Meesam Tammar
Encyclopedia
Maytham ibn Yahyā at-Tammār was a slave belonging to a woman of Banu Asad
. Ali ibn Abi Talib (The First Shī`a Imām
and the fourth Sunni Caliph) purchased this slave from the woman and set him free in the way of Allah
. He was a man of high character and a true lover of Allāh, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad
and his Ahl al-Bayt
.
Maytham at-Tammār proved to be one of the nearest disciples of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He used to sell dates and on this account he was known as Maytham-e-Tammār. He used to take lessons from Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Ali ibn Abi Talib acquainted him with a good many secrets of the faith. Ali ibn Abi Talib taught him many branches of knowledge which included ilm-e-Manaya wal Balaya (the knowledge of death and future calamities) and ilm-e-Taweel (Interpretation and exegesis of Quran). At times with the permission of his master, Maytham used to acquaint the public about the deep secrets learnt by him. At times on account of the frank speech of Maytham people used to think that Maytham had lost his head. They could hardly understand the depth of his words.
Once Ali ibn Abi Talib, told Maytham that he would be hanged on account of the love for the Imam of his time. He also gave the address and told him that he would be hanged in a farm next to the house of Amr lbn Huraith. The tree on which he would be hanged was the smallest of the ten trees existing in the farm at that time. Maytham was also informed that his tongue would be cut out because he would not stop praising his Imam of time (Ali ibn Abi Talib). After getting this information, it is recorded in history that, Maytham used to go to the tree pointed out by Ali ibn Abi Talib, clean the place and water the tree and offer prayers saying, "Oh tree! You are for me and I am for you. Months and years passed by, Ali was martyred then Hasan ibn Ali
(the Second Shī`a Imām
) was martyred and Maytham kept waiting for the time.
Finally on 60 A.H.
, when Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
was appointed as the Governor of Kufa
, things started to get complicated. Maytham then went to perform Hajj
and thereafter returned to Kufa. One day, Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, called him and asked him to come to his Court, and said, "Oh Maytham! Inform me where your Allah is?" Maytham immediately replied. "He is in quest of an opportunity to punish the transgressors." Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad then asked him about his connections with Ali ibn Abi Talib. Maytham replied that Ali ibn Abi Talib was his master and that he loved him. Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad then asked him, "Did your master tell you anything about your end?" Maytham replied, "Yes, he informed me that I would be hanged and that my tongue would be cut." Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad sent a roar of laughter and said, "I will see that your master did not tell you the truth. I will see that his prophecy is belied." Maytham said, "My master's words are true because he got that information from Allah. The Islamic Prophet Muhammad was informed by Jibril, and Jibril came with the message of Allah."
Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad ordered Maytham to be jailed. Maytham escaped from jail and joined Al-Mukhtar
. Al-Mukhtar had risen in revolt to avenge the massacre of Karbala
. Discussions took place between Al-Mukhtar and Maytham. Revenge was planned. But Maytham was caught by the order of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad and was ordered to be hanged. Maytham was brought to the same tree to be hanged as pointed out by Ali ibn Abi Talib. Maytham began singing the praises of his master, and about a thousand people gathered to see Maytham being hanged. Even after being hanged, the tongue of Maytham went on singing the praises of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad was informed about this and the tyrant ordered that the tongue of Maytham to be cut and thus the prophecy of Ali ibn Abi Talib came true and Maytham died after his tongue was cut out.
It is stated that Maytham at-Tammār went for Hajj
during the year he died. The annual Hajj pilgrimage ends on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah.
If it takes 17 days by camel to reach Kufa, and if he left (hypothetically) on the 12th immediately after the hajj, he should have arrived around the 29th-30th (or even 1st) into Kufa. His death could not be immediate, because all accounts state he died on the third day after hanging. The minimum date to translate the timeline would be that his death could have occurred, at the earliest, on the 3rd of Muharram.
The book Nafasul Mahmoom states that "Maytham was martyred ten days before Imam Husain (a.s.) came to Iraq." Imam Hussein entered Sharraf, on the border of Iraq and Saudia (then Hijaz) on the 25th of Dhul Hijjah 60AH.
There have also been no recorded incidents in history where a human being's tongue continues to sing even after his or her death.
So therefore, in conclusion, the dates are not adding up and need to be rectified for informational purposes. It needs to be stood corrected though.
Banu Asad
The Bani Assad or Banu Assad is an Arab tribe in Iraq. They are Adnanite Arabs, powerful and one of the most famous tribes. They are widely respected by many Arab tribes, respected by Shia Muslims because they have buried the body of Imam Husayn, his family and companions with the help of Imam...
. Ali ibn Abi Talib (The First Shī`a Imām
Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)
Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...
and the fourth Sunni Caliph) purchased this slave from the woman and set him free in the way of Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
. He was a man of high character and a true lover of Allāh, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
and his Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt is an Arabic phrase literally meaning People of the House, or family of the House. The phrase "ahl al-bayt" was used in Arabia before the advent of Islam to refer to one's clan, and would be adopted by the ruling family of a tribe. Within the Islamic tradition, the term refers to the...
.
Maytham at-Tammār proved to be one of the nearest disciples of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He used to sell dates and on this account he was known as Maytham-e-Tammār. He used to take lessons from Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Ali ibn Abi Talib acquainted him with a good many secrets of the faith. Ali ibn Abi Talib taught him many branches of knowledge which included ilm-e-Manaya wal Balaya (the knowledge of death and future calamities) and ilm-e-Taweel (Interpretation and exegesis of Quran). At times with the permission of his master, Maytham used to acquaint the public about the deep secrets learnt by him. At times on account of the frank speech of Maytham people used to think that Maytham had lost his head. They could hardly understand the depth of his words.
Once Ali ibn Abi Talib, told Maytham that he would be hanged on account of the love for the Imam of his time. He also gave the address and told him that he would be hanged in a farm next to the house of Amr lbn Huraith. The tree on which he would be hanged was the smallest of the ten trees existing in the farm at that time. Maytham was also informed that his tongue would be cut out because he would not stop praising his Imam of time (Ali ibn Abi Talib). After getting this information, it is recorded in history that, Maytham used to go to the tree pointed out by Ali ibn Abi Talib, clean the place and water the tree and offer prayers saying, "Oh tree! You are for me and I am for you. Months and years passed by, Ali was martyred then Hasan ibn Ali
Hasan ibn Ali
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib is an important figure in Islam, the son of Fatimah the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and of the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hasan is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa...
(the Second Shī`a Imām
Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)
Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...
) was martyred and Maytham kept waiting for the time.
Finally on 60 A.H.
Hijra (Islam)
The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
, when Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad was a son of Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan after whose death in 673 he became the Governor of Kufa and Basra and later Khurasan.He also minted coinage, which survives to this day...
was appointed as the Governor of Kufa
Kufa
Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
, things started to get complicated. Maytham then went to perform Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
and thereafter returned to Kufa. One day, Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, called him and asked him to come to his Court, and said, "Oh Maytham! Inform me where your Allah is?" Maytham immediately replied. "He is in quest of an opportunity to punish the transgressors." Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad then asked him about his connections with Ali ibn Abi Talib. Maytham replied that Ali ibn Abi Talib was his master and that he loved him. Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad then asked him, "Did your master tell you anything about your end?" Maytham replied, "Yes, he informed me that I would be hanged and that my tongue would be cut." Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad sent a roar of laughter and said, "I will see that your master did not tell you the truth. I will see that his prophecy is belied." Maytham said, "My master's words are true because he got that information from Allah. The Islamic Prophet Muhammad was informed by Jibril, and Jibril came with the message of Allah."
Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad ordered Maytham to be jailed. Maytham escaped from jail and joined Al-Mukhtar
Al-Mukhtar
al-Mukhtār ibn Abī ‘Ubayd Allah al-Thaqafī was an early Islamic revolutionary who led an abortive rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphs after the death of Husayn ibn Ali at the Battle of Karbala.-Life:...
. Al-Mukhtar had risen in revolt to avenge the massacre of Karbala
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
. Discussions took place between Al-Mukhtar and Maytham. Revenge was planned. But Maytham was caught by the order of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad and was ordered to be hanged. Maytham was brought to the same tree to be hanged as pointed out by Ali ibn Abi Talib. Maytham began singing the praises of his master, and about a thousand people gathered to see Maytham being hanged. Even after being hanged, the tongue of Maytham went on singing the praises of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad was informed about this and the tyrant ordered that the tongue of Maytham to be cut and thus the prophecy of Ali ibn Abi Talib came true and Maytham died after his tongue was cut out.
Discrepancies
The account of the martyrdom and the circumstances surrounding it remain true. However, some discrepancies with the dates are acute as follows.It is stated that Maytham at-Tammār went for Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
during the year he died. The annual Hajj pilgrimage ends on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah.
If it takes 17 days by camel to reach Kufa, and if he left (hypothetically) on the 12th immediately after the hajj, he should have arrived around the 29th-30th (or even 1st) into Kufa. His death could not be immediate, because all accounts state he died on the third day after hanging. The minimum date to translate the timeline would be that his death could have occurred, at the earliest, on the 3rd of Muharram.
The book Nafasul Mahmoom states that "Maytham was martyred ten days before Imam Husain (a.s.) came to Iraq." Imam Hussein entered Sharraf, on the border of Iraq and Saudia (then Hijaz) on the 25th of Dhul Hijjah 60AH.
There have also been no recorded incidents in history where a human being's tongue continues to sing even after his or her death.
So therefore, in conclusion, the dates are not adding up and need to be rectified for informational purposes. It needs to be stood corrected though.
See also
- Islamic Prophet MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
- Ali ibn Abi Talib
- Hasan ibn AliHasan ibn AliAl-Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib is an important figure in Islam, the son of Fatimah the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and of the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hasan is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa...
- Husayn ibn AliHusayn ibn AliHussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
- Ali ibn HussaynAli ibn Hussayn‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn known as Zayn al-‘Ābidīn was a great-grandson of Muhammad, as well as the fourth Shī‘ah Imām . His mother was Shahrbānū and his father was Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī. His brothers include ‘Alī al-Aṣghar ibn Ḥusayn and ‘Alī al-Akbar ibn Ḥusayn...
- Muhammad al-BaqirMuhammad al-BaqirMuḥammad ibn ‘Alī al-Bāqir was the Fifth Imām to the Twelver Shi‘a and Fourth Imām to the Ismā‘īlī Shī‘a. His father was the previous Imām, ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn, and his mother was Fatimah bint al-Hasan...
- Ja'far al-SadiqJa'far al-SadiqJaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq was a descendant of Muhammad and a prominent Muslim jurist. He is revered as an Imam by the adherents of Shi'a Islam and as a renowned Islamic scholar and personality by Sunni Muslims. The Shi'a Muslims consider him to be the sixth Imam or leader and spiritual...
- Musa al-Kazim
- Ali al-RidaAli al-Rida‘Alī ibn Mūsā al-Rizā was the seventh descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the eighth of the Twelve Imams, according to Shia sect of Islam...
- Muhammad al-TaqiMuhammad al-TaqiMuhammad al-Taqī or Muhammad al-Jawād was the ninth of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'ism. His given name was Muhammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Mūsā, and among his titles, al-Taqī and al-Jawād are the most renowned...
- Ali al-HadiAli al-Hadi‘Alī al-Hādī , also known as ‘Alī an-Naqī was the tenth of the Twelve Imams. His full name is ‘Alī ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Alī. The exact date of his birth and death are unknown, but it is generally accepted that he was born between 827–830 CE and he died in 868 CE.- Early years :‘Alī al-Hādī was born...
- Hasan al-AskariHasan al-AskariHasan al-‘Askarī was the eleventh of the Twelve Imams. His given name was Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Muhammad...
- Muhammad al-MahdiMuhammad al-MahdiMuḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Mahdī is believed by Twelver Shī‘a Muslims to be the Mahdī, an ultimate savior of humankind and the final Imām of the Twelve Imams...
- Abbas ibn AliAbbas ibn AliAl-‘Abbās ibn ‘Ali was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib and fourth Rashidun Caliph) and Fātimah bint Hizam al-Kilabiyyah .Al-‘Abbās is revered by Muslims for his loyalty to his half-brother Husayn ibn ‘Alī, his respect for the...
- Muhammad ibn al-HanafiyyahMuhammad ibn al-HanafiyyahMuhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah surnamed Abu'l-Qasim was an early Muslim leader. He was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shi'ite Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph.-Biography:...
- Shiites
- HashemiteHashemiteHashemite is the Latinate version of the , transliteration: Hāšimī, and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe...
s - Ahl Al-BaytAhl al-BaytAhl al-Bayt is an Arabic phrase literally meaning People of the House, or family of the House. The phrase "ahl al-bayt" was used in Arabia before the advent of Islam to refer to one's clan, and would be adopted by the ruling family of a tribe. Within the Islamic tradition, the term refers to the...
- Nahj al BalaghaNahj al BalaghaThe Nahj al-Balagha is the most famous collection of sermons, letters, tafsirs and narrations attributed to Ali , cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad...
- Misconceptions about the Shi'a
- SahabaSahabaIn Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...