Editing Asir (section)

== Etymology ==
The origin of the name "Asir" remains a subject of debate among historians. One theory, proposed by [[Al-Masudi]] in his work ''[[The Meadows of Gold]]'', suggests that the region was originally known as the "land of Azd".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Masʿūdī |first1=ʿAlī Ibn-al-Ḥusain al- |title=The meadows of gold: the Abbasids |last2=Lunde |first2=Paul |last3=Masʿūdī |first3=ʿAlī Ibn-al-Ḥusain al- |date=1989 |publisher=Kegan Paul Internat |isbn=978-0-7103-0246-5 |location=London |quote="Al-Sarah, the mountain of Azad, is called Al-Sarah, and it is also called Al-Hijaz, but it is called Al-Sarah from this mountain with its back."}}</ref>

Another popular hypothesis suggests that the name "Asir" derives from the Arabic term ''ʿUsrah'' ({{Langx|ar|عُسرة|lit=Hardship}}). This theory comes from the fact that the region's terrain is rugged, which can be challenging to navigate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-07 |title=بوابة إمارة منطقة عسير - تسميتها بعسير |url=http://aseer.gov.sa/iaportal/articles/19/%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1 |access-date=2024-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307173436/http://aseer.gov.sa/iaportal/articles/19/%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1 |archive-date=2016-03-07 }}</ref>

A third perspective proposed by [[Fuad Hamza]] in his book ''Fi bilad '''ʿ'''Aseer'', links the name to the historical prominence of [[Banu Asir]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=فؤاد حمزة |url=https://archive.org/details/hamlaenglish_gmail_20180324_0647 |title=في بلاد عسير |language=Arabic}}</ref> As the tribe gained power and influence, its name came to encompass the surrounding territories and tribes.<ref name=":0" /> This association was reinforced by the close ties between the Asir tribe and many of the ruling emirs in the region, including those from the Al Yazid, Al Muthami, and Al A'ad families.<ref name=":0" />