Sajah

Biography Her full nisba was Sijah bint al-Harith bin Suwaid at-Tamimi. According to Muhammad Suhail Taqu̅sh, Arab culture and Turkic history professor of Imam al-Awza’i University, Sajah was a Christian who also worked as a shaman. Her father was a chief of Banu Yarbu, a clan of Banu Tamim, which has dominant Christians populace after their frequent contact with the Christianity influences from the Euphrates Region. Her mother came from Bani Taghlib from the Lower Mesopotamia region.

During Sajah's lifetime, the Tamim tribe were subjects of the Sasanian Empire. This relationship was established through the Kingdom of Hira, which was an extension of the Persian Empire. Persian traders passed through several regions first to reach Hira. Bani Tamim played a role in maintaining the security of Persian trade caravans that crossed the Arabian Peninsula. Meanwhile, due to their adherence to Christian religion, the Tamim tribe also develop close relationship with the Christians of the Euphrates region and northern Syria. The Yarbu branch which Sajah hailed from gained political monopoly in Souk Okaz, as one of their chiefs was entrusted as an arbitrator and judge of the market. However, their domination of Souk Okaz came to an abrupt end two years before Muhammad began preaching Islam. Thereafter, 4000 people gathered around her to march on Medina. Others joined her against Medina. However, her planned attack on Medina was called off after she learned that the army of Khalid ibn al-Walid had defeated Tulayha al-Asadi (another self-proclaimed prophet). As the time passed on, the alliance came into abrupt end as Musaylima grew suspicious towards Sajah. Thus, Sajah left Musaylima alone to fought against the Muslim army in al-Yamama.