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

Sa'sa'a b. Sawhan was from Abd al-Qays tribe. He was born near [[Qatif]] and then he moved to [[Kufa]]. Thus, he came to be known as "Kufi" as well. Sa'sa'a's [[teknonym]] was Abu Talha. [[Zayd b. Sawhan|Zayd]] and Sayhan were his brothers and both were [[Shi'a]]s of Imam Ali (a).

Sa'sa'a converted to [[Islam]] in the period of the [[Prophet (s)]], but he never saw the Prophet (s). In the period of [[Umar b. al-Khattab]], the second caliph, [[Abu Musa al-Ash'ari]] sent some money to the caliph, and the caliph distributed it among people, but some amount of the money remained after the distribution. He inquired the views of Muslims about the remaining money. Sa'sa'a said,

"Consult with people about things [[God]] has said nothing about in the [[Qur'an]]. But when God has issued a ruling about something, then act upon the ruling."

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.

Sa'sa'a was present in the [[funeral]] of Imam Ali (a). After the [[burial]], he went to the Imam's (a) grave, and while he was throwing soil on his head and sobbing, he described Imam Ali's (a) virtues, and asked God to make him a friend of Imam Ali (a) and help him remain steadfast on his path.

Sa'sa'a referred to Imam Ali (a) as the adornment of caliphate, believing that Imam Ali (a) gave value to the position of caliphate and that caliphate needed Imam Ali (a) more than he needed caliphate.

Sa'sa'a was present in battles that took place in the period of Imam Ali's (a) government. In the [[Battle of Jamal]], his brother Sayhan was the flag-holder of Abd al-Qays tribe. After [[Sayhan]]'s [[martyrdom]], his other brother, Zayd, became the flag-holder, and after Zayd's death, Sa'sa'a himself held the flag.

In the [[Battle of Siffin]], Sa'sa'a was the commander of Abd al-Qays tribe in Kufa. Prior to the commence of the war, Mu'awiya's army gained dominion over water and blocked Imam Ali's (a) army from any access to it. Imam Ali (a) sent Sa'sa'a to Mu'awiya for negotiations.

Also, before the commence of the [[Battle of Nahrawan]], [[Imam Ali (a)]] sent Sa'sa'a to [[Khawarij]] for negotiations and advice. In these talks, he emphasized on following Imam Ali (a). His talks with Khawarij appear in ''[[al-Ikhtisas]]'' by al-Shaykh al-Mufid.

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 the [[treasury]] (Bayt al-Mal). So he was imprisoned by Imam Ali (a), but after Sa'sa'as [[Shafa'a|intercession]], he was released. According to ''[[al-Gharat]]'', Sa'sa'a told Imam Ali (a), "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."

According to [[al-Kashshi]] in ''[[Ma'rifat al-rijal]]'', in the story of [[Imam al-Hasan]]'s (a) [[Peace Treaty of Imam al-Hasan (a)|Peace Treaty]] 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 peace treaty, 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 a report by [[Ibn A'tham al-Kufi]], Mu'awiya told prominent figures of [[Kufa]], "Why do you think I have given you amnesty despite your follies, and despite the fact that you deserved to be punished? May God bless [[Abu Sufyan]] who was tolerant, and if all people were his children, they would become tolerant too." Sa'sa'a said, "O Mu'awiya! I swear to God that these people are children of people better than Abu Sufyan, and the number of foolish people from Abu Sufyan's progeny is greater than the tolerant ones."

Sa'sa'a was a skillful orator. In sources of history and [[hadith]]s, he is described as an eloquent person. Imam Ali (a) characterized Sa'sa'a as "al-khatib al-shahshah" (the skillful orator). Mu'awiya and [[Mughira b. Shu'ba]] have also talked about his eloquence. Mu'awia referred to Sa'sa'a as having an iron tongue.

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]].

* Aḥmadī Mīyānajī, ʿAlī. ''Makātīb al-aʾimma''. Qom: Dār al-Ḥadīth, 1426 AH.

* Dhahabī, Muḥammad b. al-Aḥmad al-. ''Tārīkh al-Islām wa wafayāt al-mashāhīr wa l-aʿlām''. Edited by Bashār ʿAwād Maʿrūf. [n.p]. Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, 2003 AH.

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