Sa'sa'a b. Sawhan: Difference between revisions

'''Ṣa'ṣa'a b. Ṣawḥān''' (Arabic:{{ia|صعصة بن صوحان}}) was a [[companion of Imam Ali (a)]] who was present in battles of [[Jamal]], [[Siffin]], and [[Nahrawan]]. Sa'sa'a was a skilled orator. He deployed his skill to defend [[Imam Ali (a)]] and criticize [[Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan]]. Imam Ali (a) has characterized Sa'sa'a as a great companion of his. [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] referred to him as one of the few people who rightfully knew Imam Ali (a).  

Sa'sa'a was an opponent of [[Uthman b. Affan]], the third caliph, in Kufa. He and some other people, including his brother Zayd b. Sawhan as well as [[Malik al-Ashtar]], were banished to [[Syria]] at the caliph's command. A critical conversation between him and Uthman is cited in historical sources.

According to [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]], Sa'sa'a was a great companion of Imam Ali (a). [[Ibn Qutayba al-Dinawari]], the scholar of the third/[[ninth century]], has mentioned Sa'sa'a as a well-known Shi'a. According to [[al-Mas'udi]] in ''[[Muruj al-dhahab]]'', Imam Ali (a) has characterized Sa'sa'a as a great Arab figure and a head of his companions. According to a [[hadith]] cited by [[al-Kulayni]], Imam 'Ali (a) asked Sa'sa'a to be a witness on his will.

===Intercession for Mundhir b. Jarud===

According to ''[[Bihar al-anwar]]'', [[Mundhir b. Jarud]] was appointed as the head of an area by Imam Ali (a), but he illegally took out money from [[Bayt al-Mal]] (the treasury). So he was imprisoned by Imam Ali, but after Sa'sa'as intercession, he was released. According to ''[[al-Gharat]]'', Sa'sa'a told Imam Ali, "Mundhir b. Jarud's sister cries for him every day. Release him and I will warrant what he has taken from Bayt al-Mal." Imam Ali (a) replied, "There is no need for the warrant. If he takes an [[oath]] to the effect that he did not take the money, I will release him."

==Opposition to Mu'awiya==

According to [[al-Kashshi]] in ''[[Ma'rifat al-rijal]]'', in the story of [[Imam al-Hasan]]'s (a) compromise with [[Mu'awiya]], Sa'sa'a was one of the people for whom the Imam (a) received a safe conduct from Mu'awiya. After the compromise, Mu'awiya met Sa'sa'a in Kufa and told him, "I swear to God that I did not like to give you a safe conduct." Sa'sa'a said, "I swear to God that I did not like to call you like this," and then he called Mu'awiya "the Caliph." Mu'awiya said, "If you are honest in my recognition as the caliph, then climb the [[pulpit]] and then [[curse]] Ali." Sa'sa'a climbed the pulpit and after praising God, said the following structurally ambiguous sentence, "O people! I have just met a man (i.e. Mu'awiya) who has commanded me to curse Ali. So, curse him."

According to al-Kashshi, he deployed his oratorical skill to introduce and defend Imam Ali (a).

Sa'sa'a allegedly passed away in Kufa in the period of Mu'awiya's caliphate. However, according to some sources, at the command of Mu'awiya, Mughira banished Sa'sa'a to an island in [[Bahrain]], where he eventually passed away in about 70/689.

In the city of Askar in Bahrain, there is a grave attributed to Sa'sa'a, known as the Mosque of Sa'sa'a b Sawhan. Also, near the [[Mosque of Sahla]] in Kufa there is a mosque known as the [[Mosque of Sa'sa'a]], which was his place of [[worship]].

==References==

* The material for this article is mainly taken from [http://fa.wikishia.net/view/%D8%B5%D8%B9%D8%B5%D8%B9%D8%A9_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%86 {{ia|صعصعة بن صوحان}}] in Farsi WikiShia.

<onlyinclude>{{Editorial Box

  | priority =  

  | quality =  

  | links = done

  | categories = done

  | navbox = done

  | redirects = done

[[ar:صعصعة بن صوحان]]

[[ur:صعصعہ ابن صوحان]]