Waq'at Siffin (book)
 Bibliographical Information | |
| Author | Nasr b. Muzahim |
|---|---|
| Original title | وَقعَةُ صِفّین |
| Language | Arabic |
| Series | 1 vol. |
| Subject | Battle of Siffin |
| Genre | Historical |
| Published | 1403/1982-3 |
| Publisher | Ayatollah Mar'ashi Najafi Library |
Waqʿat Ṣiffīn (Arabic: وَقعَةُ صِفّین) is one of the earliest and most important Islamic history sources about Imam Ali's (a) life. It is written by the Shi'a historian, Nasr b. Muzahim (d. 212/827-8). The book consists of eight parts and reports the Battle of Siffin from the beginning to the end. Waq'a Siffin is one the few extant monographs about the Battle of Siffin. The main feature of the book is the accuracy in reporting the events related to the Battle of Siffin even minor issues.
Author
Abu l-Fadl Nasr b. Muzahim b. Sayyar (or Yasar) al-'Attar al-Minqari is a Shi'a historian of the 2nd/8th century, who lived in Baghdad. He was a contemporary of Abu Mikhnaf. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi counted him among the companions of Imam al-Baqir (a). There is disagreement among historians and biographers about his reliability. Apparently, the disagreement originates in his faith. In the last years of his life, Nasr b. Muzahim participated in the Uprising of Abu l-Saraya against the Abbasid dynasty and Abu l-Saraya entrusted him with management of Bazaar. Waq'a Siffin, al-Jamal, al-Gharat, Maqtal Hujr b. 'Uday and Maqtal Husayn b. Ali are some of his works.
Significance
The book is about the events related to the Battle of Siffin and there are many reports about the battle as well as preceding and succeeding events. The book is important from several aspects: first, textual value of the book as an early Islamic source; second, mentioning the events and incidents during Imam Ali's Caliphate; third, it is regarded as an important source for the events that led to the Battle of Siffin.[1]
Content
Waq'a Siffin consists of eight parts (Juz'):
- The first part begins with the arrival of Imam Ali in Kufa and organizing socio-political affairs of his territory, and ends with sending representatives to Mu'awiya.
- Second part reports about consultations, correspondence, exchange of ambassadors, …, preparing and equipping Iraq and Levant armies.
- Third part includes reports about mobilizing and moving both armies towards Siffin and peripheral events related to the battle.
- Fourth part begins with the Battle of Siffin and reports about the battle cries of warriors of both armies.
- Fifth part includes bravery and combat skills of both armies during the battle.
- Sixth part is about the continuation of armed conflicts as political efforts of both armies, correspondence and exchanging ambassadors reach a dead end.
- Seventh part covers reports about determination of Iraqi army to finish the battle and on the contrary, 'Amr b. al-'As's deception of rising pieces of the Qur'an.
- Eighth part is about the end of the battle, Hakamiyya, its effects and consequences, including the emergence of Khawarij.[2]
Method of Compilation
This book, like other works during that period, is a Hadith-based work. The notable feature of the book is that the events are reported by two or three mediators from people who were present in the Battle of Siffin. As the book is compiled in Baghdad school of history, most reports are presented by Shi'a narrators, such as: Asbagh b. Nubata, Harith b. Husayra al-Azdi, Sa'sa'a b. Sawhan and Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju'fi; and the reports from Sunni narrators are only mentioned if the reports were accepted by the author.[3]
Features
Due to his interest in Imam Ali (s), Nasr b. Muzahim has narrated some sermons delivered by Imam Ali (a). He also reported many of his social, political and especially military activities. Sometimes, he presents very detailed reports about the tactics, psychological warfare, arrangement of the armies, war cries, lampoons, mournings, description of outfits, weapons, armaments, horses etc.[4] that one can easily recreate the events, incidents and battle scenes.
Publication
The book was published in 1301 Sh/1922-3 in Iran for the first time. In 1340/1921-2 it was republished in Beirut. In 1365/1945-6 it was published again in a scholarly structure in one volume by the efforts of 'Abd al-Salam Muhammad Harun, the Egyptian researcher, who extracted the full text of the book from the Commentary on Nahj al-balagha, written by Ibn Abi l-Hadid, and edited it, and compared it to the first published edition of the book.[5]
Notes
- ↑ Noor Digital Library
- ↑ The index of book's translation
- ↑ Noor Digital Library
- ↑ Noor Digital Library
- ↑ Peykār-i ṣiffīn, tarjuma-yi Waqʿat Ṣiffīn, p. 5-6.
References
- Minqarī, Naṣr b. Muzāḥim. Waqʿat Ṣiffīn. Edited by ʿAbd al-Salām Muḥammad Hārūn. Cairo: al-Muʾassisa al-ʿArabīyyat al-Ḥadītha, 1382 AH.
- Minqarī, Naṣr b. Muzāḥim. Waqʿat Ṣiffīn, peykār-i ṣiffīn. Tehran: Sāzmān-i Intishārāt wa Āmūzish-i Inqilāb-i Islāmi, 1370 Sh.
- Kitāb-i Shinākht-i sīra-yi Ma'sūmān. Noor Computer Research Center of Islamic Sciences.