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Muslim b. Aqil b. Abi Talib: Difference between revisions
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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|al-Mukhtar b. Abi Ubayd 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. Awsaja 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|al-Mukhtar b. Abi Ubayd 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. Awsaja al-Asadi]]. | ||
==The Kufan’s Pledge of Allegiance== | ==The Kufan’s Pledge of Allegiance== | ||
In his place of hiding, he received the oath of allegiance on behalf of al-Hussain; the number of men who gave the oath is put at between 12,000 and over 30,000. Muslim, encouraged by this response, sent a letter to al-Hussain urging him to come. The governor of Kufa, al-Nuʿman b. Bashir [q.v.], was told of Muslim’s arrival but refused to attack him. Some supporters (or spies) of [[Yazid]], regarding this as a dangerous sign of weakness, wrote to the caliph urging him to send a strong man to deal with the situation. Yazid thereupon had al-Nuʿman replaced by [[Obayd-Allah Ibn Ziad]] [q.v.], | In his place of hiding, he received the oath of allegiance on behalf of al-Hussain; the number of men who gave the oath is put at between 12,000 and over 30,000. Muslim, encouraged by this response, sent a letter to al-Hussain urging him to come. The governor of Kufa, al-Nuʿman b. Bashir [q.v.], was told of Muslim’s arrival but he refused to attack him. Some supporters (or spies) of [[Yazid]], regarding this as a dangerous sign of weakness, wrote to the caliph urging him to send a strong man to deal with the situation. Yazid thereupon had al-Nuʿman replaced by [[Obayd-Allah Ibn Ziad]] [q.v.], who was the governor of Basra at the time, and ordered him to have Muslim killed or banished. | ||
==Obayd Allah b. Ziad as the New Governor of Kufa== | ==Obayd Allah b. Ziad as the New Governor of Kufa== | ||
When Muslim heard of Obayd 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|Haniʾ b. Urwa 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 Obayd Allah. According to one version, Haniʾ was behind the plot; he feigned sickness, knowing that Obayd 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 Obayd 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 Obayd 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 Obayd Allah when the governor came to pay him a sick call. Ubayd 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 Obayd 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|Haniʾ b. Urwa 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 Obayd Allah. According to one version, Haniʾ was behind the plot; he feigned sickness, knowing that Obayd 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 Obayd 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 Obayd 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 Obayd Allah when the governor came to pay him a sick call. Ubayd 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. | ||
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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 Obayd Allah had locked himself with a small band of sympathizers. Although Obayd 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 Obayd Allah had locked himself with a small band of sympathizers. Although Obayd Allah’s situation seemed desperate, he managed, by a combination of threats and blandishments, to induce many tribal leaders to abandon Muslim. | ||
== Muslim at the House of Tawʿa== | == Muslim at the House of Tawʿa== | ||
By nightfall Muslim was left with only 30 men, and these too soon disappeared. He wandered despondently in the alleys of Kufa, until he finally found refuge with a woman from Kinda called Tawʿa, whose son Bilal was a mawla of Muhammad b. al-Ashʿath [q.v.]. When Bilal discovered the identity of his mother’s guest, he waited until morning and then notified Ibn al-Ashʿath, who | By nightfall Muslim was left with only 30 men, and these too soon disappeared. He wandered despondently in the alleys of Kufa, until he finally found refuge with a woman from Kinda called Tawʿa, whose son Bilal was a mawla of Muhammad b. al-Ashʿath [q.v.]. When Bilal discovered the identity of his mother’s guest, he waited until morning and then notified Ibn al-Ashʿath, who informed Ubayd Allah. Another version has it that the person whom Bilal informed (and who passed on the information) was Ibn al-Ashʿath’s son Abd al-Rahman.<ref>This is one of several deeds for which ʿAbd al-Raḥman earned the title of “the most perfidious of the Arabs”; see Ibn Habib, al- Muhabbar , 244-6.</ref> | ||
==Muslim’s Arrest and Martyrdom == | ==Muslim’s Arrest and Martyrdom == | ||
Obayd Allah sent Ibn al-Ashʿath (or his son Abd al-Rahman) at the head of 60 (or 70) men to Tawʿa’s house. Muslim, realizing that he was surrounded, came out with his sword in hand and, true to his reputation as a fierce warrior, chased off his attackers, inflicting serious losses on them.<ref>One fanciful report has him kill 41 of them; cf. Ibn Shahrashub, Manaqib, iii, 244.</ref> His attackers responded by pelting him from the roof-top of Tawʿa’s house with stones and burning missiles. At this point Ibn al-Ashʿath gave him a guarantee of safety ([[aman]]) and Muslim, wounded and exhausted, gave himself up. Another version has it that Muslim did not trust Ibn al-Ashʿath’s aman and continued fighting until he was finally overcome. According to some accounts, Ibn al-Ashʿath was sincere in his offer but was overruled by Ubayd Allah. Other reports maintain that Ibn al-Ashʿath acted in concert with the governor, and never meant to honor his pledge. | Obayd Allah sent Ibn al-Ashʿath (or his son Abd al-Rahman) at the head of 60 (or 70) men to Tawʿa’s house. Muslim, realizing that he was surrounded, came out with his sword in hand and, true to his reputation as a fierce warrior, chased off his attackers, inflicting serious losses on them.<ref>One fanciful report has him kill 41 of them; cf. Ibn Shahrashub, Manaqib, iii, 244.</ref> His attackers responded by pelting him from the roof-top of Tawʿa’s house with stones and burning missiles. At this point Ibn al-Ashʿath gave him a guarantee of safety ([[aman]]) and Muslim, wounded and exhausted, gave himself up. Another version has it that Muslim did not trust Ibn al-Ashʿath’s aman and continued fighting until he was finally overcome. According to some accounts, Ibn al-Ashʿath was sincere in his offer but was overruled by Ubayd Allah. Other reports maintain that Ibn al-Ashʿath acted in concert with the governor, and never meant to honor his pledge. | ||
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Muslim replied, | Muslim replied, | ||
“May your mother weep over you! How cruel, unsympathetic and a harsh | “May your mother weep over you! How cruel, unsympathetic and a harsh are you. O son of Bahila! Verily you are more worthy than me to taste the boiling water (Hameem) and abide eternally in hell.” | ||
Then Ammarah bin Atbah called for water to give it to him. | Then Ammarah bin Atbah called for water to give it to him. | ||
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In Irshad and Kamil of Ibn Aseer it is narrated, that ‘Amr bin Hurays sent his retainer to fetch water. The retainer returned with a jar of water along with a napkin and a cup, and gave the water to Muslim to drink. (Kamil) When Muslim took the cup to drink water, it became full with his blood thus he could not partake it. Thrice the cup was filled with water, and when water was filled for the third time, his front teeth fell in it. Muslim said, | In Irshad and Kamil of Ibn Aseer it is narrated, that ‘Amr bin Hurays sent his retainer to fetch water. The retainer returned with a jar of water along with a napkin and a cup, and gave the water to Muslim to drink. (Kamil) When Muslim took the cup to drink water, it became full with his blood thus he could not partake it. Thrice the cup was filled with water, and when water was filled for the third time, his front teeth fell in it. Muslim said, | ||
“Praise be to Allah! If this water would had been destined for me, I could have | “Praise be to Allah! If this water would had been destined for me, I could have drunk it.” | ||
Muslim was then taken to the presence of ʿUbayd Allah bin Ziyad and he did not greet him. A guard told him, “Why do you not greet the commander”? | Muslim was then taken to the presence of ʿUbayd Allah bin Ziyad and he did not greet him. A guard told him, “Why do you not greet the commander”? | ||
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Muslim said, | Muslim said, | ||
“I have become indebted in Kufa for a sum of seven hundred dirhams, so please pay it off by selling the property of mine which is in Madina.” (Kamil) “And take my corpse after my death from ʿUbayd Allah and bury it. Besides send someone to Imam Hussain (a.s.) who would return him | “I have become indebted in Kufa for a sum of seven hundred dirhams, so please pay it off by selling the property of mine which is in Madina.” (Kamil) “And take my corpse after my death from ʿUbayd Allah and bury it. Besides send someone to Imam Hussain (a.s.) who would return him.” | ||
Umar went to ʿUbayd Allah and revealed whatever Muslim had told him. ʿUbayd Allah said, | Umar went to ʿUbayd Allah and revealed whatever Muslim had told him. ʿUbayd Allah said, | ||