The Origins of the Islamic State/Part 1/Chapter 20
CHAPTER XX
The Apostasy of the banu-Walîʿah an al-Ashʿath
ibn-Maʿdikarib ibn-Muʿâwiyah-l-Kindi
The cause of the insurrection of Kindah. The Prophet sent Ziyâd ibn-Labîd al-Bayaḍi of the Anṣâr as governor to Ḥaḍramaut; later extending his power over the Kindah. According to others, it was abu-Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddîḳ who extended his power over the Kindah. This Ziyâd ibn-Labîd was a resolute and sturdy man, and took young she-camels as ṣadaḳah from a certain man of the banu-Kindah. The Kindah man asked him to return them and take something else, but having marked them with the ṣadaḳah brand, Labîd refused his request. Labîd was approached by al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais, but still he refused saying, "Never will I return a thing that has been branded with the mark." This caused an uprising of all Kindah against him with the exception of as-Sakûn who still adhered to his side. Hence the verse of their poet:
"It was we that came to the rescue of the faith,
when our people miserably went astray and we supported ibn-umm-Ziyâd.
From the right claim of al-Bayâḍi we sought not to deviate,
and the piety of Allah was our best provision."
Banu-ʿAmr gathered against Labîd. Against Labîd were assembled the banu-ʿAmr ibn-Muʿâwiyah ibn-al-Ḥârith al-Kindi. Labîd, at the head of the Moslems, attacked them during the night time and killed many, among whom were Mikhwas, Mishraḥ, Jamad and Abḍaʿah the sons of Maʿdikarib ibn-Walîʿah ibn-Shuraḥbîl ibn-Muʿâwiyah ibn-Ḥujr al-Ḳarid (Ḳarid in their dialect means horse) ibn-al-Ḥârith al-Wallâdah ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Muʿâwiyah ibn-al-Ḥârith. These four brothers were in possession of so many valleys that they were called the "four kings." Previous to this, they had presented themselves before the Prophet, but later on they apostatized. Their sister, al-ʿAmarradah, was killed by one who mistook her for a man.
Ziyâd fights against al-Ashʿath. As Ziyâd returned with captives and booty, he passed by al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais and his people. Seeing him, the women and children began to cry[1] which made al-Ashʿath burn with indignation, and set out with a band of his men.[2] He fell upon Ziyâd and his companions, and many Moslems were lost. The Moslems were then defeated, and all the great men of Kindah rallied to the support of al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais. Seeing this, Ziyâd wrote to abu-Bakr asking for reinforcement. Abu-Bakr wrote to al-Muhâjir ibn-abi-Umaiyah, ordering him to reinforce Ziyâd. Ziyâd and al-Muhâjir, at the head of the Moslems, met al-Ashʿath and dispelled his men, and attacking his companions, made a fearful slaughter among them. Thence al-Ashʿath's men took refuge in a fortification of theirs, an-Nujair, where the Moslems besieged them. The siege was pressed until they were exhausted and al-Ashʿath sought safety for a certain number of his men. He did not include himself in that number because al-Jifshîsh[3] al-Kindi, whose name was Maʿdân ibn-al-Aswad ibn-Maʿdikarib, holding him by the waist, said, "Include me in that number."[4] Thus al-Ashʿath excluded himself in favor of al-Jifshîsh. Al-Ashʿath presented himself before Ziyâd ibn-Labîd and al-Muhâjir who sent him to abu-Bakr. The latter favored him by giving to him in marriage his sister umm-Farwah,[5] daughter of abu-Ḳuḥâfah, who later gave birth to Muḥammad, Isḥâḳ, Ḳuraibah, Ḥubâbah and Jaʿdah. According to others, abu-Bakr gave him in marriage his sister Ḳuraibah; and when he married her, he came to the market, and every slaughtered camel he saw, he cut its two heel-tendons, paid its price and gave it to the people to eat. After living in al-Madînah, he set out on a razzia to Syria and al-ʿIrâḳ. His death took place at al-Kûfah where his funeral service was conducted by al-Ḥasan ibn-ʿAli ibn-abi-Ṭâlib, after the latter had been reconciled with Muʿâwiyah. This al-Ashʿath was surnamed abu-Muḥammad and nicknamed "ʿUrf an-Nâr" [the fire-crest].
The insurrection of the banu-Walîʿah and al-Ashʿath. According to other reports, the banu-Walîʿah apostatized before the Prophet's death. When Ziyâd ibn-Labîd heard of his death, he called the people to swear allegiance to abu-Bakr, which they all did with the exception of the banu-Walîʿah. Ziyâd fell upon them in the night time and killed them. Al-Ashʿath apostatized and fortified himself in an-Nujair where he was besieged by Ziyâd ibn-Labîd and al-Muhâjir who joined hands against him. Abu-Bakr sent ʿIkrimah ibn-abi-Jahl, after his departure from ʿUmân, to reinforce them; but on his arrival, an-Nujair was already reduced. Abu-Bakr requested the Moslems to share the booty with him, which they did.
Ath-Thabjâʾ and Hind severely punished. It is reported that certain women at an-Nujair having rejoiced at the death of the Prophet, abu-Bakr wrote ordering that their hands and feet be cut off. Among these women were ath-Thabjâʾ al-Ḥaḍramîyah, and Hind, daughter of Yamîn, the Jewess.
The Prophet assigns governors to Ṣanʿâʾ, Kindah, Ḥaḍramaut and aṣ-Ṣadif. Bakr ibn-al-Haitham from certain sheikhs of al-Yaman:—The Prophet made Khâlid ibn-Saʿîd ibn-al-ʿÂṣi governor of Ṣanʿâʾ, but he was driven out of it by al-ʿAnsi, the false Prophet. Over the Kindah, he assigned al-Muhâjir ibn-abi-Umaiyah; over Ḥaḍramaut and aṣ-Ṣadif, Ziyâd ibn-Labîd al-Anṣâri. Aṣ-Ṣadif were the descendants of Mâlik ibn-Murattiʿ ibn-Muʿâwiyah ibn-Kindah.[6] They were called Ṣadif because Murattiʿ married a woman from Ḥaḍramaut and made it a condition that she would take up her abode with him, and in case she bore a child he would not force her to remain away from her people's home. She did bear a child, Mâlik, and the judge decided that Murrattiʿ should send her back to her people. When Mâlik left him with her, Murrattiʿ said, "Mâlik turned away [Ar.-ṣadafa] from me." Hence the name aṣ-Ṣadif.
The insurrection of the banu-ʿAmr. ʿAbd-ar-Razzâḳ said that he was told by certain sheikhs from al-Yaman that abu-Bakr wrote to Ziyâd ibn-Labîd and to al-Muhâjir ibn-abi-Umaiyah-l-Makhzûmi who was then over Kindah, ordering them to come together and work hand in hand and with one accord in order to secure for him the caliphate and fight against him who refrains from paying ṣadaḳah, and that they should get the help of the Believers against the Unbelievers and of the obedient against the disobedient and transgressors. Once they took as ṣadaḳah from a Kindah man a youthful she-camel. He asked them to change it for another. Al-Muhâjir allowed it, but Ziyâd insisted on keeping the camel saying, "Never will I return it after being stamped with the ṣadaḳah brand." Therefore, the banu-ʿAmr ibn-Muʿâwiyah gathered a large body of men. Then said Ziyâd ibn-Labîd to al-Muhâjir, "Thou dost see this crowd. It is not wise to have us all leave our position. Separate, therefore, thyself with a band of men from the main army, and that will keep our plans concealed. Then I will attack these 'unbelievers' in their homes at night." Ziyâd was resolute and sturdy. He went against the banu-ʿAmr and, under the cover of the night, fell upon them and some of them began to kill the others. At last Ziyâd and al-Muhâjir met accompanied by the captives and prisoners. They were intercepted by al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais and the leading men of Kindah, who fought a fierce battle against them. At last the Kindis fortified themselves in an-Nujair, where the siege was pressed against them until they were exhausted and greatly damaged and al-Ashʿath surrendered. Some say that the Ḥaḍramaut had come to reinforce the Kindah but were met by Ziyâd and al-Muhâjir who defeated them.
The apostasy of Khaulân. Now Khaulân apostatized, and abu-Bakr directed against them Yaʿla ibn-Munyah who fought against them until they yielded and agreed to give ṣadaḳah. Then al-Muhâjir received abu-Bakr's letter conferring on him the governorship of Ṣanʿâʾ and its adjoining districts, making his province border on what Ziyâd already held.[7] Thus was al-Yaman divided among three: al-Muhjâir, Ziyâd and Yaʿla. The land between the extreme limit of al-Ḥijâz and the extreme limit of Najrân was assigned to abu-Sufyân ibn-Ḥarb.
The story of al-Ashʿath. Abu-Naṣr at-Tammâr from Ibrâhim an-Nakhaʿi:—Al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais al-Kindi, together with some of the Kindah tribe, apostatized and were besieged. Al-Ashʿath secured safety for 70 of his men but did not include himself among them. He was therefore brought before abu-Bakr who said to him, "We shall certainly kill thee, as thou art under no safe conduct, having excluded thyself from that group." "Nay," answered al-Ashʿath, "Thou, successor of the Messenger of Allah, wilt rather favor me with a wife." This abu-Bakr did, giving him his own sister in marriage.
Three things abu-Bakr wished he had done. Al-Ḳâsim ibn-Sallâm abu-ʿUbaid[8] from abu-Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddîk:—The latter said, "I wish I had done three things that I did not do:—I wish I had cut off the head of al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais when he was brought before me, because it seemed to me there was no sort of evil to be done which he would not attempt to do or help to bring about; I wish I had killed rather than burnt al-Fujâʾah when he was brought before me; and I wish I had directed ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb to al-ʿIrâḳ as I had directed Khâlid to Syria, and thus would have extended both my right and left arms in the cause of Allah."[9]
The captives of an-Nujair ransomed. ʿAbdallâh ibn-Ṣâliḥ al-ʿIjli from ash-Shaʿbi:—Abu-Bakr returned the captives of an-Nujair by ransom receiving 400 dirhams for each head. In order to pay for them, al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais had to borrow from the merchants of al-Madînah. After paying the ransom of the captives, he returned the loan. Al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais wrote the following elegy for Bashîr ibn-al-Audaḥ, who was one of the delegates to the Prophet and who later apostatized, Yazîd ibn-Amânât and those slain in the battle of an-Nujair:—
"By my life—and life is not an insignificant thing to me—
I had the greatest right to hold tenaciously to those who fell dead.
There is no wonder except when they divide their captives;
and the world after them is not safe for me.
I am like the camel that lost her young and her milk flows,
when she longs for them and comes to the bag, stuffed with straw.
Let the tears of my eyes, therefore, flow
for the loss of the noble ibn-Amânât and the generous Bashîr."
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 2005.
- ↑ Yaʿḳûbi, vol. ii, p. 149.
- ↑ Jafshîsh in Fairûzâbâdi, al-Ḳâmûs, vol. ii, p. 276.
- ↑ Cf. Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 2009.
- ↑ Cf. Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 2012.
- ↑ Khallikân, vol. iv, pp. 595–596.
- ↑ Caetani, vol. ii, p. 804.
- ↑ Bakri, p. 747, line 14.
- ↑ Yâʿḳûbi, vol. ii, pp. 155-156; Masʿûdi, vol. iv, pp. 184–185.