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Muslim b. Aqil b. Abi Talib: Difference between revisions
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There are unusually large discrepancies in the sources as regards his date of birth: the difference between the extreme figures is more than 30 years. According to one report, he fought in Safar 37/July 657 in the right wing (maymana) of [[Ali]]’s army at the battle of [https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Siffin Siffin], together with his cousins [[Hasan]], [[Husayn]] and ʿAbd Allah b. Jaʿfar.<ref>Ibn Aʿtham al-Kufi, K. al-Futuh, Haydarabad 1388-95/1968-75, iii, 32; Ibn Shahrashub, Manaqib, ii, 352.</ref> The report implies that Muslim was born no later than the early 20s/640s. An even earlier date is suggested by an account that during ʿOmar’s reign Muslim, took part in the conquest of al-Bahnasa [q.v.]<ref>Ps.-Waqidi, Futuh al-Sham , Cairo 1354, ii, 136, 146, 153, 159, 160, 169, 181, 184, 185, 190.</ref>, in the course of which two of his brothers, Jaʿfar and Ali, were killed.<ref>ibid., ii, 177.</ref> He is said to have been appointed as the first Muslim governor of the town, and to have retained this position until ʿUthman’s caliphate, when he returned to Medina, leaving his brothers and sons behind.<ref>ibid., ii, 193.<br /></ref> Other accounts, in contrast, point to a date of birth in the late 30s/650s: according to these accounts, Muslim’s mother, an umm walad of Nabataean origin<ref>cf. Muhammad b. Habib, al-Munammaq , 505.</ref> whose name is variously given as ʿUlayya, Khalila and Hilya, was bought by ʿAqil in Syria, with the help of [[Muʿawiya]]. This purchase probably took place after Ali’s assumption of the caliphate (in Dhu ’l-Hijja 35/June 656), which is the time usually given as the beginning of Aqil’s friendship with the Umayyad ruler. | There are unusually large discrepancies in the sources as regards his date of birth: the difference between the extreme figures is more than 30 years. According to one report, he fought in Safar 37/July 657 in the right wing (maymana) of [[Ali]]’s army at the battle of [https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Siffin Siffin], together with his cousins [[Hasan]], [[Husayn]] and ʿAbd Allah b. Jaʿfar.<ref>Ibn Aʿtham al-Kufi, K. al-Futuh, Haydarabad 1388-95/1968-75, iii, 32; Ibn Shahrashub, Manaqib, ii, 352.</ref> The report implies that Muslim was born no later than the early 20s/640s. An even earlier date is suggested by an account that during ʿOmar’s reign Muslim, took part in the conquest of al-Bahnasa [q.v.]<ref>Ps.-Waqidi, Futuh al-Sham , Cairo 1354, ii, 136, 146, 153, 159, 160, 169, 181, 184, 185, 190.</ref>, in the course of which two of his brothers, Jaʿfar and Ali, were killed.<ref>ibid., ii, 177.</ref> He is said to have been appointed as the first Muslim governor of the town, and to have retained this position until ʿUthman’s caliphate, when he returned to Medina, leaving his brothers and sons behind.<ref>ibid., ii, 193.<br /></ref> Other accounts, in contrast, point to a date of birth in the late 30s/650s: according to these accounts, Muslim’s mother, an umm walad of Nabataean origin<ref>cf. Muhammad b. Habib, al-Munammaq , 505.</ref> whose name is variously given as ʿUlayya, Khalila and Hilya, was bought by ʿAqil in Syria, with the help of [[Muʿawiya]]. This purchase probably took place after Ali’s assumption of the caliphate (in Dhu ’l-Hijja 35/June 656), which is the time usually given as the beginning of Aqil’s friendship with the Umayyad ruler. | ||
==Departure to Kufa== | ==Departure to Kufa== | ||
Muslim came into prominence, when he was sent to Kufa as Imam Husayn’s personal representative. His task was to measure the extent of Kufan support for the Prophet’s grandson. He set off from Mecca on 15 Ramaḍan 60/19 June 680 in the company of a number of Kufans who had come to al-Husayn with messages of support. His first destination was Medina, where he took leave of his family and hired the services of two Qaysis to guide him on his way. The guides lost their way in the desert and were too weakened by thirst to be able to proceed; they just managed to show Muslim the right direction before they both (or one of them) died. Muslim saw in this a bad omen, and wrote al-Husayn from al- | Muslim came into prominence, when he was sent to Kufa as Imam Husayn’s personal representative. His task was to measure the extent of Kufan support for the Prophet’s grandson. He set off from Mecca on 15 Ramaḍan 60/19 June 680 in the company of a number of Kufans who had come to al-Husayn with messages of support. His first destination was Medina, where he took leave of his family and hired the services of two Qaysis to guide him on his way. The guides lost their way in the desert and were too weakened by thirst to be able to proceed; they just managed to show Muslim the right direction before they both (or one of them) died. Muslim saw in this a bad omen, and wrote al-Husayn from al-Madiq asking to be relieved of his mission. Al-Husayn sent back a curt note accusing Muslim of cowardice and ordering him to continue. | ||
==In Kufa== | ==In Kufa== | ||
On 5 Shawwal 60/9 July 680 Muslim reached Kufa. According to most sources, he went first to the house of [[al-Mukhtar b. Abi ʿUbayd al-Thaqafi]] [q.v.], later known as Dar Salim (or Salm or Muslim) b. al-Musayyab.<ref>cf. Muhsin al-Amin, Aʿyan al-Shiʿa , xxxiii, Beirut 1369/1950, 402.</ref> Other accounts<ref>e.g. Muhammad al-Baqir, as reported in al-Tabari, ii, 228.</ref> maintain that Muslim proceeded first to the house of Muslim b. ʿAwsaja al-Asadi. | On 5 Shawwal 60/9 July 680 Muslim reached Kufa. According to most sources, he went first to the house of [[al-Mukhtar b. Abi ʿUbayd al-Thaqafi]] [q.v.], later known as Dar Salim (or Salm or Muslim) b. al-Musayyab.<ref>cf. Muhsin al-Amin, Aʿyan al-Shiʿa , xxxiii, Beirut 1369/1950, 402.</ref> Other accounts<ref>e.g. Muhammad al-Baqir, as reported in al-Tabari, ii, 228.</ref> maintain that Muslim proceeded first to the house of Muslim b. ʿAwsaja al-Asadi. | ||
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When Muslim heard of ʿUbayd Allah’s arrival, he left the house in which he was staying and, under cover of darkness, went to the home of [[Haniʾ b. ʿUrwa al-Muradi]] [q.v.] Haniʾ, aware that Muslim was a wanted man, was at first reluctant to admit him yet subsequently treated him with all due hospitality. During his stay there, Muslim missed an opportunity to kill ʿUbayd Allah. According to one version, Haniʾ was behind the plot; he feigned sickness, knowing that ʿUbayd Allah would come to visit him, thus providing Muslim with a chance to strike. But at the crucial moment Muslim’s nerves failed him, and ʿUbayd Allah left unscathed.<ref>Ibn ʿAbd Rabbihi, ʿIqd , iv, 378; al-Bayhaqi, Mahasin , 60.</ref> A second version, more complimentary to Muslim, attributes the plot to Sharik b. al-Aʿwar al-Harithi, an ardent supporter of Ali who none the less enjoyed ʿUbayd Allah’s confidence and had arrived with him from Basra. Sharik, who had been taken ill, also stayed at Haniʾ’s home, and his plan similarly called for Muslim to kill ʿUbayd Allah when the governor came to pay him a sick call. ʿUbayd Allah came, but Muslim remained in the closet in which he was hiding. The reasons given by Muslim for his inaction are said to have been opposition by Haniʾ (or by one of his wives), as well as a Prophetic tradition forbidding the slaying without prior warning of someone who has been given an assurance of safety.<ref>cf. Lane, Lexicon , s.v. f-t-k.</ref> Sharik, who had hoped to deliver Basra to Muslim, died of his illness three days later. | When Muslim heard of ʿUbayd Allah’s arrival, he left the house in which he was staying and, under cover of darkness, went to the home of [[Haniʾ b. ʿUrwa al-Muradi]] [q.v.] Haniʾ, aware that Muslim was a wanted man, was at first reluctant to admit him yet subsequently treated him with all due hospitality. During his stay there, Muslim missed an opportunity to kill ʿUbayd Allah. According to one version, Haniʾ was behind the plot; he feigned sickness, knowing that ʿUbayd Allah would come to visit him, thus providing Muslim with a chance to strike. But at the crucial moment Muslim’s nerves failed him, and ʿUbayd Allah left unscathed.<ref>Ibn ʿAbd Rabbihi, ʿIqd , iv, 378; al-Bayhaqi, Mahasin , 60.</ref> A second version, more complimentary to Muslim, attributes the plot to Sharik b. al-Aʿwar al-Harithi, an ardent supporter of Ali who none the less enjoyed ʿUbayd Allah’s confidence and had arrived with him from Basra. Sharik, who had been taken ill, also stayed at Haniʾ’s home, and his plan similarly called for Muslim to kill ʿUbayd Allah when the governor came to pay him a sick call. ʿUbayd Allah came, but Muslim remained in the closet in which he was hiding. The reasons given by Muslim for his inaction are said to have been opposition by Haniʾ (or by one of his wives), as well as a Prophetic tradition forbidding the slaying without prior warning of someone who has been given an assurance of safety.<ref>cf. Lane, Lexicon , s.v. f-t-k.</ref> Sharik, who had hoped to deliver Basra to Muslim, died of his illness three days later. | ||
==Searching for Muslim== | ==Searching for Muslim== | ||
Meanwhile, ʿUbayd Allah was making strenuous efforts to discover Muslim’s hideout. He dispatched a mawla of his (called Maʿqil in some sources) with orders to ingratiate himself with al-Husayn’s followers by swearing allegiance to al-Husayn and by donating 3,000 dirhams for the cause. The mawla succeeded in infiltrating the inner circle of followers, finally gaining access to Muslim himself. When he found out where Muslim was staying, ʿUbayd Allah summoned Haniʾ, forced him to admit that he was harboring Muslim, and beat him on the face with an iron-tipped cane. One version has it that Haniʾ died on the spot from these blows. According to more widespread reports, he was badly wounded and then incarcerated in ʿUbayd Allah’s fortress; Haniʾ’s clansmen thought that he had been killed, and the | Meanwhile, ʿUbayd Allah was making strenuous efforts to discover Muslim’s hideout. He dispatched a mawla of his (called Maʿqil in some sources) with orders to ingratiate himself with al-Husayn’s followers by swearing allegiance to al-Husayn and by donating 3,000 dirhams for the cause. The mawla succeeded in infiltrating the inner circle of followers, finally gaining access to Muslim himself. When he found out where Muslim was staying, ʿUbayd Allah summoned Haniʾ, forced him to admit that he was harboring Muslim, and beat him on the face with an iron-tipped cane. One version has it that Haniʾ died on the spot from these blows. According to more widespread reports, he was badly wounded and then incarcerated in ʿUbayd Allah’s fortress; Haniʾ’s clansmen thought that he had been killed, and the qadi Shurayh was sent to allay their fears. | ||
==Muslim’s Uprising== | ==Muslim’s Uprising== | ||
When news of Haniʾ’s arrest reached Muslim, he decided to tarry no longer and to revolt openly. The uprising is dated to 2, 7, 8 or 9 Dhu ’l-Hijja 60/3, 8, 9 or 10 Sept. 680. Muslim is said to have initially disposed of 4,000 men (other numbers are also given); he arranged them in military formation and, placing himself at their head, marched on the governor’s fortress, where ʿUbayd Allah had locked himself with a small band of sympathizers. Although ʿUbayd Allah’s situation seemed desperate, he managed, by a combination of threats and blandishments, to induce many tribal leaders to abandon Muslim. | When news of Haniʾ’s arrest reached Muslim, he decided to tarry no longer and to revolt openly. The uprising is dated to 2, 7, 8 or 9 Dhu ’l-Hijja 60/3, 8, 9 or 10 Sept. 680. Muslim is said to have initially disposed of 4,000 men (other numbers are also given); he arranged them in military formation and, placing himself at their head, marched on the governor’s fortress, where ʿUbayd Allah had locked himself with a small band of sympathizers. Although ʿUbayd Allah’s situation seemed desperate, he managed, by a combination of threats and blandishments, to induce many tribal leaders to abandon Muslim. | ||