Sa'd b. Mas'ud al-Thaqafi

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Sa'd b. Mas'ud al-Thaqafi
Personal Information
LineageThaqif
Well-Known RelativesMukhtar b. Abi 'Ubayd al-Thaqafi (nephew)
Place(s) of ResidenceMada'in
Religious Information
Known forCompanion of Imam 'Ali (a) and Imam al-Hasan (a)


Saʿd b. Masʿūd al-Thaqafī (Arabic: سعد بن مسعود الثقفي) was among the companions of the Prophet (s), Imam Ali (a), and Imam al-Hasan (a) and the uncle of Mukhtar b. Abu 'Ubayd al-Thaqafi. In the battle of Siffin, he was appointed to the government of Mada'in and was in that position until the time of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a). After the unsuccessful assassination of Imam al-Hasan (a) in Sabat of Mada'in, Sa'd took the responsibility of guarding Imam (a) and hosted him until he (a) had a complete recovery.

His Social Position

Sa'd b. Mas'ud al-Thaqafi, the uncle of Mukhtar b. Abu 'Ubayd[1] was among the companions of Imam Ali (a).[2] He is said to be among the companions of the Prophet (s) as well.[3] In Rijal, al-Shaykh al-Tusi counted him among the narrators from Imam Ali (a).[4] In some references of Rijal, his name is mentioned as Sa'id.[5] Ibrahim b. Muhammad b. Sa'id al-Thaqafi al-Kufi, the great Shia hadith scholar, historian and the author of al-Gharat was one of his descendant who was first Zaydi and then converted to Imamiyya.[6]

Order for Government

After entering Kufa, Imam Ali (a) appointed Sa'd to govern the region of Zawabi.[7] Later in 36/656-7, Imam (a) appointed him to the government of Mada'in and Sa'd remained in the same position until the time of Imam al-Mujtaba (a).[8] The letter of Imam Ali (a) to Sa'd as the government of Mada'in is famous. The text of this letter was as below:

"O Sa'd! Like a good-doer and a pious person, you paid your taxes, obeyed your Lord and made your leader and Imam (a) happy. May God forgive your sins, accept your efforts and make your destiny good."[9]

In this letter, Imam Ali (a) praises Sa'd while in different letters Imam (a) sent to his governors, he (a) always urged them to pay taxes and prohibited them from partial payment of that. This proves Sa'd's faith, righteousness and trust-keeping in such a way that Imam Ali (a) praised him this much and prayed for his good destiny.[10]

His Battles

In the Battle of Jamal, Sa'd was the commander of Qays and 'Abd al-Qays tribes in the army of Imam Ali (a).[11] At the time of his government in Mada'in, he was informed that a group of Khawarij led by 'Abd Allah b. Wahb wanted to take Mada'in; so, he equipped an army of 500 soldiers and went to fight with them. Due to deficiency of Sa'd's companions in this battle, 'Abd Allah b. Wahb managed to cross Tigris River and enter the land of Jawkhay and joined the camp of Khawarij in Nahrawan.[12]

At the Time of Imam al-Hasan (a)

Akbar Zanjanpur in the role of Sa'd b. Mas'ud, in Mukhtarnama tv series.

At the time of Imam al-Hasan (a), Sa'd was the governor in Mada'in. When Imam (a) was assassinated in Sabat of Mada'in and was injured, he (a) stayed in the house of Sa'd to recover.[13]

One of the youths following Sa'd, which is said to be Mukhtar b. Abi 'Ubayd, advised him to arrest Imam al-Hasan (a) and submit him to Mu'awiya.[14] It is reported that Sa'd became angry at this suggestion and rejected it.

He then brought a physician for Imam (a) to treat him until he (a) recovered.[15]

There is no report on the life of Sa'd after this event and his death in historical sources.

Mukhtarnama TV Series

In Mukhtarnama TV series directed by Davoud MirBaqeri in 40 episodes, Akbar Zanjanpur played the role of Sa'd b. Mas'ud Thaqafi. This TV series was first shown in 2010-1 from IRIB.

Notes

  1. Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, al-Istīʿāb, vol. 2, p. 602.
  2. Amīn, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, vol. 7, p. 230.
  3. Ibn Ḥajar, al-Iṣāba fī tamyīz al-ṣaḥāba, vol. 3, p. 70.
  4. Ṭūsī, al-Rijāl, p. 67.
  5. Ṭūsī, al-Rijāl, p. 67; Najāshī, Rijāl al-Najāshī, p. 16-17.
  6. Najāshī, Rijāl al-Najāshī, p. 16-17.
  7. Dīnawarī, al-Akhbār al-ṭiwāl, p. 143, 153, 205.
  8. Ṭabarī, Tārīkh Ṭabarī, vol. 3, p. 513; vol. 4, p. 55; Ibn Athīr, al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh, vol. 3, p. 280; Nuwayrī, Nihāyat al-ʾarab, vol. 5, p. 168.
  9. Yaʿqūbī, Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī, vol. 2, p. 104; Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 2, p. 158.
  10. Dhākirī, Sīmā-yi kārguzārān, vol. 1, 270; Mamaqānī, Tanqīḥ al-maqāl, vol. 2, p. 30.
  11. Ṭabarī, Tārīkh Ṭabarī, vol. 3, p. 513; vol. 4, p. 55; Ibn Athīr, al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh, vol. 3, p. 280; Nuwayrī, Nihāyat al-ʾarab, vol. 5, p. 168; Dhākirī, Sīmā-yi kārguzārān, vol. 1, 268-269.
  12. Ibn Athīr, al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh, vol. 3, p. 336-337; Nuwayrī, Nihāyat al-ʾarab, vol. 5, p. 215-218.
  13. Mamaqānī, Tanqīḥ al-maqāl, vol. 2, p. 30; Amīn, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, vol. 7, p. 230; Tustarī, Qāmūs al-rijāl, vol. 5, p. 64-65; Khoeī, Muʿjam rijāl al-ḥadīth, vol. 8, p. 131; Najāshī, Rijāl, p. 16-17.
  14. Mamaqānī, Tanqīḥ al-maqāl, vol. 2, p. 30; Amīn, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, vol. 7, p. 230; Tustarī, Qāmūs al-rijāl, vol. 5, p. 64-65.
  15. Mamaqānī, Tanqīḥ al-maqāl, vol. 2, p. 30; Amīn, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, vol. 7, p. 230; Tustarī, Qāmūs al-rijāl, vol. 5, p. 64-65.

References

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