forty fathers between Adnan and Ishmeal, and this is (largely) based on what is written among the Christian and Jewish people, who know it from Baruch (the Israelite scribe, disciple, and secretary of Jeremah) writer of The Book of Jeremiah ... And Abu Jafar Al Tabari, and others, have concluded that the almighty God had sent to Jeremiah son of Hilkiah a revelation to go to (the King of Babylon) Nebuchadnezzar (II) and inform him that the almighty God has given him authority over the (ancient) people of Arabia (the Qedarites).

Jeremiah accepted the request, and carried Ma'add to the land (known as) the levant, where he grew among the sons of Israel; the few whom survived after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem ...

Scottish historian W. Montgomery Watt wrote that "to constitute something like a political party", the tribes began to identify the people of the Arabian Peninsula as Qays ʿAylān or Qahtan.

Their leader, Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, persuaded the Otaibah and several Anazzah tribes to assist him against Abdullah bin Saud.

Members of the House of Saud joined Grand Sharif of Mecca Awn Al-Rafiq in 1897, and undertook campaigns against Ibn Rashid with Otaibah aid.

Otaibah cooperated with Al Saud of Najd, but sided with the Sharifs of Mecca (who took refuge with the tribe in times of adversity).

[42][43][44][45] During World War I in 1915, Ibn Saud began an ambitious plan to settle the nomadic tribes in his territory (which included Najd and the east coast of Arabia.

In 1916, with British support, Sharif of Mecca Hussein bin Ali led a revolt against the Ottoman Empire to create a united state.

The Arab Revolt of 1916–1918 failed, but the Allied victory in World War I resulted in the end of Ottoman control of Arabia.

ʿAbd ai-ʿAzīz, its founder, attempted to kindle religious enthusiasm among the rarely-pious and often-unpredictable tribes as a start for the reclamation and control of his domain.

[48] The spread of religious enlightenment by the muṭawwiʿūn (preachers) prepared the idea of an agricultural, settled life, and the first (and most successful) settlement was established in 1912 by the Mutayr tribe.

An important cause and new religious regulations, standards, and principles helped nomadic people leave their desert-dwelling culture and begin to live in groups, giving birth to a number of societies.

They led tribal forces in the occupation of Al-Hasa, Ha'il, Al-Baha, Jizan, Asir, Ta'if, Mecca, and Jeddah.

After several victories, some Ikhwan factions resented policies which appeared to favor modernization and an increased number of non-Muslim foreigners in the region.

Eqab and his followers were not the only members of the tribe to ally with the young king the revolution was doomed when a large Otaibah faction (Roug, under the command of Omar bin Rubayan) chose loyalty to Ibn Saud.

He accepted the title of king ( malik ) the following year and ruled the central and provincial governments, authorized by Islamic legal scholars ('ʿulamāʾ') and Sharia law.

He and his men were defeated and captured at D̲j̲abala by ʿUmar Ibn Rubayʿān, in command of al-Roug elements loyal to the king.

A harsh manager was memorialized by Shammar poet Hamad Al Rukhees: Oh (my) creator bestow ease (upon me) and (let me) Certainly (our future) days will (soon) be relieved as the free (falcon) gets full out of its own claw (hard effort and work).

The shepherd responded, "A name significantly acknowledged and greatly praised; however, please take its response in verse": Oh, greetings to the greatest of all solutions (manifested).

[52][58] Otaibahs Juhayman al-Otaybi, his brother-in-law, Mohammed Abdullah al-Qahtani (reportedly the Mahdi) and hundreds of their followers seized the Great Mosque of Mecca on 20 November 1979.

[59] The Grand Mosque seizure lasted until 4 December and resulted in the deaths of many civilian hostages, Saudi security personnel and most of the rebels, including Muhammad al-Qahtani.

In response to the seizure of the mosque, King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud gave more power to religious conservatives and ulamas.

The educational curriculum was changed to provide many more hours of religious studies, eliminating classes on subjects such as non-Islamic history.