Al-Taff

Al-Taff

Country	Iraq
Province	Karbala
Language	Arabic
Historical Information
Important events	Battle of Karbala
Places
Shrines	Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) ᛫ Holy Shrine of al-Abbas (a)

Al-Ṭaff (Arabic: الطَفّ) is another name for the area of Karbala. It is, indeed, a highland around Kufa and near Euphrates. In the literature of elegies for Imam al-Husayn (a), expressions like "the land of al-Taff", "day of al-Taff", "casualties of al-Taff" and "al-Tufuf" refer to the land of Karbala and the day of Ashura.

Literal Meaning

The word "al-Taff" has different meanings, such as green areas of Iraq. It also means a seaside or a riverbank. Since Karbala was on the side of Euphrates, it came to be called "al-Taff".

Location

According to definitions given by some historians for the word "al-Taff", the area is a plain around Kufa. Since the land is close to the Euphrates and its surrounding areas, it is called "al-Taff". The word also refers to Karbala. Some historians take al-Taff to be the place where Imam al-Husayn (a) was martyred, which is the same as Karbala. According to some authors, Kufa, Karbala, and the surrounding areas count as al-Taff.

A Hadith from the Prophet (s)

There is a hadith from the Prophet (s) saying that: "my son, al-Husayn, will be killed alone and thirsty in al-Taff".

In the Literature of Ashura

The word al-Taff is frequently used in the literature of Ashura and Arabic poems. It is usually used as a phrase, such as "Yawm al-Taff" (Day of Taff), "Qatil al-Taff" (Casualties of al-Taff), and "Waq'at al-Taff" (Event of al-Taff).