Banu Tamim

Banī Tamīm (also Banu Tamim or Banu Tameem) (Arabic: بنو تميم) Tamim is one of the largest of all Arab tribes. The tribe's history goes back to pre-Islamic times, a sister-clan of Quraysh. Today millions descend from the tribe in the Arabian Peninsula and neighboring countries and territories such as Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The word Tamim in Arabic means strong and solid.

History

The Bani Tamīm are located primarily in Najd (Central Saudi Arabia), central and southern Iraq (Basra and Diyala), the Iranian province of Khuzestan, and south and north Yemen (Hadhramaut and Ta'izz). Members of the tribe are commonly identified by the surnames "Al-Tamimi" or "al-Tamīmī", which can be spelled as "Al-Timimi" or "Al-Temimi" in reflection of the local accent. Some members of the Al Tamim tribe migrated to Morocco as well during the Arab expansion). They are called "Temim", "Tamim" or "Tamimy". The word "Tamim" means Perfect and complete, in Arabic as well as in Hebrew.

The tribe traces its lineage to Adnan and Biblical figures Ishmael and Abraham. It has been said that Banu Tamim could be the largest Arab tribe.

The tribe embraced Islam in the eighth year after the Hijra. After Islam some groups of Tamimi's settled in border areas of Persia and gradually became bilingual in Arabic and Persian.

Large sections of the Banu Tamim in Iraq converted from Sunnism to Shi’ism just before or during the 19th century.

Notable people

Among the tribe's famous personalities are the following:

• Jarīr - classical Arab poet
• Al-Farazdaq - classical Arab poet
• Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qays
• Khabbab ibn al-Aratt - a Sahabi Muhammad
• Abd-Allah ibn Ibadh - founder of the Ibadi sect
• Tālib al-Suhail (d. 1994 C.E.) - Iraqi tribal leader
• Ibn 'Uthaymīn (d. 2001 C.E.) - Saudi Islamic scholar
• Al Thani - the current ruling dynasty of the state of Qatar
• Aghlabids - were a dynasty of emirs of Ifriqiya
• Aal Al-Sheikh - the current dynasty heading Saudi Arabian Muftiyat

Saudi Tamimi tribes

These branches are from the four major sects of the Tamim tribe:

• Amr bin Tamim
• Hanthalah bin Tamim
• Saad bin Tamim
• Alrabbab

The Banu Tamim are an extremely large tribe. Most were scattered all over Central Najd (Saudi Arabia); now, because of the growing economy of the country, they have moved to all corners of the country.

Branches of the tribe

• Al-AlShaikh - the house of Sheikh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhāb (d. 1792 C.E.); lives mostly in Riyadh, originally from Uyainah.

• Al-Nawaser - probably the largest branch of Banu Amr bin Tamim, consisting of many families who are descendants of Abbad bin Alhussayen bin Abbad (a famous knight in the Umayyid dynasty). This branch includes many noblemen, educators and scholars who have held prominent positions throughout history, such as: Al Khamis, Al-Dokhail, Al-Rashed, Al-Sulaiman, Al-Saif, Al-Homaidhy, Al-Fayez, Al-Mutlag, Al-Omair, Al-Suhail, Al-Sa'ab, Al-Essa, Al-Nasry, Al-Fawzan, Al-Hindi, Al-Himran (plural), Al-Hussayyen, Al-Majed, Al-Meshari, Al-Mogbel, Al-Mojel, Al-Aiban, Al-Roomy, Al-Nugaithan, Al-Yousef, Al-Shaya, Al-Salman, and many others.

• Al-Anaqir (Al-Angari) - a large branch of Banu Saad bin Zaid Monat bin Tamim, which lived in a village called Tharmada'a [1] in Najd hundreds of years ago; from there they scattered to many places. Nowadays, several families derive from Al-Angari, including: Al-Moammar (Ruling family of Uyayna and Sudais for over two centuries), Al-Abu-Ulayyan (ruling family of Buraydah many years ago; nowadays, several families derive from them, such as Al-Furaih, Al-Shubaily, Al-Assfi, Al-Sabeh, Al-Murshed, Al-Arfaj, Al-Ghanem, Al-Methehan, Al-Saja, Al-Slamah, Al-Sultan, Al-Humidah, Al-Mudlij, Al-Omairiny, Al-Omar, Al-Zaoman, Al-Abdullatef Bin Essa, Al-Rasheed, Al-Abdulrahim, and others), Al-Ibrahim, Al-Rajeh, Al-Sulaiman, Al-Mangour, Al-Faqih, Al-Salloum (of Ad Dawadami and Al Qara'in) and many others.

• Alaza-Aies - the original home of this branch of the tribe of Tamim is a village named Wathaithiah, located in the region of Al-Washm, north of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. They belong to the famous line of Hanthalah. They were praised in a poem by the Najdi poet Humudan AlShuair around the late 17th century. Furthermore, there were noble personalities in Najd belonging to this branch. Nowadays, members of this branch are spread throughout the countryside of the greater Riyadh area; some reside in Riyadh.

• Al-Whabah - a branch that includes royal families such as Al-Shaikh, Al-Buainain of Jubail, Aba-Hussain of Ushaigar, Al-Abanumay of Majma'ah and Ghat and Al-Khadi of Unaizah. A branch of Handhalah. Al-Whabah were the rulers of the town of Ushaiger in the Washm area. Al-Whabah is the largest branch in the tribe by number. This branch has prominent leaders in today's world, including such families as: Al-Salem, Al-Taweel, Al-Bassam, Al-Kusayer, Al-Wohaibi, Al-Eidan, Al-Rayyes, Al-Khamis (Atar, Sudair), Al-Kharafi (in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia), Al-Othman, Al-Wazzan, Al-Ameer, Al-Saeed, Al-Ayyar, Al-Ghannam, Al-Faris, Al-Hayb, Al Matham, and many others.

• Al-Abadel - belongs to Abdullah bin Darm, who lived before the appearance of Islam. One branch is from Hotah bani Tamim and the other is called Abu Al Ainain. The most famous families from Hotah bani Tamim today are: Al Twuim, Al Hotan, Al Tammami, Al Suais, Al Humidat, Al Ameery, Al Jamil, Al Shaalan, Al Huramel, Al Badeely, Al Humais, Al Ghnnaam, Al Khatrash, and many others.

• AlMazaree'e - a branch of Amr bin Tamim that includes: AlRabiah, Al-Madhi (the ruling family of Rawdat Sdair, to which belong Al-Muhaideb, Al-Numay, Al-Romaizan, Al Bakr and Almejmaj), the Al Mahmood family (known for Muslim scholars; a branch of the tribe based in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain), and Al-Afnan (originally from Hail, north of Saudi Arabia; famous for Prince Dawas Bin Afnan and the war he won protecting his village (Alsaba'an) against the Brotherhood Movement (Alakhwan) before Saudi Arabia was ruled by the current royal family Al Saud).

• Al Saeed (السعيد) - www.alsaeedaltamimi.org

• Thaheem' - a branch of Tamim that spelled as Thaheem in Sindh/Siraiki Pakistan, they migrated to Sub-Continent mainly to present day Pakistan along with Muhammad Bin Qasima branch of the tribe based in Pakistan and India. - www.thaheem.com

Royal Families of Banu Tamim

• Al Thani - Ruling family of Qatar
• Al Buainain - based in Qatar and Bahrain
• Al Khater - based in Qatar , Bahrain and Saudi Arabia

Ham - Irbid) هام - اربد)

Dynasties

• The Aghlabid dynasty
• The Al Thani family
• The Thaheem - based in Pakistan
• Thousands of Tamimis traveled with Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 AD for conquest against Rajah Dahir. Nowadays, they live in Punjab and called "Tamimi or Altamimi".