Al-Adhwa' (the dhu-lords of Yaman)

Al-Adhwa' is the broken plural of dhu, "the one with", and it denotes the kings and lords of Yaman whose names are formed with dhu. The most famous are the Mathamina, the eight princes of Himyar who had the right of investiture when a king was elected.

The Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.), signed A. Schaade, explains that al-Adhwa' is the broken plural of dhu. The most famous group, the Mathamina, were the eight princes (kayl) of Himyar with the right of investiture at the election of a king. Their names, as given in al-Hamdani's Iklil, include Dhu Ya'dan, Dhu Ghazfar, Dhu Khalil, Dhu Mukar (Makar), Dhu Sahar, Dhu Sirwah, Dhu Thulubán (Tha'laban), Dhu 'Uthkulan, and sometimes Dhu Murathid, who appears in the verses cited by Nashwan. ¹