Hatim al-Tai

Hatim al-Tai (Arabic: حاتم الطائي, 'Hatim of the Tayy tribe'; died 578), full name Ḥātim bin ʿAbd Allāh bin Saʿd aṭ-Ṭāʾiyy (Arabic: حاتم بن عبد الله بن سعد الطائي) was an Arab chieftain of the Tayyi tribe of Arabia, ruler of Shammar, and poet who lived in the late sixth century.[1][2] He is also associated with the Lakhmid court in Hira, especially under its most famous king Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man.[3] Although he was considered a well-established poet in his time, today he is best known for his altruism.[4] Stories about his extreme generosity have made him an icon among Arabs up until today, as evident in the proverbial phrase "more generous than Hatim" (Arabic: أكرم من حاتم, romanized: ʾakram min Ḥātim). Additionally, he is known to be a model of Arab manliness.[5] The tales of Hatim are also popular in Persia, North India, and Pakistan.[6]

For other uses, see Hatimtai.
Hatim Al-Tayyi (left) depicted in an Urdu Diwan
"Hatim Tai" redirects here. For the films, see Hatim Tai (1956 film) and Haatim Tai (1990 film).

His son was Adi ibn Hatim, who was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Biography

Al-Tai lived in Ha'il in the present-day Saudi Arabia and was mentioned in some Hadiths attributed to Muhammad.[7] He died in 578 AD,[8] and was buried in Tuwarin, Ha'il. His tomb is described in the Arabian Nights.[9] His name Hatim means 'black crow' in Arabic.[10]

Ruins of Hatim’s Palace in Tuwarin

He lived in the sixth century CE and also figures in the Arabian Nights stories. The celebrated Persian poet Saadi, in his work Gulistan (1259) wrote: "Hatim Taï no longer exists but his exalted name will remain famous for virtue to eternity. Distribute the tithe of your wealth in alms; for when the husbandman lops off the exuberant branches from the vine, it produces an increase of grapes".[11] He is also mentioned in Saadi's Bostan (1257).[12] According to legends in various books and stories, he was a famous personality in the region of Ta'i (present day Ha'il) and is also a well-known figure in the rest of the Middle East as well as the Indian subcontinent, featuring in many books, films and TV series in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, Hindi, Kashmiri and various other languages.

Rozat-ul-Sufa mentions that "In the eighth year after the birth of his eminence the Prophet (Muhammad), died Noushirwan the Just, and Hatemtai the generous, both famous for their virtues",[13] around 579 CE. According to the 17th-century orientalist D'Herbelot, his tomb was located at a small village called Anwarz, in Arabia.[14]

Works

One of his works is a poem which has been translated into English as "On Avarice".[15]

Qissa-e-Hatem-tai

Qissa-e-Hatem-tai (قصۂ حاتم طائی), alternatively Dastan-e-Hatem-tai (داستانِ حاتم طائی), meaning "The Tale of Hatemtai" is very popular in Persia and the Indian subcontinent. Sayad Haider Bakhsh Haidri, the author of the Qissa-e-Hatim Tai, writes in his introduction that he has taken the story from "someone’s" Persian text, but has amplified and extended it at suitable points "to please the listeners."[6] Multiple films (see below) have been made about Hatim based on this story, which narrates seven of his fantastic adventures in seven chapters.

The books on the story usually consist of a short introduction describing his ancestry and character and tells the seven episodes based on seven riddles, asked by a beautiful and rich woman named Husn Banu (حسن بانو), who will marry only the person who is able to obtain answers to all seven of them.[16] The riddles are:

  1. 'What I saw once, I long for a second time.'
  2. 'Do good, and cast it upon the waters.'
  3. 'Do no evil; if you do, such shall you meet with.'
  4. 'He who speaks the truth is always tranquil.'
  5. 'Let him bring an account of the mountain of Nida.'
  6. 'Let him produce a pearl of the size of a duck's egg.'
  7. 'Let him bring an account of the bath of Badgard.'

A king, who falls in love with her but unable to find answers, tells the generous Hatemtai, whom he meets by chance, all about it. Hatim undertakes the quest to find the answers and help the king marry her.

Film and television

Film
  • Hatimtai, a 1929 Indian film
  • Hatimtai, a 1933 Indian film
  • Hatimtai, a 1947 Indian film
  • Hatimtai Ki Beti, a 1955 Indian film
  • Sakhi Hatim, a 1955 Indian film
  • Hatim Tai (1956), directed by Homi Wadia
  • Shan-E-Hatim, a 1958 Indian film
  • Son of Hatimtai, a 1965 Indian film
  • Saat Sawal (1971), directed by Babubhai Mistry
  • Hatim Tai (1990), directed by Babubhai Mistry

Television

See also

References
  1. Koelbl, Susanne (15 September 2020). Behind the Kingdom's Veil: Inside the New Saudi Arabia Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Mango Media. ISBN 9781642503456.
  2. Gandhi, Menka (16 October 2004). The Complete Book of Muslim & Parsi Names. Penguin UK. ISBN 9788184750546.
  3. "ḤĀTEM ṬĀʾI". Encyclopaedia Iranica. ISSN 2330-4804.
  4. "Arabia's Legendary Almsgiver Hatem al Tai - Destination KSA". 4 May 2015.
  5. The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights. Random House Publishing. 26 August 2009. ISBN 9780307417015.
  6. "Chapter Three: Qissah-e Hatim". University of Columbia. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  7. Abdul-Rahman, Muhammad Saed (2003-12-21). Islam: Questions And Answers - The Heart Softeners (Part 1). MSA Publication Limited. pp. 81–82. ISBN 9781861793287.
  8. Kitab al-Aghani by Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani
  9. van Arendonk, Cornelis (1987). E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam 1913-1936. E. J. Brill. p. 290. ISBN 9789004082656.
  10. The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights. 26 August 2009. ISBN 9780307417015.
  11. Clouston, A. W. (1881). "Hatim Tai, the Generous Arab Chief". Arabian Poetry. p. 409.
  12. Edwards, A. Heart, tr. (1911). The Bustan of Sadi. pp. 53–57.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-02. Retrieved 2008-01-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. Arbuthnot, F. F. (1887). Persian Portraits: A Sketch of Persian History, Literature and Politics. B. Quaritch. p. 132. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  15. Clouston, A. W. (1881). "On Avarice by Hatem Tai". Arabian Poetry. pp. 99–100
  16. Arbuthnot, F. F. (1887). Persian Portraits: A Sketch of Persian History, Literature and Politics. London: Bernard Quaritch. p. 132.
  17. Khanzada, Farida (18 January 2013). "PVR to release animation film Adventures of Sinbad". Indian Express.

Further reading

  "But come with old Khayyam, and leave the Lot
  Of Kaikobad and Kaikhosru forgot:
  Let Rustum lay about him as he will,
  Or Hatem Taiy cry Supper--heed them not."

  • Many books written and translated in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi etc.
  • Hatem Tai in Tamil by Prema Pirasuram
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.