Al-Farazdaq: Difference between revisions

Hammam b. Ghalib b. Sa'sa'a b. 'Iqal<ref>Bilādhurī, ‘’Ansāb al-ashrāf’’, vol. 12, p. 65.</ref> was considered among the great personalities of [[Banu Tamim]].<ref>Mustawfī, ‘’Tārīkh guzīda’’, p. 709.</ref> His father, Ghalib was a generous and honorable person and was among the chiefs of his people.<ref>Amīn, ‘’Mustadrakāt aʿyān al-Shīʿa’’, vol. 10, p. 267.</ref> His mother Layla bt. Habis was the sister of [[Aqra' b. Habis al-Tamimi]] who was a [[companion of the Prophet (s)]].<ref>Mustawfī, ‘’Tārīkh guzīda’’, p. 709.</ref> In historical sources, there is no mention of the exact year of his birth and with regards to the disagreement existing about the year of his death, his birth can be guessed between 19/640 to 23/643-44.

His [[kunya]] was Abu Firas<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ‘’al-Futūḥ’’, p. 1049.</ref> and his title was al-Farazdaq. He had five children named Labta, Sabta, Khabta, Rakda, and Zam'a; the latter was a poet.<ref>Bilādhurī, ‘’Ansāb al-ashrāf’’, vol. 12, p. 66.</ref>

Al-Farazdaq was among the greatest poets of his time (Umayyad period).<ref>Dhahabī, ‘’Tārīkh al-Islām’’, vol. 7, p. 211.</ref> Factors such as being Bedouin,<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ‘’al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya’’, vol. 9, p. 265.</ref> attendance in most eloquent Arab tribes<ref>Amīn, ‘’Mustadrakāt aʿyān al-Shīʿa’’, vol. 3, p. 291.</ref> and his cleverness in answering<ref>Amīn, ‘’Mustadrakāt aʿyān al-Shīʿa’’, vol. 3, p. 291.</ref> made an appropriate ground for his poetic talent to be flourished. They said that without al-Farazdaq, one-third of Arabic lexicon and a half of hadiths and reports would be lost.<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ‘’al-Futūḥ’’, p. 1049.</ref> Al-Farazdaq's poetic talent mostly matched satire<ref>Balʿamī, ‘’Tārīkhnāma-yi Ṭabarī’’, vol. 5, p. 1552.</ref> and most of his poems were either in the form of satire or tribal pride.<ref>Bilādhurī, ‘’Ansāb al-ashrāf’’, vol. 12, p. 94.</ref>

In [[Sunni]] sources, al-Farazdaq is considered [[Shi'a]].<ref>Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh’’, vol. 14, p. 358; Maqdisī, ‘’Aḥsan al-taqāsīm’’, vol. 2, p. 618.</ref> Maybe, his meeting with [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], memorizing the [[Qur'an]] because of Imam's (a) advice, composing poems in criticism of [[Ibn Muljam]],<ref>Irbilī, ‘’Kashf al-ghumma’’, vol. 1, p. 582.</ref> going to [[Kufa]]<ref>Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh’’, vol. 10, p. 353.</ref> which was the center of Shi'a, his meeting with [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] in his journey to Kufa,<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 7, p. 2969.</ref> composing elegies for him<ref>Farazdaq, Dīwān al-farazdaq, vol. 1, p. 7.</ref> and most important of all, composing poems in praise of [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]] in the presence of [[Hisham b. 'Abd al-Malik]]<ref>Mustawfī, ‘’Tārīkh guzīda’’, p. 709.</ref> were among the top reasons for which he has been considered among Shi'a.

Once al-Farazdaq and his father went to Imam 'Ali (a). Imam (a) asked, "who is it?" Ghalib answered, "it is my son who is a poet." Imam (a) said, "Teach him the Qur'an which is better than poetry."<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ‘’al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya’’, vol. 9, p. 265.</ref> It is reported that after this event, he tied his feet until he memorized the Qur'an.<ref>Amīn, ‘’Mustadrakāt aʿyān al-Shīʿa’’, vol. 6, p. 451.</ref>

In the events of 60/680, it is mentioned that al-Farazdaq went to [[Mecca]] for [[hajj]] and met Imam al-Husayn (a) in [[al-Sifah]] station. Imam (a) asked him about the state of the people of Kufa and he answered, "I left them while their hearts were with you and their swords were against you (or in another version 'with Umayyads')."<ref>Ṭabarī, ‘’Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk’’, vol. 7, p. 2969.</ref> Al-Farazdaq himself mentioned this meeting in a poem.

Praising Imam (a) in the suffocating political atmosphere at that time, especially in the presence of Hisham, is not only an evidence for his courage and bravery deserving admiration but also proves his respect for this family. When Imam al-Sajjad (a) was informed about him being imprisoned, sent twelve thousand Dirhams for him. Al-Farazdaq sent back that money and said, "I praised you for the content of [[God]], not for a gift." Imam (a) sent the money again and said, "we [[the Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] do not take back what we bestow someone".<ref>Irbilī, ‘’Kashf al-ghumma’’, vol. 2, p. 80; Mustawfī, ‘’Tārīkh guzīda’’, p. 710.</ref>

[[Al-Kumayt b. Zayd al-Asadi]] had a tribal bond with al-Farazdaq. When al-Kumayt composed "Qasa'id al-Hashimiyyat" in praise of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), recited them to al-Farazdaq to check their quality. After al-Farazdaq heard his poems, said, "well-done son, you have mentioned so well saying that 'you have given up hoodlums and outlaws and your shot would never be missed and your speech would not be rejected' …spread these poems and confront with the enemy for you are a better poet than everyone in the past and the present."<ref>Masʿūdī, ‘’Murūj al-dhahab’’, vol. 2, p. 231.</ref>

Al-Farazdaq attended the courts of Umayyad caliphs including Walid,<ref>Ṭabarī, ‘’Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk’’, vol. 8, p. 96.</ref> Sulayman<ref>Dhahabī, ‘’Tārīkh al-Islām’’, vol. 7, p. 212.</ref> and others and composed poems in approval of their position. Those poems show al-Farazdaq's view about [[caliphate]] and at least draw him out of the realm of ideological [[Shi'a]].  

However, he cannot be considered a mere court poet. He also composed satires against the manner of some Arab rulers who behaved opposite to the principles of [[Islam]]. His satires about [[Ziyad b. Abih]]<ref>Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh’’, vol. 11, p. 37; Ṭabarī, ‘’Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk’’, vol. 7, p. 2853.</ref> and [[Mu'awiya]]<ref>Ibn Hishām, ‘’al-Sīra al-nabawīyya’’, vol. 2, p. 350.</ref> are examples of that.

Al-Farazdaq transmitted [[hadith]]s from [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], [[Abu Hurayra]], [[Abu Sa'id al-Khudri]], 'Arfaja b. As'ad, Zurara b. Karb, and [[Tirimmah b. 'Adi]], the poet and Khalid al-Hadhdha', Marwan al-Asghar, al-Hajjaj b. al-Hajjaj and others transmitted hadiths from him.<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ‘’al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya’’, vol. 9, p. 265.</ref>

According to the famous report, al-Farazdaq passed away in 110/728-29,<ref>Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh’’, vol. 14, p. 54.</ref> at the age of 91 in [[Basra]].<ref>Tihranī, ''al-Dharīʿa'', vol. 1, p. 344.</ref>

* The material for this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[[:fa:فرزدق|فرزدق]]}} in Farsi WikiShia.