Tarim, Yemen
Coordinates: 16.057601, 49.005758
Nearby Places
- Qasr al-‘Ishshah 0.66 kilometers SW (247°)
- Al-Muhdhar Mosque 0.77 kilometers SW (245°)
- Tomb of Hz. Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad رحمة الله عليه SW (240°)
Tarim is a historic town situated in the Hadhramaut Valley of South Yemen, in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Tarim is widely acknowledged as the theological, juridical, and academic center of the Hadhramaut Valley.
Blessed By Hz. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه
Arab historians agree that Tarim was established in the fourth century of Hijra. The citizens of Tarim converted to Islam in the early days of Islam when the delegation of Hadhramaut met the Prophet Muhammad in Medina in the tenth year of Hijra (631). Tarim is often referred to as Al-Siddiqi City, in honor of Hz. Abu-Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه, the first caliph of Sunni Islam (r. 632–34). Hz. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه prayed that Allah would increase Tarim’s scholars and water, as its citizens stood with him during the Ridda wars after the Prophet ﷺ passing away (632-633). A battle occurred in the Al-Nujir fortress in which many of the Prophet’s ﷺ companions (Sahaba) were injured and taken to Tarim for treatment. Some sahabi were martyred and buried in Zambal Cemetery in Tarim.
Considered the highest concentration of Sayyids anywhere in the world
An essential focus of Islamic learning, it is estimated to contain the highest concentration of descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (sayyids) anywhere in the world. The city is distinguished for producing numerous Islamic scholars, including Imam al-Haddad رحمة الله عليه. Additionally, Tarim is also home to Dar al-Mustafa, a well-known educational institute for the study of traditional Islamic Sciences.
Ziyarat Locations in and near Tarim
Zanbal Cemetery & Tomb of Hz. Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad رحمة الله عليه
16.051165, 48.994141
Tomb of Hz. Hud (عليه السلام)
16.101732,49.568440 60.40 kilometers E (85°)
Tomb of Imam Sheikh Abu Bakr bin Salem رحمة الله عليه
16.074502, 49.149811, 15.53 kilometers E (83°)
Tomb of Hz. Ahmad bin Isa al-Muhajir رحمة الله عليه
15.985806, 48.871484, 16.42 kilometers SW (241°)
Tomb of Hz. Habib Ali al-Habashi رحمة الله عليه
15.951892, 48.808369, 24.15 kilometers SW (241°)
Mosques and Libraries
The Al-Muhdhar Mosque minaret at Tarim is 53 metres (174 feet) high and recognized to be one of the tallest earth structures in the world. It is estimated that Tarim contains up to 365 masajid (mosques); one, the Sirjis mosque, dates back to the seventh century. From the 17th to the 19th century, these mosques played a decisive role in the influence of Islamic scholarship.
Tarim also features the massive al-Kaf Library which is attached to Al-Jame’a Mosque and houses more than 5,000 manuscripts from the region covering religion, the thoughts of the Prophets, Islamic law, Sufism, medicine, astronomy, agriculture, biographies, history, mathematics, philosophy. Many go back hundreds of years and often contain vibrantly colored illustrations.
Rabat Tarim
Rabat Tarim is an educational institution teaching Islamic and Arabic sciences. In 1886, a group of Tarimi notables decided to build a religious institution for foreign and domestic students in Tarim, and accommodate foreign students.
According to statistics from 2007, the number of scholars graduating from Rabat Tarim has reached over 13,000. Foreign students currently total about 300, with 1,500 Yemeni students. Many graduates later traveled abroad to propagate Islam and establish religious institutions.
