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Muṣqala b. Hubayra
Personal Information
Full NameMuṣqala b. Hubayra al-Shaybānī
LineageBanū Shaybān
Well-Known RelativesNu'aym b. Hubayra (brother) ● Bastam(son)
Place(s) of ResidenceKufa, Ardashīr Khurra, Syria
Deathc. 60 AH/679-80
Cause of DeathKilled in the conquest of Tabaristan
Burial PlaceTabaristan, Rūyān
Religious Information
Known forSermon 44 and Letter 43 of Nahj al-balagha
Other ActivitiesCooperation with Mu'awiya, attack on Tabaristan


Muṣqala b. Hubayra al-Shaybānī (Arabic: مُصقَلَة بن هُبَیرة الشَیباني) served as a governor for Imam Ali (a) in southwestern Iran before defecting to Mu'awiya amidst financial controversy. He was notably implicated in the execution of Hujr b. 'Adi. As referenced in Letter 43 of Nahj al-balagha, Muṣqala faced accusations of misappropriating fay' (public assets) for his relatives, prompting him to correspond with Imam Ali (a) in an attempt to exonerate himself. Historical records indicate that following the suppression of the Banu Najiya tribe's revolt in 38 AH/658-9, Muṣqala purchased and manumitted five hundred of their captives. However, unable to remit the full ransom to the Bayt al-Mal (public treasury) and fearing Imam Ali's (a) response, he fled to Syria to join Mu'awiya's court. Imam Ali (a) condemned this action in Sermon 44 of Nahj al-balagha. acting under Mu'awiya's orders, Muṣqala later led a military expedition to Tabaristan, where he was killed around 60 AH/679-80.

His brother, Nu'aym b. Hubayra, was among the companions of Imam Ali (a), while Masqala's son, Bastam, served as a governor under the Umayyads.

Biography

Muṣqala b. Hubayra b. Shibl al-Shaybani is regarded as a prominent figure in Iraq and a companion of Imam Ali (a). He served as the Imam's governor in Ardashir Khurra, a region in southwestern Iran, but eventually defected to Mu'awiya due to financial liabilities.[1] Historical and biographical sources provide no information regarding his life prior to his governorship.[2]

Ibn Abi l-Hadid, the commentator on Nahj al-balagha, traces Masqala's lineage to Nizar b. 'Adnan, an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad (s).[3] His father, Hubayra b. Shibl, is counted among those who accompanied the Prophet (s) during the Conquest of Mecca.[4] Masqala's son, Bastam, held governorships under Mus'ab b. al-Zubayr, Abd al-Malik b. Marwan, and al-Hajjaj b. Yusuf al-Thaqafi. In 83 AH/702, Bastam led an uprising against al-Hajjaj, resulting in his death.[5] Masqala's brother, Nu'aym b. Hubayra, remained a loyal companion of Imam Ali (a). Nu'aym later joined the Uprising of al-Mukhtar to avenge the blood of Imam al-Husayn (a) and was killed in 66 AH/685-6 by Shabath b. Rib'i, a soldier in the Umayyad army.[6]

Governor of Imam Ali (a) in Ardashir Khurra

Ibn 'Abbas, Imam Ali's (a) governor in Basra, appointed Muṣqala b. Hubayra to govern the Ardashir Khurra district.[7] Ardashir Khurra was a region in southwestern Iran that encompassed cities such as Kazerun, Firuzabad, and Siraf.[8]

Accusation of Financial Corruption

According to Tarikh al-Ya'qubi, reports reached Imam Ali (a) alleging that Muṣqala was distributing fay' (properties acquired by Muslims without warfare) among his relatives. The Imam wrote to him, warning that if these reports were substantiated, Muṣqala would be required to alter his conduct.[9] This correspondence is preserved as Letter 43 in Nahj al-balagha.[10] Al-Ya'qubi records that Muṣqala replied, denying the accusations but stating that if the Imam harbored such suspicions, he should simply dismiss him, as dismissal was preferable to accusation. Imam Ali (a) accepted his defense, and Muṣqala was reinstated.[11]

Freeing the Captives of Banu Najiya

May Allah disgrace Maṣqala! He acted with the demeanor of the noble, yet fled like a slave and betrayed like a criminal. Before his praiser could speak, he silenced him, and before his descriptor could verify him, he forced him to reproach. Had he remained, we would have accepted what he could pay and granted him respite for the remainder until his means improved.

— Imam Ali (a) regarding Muṣqala in Sermon 44 of Nahj al-balagha[12]

In 38 AH/658-9, Muṣqala purchased and freed 500 Christians of the Banu Najiya tribe who had been captured during the Khawarij revolt against Imam Ali's (a) government. Historians note that al-Khirrit b. Rashid, a Kharijite leader, incited a rebellion which the Banu Najiya joined, with some members committing apostasy. Ma'qal b. Qays suppressed the uprising and took a number of captives. By the Imam's order,[13] Muslim captives were released, while the Christians of Banu Najiya were offered freedom contingent upon their conversion to Islam; however, 500 refused to convert. As these captives were being transported to Kufa through Ardashir Khurra, they appealed to Masqala, who purchased them for five hundred thousand dirhams and set them free. Although Imam Ali (a) praised the humanitarian act, Muṣqala delayed remitting the ransom to the Muslim Bayt al-Mal. Following a letter from the Imam, Muṣqala traveled to Basra, paid two hundred thousand dirhams to 'Abd Allah b. al-'Abbas, and declared his inability to pay the balance.[14] Alternative sources suggest Muṣqala purchased the captives for one hundred thousand dirhams and sent fifty thousand to the Imam.[15]

Defection to Mu'awiya

A statement attributed to Muṣqala in Danishnama-yi Amir al-Mu'minin suggests he believed that, like Mu'awiya or 'Uthman, who purportedly gifted one hundred thousand dirhams annually from city land taxes to their governors, Imam Ali (a) should do the same.[16] The Imam rejected this expectation.[17] Reports indicate that Muṣqala buried his assets within his home[18] and fled to Syria under the cover of night. The Imam subsequently ordered the demolition of his house[19] to locate the hidden wealth.[20] Masqala's conduct is condemned in Sermon 44 of Nahj al-balagha.[21] This sermon is categorized as number 43 in the commentary of Ibn Maytham and number 46 in the version by Mulla Fath Allah.[22]

According to Danishnama-yi Amir al-Mu'minin, Muṣqala participated in Mu'awiya's administration after his flight to Syria.[23] Tarikh al-Tabari (authored 303/915) records that Muṣqala wrote from Syria to his brother Nu'aym b. Hubayra, a Shi'a and advisor to Imam Ali (a), promising him a government position, an offer Nu'aym refused.[24]

Testimony against Hujr b. 'Adi

Muṣqala also collaborated with the Umayyads in the persecution of Hujr b. 'Adi, a companion of the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a). When Ziyad b. Abih arrested Hujr b. 'Adi, he solicited testimony against him; Muṣqala is listed among those who testified. Following these testimonies, Mu'awiya ordered Hujr's execution.[25]

Campaign to Tabaristan and Death

Scholarly accounts differ regarding the timing and circumstances of Masqala's death. Some reports state that Dahhak b. Qays, the Umayyad governor of Kufa, dispatched Muṣqala to the war in Tabaristan in 54 AH/674, where he eventually compromised with local rulers in exchange for five hundred thousand dirhams.[26] Other sources assert that Mu'awiya appointed him to govern Tabaristan, but he was killed during the ensuing campaign,[27] or that he fell in Ruyan, a city in Tabaristan, while marching toward Khurasan.[28] While al-Tabari records Masqala's death under the events of 89 AH/708, other historians argue for an earlier date, noting that his campaign occurred during the lifetimes of Mu'awiya (d. 60 AH/680) and Gil Gawbara, the ruler of Tabaristan (d. 62 AH/681-2).[29]

In Tarikh-i Tabaristan, Ibn Isfandiyar notes that the local population erroneously revered Muṣqala as a companion of the Prophet (s) and visited his grave.[30] Additionally, Al-Zirikli in al-A'lam cites Masqala's ill-fated campaign to Tabaristan as the origin of an Arabic proverb. To describe an impossible task or an endless wait, one would say, "This will not happen until Muṣqala returns from Tabaristan" (Arabic: لا یکون هذا حتی یرجع مصقلة من طبرستان).[31]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 58, p. 269.
  2. ↑ See: Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 5, pp. 113–129; Khūʾī, Muʿjam rijāl al-ḥadīth, 1372 Sh, vol. 19, pp. 193–194.
  3. ↑ Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, 1404 AH, vol. 3, p. 127.
  4. ↑ Ibn Mākūlā, Al-Ikmāl fī l-irtiyāb, 1993, vol. 5, p. 25.
  5. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 6, pp. 375–383.
  6. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 6, p. 25.
  7. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 58, p. 269.
  8. ↑ Nīstānī, "Ardashīr Khurra", p. 494; Ibn Khurdādhbih, Masālik wa mamālik, 1371 Sh, p. 64.
  9. ↑ Yaʿqūbī, Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī, Dār Ṣādir, vol. 2, pp. 201–202.
  10. ↑ Nahj al-balāgha, ed. Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ, Letter 43, p. 415.
  11. ↑ Yaʿqūbī, Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī, Dār Ṣādir, vol. 2, pp. 201–202.
  12. ↑ Nahj al-balāgha, ed. Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ, Sermon 44, p. 85.
  13. ↑ Thaqafī, al-Ghārāt, 1395 Sh, p. 358.
  14. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 5, pp. 113–129.
  15. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 58, p. 270.
  16. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 5, p. 130; Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿ), 1386 Sh, vol. 2, pp. 494–497.
  17. ↑ Muḥammadī Rayshahrī, Dānishnāma-yi Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿ), 1389 Sh, vol. 6, p. 587.
  18. ↑ Muḥammadī Rayshahrī, Dānishnāma-yi Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿ), 1389 Sh, vol. 6, p. 587.
  19. ↑ Nūrī, Mustadrak al-wasāʾil, vol. 17, p. 404; Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 33, p. 405.
  20. ↑ Muḥammadī Rayshahrī, Dānishnāma-yi Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿ), 1389 Sh, vol. 6, p. 587.
  21. ↑ Nahj al-balāgha, ed. Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ, Sermon 44, p. 85.
  22. ↑ Ibn Maytham, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, 1404 AH, vol. 2, p. 115; Nahj al-balāgha, ed. Fatḥ Allāh Kāshānī, Sermon 43, vol. 1, p. 236.
  23. ↑ Muḥammadī Rayshahrī, Dānishnāma-yi Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿ), 1389 Sh, vol. 13, p. 561.
  24. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 5, pp. 130–131.
  25. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 5, pp. 253–256.
  26. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 58, p. 275; Ibn Taghrī Birdī, al-Nujūm al-zāhira, 1392 AH, vol. 1, p. 145.
  27. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 58, pp. 273, 276.
  28. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 58, p. 277.
  29. ↑ Aʿẓamī Sangsarī, "Gīl, Farshawādhgarshāh...", pp. 51–52.
  30. ↑ Ibn Isfandiyār, Tārīkh-i Ṭabaristān, 1366 Sh, p. 157.
  31. ↑ Ziriklī, al-Aʿlām, 1980, vol. 7, p. 249.

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