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Draft:Ḍaḥḥāk b. Qays

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Dahhak b. Qays
Full NameDahhak b. Qays b. Khalid
TeknonymAbu Anis
LineageBanu Fihr - Quraysh
BirthBefore the demise of the Prophet (s)
Places of ResidenceDamascus, Kufa
Death64/684
Cause of DeathKilled in the battle of Marj Rahit
Notable rolesGovernor of Damascus, Governor of Kufa
ActivitiesParticipating in the conquest of Damascus, Battle of Siffin


Ḍaḥḥāk b. Qays al-Fihrī (Arabic: ضحاک بن قیس الفهري) was a Companion of the Prophet (s) who narrated traditions from the Prophet (s) and other Companions. He participated in the campaigns against the Byzantine Empire and the conquest of Damascus during the caliphates of Abu Bakr and 'Umar. A staunch supporter of the Umayyad administration, he played a significant role during the reign of Mu'awiya in conducting raids to destabilize the territories governed by Imam Ali (a).

Dahhak b. Qays led the funeral prayer for Mu'awiya and secured the succession of Yazid. Following Yazid's death, the question of allegiance to Dahhak himself arose. Upon the death of Mu'awiya II, Dahhak assumed temporary authority; however, he eventually threw his support behind 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr. This shift in allegiance led to his death at the hands of the forces of Marwan b. al-Hakam at the Battle of Marj Rahit.

Biography and Status

Dahhak b. Qays b. Khalid hailed from Banu Fihr, a prominent clan of the Quraysh.[1] Historical sources record various kunyas for him, including Abu Anis, Abu Umayya, Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, and Abu Sa'id,[2] with Abu Anis being the most well-known.[3] While historical accounts regarding his birth date vary, it is certain that he was born prior to the demise of the Prophet (s). Historians estimate his birth to have occurred between one and seven years before the Prophet's passing.[4]

Dahhak lived during the time of the Prophet (s). In accordance with the definition characterizing any Muslim who met the Prophet (s) during his lifetime as a Sahaba,[5] Dahhak is counted among the Companions. He narrated Hadith from the Prophet (s), as well as from 'Umar b. al-Khattab and Habib b. Maslama. Notable figures such as Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan, Tamim b. Tarfa, Hasan al-Basri, 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr, Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i, and 'Amir al-Sha'bi have narrated traditions on his authority.[6]

Political Career

Dahhak b. Qays played a significant role throughout the tenures of various caliphs. During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, he accompanied 'Amr b. al-'As to al-Sham (the Levant) to campaign against the Byzantines.[7] During the caliphate of 'Umar, he participated in the conquest of Damascus and subsequently settled in the city.[8]

  • Under the Umayyads, he initially served as the commander of Mu'awiya's guard (shurṭa)[9] and later became the governor of Jazira.[10] Following a defeat against Imam Ali (a),[11] he was dispatched on various missions, including raids designed to destabilize regions under Imam Ali's (a) control.[12] At the Battle of Siffin, he served as one of Mu'awiya's commanders.[13] Consequently, Imam Ali (a) invoked curses upon Dahhak b. Qays during the Qunut of the Fajr prayer.[14] After the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a), Mu'awiya appointed Dahhak as the governor of Kufa.[15] At Mu'awiya's behest in 59/678-79, Dahhak initiated efforts to secure allegiance for the Umayyad succession.[16]
  • Following Mu'awiya's death, Dahhak escorted the funeral procession. After the Zuhr Prayer, he led the congregants in the funeral prayer over Mu'awiya's body.[17] Throughout Yazid's caliphate, Dahhak remained a loyal supporter.[18]
  • After Yazid's death, some factions pledged allegiance to Dahhak, positioning him as a contemporary leader alongside Ibn al-Zubayr, Khalid b. Walid, and Marwan b. al-Hakam. During the brief reign of Mu'awiya b. Yazid, Dahhak was responsible for leading the people of al-Sham. Upon Mu'awiya II's death, he assumed administrative control until a successor could be selected.[19]
  • The premature death of Mu'awiya b. Yazid triggered a succession crisis.[20] Mu'awiya II had not engaged in conflict with Ibn al-Zubayr; furthermore, the people of al-Sham regarded 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr as the avenger of 'Uthman's blood. Given that Ibn al-Zubayr's maternal grandfather was Abu Bakr, there was significant inclination toward his caliphate.[21] This sentiment led Dahhak b. Qays to secretly canvass support for 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr.[22] In al-Sham, conflict erupted between the Qays and Kalb tribes regarding allegiance to the Banu Umayya.[23] After a prolonged struggle, Dahhak b. Qays formally pledged allegiance to 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr, who subsequently appointed him governor of Damascus.[24] Dahhak raised an army to support the Zubayrid cause and encouraged the populace to pledge their allegiance.[25] In opposition, the Umayyad faction put forward Marwan b. al-Hakam as caliph.[26] 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad, realizing his survival depended on serving Marwan, approached Dahhak with a proposal, stating: "You are the master and elder of Quraysh. It is not fitting for you to place yourself under the command of the family of Zubayr. If you accept the caliphate, I will handle the Quraysh on your behalf."[27]

Death

'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad advised Dahhak b. Qays to mobilize his army outside Damascus and await reinforcements that had pledged allegiance to him.[28] Dahhak encamped with his forces in the region of Marj Rahit, assembling nearly thirty thousand warriors.[29] Marwan advanced to confront Dahhak with an army of thirteen thousand.[30] The battle raged between the two armies for twenty days.[31] 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad then proposed a truce as a ruse; this allowed Marwan's soldiers to infiltrate Dahhak's lines, launching a night raid that resulted in the defeat of Dahhak's forces.[32] Dahhak was killed by a soldier from the Marwanid army named Zamha b. 'Abd Allah[33] in the middle of Dhu l-Hijja 64/August 684, at Marj Rahit.[34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Qurṭubī, al-Istī'āb fī Ma'rifat al-Aṣḥāb, 1412 AH, vol. 2, p. 74.
  2. ↑ Qurṭubī, al-Istī'āb, 1412 AH, vol. 2, p. 747.
  3. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-Ashrāf, 1417 AH, vol. 11, p. 46.
  4. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1988, vol. 8, p. 243.
  5. ↑ Ibn Ḥajar al-'Asqalānī, al-Iṣāba, 1415 AH, vol. 1, p. 158.
  6. ↑ Ibn 'Asākir, Tārīkh Madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 24, p. 280.
  7. ↑ Ibn A'tham, Kitāb al-Futūḥ, 314 AH, vol. 1, p. 245.
  8. ↑ Ibn 'Asākir, Tārīkh Madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 24, p. 280.
  9. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-Ashrāf, 1417 AH, vol. 5, p. 159.
  10. ↑ Ibn A'tham, Kitāb al-Futūḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 2, p. 493.
  11. ↑ Dīnawarī, al-Imāma wa l-siyāsa, 1380 Sh, p. 139.
  12. ↑ Ibn A'tham, Kitāb al-Futūḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 4, p. 286.
  13. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, 1365 Sh, vol. 4, p. 7.
  14. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, 1365 Sh, vol. 4, p. 52.
  15. ↑ Ibn Khayyāṭ, Tārīkh, 1414 AH, p. 165.
  16. ↑ Mas'ūdī, Murūj al-dhahab, 1418 AH, vol. 3, p. 21.
  17. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr, Usd al-ghāba fī ma'rifat al-ṣaḥāba, 1423 AH, vol. 3, p. 49.
  18. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 8, p. 115.
  19. ↑ Ibn A'tham, Kitāb al-Futūḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 5, p. 169.
  20. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 8, p. 242.
  21. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-Ashrāf, 1417 AH, vol. 5, p. 35.
  22. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr, al-Kāmil, 1405 AH, vol. 4, p. 145.
  23. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 8, p. 243.
  24. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 8, p. 241.
  25. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 8, p. 241.
  26. ↑ Baghdādī, al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, 1418 AH, vol. 5, p. 30.
  27. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 8, p. 241.
  28. ↑ Baghdādī, al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, 1405 AH, vol. 5, p. 3.
  29. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr, al-Kāmil, 1405 AH, vol. 3, p. 241.
  30. ↑ Mas'ūdī, al-Tanbīh wa l-ishrāf, 1423 AH, p. 266.
  31. ↑ Baghdādī, al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, 1405 AH, vol. 5, p. 31.
  32. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 8, p. 243.
  33. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, 1407 AH, vol. 8, p. 243.
  34. ↑ Ibn A'tham, Kitāb al-Futūḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 5, p. 171.

References

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  • Balādhurī, Aḥmad b. Yaḥyā, Ansāb al-ashrāf, Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, 1st ed., 1417 AH.
  • Dīnawarī, 'Abd Allāh b. Mas'ūd, al-Imāma wa l-siyāsa, Trans: Sayyid Nāṣir Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Tehran, Quqnūs, 1380 Sh.
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  • Ibn 'Asākir, 'Alī b. al-Ḥasan, Tārīkh Madīnat Dimashq, Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, 1415 AH.
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  • Ibn Khayyāṭ, Khalīfa b. Khayyāṭ, Tārīkh, Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya, 1414 AH.
  • Mas'ūdī, 'Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, al-Tanbīh wa l-ishrāf, Qom, Dār al-Ṣāwī, 1423 AH.
  • Mas'ūdī, 'Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, Murūj al-dhahab wa ma'ādin al-jawhar, Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya, 1418 AH.
  • Qurṭubī, Yūsuf b. 'Abd Allāh, al-Istī'āb fī ma'rifat al-aṣḥāb, Beirut, Dār al-Jīl, 1412 AH.
  • Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr b. Yazīd, Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk, Beirut, Dār al-Turāth, 2nd ed., 1387 AH.
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