"What are the origins of the name of Qadhdhafi or Qadhdhaf Ad-Dam (his special envoy, Ahmad Qadhdhaf Ad-Dam who resigned from his post two days ago and defected). Apparently, the legend of the family is that they were pious Sufis who kept invoking God and qur'anic citations until blood came out of their mouths, hence the name: Qadhdhafi (spitter or emitter) or Qadhdhaf Ad-Dam (spitter of blood)."
So the legend goes. Gadhafi's tribe, the Qadhadhfa, claim descent from a marabout (missionary) named Sidi Musa Qadhaf-ad-dam (fl. early 17th century). However the name is said to be Berber in origin, Kathathfa*. The explanation of the arabised name is probably folk etymology.
The number of Muslim kindreds/population groups claiming descent from the Prophet (ashraf, saadat), or from Sufi mystics, awliya (saints) and Hijazi missionaries is legion.
*Earlier misspelling corrected.
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