Qutham ibn al-ʿAbbās (Arabic: قثم بن العباس‎), approximately born in 624 in Medina and died in 677 in Samarkand, was an Arab statesman and preacher. He served as the leader of Mecca during the reign of Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib and was one of the participants in the Arab Caliphate's conquest of Central Asia. He is recognized as the first preacher of Islam in the territory of modern-day Uzbekistan.^[1][2][3]

Biography

Qutham ibn Abbas was born around 624 in Medina. He was a first cousin of the founder of Islam, Muhammad, and later became one of his companions. During the rule of the righteous caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, he held the position of ruler of Mecca. During the reign of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, he participated in the conquest of Central Asia under the leadership of the governor of Khorasan, Said ibn Uthman.^[4][3]

Upon the orders of Said ibn Uthman, Qutham ibn Abbas remained in Samarkand and engaged in propagating and spreading Islam, as well as implementing Sharia rules in the city, through several wars.^[5] In 677, Samarkand was attacked by Sogdians, and Qutham ibn Abbas died defending the city.^[6]

Qutham ibn Abbas was buried in the Bonu nozhiya cemetery in Samarkand. During the rule of the last ruler of the Seljuk state, Sultan Ahmad Sanjar (1118-1157), a madrasa called Kusamiya was built on this cemetery (although it no longer exists today). During the reign of Amir Timur, a mausoleum for Qutham ibn Abbas was constructed at his grave, adorned with various Arabic inscriptions and Central Asian designs from the Timurid period.^[7][8][9] Later, this building became part of the Shah-i-Zinda complex (an ensemble of mausoleums of Karakhanid and Timurid nobility), which is considered one of the unique monuments of medieval Central Asian architecture.^[10]