Jump to content

Draft:Umm Sinan bint Khaythama

Add links
From wikishia
Umm Sinan bint Khaythama
Companion of Imam Ali (a)
Full NameUmm Sinan bint Khaythama b. Harasha
Epithetal-Madhhijiyya
Religious AffiliationShia
Places of ResidenceKufa, Medina
ActivitiesActive participation in the events of Imam Ali (a)'s Caliphate, particularly the Battle of Siffin; composing poetry in support of the Imam.


Umm Sinan bint Khaythama (Arabic: أم سنان بنت خيثمة) was a distinguished and courageous Shia woman and a prominent companion of Imam Ali (a). Renowned for her eloquence as a poet and orator, she, along with her tribe, Madhhij, played an active role during the Caliphate of Imam Ali (a), most notably at the Battle of Siffin. Historical accounts suggest she was instrumental in rallying the Imam's (a) troops and demoralizing the army of Sham (Syria) through her stirring speeches and poetry. In one of her verses, she called upon her tribe to support the Imam (a) and the Household of the Prophet (s) with steadfastness and perseverance. According to some scholars, Umm Sinan's poetry during this battle reflects a profound understanding of the concept of Imamate and the Wilaya of Imam Ali (a).

Following the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a), Umm Sinan composed a poem affirming the station of Wilaya and the Imamate of Ali (a). She described the Imam (a) as the successor (Wasi) of the Prophet (s), as well as a guide (Hadi) and one guided (Mahdi) by God. She urged Muslims to adhere to the path of the Prophet's (s) successor. Researchers view this poem as an explicit declaration of Imam Ali's (a) rightful authority and his immediate succession.

Historical sources also document a meeting between Umm Sinan and Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan in Sham after the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a), where she had gone to lodge a complaint against the governor of Medina. During this encounter, Mu'awiya reprimanded her for her staunch support of Imam Ali (a) at the Battle of Siffin. While Umm Sinan praised Mu'awiya diplomatically to secure a pardon, she simultaneously defended Imam Ali (a), characterizing him as worthy of all praise. Following their dialogue, Mu'awiya granted her forgiveness and resolved her grievance. Some scholars attribute her praise of Mu'awiya to a fear of retribution or, alternatively, to a moment of weakness in faith.

Biography

Umm Sinan bint Khaythama b. Harasha[1] was among the companions of Imam Ali (a)[2] and one of the most celebrated and courageous Shia women of the Imam's (a) era.[3] Distinguished as an Arab poet and literary figure,[4] she is recognized as a prominent female Shia poet[5] of the 1st century AH.[6] Sources describe her as possessing exemplary manners (adab).[7] Known for her rhetorical eloquence,[8] Umm Sinan was skilled in both poetry and prose.[9] It is said that she combined subtlety of meaning with verbal eloquence,[10] surpassing her contemporaries of both genders in the precision of her sentence structure and the elegance of her expression.[11]

Discrepancies exist in historical sources regarding the names of Umm Sinan's father and grandfather; she has been variously identified as the daughter of Jashma[12] b. Kharasha,[13] the daughter of Khaythama b. al-Kharashta,[14] or the daughter of Khaythama b. Farasha.[15] She belonged to the Madhhij tribe[16] and was a celebrated poet within it;[17] consequently, the epithet "al-Madhhijiyya" is appended to her name in certain sources.[18]

Historians[19] and biographers[20] do not record her dates of birth or death, citing only her significant contributions, including her support for Imam Ali (a) and her dialogue with Mu'awiya following the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a).

Support for Imam Ali (a)

According to researchers, Umm Sinan was an active participant in the major events of the Caliphate of Imam Ali (a)[21] and, along with her tribespeople, remained a steadfast supporter of the Imam (a),[22] particularly during the Battle of Siffin.[23] Her presence on the battlefield earned her renown for bravery.[24] Moving among the ranks of the Imam's (a) army, she rallied the Madhhij tribe and the Imam's (a) companions to battle against Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan and the Syrians, extolling their courage while condemning Mu'awiya's forces. This caused Mu'awiya intense distress, to the extent that he reportedly admitted nothing was more painful to him that day than the words of Umm Sinan.[25]

Umm Sinan's use of poetry in the midst of battle to incite the Madhhij tribe is well-documented.[26] It is said that she defended her convictions—specifically the station of Wilaya and the Imamate of Imam Ali (a)—using the weapon of verse and firm rhetoric.[27] In her epic poems, she praised the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and implored her tribe to aid the Imam (a) and the Prophet's (s) family by fighting the enemies of God and standing firm on the battlefield.[28] Scholars suggest that Umm Sinan's poetry at Siffin evinced a deep understanding of the Imamate and Wilaya of Imam Ali (a). She correctly identified Mu'awiya's true nature, characterizing him as an enemy of the Prophet's (s) family lacking any merit for the Caliphate, while describing the Imam (a) with epithets such as "the moon," "the best of Caliphs," "the cousin of the Messenger of God," and "the criterion for recognizing the right path."[29]

In her orations, Umm Sinan reportedly relied on the religious foundations of war and Jihad, disregarding tribal prejudices or pre-Islamic (Jahiliyya) grudges between Adnanites and Qahtanites or Iraqis and Syrians. She viewed alignment with Ali (a) as the successor of the Prophet (s) to be obligatory and presented the Ahl al-Bayt (a) as the sole religious and political authority of the society.[30] Her poems from this war were so influential that they remained in the memory of Mu'awiya and others for years following the events at Siffin.[31]

Poem Regarding the Successorship of Imam Ali (a)

Following the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a), Umm Sinan composed a eulogy in praise of Imam Ali (a) at the Kufa Mosque.[32][33] In this poem, she addressed the Imam (a) as a guide (Hadi) and one guided (Mahdi) by God, introducing him as the Wasi (successor) and deputy after the Prophet (s). She reminded Muslims that although Ali (a) had passed, his path and memory remained alive, and the way of the Prophet's (s) successor must not be forsaken.[34]

Some researchers cite this poem to explain the precedence of the title "Wasi" for Imam Ali (a), regarding it as a clear declaration of his successorship, his loyalty to the Prophet's (s) will, and his immediate succession.[35]

Meeting with Mu'awiya in Syria

Her meeting with Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan in Sham is widely reflected in sources, often referred to as the hadith of "Umm Sinan with Mu'awiya"[36] or the "Delegation of Umm Sinan to Mu'awiya".[37] In these reports, Mu'awiya reprimanded her for supporting Imam Ali (a) in the Battle of Siffin and inciting the Imam's (a) troops against his own.[38]

After the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a) and Mu'awiya's consolidation of power, Marwan b. al-Hakam, the governor of Medina, imprisoned Umm Sinan's grandson and rejected her request for his release with hostility. Umm Sinan traveled to Sham to seek justice from Mu'awiya. Upon her arrival, Mu'awiya questioned her presence and remarked that he had not forgotten her words and curses during the Battle of Siffin, nor her incitement of the people of Madhhij. Umm Sinan reminded him of the noble customs of his ancestors regarding forgiveness, asking him to pardon her. Mu'awiya then recalled the specific verses she had recited on the battlefield concerning Imam Ali's (a) valor and the humiliation of the people of Sham, reciting those lines back to her.[39]

Umm Sinan admitted to composing the poem, asserting that she loved Ali (a) more than her own life and that, had the Imam (a) been alive, she would never have approached Mu'awiya. She maintained that the Imam (a) deserved such praise, acknowledging her inability to fully express his many virtues. Umm Sinan explained that she had come to Sham solely because Mu'awiya was now the Caliph, asking him to resolve her grievance. At this juncture, one of Mu'awiya's companions mentioned her other poems praising Imam Ali (a). Umm Sinan confirmed their authorship. Mu'awiya remarked: "You recited poetry about Ali (a) and praised him with many virtues and merits."[40]

Umm Sinan declared the impossibility of encapsulating all the Imam's (a) characteristics in verse and stated she could not lie or apologize to falsehood. Addressing Mu'awiya, she said: "You know well that as long as Ali (a) was alive, we loved him more than anyone. Now that the Imam (a) has been martyred, we love you more than others like Marwan b. al-Hakam and Sa'id b. al-'As because of the forbearance and generosity by which God Almighty has distinguished you from this group." Acknowledging her eloquence and her ability to weave praise and blame into her speech, Mu'awiya forgave her and granted her request.[41]

Some researchers attribute Umm Sinan's praise of Mu'awiya to a fear of his vengeance or a desire to save her grandson from Marwan. However, they also consider the possibility that, given the varying degrees of faith among individuals, she may have pragmatically accepted Mu'awiya's authority following the loss of Imam Ali (a).[42]

Notes

  1. ↑ Al-Amīn, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 3, p. 480.
  2. ↑ Ḥassūn, Aʿlām al-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt, 1421 AH, p. 196.
  3. ↑ Āyīnah-wand, Adabiyyāt-i siyāsī-yi tashayyuʿ, 1387 SH, pp. 51-52.
  4. ↑ Fawwāz al-ʿĀmilī, Muʿjam aʿlām al-nisāʾ, 1421 AH, p. 105; Ḥassūn, Aʿlām al-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt, 1421 AH, p. 196.
  5. ↑ Āyīnah-wand, Adabiyyāt-i siyāsī-yi tashayyuʿ, 1387 SH, pp. 47-52.
  6. ↑ Arfaʿ, "Ḥāmiyān-i wilāyat; rithāʾ-i bānwān-i Shīʿa dar ḥimāyat az wilāyat".
  7. ↑ Ilhāmī, "ʿIlm āmūzī-yi zan az dīdgāh-i Islām".
  8. ↑ Ḥassūn, Aʿlām al-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt, 1421 AH, p. 196.
  9. ↑ Ilhāmī, "ʿIlm āmūzī-yi zan az dīdgāh-i Islām".
  10. ↑ Ilhāmī, "ʿIlm āmūzī-yi zan az dīdgāh-i Islām".
  11. ↑ Fawwāz al-ʿĀmilī, Muʿjam aʿlām al-nisāʾ, 1421 AH, p. 105.
  12. ↑ Fawwāz al-ʿĀmilī, Muʿjam aʿlām al-nisāʾ, 1421 AH, p. 105.
  13. ↑ Ibn Ṭāwūs, Al-Ṭarāʾif, 1400 AH, vol. 1, p. 27.
  14. ↑ Maḥallātī, Rayāḥīn al-sharīʿa, vol. 3, p. 410.
  15. ↑ Ḥassūn, Aʿlām al-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt, 1421 AH, p. 196.
  16. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 70, p. 247.
  17. ↑ Saʿīdiyān Jazī, "Mawqiʿiyyat-i zan dar ʿaṣr-i Imām ʿAlī (a)".
  18. ↑ Al-Amīn, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 3, p. 480; Ḥassūn, Aʿlām al-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt, 1421 AH, p. 196; Aʿlamī Ḥāʾirī, Tarājim aʿlām al-nisāʾ, 1407 AH, vol. 1, p. 276.
  19. ↑ Ibn Aʿtham, Al-Futuḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 3, p. 65.
  20. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 70, p. 247.
  21. ↑ Āyīnah-wand, Adabiyyāt-i siyāsī-yi tashayyuʿ, 1387 SH, pp. 51-52.
  22. ↑ Saʿīdiyān Jazī, "Mawqiʿiyyat-i zan dar ʿaṣr-i Imām ʿAlī (a)".
  23. ↑ Ḥassūn, Aʿlām al-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt, 1421 AH, p. 196.
  24. ↑ Ḥassūn, Aʿlām al-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt, 1421 AH, p. 196.
  25. ↑ For more information see: Ibn Aʿtham, Al-Futuḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 3, p. 65.
  26. ↑ For example see: Ibn Aʿtham, Al-Futuḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 3, p. 66; Al-Ḍabbī, Akhbār al-wāfidāt, 1403 AH, p. 24; Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 70, p. 247; Al-Amīn, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, 1403 AH, vol. 3, p. 480.
  27. ↑ Arfaʿ, "Ḥāmiyān-i wilāyat; rithāʾ-i bānwān-i Shīʿa dar ḥimāyat az wilāyat".
  28. ↑ Fawwāz al-ʿĀmilī, Muʿjam aʿlām al-nisāʾ, 1421 AH, p. 105.
  29. ↑ Saʿīdiyān Jazī, "Mawqiʿiyyat-i zan dar ʿaṣr-i Imām ʿAlī (a)".
  30. ↑ Raḍawī, "Naqsh-āfarīnīhā-yi bānwān dar ʿarṣa-yi tablīgh-i dīn (8)".
  31. ↑ Arfaʿ, "Ḥāmiyān-i wilāyat; rithāʾ-i bānwān-i Shīʿa dar ḥimāyat az wilāyat".
  32. ↑ Raḍawī, "Naqsh-āfarīnīhā-yi bānwān dar ʿarṣa-yi tablīgh-i dīn (8)".
  33. ↑ Al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Ithbāt al-hudāt, 1422 AH, vol. 3, p. 318; Al-Shāmī, Al-Durr al-naẓīm, 1420 AH, p. 427.
  34. ↑ Raḍawī, "Naqsh-āfarīnīhā-yi bānwān dar ʿarṣa-yi tablīgh-i dīn (8)".
  35. ↑ Ibn Ṭāwūs, Al-Ṭarāʾif, 1400 AH, vol. 1, p. 28.
  36. ↑ Ibn Aʿtham, Al-Futuḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 3, p. 65.
  37. ↑ Al-Bāʿūnī, Jawāhir al-maṭālib, 1415 AH, vol. 2, p. 237.
  38. ↑ Ibn Aʿtham, Al-Futuḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 3, pp. 66-68.
  39. ↑ Ibn Ṭayfūr, Balāghāt al-nisāʾ, p. 92; Ibn Aʿtham, Al-Futuḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 3, pp. 65-68; Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 70, p. 247.
  40. ↑ Ibn Ṭayfūr, Balāghāt al-nisāʾ, p. 92; Ibn Aʿtham, Al-Futuḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 3, pp. 65-68; Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 70, p. 247.
  41. ↑ For more information see: Ibn Ṭayfūr, Balāghāt al-nisāʾ, p. 92; Ibn Aʿtham, Al-Futuḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 3, pp. 65-68; Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 70, p. 247.
  42. ↑ Nāẓim-zāda, Aṣḥāb-i Imām ʿAlī, 1386 SH, vol. 2, pp. 1484-1485.

References

  • Āyīnah-wand, Ṣādiq. Adabiyyāt-i siyāsī-yi tashayyuʿ. Tehran: Nashr-i ʿIlm, 1387 SH.
  • Ibn Aʿtham al-Kūfī, Abū Muḥammad Aḥmad. Kitāb al-futūḥ. Edited by ʿAlī Shīrī. Beirut: Dār al-Aḍwāʾ, 1411 AH.
  • Ibn Ṭayfūr, Muḥammad b. Abī Ṭāhir. Balāghāt al-nisāʾ. Qom: Al-Sharīf al-Raḍī, n.d.
  • Ibn ʿAsākir, ʿAlī b. al-Ḥasan. Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq. Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1415 AH.
  • Arfaʿ, Fāṭima al-Sādāt. "Ḥāmiyān-i wilāyat; rithāʾ-i bānwān-i Shīʿa dar ḥimāyat az wilāyat". Majalla-yi Bānwān-i Shīʿa, no. 3.
  • Aʿlamī Ḥāʾirī, Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Tarājim aʿlām al-nisāʾ. Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Aʿlamī, 1407 AH.
  • Al-Amīn, Muḥsin. Aʿyān al-Shīʿa. Beirut: Dār al-Taʿāruf, 1403 AH.
  • Al-Bāʿūnī, Shams al-Dīn. Jawāhir al-maṭālib. Qom: Majmaʿ al-Thaqāfa al-Islāmiyya, 1415 AH.
  • Ḥassūn, Muḥammad. Aʿlām al-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt. Tehran: Uswa, 2nd ed., 1421 AH.
  • Raḍawī, Sayyid ʿAbbās. "Naqsh-āfarīnīhā-yi bānwān dar ʿarṣa-yi tablīgh-i dīn (8); faʿāliyyat-i bānwān-i mutaʿahhid dar rūzgār-i Imām ʿAlī (a) wa nabard-i Ṣiffīn". Majalla-yi Payām-i Zan, no. 203, Bahman 1387 SH.
  • Saʿīdiyān Jazī, Maryam. "Mawqiʿiyyat-i zan dar ʿaṣr-i Imām ʿAlī (a)". Tehran: Pazhūhishgāh-i ʿUlūm-i Insānī wa Muṭālaʿāt-i Farhangī, 1393 SH.
  • Ibn Ṭāwūs, ʿAlī b. Mūsā. Al-Ṭarāʾif fī maʿrifat madhāhib al-ṭawāʾif. Qom: Khayyām, 1400 AH.
  • Al-Shāmī, Yūsuf b. Ḥātim. Al-Durr al-naẓīm fī manāqib al-aʾimma al-lahāmīm. Qom: Jāmiʿa-yi Mudarrisīn, 1420 AH.
  • Shūshtarī, Muḥammad Taqī. Qāmūs al-rijāl. Qom: Muʾassasat al-Nashr al-Islāmī, 2nd ed., 1410 AH.
  • Al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan. Ithbāt al-hudāt. Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Aʿlamī, 1422 AH.
  • Al-Ḍabbī, ʿAbbās b. Bakkār. Akhbār al-wāfidāt min al-nisāʾ ʿalā Muʿāwiya b. Abī Sufyān. Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risāla, 1403 AH.
  • Fawwāz al-ʿĀmilī, Zaynab bint ʿAlī. Muʿjam aʿlām al-nisāʾ. Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Rayyān, 1421 AH.
  • Maḥallātī, dhabīḥ Allāh. Rayāḥīn al-sharīʿa. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, n.d.
  • Nāẓim-zāda, Sayyid Aṣghar. Aṣḥāb-i Imām ʿAlī. Qom: Būstān-i Kitāb, 1386 SH.
  • Nabāṭī Bayāḍī, ʿAlī b. Muḥammad. Al-Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm ilā mustaḥiqqī al-taqdīm. Najaf: Al-Maktaba al-Ḥaydariyya, 1384 AH.
  • Ilhāmī, Dāwūd. "ʿIlm āmūzī-yi zan az dīdgāh-i Islām". Faṣlnāma-yi Payām-i Ḥawza, no. 25, 1378 SH.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Draft:Umm_Sinan_bint_Khaythama&oldid=204582"