Sa'ib Khathir

Sa'ib Khathir (died 683) was an influential Persian musician in the early days of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750). A freedman (mawla), Sa'ib was responsible for introducing music to Medina. He was killed during the Battle of al-Harra.

Sa'ib Khathir
Died	683
Occupation	Musician
Years active	Early days of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750)
Known for	Introducing music to Medina

Contribution to music

Sa'ib Khathir is credited with introducing and popularizing music in Medina, which became a center for musical innovation and performance. His influence helped shape the musical traditions of the region, laying groundwork for later developments in both Persian and Arab music. His work is regarded as a foundational contribution to the medieval Perso-Arab musical tradition.

Sources

• Faizer, Rizwi (2006). Meri, Josef W. (ed.). Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia (Vol. 1, A-K, Index). Routledge. ISBN 978-1135455965.
• Meyers Sawa, Suzanne M. (2013). "ʿAzza al-Maylāʾ". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (3rd ed.). Brill Online. ISSN 1873-9830.
• Wright, O. (1995). "Ṣāʾib K̲h̲āt̲h̲ir". In Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W. P. & Lecomte, G. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume VIII: Ned–Sam. Leiden: E. J. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-09834-3.
• Zelli, Bijan (2017). "Zaryab: The Cultural Meeting of East and West". In Grajter, Małgorzata (ed.). The Orient in Music - Music of the Orient. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1527510265.