Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr

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Abd Allah al-Zubayr or Ibn Zubayr or Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr' (624 - 692) (Arabic: عبد الله بن الزبير) was a sahabi whose father was Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and whose mother was Asma bint Abi Bakr, daughter of the first Caliph Abu Bakr. He was the nephew of Aisha, one of the wives of Muhammad

Biography

He was of the Banu Asad. As a young man, Abdullah was an active participant in numerous Muslim campaigns against both the Byzantine and Sassanid empires.He marched to Sbeitla,Tunisia, the capital of exarchate of Carthage King Gregory. Gregory was defeated and killed in the Battle of Sufetula in 647 C.E. Uthman, the third caliph, regarded him as a loyal and capable soldier and after the battle allowed him the exceptional honor of reporting on his critical role in the battle "from the pulpit in Medina."[1] He was also appointed a member of the committee that established the official recension of the Qur'an. He may have been among the twelve men who buried Uthman after his assassination.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

When his father joined Aisha's rebellion against the Caliph Ali, he into battle against Ali at the Battle of the Camel during the first Fitna (civil war or disturbance).[2]

Ibn al-Zubayr's revolt

Ibn al-Zubayr was not active in politics during the reign of Muawiyah I, but upon the ascension of Yazid I, he refused to swear allegiance to the new caliph.

One of his supporters, Muslim ibn Shihab, was the father of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri who would become a famous scholar.


Template:Campaignbox Second Fitna Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr's revolt was directed against Yazid I following the Battle of Karbala.

Ibn al-Zubayr was not active in politics during the reign of Muawiyah I, but upon the ascension of Yazid I, he refused to swear allegiance to the new caliph. After the death of Husayn bin Ali(as) at the Battle of Karbela on the 10th of Muharram, 61 AH (October 10, 680), Ibn al-Zubayr returned to Hejaz region where he declared himself the caliph and commander-of-the faithful, and he began building support. Even those who opposed the claims of the family of the Prophet to lead the community were sickened and outraged by Yazid's heinous act, "This was, after all, the family of the Messenger of God" people said, "how could they have been starved and massacred like animals?"[3] Eventually he could consolidate his power by sending a governor to Kufa. Soon, Ibn al-Zubayr established his power in Iraq, southern Arabia and in the greater part of Syria, and parts of Egypt. Ibn Zubayr benefitted greatly from widespread dissatisfaction among the populace with Umayyad rule. Yazid tried to end Ibn Zubayr's rebellion by invading Hejaz, but his sudden death ended the campaign and threw the Umayyads into disarray with civil war eventually breaking out.

This essentially split the Islamic empire into two spheres with two different caliphs, but it did not last for long. The Second Fitna was soon be settled, and Ibn al-Zubayr lost Egypt and whatever he had left of Syria to Marwan ibn al-Hakam. This coupled together with the successful Kharijite rebellions in Iraq dwindled Ibn al-Zubayr's rule down to only the Hejaz region. In Madina, the Ansari also declared their independance from Damascus, and chose their own leader.

Ibn al-Zubayr finally was decisively defeated by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan who sent Hajjaj ibn Yusuf to reunite the Islamic empire under the Umayyad rule. Hajjaj defeated and killed Ibn al-Zubayr on battlefield in 692, reestablishing Umayyad control over the Islamic Empire.

Yazid

After the death of Husayn bin Ali at the Battle of Karbala, Ibn Zubayr returned to the Hejaz where he declared himself the righteous caliph, and he began building support. Eventually he would consolidate his power by sending a governor to Kufa. Soon, Ibn Zubayr established his power in Iraq, southern Arabia and in the greater part of Syria, and parts of Egypt. Ibn Zubayr benefitted greatly from widespread dissatisfaction among the populace with Umayyad rule. Yazid tried to end Ibn Zubayr's rebellion by invading the Hejaz, and took Medina after the bloody Battle of al-Harrah followed by the siege of Makkah but his sudden death would end the campaign and throw the Umayyads into disarray with civil war eventually breaking out.

Marwan

This would essentially split the Islamic empire into two spheres with two different caliphs, but it would not last long. The Umayyad civil war would be settled, and Zubayr would lose Egypt and whatever he had left of Syria to Marwan I. This coupled with the Kharijite rebellions in Iraq dwindled his control down to only the Hejaz.

Abd al-Malik

Ibn Zubayr would finally be defeated by Abd al-Malik who sent Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf to reunite the Islamic empire. Hajjaj defeated and killed Ibn Zubayr on the battlefield in 692, beheading him and crucifying his body, reestablishing Umayyad control over the Islamic Empire. However, it had taken a decade before al-Zubayr was finally defeated. He had enjoyed strong support in the Yemen, appointing "nine successive governors" there during his caliphate.[4] Before he went into what was his final battle, he visited his mother and took off his armor. He went into battle wearing a silk vest, which, says Kennedy, was a sign of preparing for martyrdom, "almost a suicidal gesture."[5] His revolt was considered to the Islam's second Fitna but had it succeeded in ending Umayyad power, the revolt would have earned a more positive description. Umayyad rule continued to be unpopular. The Umayyads would be accused of favoring members of their own family, of paying lip-service to Islam, of ruling the caliphate as if it were their personal possession and of elevating Arabs over non-Arab settlers. The Abbasid coup of 750, led by a descendant of Muhammad's uncle, had widespread support including from some Shi'a.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Aslan, Reza. 2005. No god but God: the origins, evolution, and future of Islam. New York: Random House. ISBN 9781400062133
  • Kennedy, Hugh. 2001. The armies of the caliphs: military and society in the early Islamic state. Warfare and history. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780415250924
  • Lewis, Bernard. 1991. The political language of Islam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226476933
  • Madʼaj, Abd al-Muhsin Madʼaj M. 1988. The Yemen in early Islam (9-233/630-847): a political history. Durham Middle East monographs, no. 3. London: Ithaca Press. ISBN 9780863721021
  • Madelung, Wilferd. 1998. The succession to Muhammad: a study of the early Caliphate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521646963

See also

External links

ar:عبد الله بن الزبير da:Ibn Zubayr de:Abdallah ibn az-Zubair fa:عبدالله بن زبیر fr:Abd Allah ben az-Zubayr id:Abdullah bin Zubair ms:Abdullah ibn Zubair ja:アブドゥッラー=イブン・アッズバイル pt:Abd-Allah-Ibn-Zobair tr:Abdullah bin Zübeyr uk:Абдаллах ібн аз-Зубейр ur:حضرت عبداللہ بن زبیر zh:阿卜杜拉·伊本·祖拜尔

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  1. Madelung, page 105.
  2. Aslan, page 177.
  3. Aslan, page 177.
  4. Madʼaj, page 159.
  5. Kennedy, page 170.