Maytham al-Tammar: Difference between revisions

  | Companion of = [[Imam Ali (a)]] • [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] • [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]

  | Kunya = Abu Salim • Abu Salih

'''Maytham al-Tammār al-Asadī al-Kūfī''' (Arabic:{{ia| ميثم التمار الأسدي الکوفي}}) (d. [[60]]/692) was a devout and loyal [[:Category:Companions of Imam Ali (a)|companion]] of [[Imam Ali (a) ]]. Although there isn't a lot of detailed information available about his life, he is known for being a date-seller in [[Kufa]] who had many outstanding qualities. Maytham was executed by the [[Ummayad]] governor before the [[Event of Karbala]].

Maytham was a non-Arab, and because he was the slave of an Asadi woman, he was ascribed to the tribe of [[Bani Asad]].<ref>al-Kashshi. ''Rijal''. p. 9; al-Mufid. ''al-Irshad''. vol. 1. p. 323</ref> Later, he was bought and then freed by [[Imam Ali (a) ]]. When Imam Ali (a) asked him his name, he answered: "Salim". Imam Ali (a) said, "The Prophet informed me that your Persian parents named you Maytham." Imam Ali (a) then asked him to return to the name which the Prophet called him and he accepted and was therefore called Abu Salim. His other title was Abu Salih.<ref>Tabarsi. ''I'lam al-wora''. vol. 1. p. 341; al-Mufid. ''al-Irshad''. vol. 1. p. 341</ref>

Maytham was a companion of Imam Ali (a), [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]],<ref>al-Tusi. ''Rijal''. p. 81. 96. 105</ref>  but he is best known as a devout follower of Imam Ali (a).<ref> al-Mufid. ''al-Ikhtisas''. p. 3.</ref> He was a devoted and sincere lover of [[the Prophet (s)]] and his [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)|household (a)]], and they were also affectionate towards him.<ref> Tabari. ''Bisharat al-mustafa''. p. 236-237.</ref> As reported by [[Umm Salama]], the Prophet (s) praised Maytham many times during his life.<ref> Asqalani. ''al-Isaba''. vol. 6. p. 317</ref>

Maytham received great spiritual knowledge from the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. Imam Ali (a) taught him the secrets of succession and informed him of unseen matters.<ref>Ibn Abi l-Hadid. ''Sharh-i nahj al-balagha''. vol. 2. p. 291.</ref>

Maytham wrote a commentary of the [[Qur'an]] from what he had learned from Imam Ali (a) .<ref> Agha Buzueg. ''al-Dhari'a''. vol. 4. p. 317.</ref> According to one account, Maytham told [[Ibn 'Abbas]] that Imam Ali (a) had taught him the knowledge of [[Ta'wil]] (hidden meaning of the Qur'an). He asked Ibn 'Abbas to ask him any question about the interpretation of the Qur'an, and Ibn 'Abbas questioned him and wrote down his answers. When Maytham foretold the story of his own martyrdom, Ibn 'Abbas became suspicious about him and decided to destroy the writings. Maytham asked him not to do that and said, "Keep yourself from doing that until my prophecy is fulfilled; if it does not happen, destroy my interpretations".<ref>al-Kashshi. ''Rijal''. p. 81.</ref>

Maytham is also said to have compiled a [[hadith]] collection from which his descendants narrated. Some of these narrations are available in references.<ref>see: al-Tusi. ''Amali''. p. 148. Ghaffar. ''al-Kulaini wa al-kafi''. p. 28.</ref> These narrations are about love and hatred towards [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]], the precedence of [[Kufa Mosque]] over [[Bayt al-Maqdis]], the hatred of hypocrites towards Imam Ali (a), the four-time confession of fornication and its penalty and other stories about the judgments of Imam Ali (a).<ref>Barqi. ''Kitab al-mahasin''. p. 309-310. Shadhan qumi. ''al-Fada'il''. p. 3-5.</ref>

==Imam Ali (a) and Maytham al-Tammar==

He was a member of [[Shurta al-Khamis]] (the especial Guards of Imam Ali (a) ), who pledged themselves to fight with Imam Ali (a) in all battles and support him in all hardships.<ref>Barqi. ''Kitab al-rijal''. p. 3-4. al-Mufid. ''al-Ikhtisas''. p. 2-3.</ref>

Since there is no report of Maytham's presence in any battle with Imam Ali (a), it is thought that he became acquainted with Imam Ali (a) in the last years of the Imam's life. This is also indicated by some narrations reported by Maytham about the events of the last years of leadership of Imam Ali (a), such as the invasion of the partisans of [[Mu'awiya]] to the districts of Heet and Anbar and their killing of women and children.<ref>Khasibi. ''al-Hidayat al-akhbar''. p. 125. Diylami. ''Irshad al-qulub''. p. 272-273.</ref>

While cursing Imam Ali (a) and his partisans, Mu'awiya also cursed Maytham.<ref>Ibn Tawus. ''Farhat al-ghura''. p. 51-52.</ref>

After the demise of Imam Ali (a), Maytham became a devout companion of [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]].<ref> al-Tusi. ''Rijal''. p. 96-105.</ref> Imam al-Husayn was affectionate towards Maytham and treated him kindly.<ref>al-Kashshi. ''Rijal''. p. 80.</ref> In 60/680 Maytham went to [[Mecca]] to perform [['Umrah]], but could not meet Imam al-Husayn (a). [[Umm Salama]] informed him of Imam al-Husayn (a)'s situation. Maytham then asked Umm Salama to pass his greetings to Imam al-Husayn (a) and to tell him that he would meet the Imam in paradise.<ref>al-Kashshi. ''rijal''. p. 80-81. al-Mufid. ''al-Irshad''. vol. 1. p. 324.</ref>

Imam Ali (a) had promised Maytham a high level in paradise beside himself for his resistance against the governor of [[Kufa]], [['Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad]]. The Imam had also informed Maytham of his [[martyrdom]], the name of his killer, and the story of his execution on a palm tree. He even showed him the exact tree on which he was going to be hung. It is reported that Maytham prayed beside that tree and talked to it. He told the story of his martyrdom to his friends, but once when he told [[Habib b. Mazahir]] in front of others, people began to mock him.<ref>al-Kashshi. ''Rijal''. p. 78-84</ref>

There are two different accounts about his arrest and execution:

* According to the first account, the governor of [[Kufa]], [[Ibn Ziyad]], was ordered by [[Yazid]], the [[Ummayad]] caliph, to arrest Maytham and execute him.<ref>al-Mufid. ''al-Irshad''. vol. 1. p. 324-325</ref> Ibn Ziyad then asked the chief of Maytham's tribe to surrender Maytham or be killed. Maytham was arrested on his way back from [[Mecca]] to [[Kufa]], probably in [[Qadisiyya]]. In the prison of Kufa, he met [[Mukhtar al-Thaqafi]] and foretold Mukhtar's release from prison.<ref>Khasibi. ''al-Hidayat al-Kubra''. p. 133. Sharif radi. p. 54-55.</ref>

* According to the second account, Maytham, along with some businessmen from Kufa, went to Ibn Ziyad to protest the injustice of his agent in the bazaar. There, ‘Amr b. Hurayth, the commander of the Kufa army, called Maytham a liar and a partisan of the liar (meaning [[Imam Ali (a) ]]). In response, Maytham called himself a truthful partisan of the truthful one. Ibn Ziyad then ordered Maytham to curse Imam Ali (a) and praise [[Uthman b. 'Affan]] and threatened to cut off his arms and legs if he didn't. Maytham chose martyrdom. He told Ibn Ziyad that Imam Ali (a) had said Ibn Ziyad would cut off his tongue. Ibn Ziyad wanted to prove the words Imam Ali (a)to be wrong; therefore, he ordered the cutting of Maytham's arms and legs only and hung him beside the house of ‘Amr b. Hurayth.

After being hung, Maytham miraculously called people loudly to gather around him and listen to some narrations from Imam Ali (a). He then talked about the virtues of [[Bani Hashim]] and the evil of the [[Umayyads]].

[[File:Portal of tomb of Maytham al-tammar.jpg|thumbnail|300px| Portal of the tomb of Maytham al-Tammar]]

According to other reports, Ibn Hurayth suggested cutting his tongue, and Maytham reminded people of Imam Ali's prediction. His tongue was then cut off by an agent of Ibn Ziyad.<ref>al-Kashshi. ''Rijal''. p. 83.</ref>

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{{Imam 'Ali (a)}}

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