Ṭayyiʾ
A great Qaḥṭānī tribe of the northern mountains, whose name the peaks of Aja and Salma still carry.
- Grouping
- Kahlān (Qaḥṭānī)
- Homeland
- Aja and Salma, northern Najd
- Proverbial for
- The generosity of Ḥātim al-Ṭāʾī
Overview
Ṭayyiʾ is reckoned to Kahlān, and the sources place its country in the northern Najdī mountains — Aja and Salma, still called *jabalay Ṭayyiʾ*, the two mountains of Ṭayyiʾ, in the geographies. Ḥāʾil lies among them. The tribe is proverbial in Arabic through Ḥātim al-Ṭāʾī, whose generosity became the standard by which generosity is measured.
On lineage
Branch lists and affiliations here are given as reported by the classical genealogists, who themselves disagree. Nothing on this page establishes any living family's descent: a shared name may reflect descent, alliance (ḥilf) or clientage (walāʾ), and the sources usually say which only when they know.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Aja and Salma called the mountains of Ṭayyiʾ?
Because the geographers record them as the tribe's homeland, and the name stuck — Ḥāʾil lies among them.
Sources
- ابن حزم الأندلسي، جمهرة أنساب العرب، 456هـ — أنساب طيّئ
- ياقوت الحموي، معجم البلدان، 626هـ — مادة: أجا وسلمى
This page is an educational, historical reference compiled from published sources. It is not an authority on lineage. Where sources differ, we report the difference without taking a position. Corrections are welcome via our contact page.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-28