▁to ▁the ▁D h aw u ▁A wn , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁branches ▁of ▁the ▁Has an id ▁Sh ar ifs ▁of ▁Me cca , ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Hash em ites , ▁who ▁ruled ▁Me cca ▁continu ously ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century ▁until ▁its ▁con quest ▁by ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Sa ud ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁Their ▁e pon ym ous ▁ancest or ▁is ▁tradition ally ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁Hash im ▁ibn ▁Abd ▁M ana f , ▁great - grand father ▁of ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁proph et , ▁Muhammad . ▁The ▁Has an id ▁Sh ar ifs ▁of ▁Me cca ▁( from ▁whom ▁the ▁Hash em ite ▁royal ▁family ▁is ▁directly ▁desc ended ), ▁including ▁the ▁Hash em ites ' ▁ancest or ▁Q at ad ah ▁ibn ▁Id ris , ▁were ▁Z ay di ▁Sh ias ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁M aml uk ▁or ▁early ▁Ott oman ▁period ▁when ▁they ▁converted ▁to ▁Sh af i ' i ▁Sun ni ▁Islam . ▁ ▁The ▁current ▁dynast y ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁Sh ar if ▁Hus sein ▁ibn ▁Ali , ▁who ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁Sh ar if ▁and ▁Em ir ▁of ▁Me cca ▁by ▁Sultan ▁Abd ul ▁Ham id ▁II ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁then ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁was ▁proc laimed ▁King ▁of ▁Arab ▁countries ▁( but ▁only ▁recognized ▁as ▁King ▁of ▁the ▁He j az ) ▁after ▁initi ating ▁the ▁Arab ▁Revol t ▁against ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁His ▁sons ▁Abd ul