The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "People follow Quraysh in this matter, their Muslims following the Muslims of Quraysh and their disbelievers following the disbelievers of Quraysh."
وقال رسول الله ﷺ الناس تبع لقريش في هذا الشأن مسلمهم تبع لمسلمهم وكافرهم تبع لكافرهم
A sahih hadith, narrated by Muslim, volume 4, page 480, Shaab edition, and narrated by Bukhari, volume 4, page 178, from Araj, from Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet ﷺ said, "People follow Quraysh in this matter, their Muslims follow the Muslims among them, and their disbelievers follow the disbelievers among them," meaning in both Islam and pre-Islamic times, because in pre-Islamic times they were the chiefs of the Arabs, the custodians of Allah's sacred sanctuary, and the people responsible for the pilgrimage to Allah's House, and the Arabs used to watch for their acceptance of Islam. So when they embraced Islam and Makkah was conquered, the people followed them, delegations of Arabs came from every direction, and people entered the religion of Allah in throngs. Likewise in Islam, they are the people of the caliphate, and the people follow them. End of quote from Sahih Muslim with the commentary of Nawawi.