Bishr b. Sawt
| Bishr b. Sawt Murderer of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Aqil | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Bishr b. Sawt (Sumayt) al-Hamdani al-Qabidi |
| Teknonym | Abu Asma |
| Place of Residence | Kufa |
| Death/Martyrdom | 66/685-6 |
| Cause of Death/Martyrdom | Killed by 'Abd Allah b. Kamil during the Uprising of al-Mukhtar |
| Era | Umayyad Dynasty |
| Activities | An accomplice in the martyrdom of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Aqil in the Battle of Karbala |
Bishr b. Sawt (Arabic: بِشر بن سَوط) (killed in 66/685-6), fought on the side of the 'Umar b. Sa'd's army in the Battle of Karbala. He was one of those involved in the martyrdom of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Aqil. He was killed in the Uprising of al-Mukhtar.
Name
His kunya was Abu Asma' and his name is mentioned in different sources variously as Bishr b. Sawt al-Hamdani, Nashr b. Shawt al-'Uthmani, Bishr b. Shumayt al-Qanisi, Bishr b. Sumayt al-Qabisi, Bishr b. Hut al-Qabidi, Bishr b. Huwayt al-Qanisi and Bishr b. Khawt al-Hamdani.
The Battle of Karbala
In the Battle of Karbala, Bishr b. Sawt fought on the side of 'Umar b. Sa'd's army. On the Day of 'Ashura, he and 'Uthman b. Khalid al-Juhani killed 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Aqil and stole his clothes. In some sources, the martyrdom of 'Abd al-Rahman is mentioned to have been done by 'Uthman b. Khalid and the martyrdom of Ja'far b. 'Aqil is said to have been done by Bishr b. Sawt. Bishr is cursed in the Ziyarah al-Shuhada as the murderer of Ja'far b. 'Aqil.
Fate
Muhammad b. Jarir al-Tabari has quoted Musa b. 'Amir 'Adwi from Bani Juhayna as saying,
- "In 66/685-6, al-Mukhtar sent 'Abd Allah b. Kamil to capture Bishr b. Sawt and 'Uthman b. Khalid. Ibn Kamil besieged Banu Dahman mosque and threatened that if they do not submit the two, he will kill them all. Following his threat, an army went to capture Khalid and Bishr and found them in a place called Jubana where they wanted to escape toward Jazira and brought them to Ibn Kamil. 'Abd Allah beheaded them in a place called Well of Ja'd and then burned their bodies by the order of al-Mukhtar."