Tomb of Maytham al-Tammar, May Allah Have Mercy On Him
اردو العربية English فارسی हिन्दी
Maytham ibn Yahya; Abu Salim Maytham al-Asadi al-Kufi
What these badges mean
Badges are generated cautiously from the attached references, attribution notes, and GPS metadata. They are not a final historical ruling.
⚙️ Print, share, and more tools
Introduction
Maytham al-Tammar, May Allah Have Mercy On Him, was a close companion of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, a trusted disciple, interpreter, and fearless witness before tyranny. His shrine stands west of the Great Mosque of Kufa and is among the most important places preserving the Alid memory of the city.
His name was Maytham ibn Yahya, his kunya Abu Salim, and he is described as al-Asadi, al-Kufi, and al-Nahrawani. He was initially enslaved to a woman of Banu Asad. Imam Ali purchased and freed him and asked his name. When he answered Salim, Imam Ali told him that the Prophet had identified his original non-Arab name as Maytham. He confirmed that this was the name given by his parents and returned to it.
After emancipation he sold dates in Kufa, earning the title al-Tammar. His honest market work remained part of his identity, while closeness to Imam Ali gave him access to Qur'anic interpretation, knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt, law, and reports concerning future trials. Rijal works also count him among the companions of Imams al-Hasan, al-Husayn, and Zayn al-Abidin.
Maytham learned a distinctive body of Qur'anic interpretation from Imam Ali. He told Ibn Abbas to write down his answers because he had learned revelation and interpretation from Ali. When Maytham spoke of his future execution, Ibn Abbas considered destroying the notes, but Maytham told him to keep them and destroy them only if the prediction failed.
Rijal al-Kashshi preserves the famous meeting of Maytham and Habib ibn Muzahir. Riding past a gathering of Banu Asad, Habib foretold the crucifixion and cutting of the tongue of a red-faced date seller, while Maytham described a man with two braids who would be killed supporting Imam al-Husayn and whose head would be brought to Kufa. The listeners were astonished; both descriptions later matched their deaths.
Imam Ali showed Maytham the palm trunk upon which he would be crucified. Maytham visited the tree, prayed near it, watered it, and said that it had been grown for him and he had been created for it. After the tree was cut, he continued to recognize the trunk and told Amr ibn Hurayth that he would become his neighbor.
In the year of his death, Maytham performed the pilgrimage and met Umm Salama, Mother of the Believers. She told him that the Prophet had mentioned him and commended him to Imam Ali. Maytham asked about Imam al-Husayn. Umm Salama perfumed his beard and told him it would soon be dyed with blood. He asked her to convey his greeting and said that they would meet before the Lord of the Throne.
Upon returning to Kufa, he was arrested by Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. He was ordered to renounce Imam Ali and speak against him. Maytham refused and stated that Imam Ali had already foretold his arrest, mutilation, crucifixion, and the silencing of his tongue. Ibn Ziyad tried to contradict the prophecy, but Maytham calmly described the place and manner of his death.
In prison he met al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi and told him that he would escape death, rise to avenge Imam al-Husayn, and defeat the same Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. Al-Mukhtar was later released, and his movement punished a number of those involved in Karbala.
Maytham was crucified on a palm trunk near the house of Amr ibn Hurayth. Even after his hands and feet had been cut, he continued to proclaim the virtues of Banu Hashim and Imam Ali. When his words exposed the authorities, Ibn Ziyad ordered his mouth restrained and his tongue cut. On the third day he was pierced with a spear, and blood flowed from his nose and mouth, dyeing his beard as foretold. His death occurred in 60 AH, about ten days before Imam al-Husayn reached Iraq.
Seven date sellers gathered at night after his death. Despite guards, they removed his body from the cross and buried it near a watercourse in the land of the Murad tribe, concealing the place. The present shrine preserves this Kufan burial memory.
His sons were Imran, Salih, Shuayb, and Hamza. All were connected with the transmitters of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt. Later descendants included Ali ibn Shuayb al-Maythami, an Imami theologian and debater. Maytham's intellectual trust therefore continued through his family.
During modern rebuilding, earlier domed structures were discovered beneath the shrine, including an earthen dome described as more than four centuries old. The expanded complex was completed around 2011 with a high dome and two minarets, and a new gold-and-silver zarih was installed in 2017. Its proximity to the Great Mosque of Kufa and the governor's palace makes it part of a complete historical pilgrimage route.
The central lesson of Maytham's life is truth, knowledge, and loyalty. A freed laborer became a student of Qur'anic wisdom, refused to abandon truth despite knowing the cost, and transformed the cross into a pulpit for the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt. His shrine remains a living symbol of courage, insight, and fidelity.
👨👦 Father's Side
👨👩👧👦 Children
🗺 Journey Timeline
🕌 Martyrs List
📚 Books
Historical / Religious Importance
The shrine of Maytham al-Tammar is a foundational site in the Alid history of Kufa. His emancipation, study under Imam Ali, honest market labor, and steadfastness before tyranny form a complete story of elevation through knowledge and loyalty.
The palm tree, the meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, the perfume of Umm Salama, the prediction concerning al-Mukhtar, and the proclamation of the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt from the cross gave his memory extraordinary power. In Rijal al-Kashshi and al-Irshad, these reports form a coherent narrative of martyrdom.
His four sons and the later Maythami scholarly line show that his legacy was not sacrifice alone, but also hadith, theology, and learned attachment to the Imams. Ali ibn Shuayb al-Maythami is an example of that continuing family tradition.
The older domed layers, modern expansion, and new zarih demonstrate the shrine's continuous devotional life. Its proximity to the Great Mosque of Kufa places it on the central route of Alid history.
Maytham teaches that testimony to truth does not depend upon office, wealth, or social origin. Knowledge, honesty, and loyalty transformed a date seller into a figure whom torture and execution could not silence.
📝 14 paragraphs · ~826 words · 👨👦 1 father side · 👨👩👧👦 4 Children · 🗺 4 Journey stages · 🕌 2 Martyrs · 📚 4 Books
References
Primary source — Rijal al-Kashshi High
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Primary source — Al-Irshad High
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Primary source — Al-Ikhtisas High
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Secondary source — Mu'jam Rijal al-Hadith Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Secondary source — Maytham al-Tammar Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Website source — ito.lib.eshia.ir Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Website source — imamhussain.org Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Website source — www.mazaraltammar.com Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Website source — www.alhikmeh.org Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Website source — almerja.com Medium
Notes: Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting. | Page/Volume: reports on close companions of Imam Ali; editions vary | Article role: PRIMARY BURIAL / MAIN BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rijal al-Kashshi, al-Irshad and related Imami biographical sources support Maytham's liberation by Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, Qur'anic knowledge, meeting with Habib ibn Muzahir, foretold martyrdom, refusal to disavow Imam Ali, execution under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and burial by fellow date sellers. Modern shrine sources support the present Kufa location, institutional administration, discovery of older domed layers, expansion and installation of the new grille. Later dialogue details are retained within their transmitted narrative setting.
Gallery
📤 Submit a photo of this site
Nearby shrines
⏳ Loading nearby shrines…
Attributed Historic House of Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, in Kufa
0.46 km away
The Great Mosque of Kufa
0.60 km away
Shrine of al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi
0.60 km away
Khadija bint Ali
0.65 km away
Attributed Shrine of Sayyida Khadija bint Imam Ali, Peace Be Upon Her
0.65 km away
Tomb of Hani ibn Urwah, May Allah Have Mercy On Him
0.67 km away
Shrine of Kumayl ibn Ziyad, May Allah Have Mercy On Him
5.73 km away
Tomb of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, May Allah Have Mercy On Him
6.92 km away
Mausoleum of Ayatollah Shahid Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, May Allah Have Mercy On Him
6.93 km away
Attributed Maqam of Banat al-Hasan, Peace Be Upon Them, in Najaf
7.98 km away