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Abbas B. Ali B. Abu Taleb: Difference between revisions
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'''Abbas B. ʿAli B. Abu Taleb''' (d. 61/680), known as Abu Fadl (father of excellence) and Qamar Bani l-Hashim (the Moon of Banu Hashim), was a half-brother of [[Imam Husayn]] who fought bravely at the [[battle of Karbala]]. ‘Abbas was killed, according to most traditions, on the day of [[‘Ashura]] (10 [[Muharram]] 61/10 October 680) while trying to bring back [[water]] from the Euphrates river to quench the unbearable thirst of the besieged [[Ahl-e Bayt]]. His mother, the daughter of Hizam b. Khalid b. Rabi’a from the Arab tribe of Banu Kilab, was the mother of three more sons of [[ʿAli b. Abi Talib]], and for this reason she became known as Umm al-Banin. All three brothers of ‘Abbas were killed just before him: ʿAbdallah, Jaʿfar, and ʿOthman | '''Abbas B. ʿAli B. Abu Taleb''' (d. 61/680), known as Abu Fadl (father of excellence) and Qamar Bani l-Hashim (the Moon of Banu Hashim), was a half-brother of [[Imam Husayn]] who fought bravely at the [[battle of Karbala]]. ‘Abbas was killed, according to most traditions, on the day of [[‘Ashura]] (10 [[Muharram]] 61/10 October 680) while trying to bring back [[water]] from the Euphrates river to quench the unbearable thirst of the besieged [[Ahl-e Bayt]]. His mother, the daughter of Hizam b. Khalid b. Rabi’a from the Arab tribe of Banu Kilab, was the mother of three more sons of [[ʿAli b. Abi Talib]], and for this reason she became known as Umm al-Banin. All three brothers of ‘Abbas were killed just before him: ʿAbdallah, Jaʿfar, and ʿOthman.<ref>Mofid, loc. cit.; Dinavari, al-Akhbar al-tewal, Cairo, 1330/1911-12, pp. 254f.</ref> | ||
==In the Battel of Karbala== | ==In the Battel of Karbala== | ||
As in the case of other martyrs of Karbala, the heroic conduct and death of this outstanding figure have given rise, in both Sunni and Shiʿi circles, to legendary accounts from which it is very hard to unravel the historical truth. The major difficulty arises from the fact that the main primary sources on the events of [[Karbala]] ([[Tabari]] and Baladhori) do not mention the details of ‘Abbas’s death. A brief reference by [[Shaykh al-Mufid]] says that, in the ultimate episode of the battle, ‘Abbas went together with Husayn toward the river; separated from his brother, he fought boldly before being killed. His body was buried by people from [[Banu Asad]] at the place where he was killed and where his tomb (and later his shrine) was erected | As in the case of other martyrs of Karbala, the heroic conduct and death of this outstanding figure have given rise, in both Sunni and Shiʿi circles, to legendary accounts from which it is very hard to unravel the historical truth. The major difficulty arises from the fact that the main primary sources on the events of [[Karbala]] ([[Tabari]] and Baladhori) do not mention the details of ‘Abbas’s death. A brief reference by [[Shaykh al-Mufid]] says that, in the ultimate episode of the battle, ‘Abbas went together with Husayn toward the river; separated from his brother, he fought boldly before being killed. His body was buried by people from [[Banu Asad]] at the place where he was killed and where his tomb (and later his shrine) was erected.<ref>al-Ershad, Tehran, 1377/1957-58, pp. 224-25, 227. | ||
</ref> As in the case of other martyrs of Karbala, his head was brought to [[Yazid]] in Damascus. One tradition claims that his head was later buried in the cemetery of Bab al-Saqir in Damascus. | |||
==Abbas’s Epic== | ==Abbas’s Epic== | ||
The early evolution of his saga is difficult to trace, although his surname [[Saqqa]] (“Water Carrier”) appears in ancient sources | The early evolution of his saga is difficult to trace, although his surname [[Saqqa]] (“Water Carrier”) appears in ancient sources.<ref>Mufid, al-Ekhtesas, Tehran, 1379/1959-60, p. 82.</ref> The traditions later followed regarding the circumstances of his [[martyrdom]] seem to go back to a nucleus of narratives popular in circles practicing fotovvat (a kind of chivalry) in the late [[ʿAbbasid]] period; these spread to Turco-Persian areas among various socioreligious groups (akhi, fetyan, etc.) and ultimately among Sufi orders. Most of these narratives are known by their titles, but an idea of their contents may be gathered from the Arabic historical romance of Ibn Taʾus al-Taʾusi (tr. F. Wüstenfeld, Der Tod des Husein ben ʿAli und die Rache, Göttingen, 1883). Its author claims to transmit traditions from [[Abu Mekhnaf]], the main authority for most historical writings on the period. According to this account—which may reflect some historical truth—’Abbas was killed on the eve of ‘Ashura in a desperate attempt to provide water for the besieged. Fighting alone against numerous foes, he had his right hand severed by a sword cut, then the left; seizing his sword in his mouth, he went on fighting until he was killed. In the [[Rawzat al-Shuhada]] (q.v.; completed in 908/1502-03), the major source for the recitation of the passions of the martyrs of Karbala during the mourning months ([[rawza]]-khani), Husayn Vaʾez Kashefi seems to follow the “historical” tradition more strictly than other writers by mentioning ‘Abbas’s death on 10 [[Muharram]] and by shuffling the chronology only slightly, making ‘Abbas the sixty-eighth martyr (before [[Muhammad b. ʿAli]], [[‘Ali-Akbar]] and [[ʿAli-Asqar]]). Nevertheless, Kashefi mentions ‘Abbas’s heroic sally on 9 Muharram and follows essentially the “Mesopotamian” tradition regarding the water motif (ed. Ramazani, Tehran, 1341 Sh./1962). | ||
As they appear in later narratives, ‘Abbas’s semi-legendary figure and character result from a mingling of the aforesaid heterogeneous elements with frequent extrapolations. He is often called by his konya, Abu Fadl, or by his surname, Qamar Bani Hashem (“Moon of the Hashemites”). He is described, according to fotovvat ideals, as a very handsome man, brave, strong, and tall, his legs reaching the ground when he rode his white stallion (a tradition believed in Azerbaijan and India). ‘Abbas is said to have inherited ʿAli’s boldness, to have always carried the victorious standard on the battlefield (thence his surname [[ʿAlam]]-dar, “Standard-Bearer”), and to have killed many enemies (eighty, according to the Rawzat al-shuhada) before being martyred. Traditions say that when Husayn heard him cry at the last gasp he uttered the words: “My backbone is broken.” The names of his murderers, Zayd b. Varqaʾ Hanafi and Hakim b. al-Tofayl Sanani (see al-Ershad), are sometimes erroneously transmitted by popular narratives. | As they appear in later narratives, ‘Abbas’s semi-legendary figure and character result from a mingling of the aforesaid heterogeneous elements with frequent extrapolations. He is often called by his konya, Abu Fadl, or by his surname, Qamar Bani Hashem (“Moon of the Hashemites”). He is described, according to fotovvat ideals, as a very handsome man, brave, strong, and tall, his legs reaching the ground when he rode his white stallion (a tradition believed in Azerbaijan and India). ‘Abbas is said to have inherited ʿAli’s boldness, to have always carried the victorious standard on the battlefield (thence his surname [[ʿAlam]]-dar, “Standard-Bearer”), and to have killed many enemies (eighty, according to the Rawzat al-shuhada) before being martyred. Traditions say that when Husayn heard him cry at the last gasp he uttered the words: “My backbone is broken.” The names of his murderers, Zayd b. Varqaʾ Hanafi and Hakim b. al-Tofayl Sanani (see al-Ershad), are sometimes erroneously transmitted by popular narratives. | ||