Hajjar b. Abjar
Hajjar b. Abjar (Arabic: حَجّار بْن أبْجَر) was among commanders of Omar b. Sa'd's army in the Battle of Karbala. He was one of those who wrote to Imam Hussain on belhaf of Kufians, inviting him to Kufa. However, after Obayd Allah b. Ziyad took over Kufa, he turned against Imam Hussain and forced people to scatter away from Muslim b. Aqil. After the battle of Karbala, he was an opponent of the Uprising of al-Mukhtar and joined Mus'ab b. Zubayr. Mus'ab commissioned him to combat 'Ubayd Allah b. Hurr al-Ju'fi. He later joined 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan in his fight with Mus'ab.
| Hajjar b. Abjar | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Hajjar b. Abjar |
| Well Known As | Governor of Isfahan |
| Lineage | Bakr b. Wa'il |
| Activities | Testifying against Hujr b. Adi, inviting Imam al-Hussain to Kufa, opposing Uprising of al-Mukhtar, joining Mus'ab b. Zubayr |
Lineage
Hajjar b. Abjar b. Jabir b. Bujayr b. 'A'idh b. Shurayt b. 'Amr b. Malik b. Rabi'a b. 'Ijl was the head of the Bakr b. Wa'il tribe.
Hajjar was alive during the life of the Prophet Muhammad. He and his father, Abjar, went to 'Umar b. al-Khattab; Hajjar recited shahadatayn and converted to Islam, but his father did not convert to Islam. A short time before the martyrdom of Imam Ali in 40/660, his father died as a Christian. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Muljam who had entered Kufa to martyr Imam 'Ali saw some people and priests of Kufa holding a funeral for Abjar. He said: "I swear to God that I would kill them all with my sword had I not wanted to stay alive for a greater purpose." Although Hajjar was aware of Mustawrid b. 'Ulafa al-Khariji's riot against al-Mughira b. Shu'ba in 43/663, he kept it a secret. He also testified against Hujr b. 'Adi.
The Battle of Karbala
Hajjar was one of those inviting him to Kufa. But after 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad took over Kufa, he played a role in scattering people away from Muslim b. 'Aqil. In the Event of Ashura, Ibn Ziyad sent Hajjar to aid 'Umar b. Sa'd. On the Day of 'Ashura, Imam al-Husayn (a) addressed him as a writer of letters to him.
After Ashura
He was a commander of the army of Ibn Muti', the ruler of Kufa, against al-Mukhtar's army. Al-Mukhtar commissioned Ahmar b. Shumayt to combat him. When al-Mukhtar took over the rule of Kufa, Hajjar joined Mus'ab b. Zubayr. Mus'ab commissioned him to combat 'Ubayd Allah b. Hurr al-Ju'fi. He was defeated in this combat.
Later in the battle between Mus'ab and 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan, Hajjar b. Abjar, together with Ghadban b. Qaba'thari, 'Attab b. Warqa', Qutn b. 'Abd Allah al-Harithi, Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Sa'id, Zahr b. Qays, and Muhammad b. 'Umayr al-Tamimi, among others, joined 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan on the condition of being appointed as the ruler of Isfahan. In 71/690, they were given the rule of Isfahan.