Tayy

Tayy ( _ar. طيء) is a large and ancient Arabian tribe belonging to the southern or Qahtanite branch of Arab tribes. Their original homeland was the area of the two mountains Aja and Salma in north central Arabia (currently Ha'il Province, Saudi Arabia), though, like all Qahtanite tribes, it is believed they originally moved there from Yemen. The tribe shared the area with Bani Assad and Bani Tamim, and its members included both nomads and settled town-dwellers.

The tribe is believed to have included a number of Christians before Islam, though most of the tribe's members are reported to have been pagan. The most famous figure from Tayy in that period was the legendary Hatim Al-Ta'i ("Hatim of Tayy"), said to be a Christian, and renowned among the Arabs for genorosity and hospitality. He also figures in the Arabian Nights. The early Islamic historical sources report that his son, 'Adiyy ibn Hatim, whom they sometimes refer to as the "king" of Tayy, converted to Islam before Muhammad's death. He is particularly revered by the Shi'a, who consider him a partisan of Ali. Another figure from Tayy during this period was Zayd al-Khayr, a prominent member of Tayy who is said to have led Tayy's delegation to Muhammad accepting Islam.

Though sections of Tayy began migrating to neighboring regions such as Iraq and Syria before Islam, Tayy participated heavily in the Muslim Conquests of the early centuries of Islam, with sections or individual members of the tribe settling in many parts of the Islamic Empire, including Lebanon and Egypt. Most of these, however, were later assimilated into the general populations of these areas or into other tribes.

Though no longer existing as an autonomous tribal grouping since the early Islamic era, Tayy has been the progenitor of several other tribes in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Among the tribes that are descendent of Tayy are Banu Lam, the Fudhool tribal confederation, and some sections of Bani Khalid. Many individuals in Iraq use the surname "Al-Ta'ii", as well, though they mostly belong to Bani Lam and other tribes descendant of Tayy.

Time Line

*115 BCE Tayy's exodus from Yemen
*Tayy neigbhors Bani Asad
*Tayy concurs ija and salam now known as jabal shammar
*Tayy's internal wars
*Tayy regains peace brokered by Alharith alaarij bin jibla king of Syria
*Tayy's knight kills Antar bin Shadad
*Tayy Resumes fighting after the death of Alharith bin Jibla's death (Youm Alyahamim)
*Tayy's tribe of Jadila is crippled and enters into a treaty with Kalb
*Tayy Recives Ali as an emissary from Mohamad he destorys the Fulus Idol
*Tayy Sends a delegation to Mohamed and enters Islam
*Tayy Rebels against abu Bakr and refuses to pay tax
*Tayy surrenders to the first caliph, Khalid Ibn alwalid convinces Adi bin Hatem to surrender
*Tayy back Ali Ibn abi Talib against muawia
*Tayy's chief altarmah ibn adi ibn hatem offers assylum to hussien bin Ali

References

*The History of Shmmar by John Frederich Williamson ("Arabic").
*The Tribes of Iraq by Abbas Alazzawi ("Arabic").
*The Days of the Arabs before Islam by Alfudaily ("Arabic" ).
*A comprehnsive history of Shammar by Amer Aladhadh ("English").
* [http://www.shmmr.net Tayy (Shammar) tribe oficial website] .

See also

*Banu Lam
*Ha'il
*Adiyy ibn Hatim