Abd Allah b. Yaqtar: Difference between revisions

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  | Full name = 'Abd Allah b. Yaqtar

  | Companion of = Imam al-Hussain

  | Activities = Representative of Imam al-Hussain in Kufa

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'''ʿAbd Allah b. Yaqtar''' (Arabic:عبد الله بن یقطر ) was [[Hussain ibn Ali|Imam al-Hussain]]'s representative in Kufa along with [[Muslim b. ʿAqil b. Abi Talib|Muslim b. 'Aqil]]. He was captured by Hussain b. Numayr, a commander of [[Obayd-Allah Ibn Ziad|Ibn Ziyad]] in Qadisiyya.  According to some sources, he refused to curse Imam Ali and Imam al-Hussain therefore was thrown off the Dar al-Khilafa. Other sources attribute this even to Qays b. Musahhar and have included 'Abd Allah among the martyrs of Karbala.

According to most historians, 'Abd Allah's father was named Yaqtar (al-Tabari is an exception and named him as Baqtar) and his mother was named Maymuna. Yaqtar was a servant of the Prophet and his wife, Maymuna, worked in the house of [[Ali ibn Abi Talib|Imam Ali]].  According to some reports, 'Abd Allah was born three days before Imam al-Hussain. Thus Maymuna took care of Imam al-Hussain in his childhood. She became famous as Rida'i mother of Imam, although whether she actually suckled the Imam or just took care of him is disputed. Recent scholars do not accept that his mother suckled Imam al-Hussainand believe that Imam was not suckled by anyone other than Lady Fatima.  

Some scholars have reconciled the contradicting narratives of whether 'Abd Allah b. Yaqtar or Qays b. Musahhar were the letter bearer by deducing that both were given the task. As such, the Imam first sent 'Abd Allah b. Yaqtar with a letter to Kufa. Then, he gave another letter to Qays b. Musahhar, but sent him to Kufa from another path. But they both were caught by the agents of Ibn Ziyad and were martyred in a similar manner. Thus, the Imam sent 'Abd Allah b. Yaqtar through a region called Hajiz and heard the news of his martyrdom in a place called Zubala. He sent Qays b. Musahhar from a place called Bayda and received the news of his martyrdom in a place called 'Udhayb.