Al Mualim is Altaïr’s mentor in the original Assassin’s Creed.
Al Mualim leads the Assassin Brotherhood from Masyaf, a fortress in the Syrian mountains, during the events of the first game. After Altaïr breaks the Brotherhood’s rules during a mission, Al Mualim demotes him and assigns a series of targets whose deaths are meant to restore his rank.
The name “Al Mualim” is an honorific meaning “the teacher” or “the master,” rather than a conventional personal name. The character’s role therefore combines political leadership, instruction, and control over the Brotherhood’s operations.
Players sometimes confuse Al Mualim with Altaïr’s later rival Abbas Sofian or with Robert de Sablé, the Templar Grand Master. Al Mualim is initially presented as Altaïr’s guide, but the story later reveals that his ambitions are far more complicated.