Maytham al-Tammar
| Maytham ibn Yahyā Arabic: ميثم ابن يـحيى |
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Maytham al-Tammar shrine in Kufa,Iraq
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| Titles: al-Tammar Arabic: التمار and al-Kufi | |
| Birthplace | Nihrawan |
| Ethnicity | Persian |
| Occupation | Market store owner (sold dates and other fruits) |
| Known For | Being a loyal companion of Imam Ali |
| Influences | Allah, Muhammad, Imam Ali, and the Ahl al-Bayt |
| Died | 22 Dhul Hijjah 60 H (November 20, 680 AD). |
| Burial Place | Kufa, Iraq |
| Coordinates | 32°00′25″N 44°20′19″E / 32.00694°N 44.33861°E |
| Father | Yahyā |
| Son | Muhammad, Ali, Hamza, Shuayb, Saleh, Imran |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Shia |
| Opponents | Enemies of Allah, Islam, Muhammad, and the Ahl al-Bayt |
Maytham ibn Yahyā al-Tammār or Maytham al-Tammar (Arabic: ميثم ابن يـحيى التمار) was an early Islamic scholar, a companion and disciple of Ali ibn Abi Talib and a forefather of Sufism.
Maytham ibn Yahyā was born at Nihrawan, an area near Kufa. He was the son of Yahyā. Hence, ibn Yahyā (which means son of Yahyā).
A lady from Banu Asad bought Maytham (as a slave). Accordingly, Maytham worked for this lady until the caliphate of Imam Ali.
The first title/address was Mawali, meaning a slave of Persian origin living in Kufa. But after Maytham was freed from the shackles of slavery, he no longer was addressed as a Mawali. The second and most famous title given to Maytham was al-Tammar. Tammar stems from the Arabic word Tammer. In Arabic, Tammer means dates (a type of fruit). Therefore, al-Tammar means "the date seller". In Hebrew, Tamar means palm tree, date palm, or dates. Maytham received the title al-Tammar because he owned a market store in Kufa where he would sell dates and other types of fruit. In addition, al-Kufi was another title given to Maytham. Al-Kufi simply means a person from Kufa.
After the time of Muhammad and the caliphate of Uthman, Imam Ali became Caliph in the year 656 AD. As the new caliph (after Uthman ibn Affan's death), Imam Ali moved the Islamic capital from Medina to Kufa for two reasons: to keep Mu'awiyah in check, and because Kufa had an illustrious history (many prophets of Allah lived in Kufa). Moving to Kufa, Imam Ali use to go around the city of Kufa. It is documented that if he encountered a slave he would try to free him or her. One day, Imam Ali saw a lady from the Banu Asad tribe, who had a male slave of Persian origin (Mawali). Imam Ali approached the woman and began to converse with her, in order to purchasing the slave, Salim. The two started to negotiate a price, and the lady's initial asking price was 50 dinar. As Imam Ali gave her the 50 dinar she changed the price to 100 dinar. She kept raising the price, since she realized that Imam Ali was willing to pay her a much higher price. Seeing the price soar, a companion of Imam Ali then asked, "O Amir al-Momineen (Imam Ali), who is this man? What is he? He's originally a Persian, he is a slave, what the point of paying this much?" Finally, she settled at 500 dinar. Imam Ali handed her the 500 dinar. She then called Salim and stated to him that Imam Ali has purchased you. After buying Salim, Imam Ali set him free from the shackles of slavery for the way of Allah. It demonstrated the Islamic view of slavery; Islam establishes that slavery is immoral and that all humans are equal in the perspective of Allah. The only thing that differentiates a human is their Taqwa. Islam called for a gradual emancipation of slaves. Meaning that masters/owners should not just set slaves free but they should help them build a foundation financially so that they (slaves) could support themselves. Thus, Imam Ali took Maytham under his wings after he freed Maytham. Moreover, a person who frees a slave is showered with blessing and would be protected from hell fire.
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