Al Mualim is the Assassin's Brotherhood mentor in the original Assassin's Creed.
Al Mualim leads the Masyaf-based Assassin Brotherhood during the game's Third Crusade setting. He sends Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad on missions against targets connected to the conflict between the Assassins and Templars. The title is an Arabic honorific commonly translated as “the teacher” or “the master.”
Masyaf serves as the Brotherhood's headquarters, and Altaïr returns there between investigations in Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. Al Mualim's guidance is central to the opening structure of the game, as Altaïr is punished for recklessness and must regain his rank through a series of assignments.
The character is fictionalized within the game's historical setting. He should not be confused with Niccolò Machiavelli, who advises Ezio in the Renaissance-era games, or Ahmet, an important character in Assassin's Creed Revelations. The original game was released in 2007.