Munzir ibn Sawa Al Tamimi

Munzir ibn Sawa Al Tamimi (Arabic: المنذر بن ساوى التميمي‎‎) was a prominent Arab chief and Tabi‘un in 7th century who hailed from Banu Tamim tribe. his genealogical full name is Mundhir bin Sawî bin al-Akhnas bin Bayān bin Amr bin Abdullah bin Zaid bin Abdullah bin Dharamshala bin Malik bin Hanzalah bin Malik bin Zaid bin Manat Al Tamimi. He was known as ruler of archaic Bahrain lands which included modern time Bahrain, Eastern part of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, South Iraq, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman during the age of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In the 7th century, when Muhammad started preaching Islam throughout the world, the message of Islam was sent by Muhammad to Munzir ibn Sawa Al Tamimi.

Prior to Islam, the inhabitants of Bahrain (Eastern part of Arabian Peninsula) were idol worshippers, worshipping gods such as Awal. Nestorian Christianity was also practiced in the region. Islam swept the entire Arabian region in the 7th century, overturning the idol worshippers and Christians. Muhammad sent his first envoy Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami to Munzir ibn Sawa Al Tamimi, the ruler of Bahrain, which in those days, extended the coast from Basrah in Iraq to the south of Qatar including Al Hasa and, Kuwait, Bahrain Islands, UAE & Oman in the year 628, inviting him to Islam. Munzir, responding to Muhammad’s call announced his conversion to Islam and all the Arab inhabitants of historical Bahrain became Muslim, heralding the beginning of the Islamic era in Bahrain. Consequently, Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami was appointed by Muhammad as his representative in Bahrain to collect the Zakah (religious tax).

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