The Companion Tamim ibn Aws ad-Dari

Lineage of Tamim ibn Aws ad-Dari

He was the Companion Tamim ibn Aws ibn Kharijah ibn Suwad ibn Jadhimah ad-Dari al-Lakhmi al-Filastini. The name “ad-Dari” comes from one of his ancestors, and “al-Lakhmi” refers to the tribe of Lakhm, a branch of Ya'rub ibn Qahtan. His kunya (honorific) was Abu Ruqayyah. He was born in Palestine, where he was a monk and devoted worshipper.

The descendants of Tamim ad-Dari still reside in Hebron (Al-Khalil) to this day, known as the Al-Tamimi family. Branches of the family are also spread in Nablus, Jenin, Jaffa, and east of Jordan notably, the Al-Majali family in Al-Karak traces its lineage back to him.

Conversion of Tamim ibn Aws ad-Dari to Islam

Tamim ibn Aws ad-Dari was originally a Christian. He embraced Islam in the ninth year after Hijrah. He lived in Madinah and later moved to Ash-Sham (Greater Syria) after the assassination of Uthman ibn Affan. He accompanied the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and narrated several hadiths from the Prophet. He also participated in some battles of the Prophet.

The Prophet ﷺ granted him and his brother Nu’aym the city of Hebron (then called Habra) as a land endowment, along with Bayt ‘Aynun, a place near the village of Ash-Shuyukh in the district of Hebron.

Characteristics of Tamim ibn Aws ad-Dari

Tamim ad-Dari was known for several traits, including:

• Excessive Worship: He was renowned for his abundant worship, especially night prayers and recitation of the Qur’an.
• Piety and Scrupulousness: It is narrated that he used to travel to Ash-Sham for trade with Adi ibn Baddah. A man named Budeil ibn Abi Maryam brought goods, including a silver vessel, but fell ill and left instructions for Tamim and his partner to return the vessel to his family. Instead, they sold it for 1,000 dirhams and split the amount. Later, when Tamim accepted Islam, he returned to the family of Budeil, explained what had happened, and gave them 500 dirhams, telling them that his partner had the other half.

Merits and Distinctions of Tamim ibn Aws ad-Dari

• Many hadiths were narrated from him by the Sahabah and Tabi’in, including: Anas ibn Malik, Ibn Abbas, Shahr ibn Hawshab, Kathir ibn Murrah, Zurarah ibn Awfa, Rawh ibn Zunba’, Sulaym ibn Amir, and others.
• He was the first person to light lamps in the mosque. He introduced the use of oil lamps and lanterns to light the mosque, whereas before, they used palm branches. He sent five young boys for this purpose, one of whom was named Fath, whom the Prophet ﷺ renamed Siraj (Lamp).
• He was also the first to deliver public storytelling (qasas) during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Death of Tamim ibn Aws ad-Dari

After moving from Madinah to Ash-Sham, Tamim ibn Aws ad-Dari settled in Palestine after the assassination of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). He died there in the year 40 AH. His grave is located in the village of Bayt Jibrin in the city of Hebron, Palestine.