'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1350] (405/688)

1250
NAlM
The A1 BQ Kalbi of 'Ajman Town are perhaps another section of the Al Bu Kharaiban
division of this tribe.
Polilical position of the Na'im in 'Oman.—The Baraimi Oasis, where they are still
politically, though no longer numerically, predominant, is regarded by the Na'im of
Oman as their tribal headquarters ; but at 'Ajman and Hamriyah. both of which
places are ruled over by Na'aimi Shaikhs, their position appears' to be more secure
* , a _ n in Baraimi at the present day. They are also the most powerful
Ghafin tribe in the Dhahirah District of the 'Oman Sultanate ; but their relations with
the ruler of the Sultanate are slight. Except at 'Ajman and Hamriyah the Na'im appear
to be weakened by internal dissensions, but their Bedouins are described as warlike and
predatory. In 'Oman the Na'im are generally Sunnis of the Hanbali school: one or
two exceptions to this rule are noted in the table in the preceding paragraph
Settled Na'im of Bahrain.—We now turn to the second territorial division of the tribe^
a uranch severed from the parent trunk some generations ago—who are found in Bahrain
and Qatar. In the region in question non-Bedouin members of the tribe are now found
only m the Bahrain islands where they have 60 houses at Umm-ash-Shajar, 50 at Halaf-
arwNa im 30 at Shajairah, 10 at Halat-as-Sulutah and a few at Rifa-al-Gharbi • thev
th^ number about 800 souls altogether. There are now no settled Na'im in Qatar
Bedouin Na'im of Bahrain and Qafar.—The nomadic Na'im outside 'Oman are believed
to number about 2,000 souls. In winter they live in Qatar, chiefly in the neighbourhood
Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. ; in the hot weather most of them remove to Bahrain and form camps in the
northern part o the main island, but some take up their summer quarters near Dohah
in the Qatar peninsula. These Bedouins are reputed to possess altogether about ICO
horses, 600 camels, 1,000 sheep and 1,000 goats.
Sub-divisions of the Na'im of Bahrain and Qatar.—The main tribal divisions of the
Aa im are the same here as in the south, namely, the 11 Bu Kharaiban and the Al Bu
onamis; but the prominent sections appear to be entirely different. They are—
Al Bit Kharaihan.
Jifacalah Miza'idah.
Khaluwi ari( j
Matawa'ah Qahatin
^ Al Bu Shdmis.
Fahad (Al) Jima'an (Al)
Haiyi (Al) Ramadhan (Al)
Hutum and
Jabar (Al) Suwawarah.
., , f e Sectlons 'and even the two main divisions, are here much intermingled ; but all
e tribesmen in Bahrain and Qatar are followers of one of two Shaikhs who belong to the
Al Haiyi and Al Ramadhan sections respectively. TheMuraikhat of Bahrain aresome-
imes regarded as a section of the Al Bu Shamis division of the Na'im, with whom they
are at least intimately connected ; but it appears preferable to treat them as a separate
k ? .u Spealc 0f the Shaikh of Ajman as a Jaffali, and it is there-
e possible that the Jifafalah section among the Na'im of the north corresponds to the
Qaratisah section among those of the south.
Pohtica 1 position oithe Na'im in Bahrain and Qatar.—The Na'im of Bahrain and Qatar
nn rTT- detached fro ni the main body of the tribe in 'Oman and maintain
no relations with the latter. They believe that their ancestors immigrated from 'Oman
TJZv the invitation of ^e 'Utub, then in Qatar, for the purpose of
i Ttu ng ^ •'f Musal . lam - Some of these northern Na'im have become pearl divers,
u he majority are still pastoral and depend for subsistence upon their livestock. The
W 1 ^ I ' m ^ re retained as mercenaries both bvthe Shaikh of Bahrain
ndlrS fn ? Shaikhs of Dohah, and the protection of those Shaikhdoms is con-
Th^ir pfflr.' eVO Ve r; nr " pa ^P 011 them during the absence from home of the pearl fleets.
Bahr Jn r « ncy ^worthiness are not however beyond doubt, and their presence in
Tn b TJn ^T. 18 !i! 0 >T C f 0f anno y ance t 0 the Peaceable agriculturists of other tribes.
In Bahrain and Qatar the Na'im are Maliki Snnms.-iPersian Gulf Gazetteer.)
NATM (Halat-an)—
. • A hamlot on Muharraq Island {q.v.), Bahrain Archipelago.