The House of Hz. Temim al-Dari

Temim b. Afs b. Harith al-Dari (d. 40/661) was born in Palestine. He belonged to the Banu Dari tribe of the Qahtani; hence he became famous with the nisbah al-Dari. It is recorded that he was also referred to as Deyri in relation to the monastery where he worshipped before accepting Islam. Temim al-Dari came to Medina in the 9th year of Hijra (631) and became a Muslim. This companion, who was favored with the special attention of the Prophet Muhammad, received special information from him that was not shared with any other companion. The most important of these was the issue of the Dajjal. Temim al-Dari personally narrated that he encountered a strange being on an island during a sea voyage and learned that this was the Dajjal. The Prophet Muhammad recited this story to the public from the pulpit; it is found in hadith sources as "The Story of Temim al-Dari." Temim al-Dari is also known as the first person to hang a lamp (candle) in the Prophet's Mosque. This tradition was an application he brought from his Christian monastery culture and marked the beginning of the mosque's illumination with the approval of the Prophet Muhammad. [Source: TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, article "Temim al-Dari", islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/temim-ed-dari; Muslim, Fitan 119-122; Ibn Sa'd, et-Tabakat, VII, 385-387]