Tayy
Encyclopedia
Tayy is a large and ancient Arabian tribe belonging to the southern or Qahtanite
branch of Arab tribes. Their original homeland was the area of the two mountains Aja and Salma in north central Arabia (currently Ha'il Province, Saudi Arabia
), though, like all Qahtanite
tribes, it is believed they originally moved there from Yemen
. The tribe shared the area with Bani Assad and Bani Tamim, and its members included both nomads and settled town-dwellers.
The tribe is believed to have included a number of Christians before Islam
, though most of the tribe's members are reported to have been pagan. The most famous figure from Tayy in that period was the legendary Hatim Al-Ta'i (Hatim of Tayy), said to be a Christian, and renowned among the Arabs for generosity and hospitality. He also figures in the Arabian Nights. The early Islamic historical sources report that his son, 'Adiyy ibn Hatim, whom they sometimes refer to as the "king" of Tayy, converted to Islam
before Muhammad
's death. He is particularly revered by the Shi'a, who consider him a partisan of Ali
. Another figure from Tayy during this period was Zayd al-Khayr
, a prominent member of Tayy who is said to have led Tayy's delegation to Muhammad
accepting Islam
.
Though sections of Tayy began migrating to neighboring regions such as Iraq and Syria before Islam, Tayy participated heavily in the Muslim Conquests
of the early centuries of Islam
, with sections or individual members of the tribe settling in many parts of the Islamic Empire, including Lebanon and Egypt. Most of these, however, were later assimilated into the general populations of these areas or into other tribes.
Though no longer existing as an autonomous tribal grouping since the early Islamic era, Tayy has been the progenitor of several other tribes in Iraq
, Syria
, Saudi Arabia
, and Kuwait
. Among oral tradition, the Arabian Tribe of Shammar
is most associated with being descendants of Tayy. Other tribes that claim decent are the Banu Lam
, the Fudhool tribal confederation, and some sections of Bani Khalid
. Many individuals in Iraq use the surname "Al-Ta'ii", as well, though they mostly belong to Bani Lam.
In the Namarah Inscription (the second oldest pre-Islamic Arabic inscription, dating from 328 CE), the name "Shammar" is believed to refer to a city in Yemen. Although, "the city of shammar" may refer to the city where Shammar lives. The currently named Rada City, is said to have been taken by the Himyarite King, Shammar Yahri'sh, as residence. It is located about 100 km from Dhamar it is one of the ancient historic sites. Since Shammar Yahrish ruled during the last decade of the 3rd century AD, it could be referring to the city he lives in or one named after him. IT could also be referring to he city of Hayel, although there is no evidence that Imru alqais fought Tai. Although, By that time, Tai would have been in Ija and salma for 400 years. Jahiliyyah is an Islamic concept referring to the spiritual condition of pre-Islamic Arabian society.
Led by Usma bin Luai in their massive exodus out of Yemen (115 BCE), the Tayy invaded the mountains of Ajaa and Salma from Banu Assad and Banu Tamim in northern Arabia. These mountains are now known as Jabal Shammar. The Tayy became camel herders and horse breeders and lived a nomadic lifestyle in northern Nejd for centuries. Because of their strength and blood relations with the Yemenite dynasties that came to rule Syria (Ghassan) and Iraq (the Lakhmids), they expanded north into Iraq all the way to the capital at the time al-Hirah. Early historical accounts refer to them as Tayy for that period, and it is not clear when the name Shammar became dominant. The Banu Asad are an ancient Arab clan from the tribe of Quraish. Najd (Nejd) is a region in central Saudi Arabia and the location of the nations capital, Riyadh. The Ghassanid kingdom was a Christian Arab kingdom who immigrated from Yemen to the north of Arabia. The Lakhmids, less commonly Muntherids were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Southern Iraq, and made al-Hirah which was a fabulous city with many castles and bath-houses and Palm gardens their capital in (266). A manuscript from the 15th century describing the constructing of Al-Khornaq castle In Al-Hira,The Lakhmids capital city was an ancient city located south of al-Kufah in south-central Iraq.
After the death of Mohammad, the Tai remained Muslim. They supported Ali, the fourth Caliph, in his claim to the throne during the ensuing dispute with his rival Muawiya. They also stood against the Kharijites who were essentially anarchists. Later, Ibn Jareer relates that Altarmah bin Adi Alta'i offered to protect Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib on a mountain called Mana' (the protector). For other uses, see Ali (disambiguation). Muawiyah I (602 - May 6, 680), early Muslim leader and founder of the great Umayyad Dynasty of caliphs.
Qahtanite
The terms Qahtanite and Qahtani refer to Semitic peoples either originating in, or claiming genealogical descent from the southern extent of the Arabian Peninsula, especially from Yemen....
branch of Arab tribes. Their original homeland was the area of the two mountains Aja and Salma in north central Arabia (currently Ha'il Province, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
), though, like all Qahtanite
Qahtanite
The terms Qahtanite and Qahtani refer to Semitic peoples either originating in, or claiming genealogical descent from the southern extent of the Arabian Peninsula, especially from Yemen....
tribes, it is believed they originally moved there from Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. The tribe shared the area with Bani Assad and Bani Tamim, and its members included both nomads and settled town-dwellers.
The tribe is believed to have included a number of Christians before Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, though most of the tribe's members are reported to have been pagan. The most famous figure from Tayy in that period was the legendary Hatim Al-Ta'i (Hatim of Tayy), said to be a Christian, and renowned among the Arabs for generosity and hospitality. He also figures in the Arabian Nights. The early Islamic historical sources report that his son, 'Adiyy ibn Hatim, whom they sometimes refer to as the "king" of Tayy, converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
before 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...
's death. He is particularly revered by the Shi'a, who consider him a partisan of Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
. Another figure from Tayy during this period was Zayd al-Khayr
Zayd al-Khayr
Zayd al-Khayr was a noted, significant companion of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. Hailing from the tribe of Tayy in northern Nejd. He was originally known as Zayd al-Khayl , but after becoming Muslim, Muhammad renamed him Zayd al-Khayr .After learning information about Muhammad, Zayd made...
, a prominent member of Tayy who is said to have led Tayy's delegation to 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...
accepting Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Though sections of Tayy began migrating to neighboring regions such as Iraq and Syria before Islam, Tayy participated heavily in the Muslim Conquests
Muslim conquests
Muslim conquests also referred to as the Islamic conquests or Arab conquests, began with the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He established a new unified polity in the Arabian Peninsula which under the subsequent Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates saw a century of rapid expansion of Muslim power.They...
of the early centuries of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, with sections or individual members of the tribe settling in many parts of the Islamic Empire, including Lebanon and Egypt. Most of these, however, were later assimilated into the general populations of these areas or into other tribes.
Though no longer existing as an autonomous tribal grouping since the early Islamic era, Tayy has been the progenitor of several other tribes in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. Among oral tradition, the Arabian Tribe of Shammar
Shammar
The tribe of Shammar is one of the largest tribes of Nejd-Saudi Arabia, with an estimated 1 million in Iraq, over 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia , a Kuwaiti population of around 100,000, a Syrian population is thought to exceed 1 million and with an unknown number in Jordan...
is most associated with being descendants of Tayy. Other tribes that claim decent are the Banu Lam
Banu Lam
Banu Lam is an Arab tribe of central Arabia and southern Iraq. The tribe claims descent from the ancient Arab tribe of Tayy, and dominated western Nejd before the 15th century. The tribe split into three main bedouin groups: the Fudhool, the Al Kathir, and the Al Mughira...
, the Fudhool tribal confederation, and some sections of Bani Khalid
Bani Khalid
.'Bani Khalid'. is an Arab tribal confederation of eastern and central Arabia. The tribe dominated the eastern region of modern-day Saudi Arabia from 1670 to 1793, and again under the auspices of the Ottoman Empire for a brief period in the early 19th century...
. Many individuals in Iraq use the surname "Al-Ta'ii", as well, though they mostly belong to Bani Lam.
Ancient History
The modern Qabila of Shammar are descendants of the Tayy tribe of Yemen. The earliest non Arab sources refer to Arabs as Taits, generally thought of as referring to Tayy. Ayas ibn Qabisa, a man from the Tayy tribe, ruled pre-Islamic Iraq for several years. This contact with Persian is reason for the belief that Taits refers to Tayy.In the Namarah Inscription (the second oldest pre-Islamic Arabic inscription, dating from 328 CE), the name "Shammar" is believed to refer to a city in Yemen. Although, "the city of shammar" may refer to the city where Shammar lives. The currently named Rada City, is said to have been taken by the Himyarite King, Shammar Yahri'sh, as residence. It is located about 100 km from Dhamar it is one of the ancient historic sites. Since Shammar Yahrish ruled during the last decade of the 3rd century AD, it could be referring to the city he lives in or one named after him. IT could also be referring to he city of Hayel, although there is no evidence that Imru alqais fought Tai. Although, By that time, Tai would have been in Ija and salma for 400 years. Jahiliyyah is an Islamic concept referring to the spiritual condition of pre-Islamic Arabian society.
Led by Usma bin Luai in their massive exodus out of Yemen (115 BCE), the Tayy invaded the mountains of Ajaa and Salma from Banu Assad and Banu Tamim in northern Arabia. These mountains are now known as Jabal Shammar. The Tayy became camel herders and horse breeders and lived a nomadic lifestyle in northern Nejd for centuries. Because of their strength and blood relations with the Yemenite dynasties that came to rule Syria (Ghassan) and Iraq (the Lakhmids), they expanded north into Iraq all the way to the capital at the time al-Hirah. Early historical accounts refer to them as Tayy for that period, and it is not clear when the name Shammar became dominant. The Banu Asad are an ancient Arab clan from the tribe of Quraish. Najd (Nejd) is a region in central Saudi Arabia and the location of the nations capital, Riyadh. The Ghassanid kingdom was a Christian Arab kingdom who immigrated from Yemen to the north of Arabia. The Lakhmids, less commonly Muntherids were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Southern Iraq, and made al-Hirah which was a fabulous city with many castles and bath-houses and Palm gardens their capital in (266). A manuscript from the 15th century describing the constructing of Al-Khornaq castle In Al-Hira,The Lakhmids capital city was an ancient city located south of al-Kufah in south-central Iraq.
Religion
Although many of their nobles were said to be Christian, Tai also worshipped idols like Alfulus and many others. They later embraced Islam at the hands of Ali ibn Abi Talib. After destroying their idol Alfuls, they sent a delegation headed by Zayd al-Khayr to Mohammad to declare their allegiance to the new religion. Mohammad, the prophet, was impressed by their ambassador and said: ”Whenever someone is praised before me, upon meeting them I see in them less than what was described, except Zayd of Goodness. He rises above all praise."[Sahih al Bukhari, Arabic]After the death of Mohammad, the Tai remained Muslim. They supported Ali, the fourth Caliph, in his claim to the throne during the ensuing dispute with his rival Muawiya. They also stood against the Kharijites who were essentially anarchists. Later, Ibn Jareer relates that Altarmah bin Adi Alta'i offered to protect Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib on a mountain called Mana' (the protector). For other uses, see Ali (disambiguation). Muawiyah I (602 - May 6, 680), early Muslim leader and founder of the great Umayyad Dynasty of caliphs.
Time Line
- 115 BCE Tayy's exodus from Yemen
- Tayy neigbhors Bani Asad
- Tayy concurs ija and salam now known as jabal shammar
- Tayy's internal wars
- Tayy regains peace brokered by Alharith alaarij bin jibla king of Syria
- Tayy's knight kills Antar bin Shadad
- Tayy Resumes fighting after the death of Alharith bin Jibla's death (Youm Alyahamim)
- Tayy's tribe of Jadila is crippled and enters into a treaty with Kalb
- Tayy Receives Ali as an emissary from Mohamad he destroys the Fulus Idol
- Tayy Sends a delegation to Mohamed and enters Islam
- Tayy back Ali Ibn abi Talib against muawia
- Tayy's chief altarmah ibn adi ibn hatem offers asylum to Hussein bin Ali
- Those of the Tayy living in the Mesopotamian MarshesMesopotamian MarshesThe Mesopotamian Marshes are a wetland area located in southern Iraq and partially in southwestern Iran. Historically the marshlands, mainly composed of the separate but adjacent Central, Hawizeh and Hammar Marshes, used to be the largest wetland ecosystem of Western Eurasia...
are converted to Shia Islam by the Musha'sha'iyyah during the 15th and 16th centuries.