At the time of the migration, Banu Hilal were very numerous, effectively a nation divided into its own sub-tribes, of which the most notable were the Athbaj, Riyah, Jusham, Zughba, Adi, and Qurra.
[2] In the 12th century, Zughba were the westernmost Hilali tribe, inhabiting an areas stretching from Tlemcen in the west to Algiers in the east.
It lived near the tribe of Athbaj which inhabited areas to the south and the east of Zughba, and the Riyah of eastern Algeria around Constantine and Masila, as well as northern Tunisia.
[3] Over time, Zughba was settled in Morocco along with the tribes of Khult and Riyah, beginning the rural Arabization of the western Maghreb.
[4] Earlier in the 11th century, Zughba used to occupy part of Tripolitania, including the whole region stretching from Tripoli to Gabès, before being replaced there by Banu Sulaym.