Al-Mukhtar b. Abi 'Ubayd al-Thaqafi: Difference between revisions

'''Al-Mukhtār b. Abī ʿUbayd al-Thaqafī''' ({{iarabic|المختار بن أبي عبيد الثقفي}}) (b. [[1]]/622-623 - d. [[67]]/687) the leader of one of the uprisings to take revenge of [[Imam al-Husayn]]'s (a) blood, one of [[tabi'un]] and from [[Ta'if]]. He hosted [[Muslim b. 'Aqil]] in [[Kufa]] and was imprisoned by [['Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad]] when the [[Battle of Karbala]] was taking place. During [[Uprising of al-Mukhtar|his uprising]] many of those people who took part in killing Imam al-Husayn (a) were killed. There is a disagreement regarding al-Muhktar's uprising, his religious sect, and his relation with the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. Some believe his uprising was with the permission of [[Imam Zayn al-'Abidin (a)]]. After 18 months of rule in [[Kufa]], al-Mukhtar was killed by [[Mus'ab b. al-Zubayr]] in [[67]]/687. His grave, which is next to the [[Mosque of Kufa]], is respected and visited by the Shi'a.

His mother saw another dream after his birth where someone told her that her child will have many followers.

Al-Mukhtar took part in the Battle of al-Jisr when he was 13, where he lost his father and brothers. Regardless of his young age, he insisted on going to the battlefield, but was prevented by his uncle, [[Sa'd b. Mas'ud al-Thaqafi|Sa'd b. Mas'ud]].<ref>Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 45, p. 350.</ref>

In his book ''Siyar a'lam al-nubala''', [[Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi]] writes of al-Mukhtar's activity in support of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] during Mu'awiya's rule. Al-Dhahabi reports that during Mu'awiya's rule, al-Mukhtar went to [[Basra]] and invited its residetns to Imam al-Husayn (a). He was arrested by [['Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad]], who was the governor of Basra at the time, and whipped one hundred time. Then he was exiled to [[Ta'if]].<ref>Dhahabī, ''Siyar aʿlām al-nubalāʾ'', vol. 3, p. 544.</ref>

After the [[Event of 'Ashura']], al-Mukhtar was freed with [['Abd Allah b. 'Umar]]'s mediation with [[Yazid]], since al-Mukhtar's sister, Safiyya b. Abi 'Ubayd, was 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar's wife.<ref>Ibn al-Jawzī, ''al-Muntaẓam'', vol. 6, p. 29.</ref> Nonetheless, 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad let him free on the condition that he leaves Kufa within three days, and if he is seen afterwards, he will be killed.<ref>Ibn al-Jawzī, ''al-Muntaẓam'', vol. 6, p. 29.</ref>

When [[Yazid b. Mu'awiya|Yazid]] attacked [[Mecca]] and encircled 'Abd Allah b. Zubayr, al-Mukhtar sided with 'Abd Allah b. Zubayr and fought next to him against Yazid's army, but when 'Abd Allah announced himself caliph, al-Mukhtar separated and left for Kufa, and created the grounds for his uprising.<ref>Muqaddisī, ''Āfarīnish wa tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 910.</ref>

Six months had passed from Yazid's death when al-Mukhtar reached [[Kufa]] in the middle of [[Ramadan]].<ref>Ibn Khaldūn, ''Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn'', Translation, vol. 2, p. 43.</ref>

It should be mentioned that al-Mukhtar was in prison when the Tawwabun Uprising occurred. When the Tawwabun were defeated, he sent a letter to the family of the dead to express his sympathy to them. The leaders of the Tawwabun had decided to free him from prison, but al-Mukhtar cautioned them from doing so, since he would be freed soon.<ref>Ibn Khaldūn, ''Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn'', Translation, vol. 2, p. 44.</ref> Once again, al-Mukhtar was released with 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar's mediation.<ref>Ibn Khaldūn, ''Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn'', Translation, vol. 2, p. 44.</ref>

On [[Rabi' I 14]], [[66]]/[[October 19]], [[685 CE|685]], al-Mukhtar initiated an uprising in revenge of Imam al-Husayn's (a) blood.<ref>Ibn Khaldūn, ''Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn'', Translation, vol. 2, p. 44.</ref> The Shi'a of [[Kufa]] supported him. He said, "By God, if I kill two third of the [[Quraysh]], I wouldn't have sought the revenge of even one of Imam al-Husayn's fingers."<ref>Ibn Ṭaqṭaqī, ''al-Fakhrī'', p. 122.</ref>

During his uprising, al-Mukhtar managed to kill [[Shimr b. Dhi l-Jawshan]], [[Khawli b. Yazid]], [['Umar b. Sa'd]], and [['Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad]],<ref>Ibn al-Athīr, ''Usd al-ghāba'', vol. 4, p. 347.</ref> and some others who took part and have significant role in killing Imam al-Husayn (a) and his companions.

In order to encourage the Alawites to support him, al-Mukhtar used two phrases "Ya la-Tharat al-Husayn" (Arabic: {{iarabic|یالثارات الحسین}}, lit.: O the avengers of Husayn) and "Ya Mansur, Amit" (Arabic: {{iarabic|یا منصور أمِت}}, lit.: O the victor, kill) as his motto. When putting his war clothes on, al-Mukhtar informed his followers of the beginning of the uprising by chanting these mottoes.<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 6, p. 390; Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh'' Ṭabarī, vol. 6, p. 20; Ibn Aʿtham al-Kūfī, ''Kitāb al-Futūḥ'', vol. 6, p. 233.</ref> The second motto was first used in the [[Battle of Badr]], and the first one was first used by the [[Tawwabun Uprising]].<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 6, p. 370.</ref> Also, when 'Umar b. Sa'd was killed, the people of Kufa celebrated by chanting "Ya la-Tharat al-Husayn".<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 6, p. 407.</ref>

After al-Mukhtar's death, his followers, consisting of 6000 people who were encircled in the palace, surrendered. Mus'ab b. al-Zubayr ordered all of them be killed.<ref>''Akhbār al-dawlat al-abbāsīya'', p. 182.</ref> The decision was so horrifying that when [['Abd Allah b. 'Umar]] saw Mus'ab, said: "Even if they were 6000 sheeps which belonged to your father, you shouldn't have done this."<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 6, p. 445.</ref>

'Abd al-Rahman b. Hassan said in a poem: "Death and killing has been written for us, and for beautiful women, prancing and romance."<ref>Muqaddisī, ''Āfarīnish wa tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 913.</ref>

The event is recorded as such in a report: Mus'ab asked 'Umra, "what is your opinion about al-Mukhtar?" She replied, "He was pious and fasted everyday". Mus'ab ordered to decapitate her. She became the first woman in Islam to be beheaded.<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 264.</ref>

 

Although al-Mukhtar used "Ya la-Tharat al-Husayn" (Arabic: {{iarabic|یا لثارات الحسین}}) as the motto of his uprising, some doubt his intentions to be truly to avenge the [[martyrs of Karbala]], believing that he misused this motto. A look at al-Mukhtar's relation with the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and their opinion about him can help understand this important fact of history.

 

A study on some reports suggests that al-Mukhtar invited people to the [[Imamate]] of Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya, calling him the Mahdi; but in his book, ''Kashf al-ghumma'', [[al-Irbili]] believes that this connection, and the leadership of the uprising by Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya, was a façade set up because of the aberrant condition Imam al-Sajjad (a) was in.<ref>Irbilī, ''Kashf al-ghumma'', p. 254.</ref>

* When [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] was in [[Sabat]], al-Mukhtar addressed his uncle, [[Sa'd b. Mas'ud al-Thaqafi|Sa'd b. Mas'ud]], and suggested to surrender Imam al-Hasan (a) to Mu'awiya, so that their position would not weaken.<ref>Ṣadūq, ''ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ'', vol. 1, p. 221.</ref> Ayatollah Khoei believes this narration cannot be trusted since it is incompletely transmitted. He adds, that even if we imagine it is authentic, we can argue that al-Mukhtar was not serious about his suggestion, but wanted to test his uncle and understand how he thinks,<ref>Khoei, ''Muʿjam rijāl'', vol. 18, p. 97.</ref> [[Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin]] also agrees that al-Mukhtar's true intention was to understand his uncle's way of thinking.<ref>Amīn, ''Aʿyān al-Shīʿa'', vol. 7, p. 230.</ref>

::For me it is clear that we must not consider him to be bad, nonetheless, the narrations he quotes cannot be trusted either, and God knows him better than anyone else.<ref>Ardibīlī, ''Jāmiʿ al-ruwāt'', vol. 2, p. 221.</ref>

::This man (al-Mukhtar) followed the Imami sect and believed in the Imamate of the [[infallible Imams]]. He governed with the permission of Imam (a), although his authenticity has not been proven. Yes, he has been blessed with a praise and laud which has put him amongst righteous people. Even if there were no praise or virtue reported except for Imam al-Baqir's (a) prayer for him to be blessed, it would have been enough for him, specially that he repeated his prayer three times in one sentence.<ref>Mamaqānī, ''Tanqīḥ al-maqāl'', vol. 3, p. 206.</ref>

::Whoever studies and researches history, hadith, and biographical evaluation in depth will understand that al-Mukhtar was one of the pioneers of religiosity, guidance, and purity… Imam al-Sajjad (a), Imam al-Baqir (a), and Imam al-Sadiq (a) have prayed for his blessing, specially Imam al-Baqir (a) who has done so in a very beautiful way.<ref>Amīnī, ''al-Ghadīr'', vol. 2, p. 343.</ref>

Wellhausen: al-Mukhtar is worthy of praise because he understood the situation of his time before others. He had understood that it was unstable, because in the Islamic government, only the Arab figures and race enjoyed all their personal and social rights.

Ali Hasan Karyateli, author of the book ''Ayiniyi asr-i umavi ya Mukhtar Thaqafi'' (the mirror of the Umayyad Era, or al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi) writes regarding al-Mukhtar: al-Mukhtar was just and had built his government on the premise of justice and equality among the people. Despite all his busyness, he personally took care of all the judgments and solved the disputes. After victory in war, he freed the hostages and forgave their crimes, and was content with their promise to not rise against him anymore.

Al-Mukhtar ruled over [[Kufa]]. The [[Umayyads]] ruled in the North, in Syria. To al-Mukhtar's south, in [[Hijaz]], the [[Zubayr dynasty]] ruled. Both groups considered themselves [[caliph]] and regarded al-Mukhtar someone who had separated a part of their land. Therefore, both groups put as much effort as they could to deny al-Mukhtar and compose false narrations against him.

[[Ibn Khaldun]] claims that al-Mukhtar had announced himself a prophet.<ref>Ibn Khaldūn, ''Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn'', Translation, vol. 1, p. 356.</ref> This belief is more believed because of al-Mukhtar's way of talking in rhymed prose,<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 6, p. 403.</ref> but since the establishment of his government in Kufa, the Muslim's and the Ahl al-Bayt's support in narration, this issue cannot be correct. Another reason for this accusation is his letter to [[Ahnaf b. Qays]].<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 6, p. 418.</ref> Since Ahnaf supported the Zubayris, he libeled that this letter was al-Mukhtar's claim as prophet and insisted on his claim even after al-Mukhtar's death.<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 6, p. 418.</ref> The fact that in his meeting with [['Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr]], [[Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya]] was reluctant to calling al-Mukhtar a liar, is yet another reason regarding the falsity of this claim.<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 3, p. 287.</ref>

Some believe that al-Mukhtar was the founder of the [[Kaysanite]] movement, stating that since al-Mukhtar was nicknamed as Kaysan, his followers were called the Kaysanites.<ref>Muqaddisī, ''Āfarīnish wa tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 820.</ref> [[Al-Mamaqani]] does not believe so, and believes that al-Mukhtar was not a Kaysanite.<ref>Mamaqānī, ''Tanqīḥ al-maqāl'', vol. 3, p. 205, 206.</ref>

[[Ayatollah Khoei]] believes this accusation has been made by non-Shi'as who have referred to fabricated and rejected narrations, and believes that Kaysanitism was founded after the death of al-Mukhtar and Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya.<ref>Khoei, ''Muʿjam rijāl'', vol. 18, p. 102-103.</ref>

The first episode was broadcasted on 11 October 2010 and the final episode was broadcasted on 29 July 2011.<ref>"Mukhtārnāma", SīmāFīlm, 3th Azar 1387 Sh.</ref> Fariburz 'Arabniya played the role of al-Mukhtar in this series.