Ashab al-Ukhdud: Difference between revisions
imported>Mohammad.Kh m Revision |
imported>Mortezanazarzadeh adding references. |
||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
| navbox = | | navbox = | ||
| redirects=done | | redirects=done | ||
| references = | | references =done | ||
| good article = | | good article = | ||
| featured article = | | featured article = | ||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
==Designation== | ==Designation== | ||
The term Ukhdud means a groove in the ground or a trench. It refers to the ditches which believers were put in and set afire because of their faith. Those believers who were killed in this way were called Ashab al-Ukhdud (People of the Ditch); however, some believe that Ashab al-Ukhdud actually refers to those disbelievers who tortured believers. | The term Ukhdud means a groove in the ground<ref>Frāhīdī, ''al-ʿIyn'', vol. 4, p. 138; Azharī, ''Tahdhīb al-lugha'', vol. 6, p. 560.</ref> or a trench.<ref>Rāghib al-Isfahānī, ''Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān'', p. 276.</ref> It refers to the ditches which believers were put in and set afire because of their faith. Those believers who were killed in this way were called Ashab al-Ukhdud (People of the Ditch); however, some believe that Ashab al-Ukhdud actually refers to those disbelievers who tortured believers. | ||
The majority of exegetes believe the term "Qutila" in the 4th verse of [[Sura al-Buruj]], "Qutila Ashab al-Ukhdud," is in simple present form which gives information about the act of killing Ashab al-Ukhdud who are believers or disbelievers. Because some believe when disbelievers put believers in the ditch, God saved them and instead the fire spread and killed the disbelievers who were watching. Also, some other exegetes believed "Qutila" meant curse, which means "curse on Ashab al-Ukhdud", like the other verse "Qutila al-Insan ma akfara" which states that those who kill are disbelievers. | The majority of exegetes believe the term "Qutila" in the 4th verse of [[Sura al-Buruj]], "Qutila Ashab al-Ukhdud," is in simple present form which gives information about the act of killing Ashab al-Ukhdud who are believers or disbelievers. Because some believe when disbelievers put believers in the ditch, God saved them and instead the fire spread and killed the disbelievers who were watching.<ref>Fakhr al-Rāzī, ''al-Tafsīr al-kabīr'', vol. 31, p. 119; Ibn al-Nuḥās, ''Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān'', vol. 5, p. 192.</ref> Also, some other exegetes believed "Qutila" meant curse, which means "curse on Ashab al-Ukhdud", like the other verse "Qutila al-Insan ma akfara" which states that those who kill are disbelievers.<ref>Fakhr al-Rāzī, ''al-Tafsīr al-kabīr'', vol. 31, p. 119; Thaʿlabī, ''Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ'', p. 439.</ref> | ||
==The Incident== | ==The Incident== | ||
A group of disbelievers dug a ditch and filled it with fire, then they told believers to abandon their religion or they had to throw themselves in fire. Believers threw themselves in fire then it was a woman's turn who had a one month old baby in her arms. She wanted to go through the fire but she also wanted to save the baby's life, suddenly the baby started talking and said to her mother to enter the fire together, and she went through fire with her baby. | A group of disbelievers dug a ditch and filled it with fire, then they told believers to abandon their religion or they had to throw themselves in fire. Believers threw themselves in fire then it was a woman's turn who had a one month old baby in her arms. She wanted to go through the fire but she also wanted to save the baby's life, suddenly the baby started talking and said to her mother to enter the fire together, and she went through fire with her baby.<ref>Nayshābūrī, ''Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim'', vol. 2, p. 599.</ref> | ||
The number of killed believers were stated differently in Islamic sources, they mentioned 7, 10, 77, and 80 perished people, while the majority of narrations stated that 20 thousand people were killed in that incident; besides, some sources mentioned their number even higher. | The number of killed believers were stated differently in Islamic sources, they mentioned 7, 10,<ref>Abū l-ʿArab, ''Kitāb al-miḥan'', p. 119.</ref> 77, and 80<ref>Thaʿlabī, ''Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ'', p. 439</ref> perished people, while the majority of narrations stated that 20 thousand people were killed in that incident;<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 37; Qummī, ''Tafsīr al-Qummī'', vol. 2, p. 413.</ref> besides, some sources mentioned their number even higher.<ref>Qurṭubī, ''al-Jāmiʿ li-ahkām al-Qurʾān'', vol. 19, p. 292.</ref> | ||
==Time and Tribe== | ==Time and Tribe== | ||
There are disagreements among exegetes and historians on the time and the tribe who suffered the incident and there are questions on whether it happened only one time or it was series of events. The most famous report is about Dhu Nuwas the last Jewish King of Himyarite in [[Yemen]]. | There are disagreements among exegetes and historians on the time and the tribe who suffered the incident and there are questions on whether it happened only one time or it was series of events. The most famous report is about Dhu Nuwas the last Jewish King of Himyarite in [[Yemen]].<ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, ''Tafsīr-i nimūna'', vol. 26, p. 338.</ref> | ||
It is mentioned in Islamic sources that the event of the People of the Ditch took place in the time of Dhu Nuwas the last Jewish King of Himyarite in Yemen. They said he was a fierce enemy of Christians of [[Najran]] and he attacked them and killed believers. However, a number of reports stated that the event of the People of the Ditch was related to other tribes as well. According to a quotation from [[Ibn 'Abbas]], the People of the Ditch were [[Banu Isra'il]] who were probably among those followers of Daniel who were killed. [[Ibn Kathir]] also stated that Nebuchadnezzar II ordered people of Babylon to worship idols. Only Daniel and two of his supporters disobeyed and the King ordered to put them in fire, but when they were thrown in fire, it became peaceful to them. In another report, it is said that the killer of the People of the Ditch was a Zoroastrian king. In addition, in one report God chose a person from [[Abyssinia]] as prophet who went to a battle against disbelievers, they were killed and their captives were set on fire in a ditch. | It is mentioned in Islamic sources that the event of the People of the Ditch took place in the time of Dhu Nuwas the last Jewish King of Himyarite in Yemen. They said he was a fierce enemy of Christians of [[Najran]] and he attacked them and killed believers. However, a number of reports stated that the event of the People of the Ditch was related to other tribes as well. According to a quotation from [[Ibn 'Abbas]], the People of the Ditch were [[Banu Isra'il]] who were probably among those followers of Daniel who were killed.<ref>Qurṭubī, ''al-Jāmiʿ li-ahkām al-Qurʾān'', vol. 19, p. 290.</ref> [[Ibn Kathir]] also stated that Nebuchadnezzar II ordered people of Babylon to worship idols. Only Daniel and two of his supporters disobeyed and the King ordered to put them in fire, but when they were thrown in fire, it became peaceful to them.<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʾaẓīm'', vol. 7, p. 260-261.</ref> In another report, it is said that the killer of the People of the Ditch was a Zoroastrian king.<ref>Thaʿlabī, ''Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ'', p. 439; Zamakhsharī, ''al-Kashshāf'', vol. 4, p. 730-731.</ref> In addition, in one report God chose a person from [[Abyssinia]] as prophet<ref>Quṭb al-Rāwandī, ''Qiṣāṣ al-anbīyāʾ''. p. 246.</ref> who went to a battle against disbelievers, they were killed and their captives were set on fire in a ditch.<ref>Barqī, ''al-Maḥāsin'', p. 250.</ref> | ||
[[Fakhr al-Din al-Razi]] believed it is probable that different groups of people similar to Ashab al-Ukhdud existed. Some researchers believed the story of Ashab al-Ukhdud repeated in the past a few times. According to 'Abd al-Rahman b. Jubayr, the story of the People of the Ditch took place in the time of Tuba' in [[Yemen]], in the time of Emperor Constantine in Constantinople and in the time of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon. | [[Fakhr al-Din al-Razi]] believed it is probable that different groups of people similar to Ashab al-Ukhdud existed.<ref>Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 31, p. 118-119.</ref> Some researchers believed the story of Ashab al-Ukhdud repeated in the past a few times. According to 'Abd al-Rahman b. Jubayr, the story of the People of the Ditch took place in the time of Tuba' in [[Yemen]], in the time of Emperor Constantine in Constantinople and in the time of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon.<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʾaẓīm'', vol. 7, p. 259-261; Thaʿlabī, ''Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ'', p. 439.</ref> | ||
==In the Qur'an and in Christian Reports== | ==In the Qur'an and in Christian Reports== | ||
Muslims exegetes believe that because in the time of [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] Muslims of [[Mecca]] were prosecuted and troubled by [[Quraysh]], the verses of [[Sura al-Buruj]] were revealed to Prophet (s) in order to condemn disbelievers and encourage Muslims to resist against their enemies; they also praised their patience and resistance. Therefore, some aspects of this event including the patience of Ashab al-Ukhdud were valued and highlighted by exegetes. Besides, Ashab al-Ukhdud were mentioned in Islamic sources as a symbol of patience. | Muslims exegetes believe that because in the time of [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] Muslims of [[Mecca]] were prosecuted and troubled by [[Quraysh]], the verses of [[Sura al-Buruj]] were revealed to Prophet (s) in order to condemn disbelievers and encourage Muslims to resist against their enemies; they also praised their patience and resistance.Therefore, some aspects of this event including the patience of Ashab al-Ukhdud were valued and highlighted by exegetes.<ref>Fakhr al-Rāzī, ''al-Tafsīr al-kabīr'', vol. 31, p. 117-119; Qurṭubī, ''al-Jāmiʿ li-ahkām al-Qurʾān'', vol. 19, p. 293; Zamakhsharī, ''al-Kashshāf'', vol. 4, p. 729-730.</ref> Besides, Ashab al-Ukhdud were mentioned in Islamic sources as a symbol of patience.<ref>Abū l-ʿArab, ''Kitāb al-miḥan'', p. 407. Zamakhsharī, ''al-Kashshāf'', vol. 4, p. 729-730.</ref> | ||
In Christian reports, the story of the People of the Ditch has been brought up to commemorate the martyrs, intensify religious feelings of Christians and stimulate Byzantine and Abyssinian Empires against Jewish Himyarite Kingdom. | In Christian reports, the story of the People of the Ditch has been brought up to commemorate the martyrs, intensify religious feelings of Christians and stimulate Byzantine and Abyssinian Empires against Jewish Himyarite Kingdom.<ref>Nöldeke, ''Tārīkh Īrānīyān wa ʿArābhā'', p. 330, 331.</ref> | ||
==Historical Background== | ==Historical Background== | ||
| Line 44: | Line 44: | ||
===The Report by Wahb b. Munabbih=== | ===The Report by Wahb b. Munabbih=== | ||
According to [[Wahb b. Munabbih]], a man called Fimiyun who was a virtuous and ascetic person, had not introduced himself to people where he was living. Whenever he was recognized in a region, he would immediately leave the place and move to a different region. Once a man called Salih joined him in one of his sojourns and they moved to Najran where they found people worshiping a giant tree which was decorated with jewelries. They invited people to Christianity and after a short period of time they managed to convert a large number of them to that religion. | According to [[Wahb b. Munabbih]], a man called Fimiyun who was a virtuous and ascetic person, had not introduced himself to people where he was living. Whenever he was recognized in a region, he would immediately leave the place and move to a different region. Once a man called Salih joined him in one of his sojourns and they moved to Najran where they found people worshiping a giant tree which was decorated with jewelries. They invited people to Christianity and after a short period of time they managed to convert a large number of them to that religion.<ref>See: Ibn Hishām, ''al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 32-35.</ref> | ||
===The Report by Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qarzi=== | ===The Report by Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qarzi=== | ||
Based on a report by Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qarzi, people of Najran were pagans and idolaters and a sorcerer would teach them sorcery in a nearby village. When the divine character in his report (i.e. Fimiyun, not explicitly mentioned) arrived there, he set up a tent and paved the way for monotheism. A man named Thamir encouraged his son, 'Abd Allah, to learn sorcery from the sorcerer. On his way to the house of the sorcerer, 'Abd Allah was so impressed with the conduct of Fimiyun that preferred the latter's company to learning sorcery. Based on this report, he learnt the Great Name of God from Fimiyun and was doing extraordinary acts. When the ruler of the region found out about him, he ordered to kill him, but they failed to do so. 'Abd Allah told them if they wanted to take his life they had to convert to his religion, then the ruler immediately converted and then he hit 'Abd Allah with his stick which killed 'Abd Allah and himself. While people were watching the incident they believed in 'Abd Allah's religion and they converted. Another report has been narrated by [[Suhayb b. Sinan]] from the [[Prophet (s)]] which is close to the report by Muhammad b. Ka'b. | Based on a report by Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qarzi, people of Najran were pagans and idolaters and a sorcerer would teach them sorcery in a nearby village. When the divine character in his report (i.e. Fimiyun, not explicitly mentioned) arrived there, he set up a tent and paved the way for monotheism. A man named Thamir encouraged his son, 'Abd Allah, to learn sorcery from the sorcerer. On his way to the house of the sorcerer, 'Abd Allah was so impressed with the conduct of Fimiyun that preferred the latter's company to learning sorcery. Based on this report, he learnt the Great Name of God from Fimiyun and was doing extraordinary acts. When the ruler of the region found out about him, he ordered to kill him, but they failed to do so. 'Abd Allah told them if they wanted to take his life they had to convert to his religion, then the ruler immediately converted and then he hit 'Abd Allah with his stick which killed 'Abd Allah and himself. While people were watching the incident they believed in 'Abd Allah's religion and they converted.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 35-36.</ref> Another report has been narrated by [[Suhayb b. Sinan]] from the [[Prophet (s)]] which is close to the report by Muhammad b. Ka'b.<ref>Nayshābūrī, ''Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim'', vol. 2, p. 598-599.</ref> | ||
Generally Zar'a and Yusuf were mentioned in Islamic sources as the original and the second name of the King, while Dhu Nuwas is said to be his title. Also sources stated that Dhu Nuwas was not a follower of Judaism before, however, when he converted to this religion, he intended to encourage people to convert to Judaism and ordered to kill those who rejected to convert. | Generally Zar'a and Yusuf were mentioned in Islamic sources as the original and the second name of the King, while Dhu Nuwas is said to be his title.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''al-Tījān'', p. 301; Dīnawarī, ''Akhbār al-tiwāl'', p. 61.</ref> Also sources stated that Dhu Nuwas was not a follower of Judaism before, however, when he converted to this religion, he intended to encourage people to convert to Judaism and ordered to kill those who rejected to convert.<ref>Dīnawarī, ''Akhbār al-tiwāl'', p. 61.</ref> | ||
===In Christian Sources=== | ===In Christian Sources=== | ||
It can be inferred from a number of Christian sources including the letter of Simon about the massacre of Christians in Najran that, Simon was informed of the massacre of Christians in Najran in January 524 and he stated that the event took place a while before. In some Christian sources, those who were killed were called Ukhdud. | It can be inferred from a number of Christian sources including the letter of Simon about the massacre of Christians in Najran<ref>Moberg, ''The book of the Himyarites'', p. 24-25.</ref> that, Simon was informed of the massacre of Christians in Najran in January 524 and he stated that the event took place a while before.<ref>Nöldeke, ''Tārīkh Īrānīyān wa ʿArābhā'', p. 330, 331.</ref> In some Christian sources, those who were killed were called Ukhdud.<ref>Afrām, "Kitāb al-Shuhadāʾ al-Ḥimyarīyyīn", p. 16-17.</ref> | ||
==Likening Some Companions of Shi'ite Imams to Ashab al-Ukhdud== | ==Likening Some Companions of Shi'ite Imams to Ashab al-Ukhdud== | ||
Based on a narration from [[Imam Ali (a)]], he mentioned the death of seven people of virtuous men from [[Kufa]] in 'Adhra region and likened them to Ashab al-Ukhdud. In some narrations, the reference was to [[Hujr b. 'Adi]] and his men who were prosecuted because of their belief in God. | Based on a narration from [[Imam Ali (a)]], he mentioned the death of seven people of virtuous men from [[Kufa]] in 'Adhra region and likened them to Ashab al-Ukhdud.<ref>Thaqafī, ''al-Ghārāt'', vol. 2, p. 815.</ref> In some narrations, the reference was to [[Hujr b. 'Adi]] and his men who were prosecuted because of their belief in God.<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 8, p. 56.</ref> | ||
In some Islamic sources, [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and other [[martyrs of Karbala]] were also likened to Ashab al-Ukhdud.<ref>Ibn Ṭāwūs, ''Saʿd al-suʿūd'', p. 136.</ref> | |||
==Notes== | |||
{{Notes}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{references}} | {{references}} | ||
* The | *Abū l-ʿArab, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Tamīmī. ''Kitāb al-miḥan''. Edited by Yaḥyā Wahīb al-Jawrī. Beirut: n.p, 1403 AH. | ||
*Afrām, Aghnāṭīyyūs. 1948. "Kitāb al-Shuhadāʾ al-Ḥimyarīyyīn". Majallāt al-Majmaʿ al-ʿIlmī al-ʿArabī Bi Damascus 23: (3-18). | |||
*Azharī, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-. ''Tahdhīb al-lugha''. Edited by Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Munʿim Khafājī et. al. Cairo: n.p, 1384 AH. | |||
*Barqī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-. ''Al-Maḥāsin''. Edited by Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥadith. Tehran: n.p, 1330 Sh. | |||
*Dīnawarī, Āḥmad b. Dāwūd. ''Akhbār al-tiwāl''. Edited by ʿAbd al-Munʿim ʿĀmir. Cairo: n.p, 1960. | |||
*Fakhr al-Rāzī, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar. ''Al-Tafsīr al-kabīr''. Cairo: al-Maṭbaʿa al-Bahīyya, n.d. | |||
*Frāhīdī, Khalīl b. Aḥmad. ''Al-ʿIyn''. Edited by Mahdī Makhzūmī & Ibrāhīm Sāmirrāyī. Qom: n.p, 1405 AH. | |||
*Ibn al-Nuḥās, Ahmad Ibrahim Muhammad al Dimashqi. ''Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān''. Edited by Zahīr Ghāzī Zāhid. Beirut: n.p, 1405 AH. | |||
*Ibn Hishām, ʿAbd al-Malik. ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya''. Edited by Muṣṭafā l-Saqā et. al. Cairo: n.p, 1355 AH. | |||
*Ibn Hishām, ʿAbd al-Malik. ''Al-Tījān''. Hyderabad: n.p, 1347 AH. | |||
*Ibn Kathīr al-Dimashqī, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. ''Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya''. Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1407 AH. | |||
*Ibn Kathīr al-Dimashqī, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. ''Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʾaẓīm''. Beirut: n.p, 1388 AH. | |||
*Ibn Ṭāwūs, Sayyid ʿAlī b. Mūsā. ''Saʿd al-suʿūd li-l-nufūs al-manḍūd''. Qom: Dār al-Dhakhāʾir, n.d. | |||
*Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. ''Tafsīr-i nimūna''. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1374 Sh. | |||
*Moberg, Axel. ''The book of the Himyarites''. London: n.p, 1924. | |||
*Nayshābūrī, Muslim b. Ḥajāj al-. ''Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim''. Beirut: 1397 AH. | |||
*Nöldeke, Theodor. ''Tārīkh Īrānīyān wa ʿArābhā dar zaman-i Sāsānīyan''. Translated by ʿAbbas Zaryāb. Tehran: n.p, 1358 Sh. | |||
*Qummī, ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm. ''Tafsīr al-Qummī''. Edited by Ṭayyib Mūsawī Jazāʾirī. Qom: Dār al-Kitāb, 1404 AH. | |||
*Qurṭubī, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-. ''al-Jāmiʿ li-ahkām al-Qurʾān''. Beirut: n.p, 1967. | |||
*Quṭb al-Rāwandī, Saʿīd b. Hibat Allah. ''Qiṣāṣ al-anbīyāʾ''. Edited by Ghulām Riḍa ʿIrfānīyān. Mashhad: n.p, 1409 AH. | |||
*Rāghib al-Isfahānī, Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-. ''Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān''. Edited by Ṣafwān ʿAdnān Dāwūdī. Beirut: Dār al-ʿIlm al-Dār al-Shāmīyya, 1412 AH. | |||
*Thaʿlabī al-Nayshābūrī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-. ''Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ''. Beirut: n.p, 1401 AH. | |||
*Thaqafī, Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad al-. ''al-Ghārāt''. Edited by Jalāl al-Dīn Ḥusaynī. Tehran: Anjuman-i Āthār-i Millī, 1353 Sh. | |||
*Zamakhsharī, Maḥmūd b. ʿUmar al-. ''al-Kashshāf''. Beirut: n.p, 1408 AH. | |||
{{end}} | {{end}} | ||
Revision as of 15:05, 28 November 2017
Aṣḥāb al-Ukhdūd (Arabic: أصحاب الأخدود, literally: People of the Ditch) were believers who were thrown into fiery ditches because of believing in God. However, some exegetes believe that People of the Ditch were actually those disbelievers who threw believers in the ditches. People of the Ditch are mentioned in the Qur'an in Sura al-Buruj, verses 4–8. Exegetes believe the purpose of revelation of these verses was to condemn disbelievers and to encourage resistance in believers.
Also, reports on the People of the Ditch are stated in Christian sources, and the purpose was to commemorate martyrs and intensify religious feelings of Christians against the Jews.
There are disagreements on the identity of the tribe who suffered in the incident as well as the time of the event. The most famous report is about Dhu Nuwas, the last Himyaritic King in Yemen who burnt a number of people of Najran because they converted to Christianity.
Designation
The term Ukhdud means a groove in the ground[1] or a trench.[2] It refers to the ditches which believers were put in and set afire because of their faith. Those believers who were killed in this way were called Ashab al-Ukhdud (People of the Ditch); however, some believe that Ashab al-Ukhdud actually refers to those disbelievers who tortured believers.
The majority of exegetes believe the term "Qutila" in the 4th verse of Sura al-Buruj, "Qutila Ashab al-Ukhdud," is in simple present form which gives information about the act of killing Ashab al-Ukhdud who are believers or disbelievers. Because some believe when disbelievers put believers in the ditch, God saved them and instead the fire spread and killed the disbelievers who were watching.[3] Also, some other exegetes believed "Qutila" meant curse, which means "curse on Ashab al-Ukhdud", like the other verse "Qutila al-Insan ma akfara" which states that those who kill are disbelievers.[4]
The Incident
A group of disbelievers dug a ditch and filled it with fire, then they told believers to abandon their religion or they had to throw themselves in fire. Believers threw themselves in fire then it was a woman's turn who had a one month old baby in her arms. She wanted to go through the fire but she also wanted to save the baby's life, suddenly the baby started talking and said to her mother to enter the fire together, and she went through fire with her baby.[5]
The number of killed believers were stated differently in Islamic sources, they mentioned 7, 10,[6] 77, and 80[7] perished people, while the majority of narrations stated that 20 thousand people were killed in that incident;[8] besides, some sources mentioned their number even higher.[9]
Time and Tribe
There are disagreements among exegetes and historians on the time and the tribe who suffered the incident and there are questions on whether it happened only one time or it was series of events. The most famous report is about Dhu Nuwas the last Jewish King of Himyarite in Yemen.[10]
It is mentioned in Islamic sources that the event of the People of the Ditch took place in the time of Dhu Nuwas the last Jewish King of Himyarite in Yemen. They said he was a fierce enemy of Christians of Najran and he attacked them and killed believers. However, a number of reports stated that the event of the People of the Ditch was related to other tribes as well. According to a quotation from Ibn 'Abbas, the People of the Ditch were Banu Isra'il who were probably among those followers of Daniel who were killed.[11] Ibn Kathir also stated that Nebuchadnezzar II ordered people of Babylon to worship idols. Only Daniel and two of his supporters disobeyed and the King ordered to put them in fire, but when they were thrown in fire, it became peaceful to them.[12] In another report, it is said that the killer of the People of the Ditch was a Zoroastrian king.[13] In addition, in one report God chose a person from Abyssinia as prophet[14] who went to a battle against disbelievers, they were killed and their captives were set on fire in a ditch.[15]
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi believed it is probable that different groups of people similar to Ashab al-Ukhdud existed.[16] Some researchers believed the story of Ashab al-Ukhdud repeated in the past a few times. According to 'Abd al-Rahman b. Jubayr, the story of the People of the Ditch took place in the time of Tuba' in Yemen, in the time of Emperor Constantine in Constantinople and in the time of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon.[17]
In the Qur'an and in Christian Reports
Muslims exegetes believe that because in the time of Prophet Muhammad (s) Muslims of Mecca were prosecuted and troubled by Quraysh, the verses of Sura al-Buruj were revealed to Prophet (s) in order to condemn disbelievers and encourage Muslims to resist against their enemies; they also praised their patience and resistance.Therefore, some aspects of this event including the patience of Ashab al-Ukhdud were valued and highlighted by exegetes.[18] Besides, Ashab al-Ukhdud were mentioned in Islamic sources as a symbol of patience.[19]
In Christian reports, the story of the People of the Ditch has been brought up to commemorate the martyrs, intensify religious feelings of Christians and stimulate Byzantine and Abyssinian Empires against Jewish Himyarite Kingdom.[20]
Historical Background
Different reports are stated in narrative sources about the conversion of people of Najran to Christianity which was a prelude to the incident of the People of the Ditch.
The Report by Wahb b. Munabbih
According to Wahb b. Munabbih, a man called Fimiyun who was a virtuous and ascetic person, had not introduced himself to people where he was living. Whenever he was recognized in a region, he would immediately leave the place and move to a different region. Once a man called Salih joined him in one of his sojourns and they moved to Najran where they found people worshiping a giant tree which was decorated with jewelries. They invited people to Christianity and after a short period of time they managed to convert a large number of them to that religion.[21]
The Report by Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qarzi
Based on a report by Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qarzi, people of Najran were pagans and idolaters and a sorcerer would teach them sorcery in a nearby village. When the divine character in his report (i.e. Fimiyun, not explicitly mentioned) arrived there, he set up a tent and paved the way for monotheism. A man named Thamir encouraged his son, 'Abd Allah, to learn sorcery from the sorcerer. On his way to the house of the sorcerer, 'Abd Allah was so impressed with the conduct of Fimiyun that preferred the latter's company to learning sorcery. Based on this report, he learnt the Great Name of God from Fimiyun and was doing extraordinary acts. When the ruler of the region found out about him, he ordered to kill him, but they failed to do so. 'Abd Allah told them if they wanted to take his life they had to convert to his religion, then the ruler immediately converted and then he hit 'Abd Allah with his stick which killed 'Abd Allah and himself. While people were watching the incident they believed in 'Abd Allah's religion and they converted.[22] Another report has been narrated by Suhayb b. Sinan from the Prophet (s) which is close to the report by Muhammad b. Ka'b.[23]
Generally Zar'a and Yusuf were mentioned in Islamic sources as the original and the second name of the King, while Dhu Nuwas is said to be his title.[24] Also sources stated that Dhu Nuwas was not a follower of Judaism before, however, when he converted to this religion, he intended to encourage people to convert to Judaism and ordered to kill those who rejected to convert.[25]
In Christian Sources
It can be inferred from a number of Christian sources including the letter of Simon about the massacre of Christians in Najran[26] that, Simon was informed of the massacre of Christians in Najran in January 524 and he stated that the event took place a while before.[27] In some Christian sources, those who were killed were called Ukhdud.[28]
Likening Some Companions of Shi'ite Imams to Ashab al-Ukhdud
Based on a narration from Imam Ali (a), he mentioned the death of seven people of virtuous men from Kufa in 'Adhra region and likened them to Ashab al-Ukhdud.[29] In some narrations, the reference was to Hujr b. 'Adi and his men who were prosecuted because of their belief in God.[30]
In some Islamic sources, Imam al-Husayn (a) and other martyrs of Karbala were also likened to Ashab al-Ukhdud.[31]
Notes
- ↑ Frāhīdī, al-ʿIyn, vol. 4, p. 138; Azharī, Tahdhīb al-lugha, vol. 6, p. 560.
- ↑ Rāghib al-Isfahānī, Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān, p. 276.
- ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 31, p. 119; Ibn al-Nuḥās, Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān, vol. 5, p. 192.
- ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 31, p. 119; Thaʿlabī, Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ, p. 439.
- ↑ Nayshābūrī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 2, p. 599.
- ↑ Abū l-ʿArab, Kitāb al-miḥan, p. 119.
- ↑ Thaʿlabī, Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ, p. 439
- ↑ Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawīyya, vol. 1, p. 37; Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, vol. 2, p. 413.
- ↑ Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-ahkām al-Qurʾān, vol. 19, p. 292.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 26, p. 338.
- ↑ Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-ahkām al-Qurʾān, vol. 19, p. 290.
- ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʾaẓīm, vol. 7, p. 260-261.
- ↑ Thaʿlabī, Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ, p. 439; Zamakhsharī, al-Kashshāf, vol. 4, p. 730-731.
- ↑ Quṭb al-Rāwandī, Qiṣāṣ al-anbīyāʾ. p. 246.
- ↑ Barqī, al-Maḥāsin, p. 250.
- ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 31, p. 118-119.
- ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʾaẓīm, vol. 7, p. 259-261; Thaʿlabī, Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ, p. 439.
- ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 31, p. 117-119; Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-ahkām al-Qurʾān, vol. 19, p. 293; Zamakhsharī, al-Kashshāf, vol. 4, p. 729-730.
- ↑ Abū l-ʿArab, Kitāb al-miḥan, p. 407. Zamakhsharī, al-Kashshāf, vol. 4, p. 729-730.
- ↑ Nöldeke, Tārīkh Īrānīyān wa ʿArābhā, p. 330, 331.
- ↑ See: Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawīyya, vol. 1, p. 32-35.
- ↑ Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawīyya, vol. 1, p. 35-36.
- ↑ Nayshābūrī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 2, p. 598-599.
- ↑ Ibn Hishām, al-Tījān, p. 301; Dīnawarī, Akhbār al-tiwāl, p. 61.
- ↑ Dīnawarī, Akhbār al-tiwāl, p. 61.
- ↑ Moberg, The book of the Himyarites, p. 24-25.
- ↑ Nöldeke, Tārīkh Īrānīyān wa ʿArābhā, p. 330, 331.
- ↑ Afrām, "Kitāb al-Shuhadāʾ al-Ḥimyarīyyīn", p. 16-17.
- ↑ Thaqafī, al-Ghārāt, vol. 2, p. 815.
- ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, vol. 8, p. 56.
- ↑ Ibn Ṭāwūs, Saʿd al-suʿūd, p. 136.
References
- Abū l-ʿArab, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Tamīmī. Kitāb al-miḥan. Edited by Yaḥyā Wahīb al-Jawrī. Beirut: n.p, 1403 AH.
- Afrām, Aghnāṭīyyūs. 1948. "Kitāb al-Shuhadāʾ al-Ḥimyarīyyīn". Majallāt al-Majmaʿ al-ʿIlmī al-ʿArabī Bi Damascus 23: (3-18).
- Azharī, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-. Tahdhīb al-lugha. Edited by Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Munʿim Khafājī et. al. Cairo: n.p, 1384 AH.
- Barqī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-. Al-Maḥāsin. Edited by Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥadith. Tehran: n.p, 1330 Sh.
- Dīnawarī, Āḥmad b. Dāwūd. Akhbār al-tiwāl. Edited by ʿAbd al-Munʿim ʿĀmir. Cairo: n.p, 1960.
- Fakhr al-Rāzī, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar. Al-Tafsīr al-kabīr. Cairo: al-Maṭbaʿa al-Bahīyya, n.d.
- Frāhīdī, Khalīl b. Aḥmad. Al-ʿIyn. Edited by Mahdī Makhzūmī & Ibrāhīm Sāmirrāyī. Qom: n.p, 1405 AH.
- Ibn al-Nuḥās, Ahmad Ibrahim Muhammad al Dimashqi. Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān. Edited by Zahīr Ghāzī Zāhid. Beirut: n.p, 1405 AH.
- Ibn Hishām, ʿAbd al-Malik. Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya. Edited by Muṣṭafā l-Saqā et. al. Cairo: n.p, 1355 AH.
- Ibn Hishām, ʿAbd al-Malik. Al-Tījān. Hyderabad: n.p, 1347 AH.
- Ibn Kathīr al-Dimashqī, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya. Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1407 AH.
- Ibn Kathīr al-Dimashqī, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʾaẓīm. Beirut: n.p, 1388 AH.
- Ibn Ṭāwūs, Sayyid ʿAlī b. Mūsā. Saʿd al-suʿūd li-l-nufūs al-manḍūd. Qom: Dār al-Dhakhāʾir, n.d.
- Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1374 Sh.
- Moberg, Axel. The book of the Himyarites. London: n.p, 1924.
- Nayshābūrī, Muslim b. Ḥajāj al-. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Beirut: 1397 AH.
- Nöldeke, Theodor. Tārīkh Īrānīyān wa ʿArābhā dar zaman-i Sāsānīyan. Translated by ʿAbbas Zaryāb. Tehran: n.p, 1358 Sh.
- Qummī, ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm. Tafsīr al-Qummī. Edited by Ṭayyib Mūsawī Jazāʾirī. Qom: Dār al-Kitāb, 1404 AH.
- Qurṭubī, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-. al-Jāmiʿ li-ahkām al-Qurʾān. Beirut: n.p, 1967.
- Quṭb al-Rāwandī, Saʿīd b. Hibat Allah. Qiṣāṣ al-anbīyāʾ. Edited by Ghulām Riḍa ʿIrfānīyān. Mashhad: n.p, 1409 AH.
- Rāghib al-Isfahānī, Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-. Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān. Edited by Ṣafwān ʿAdnān Dāwūdī. Beirut: Dār al-ʿIlm al-Dār al-Shāmīyya, 1412 AH.
- Thaʿlabī al-Nayshābūrī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-. Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ. Beirut: n.p, 1401 AH.
- Thaqafī, Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad al-. al-Ghārāt. Edited by Jalāl al-Dīn Ḥusaynī. Tehran: Anjuman-i Āthār-i Millī, 1353 Sh.
- Zamakhsharī, Maḥmūd b. ʿUmar al-. al-Kashshāf. Beirut: n.p, 1408 AH.