Yazid

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Yazid Husayn

• Islamic History the First 150 Years

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Session Plan

• Yazid ibn Muawiya
• The Death of Husayn ibn Ali
• The Death of Yazid

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Section I Yazid ibn Muawiya
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Introduction

• With Muawiyas death and Yazids accession we
  enter a difficult and complex period of Islamic
  history
• The sources refer to this period as a fitna (as
  they do for the conflict between Ali and
  Muawiya)
• Fitna translates broadly as sedition,
  corruption, and in this context civil war
• The Muslim community is thrown into turmoil by
  this war, which lasts from Yazids accession in
  680CE through to the death of Abdullah ibn
  al-Zubayr in 692CE
• This 12 year period is both complex and
  significant for a number of reasons
• It is complex because there were at least 3
  different factions competing for power (with
  numerous different leaders)
• It is significant because it sees a number of
  absolutely crucial developments (religious,
  political and social)
• Given this, I propose to tackle this period in 2
  sessions
• In this session, we will look at the short reign
  of Yazid
• In the next session, we will focus more closely
  on events after his death

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Yazids Background

• As we have seen, Yazid was the son of Muawiya
• This makes him a member of the Umayyad clan and
  thus an extremely wealthy individual
• As I mentioned previously, Yazid is portrayed in
  the sources as a frivolous, depraved man
• According to our sources, his main hobbies (for
  want of a better term) included listening to
  dancing girls and playing with his pet monkey
• His is also said to have openly drunk wine during
  his caliphate
• In other words, our sources (almost entirely)
  represent him as evil and irreligious
• More seriously, as we shall see, he is also
  credited with direct and personal responsibility
  for the murder of Husayn ibn Ali (the grandson of
  Muhammad)
• When reading accounts of his reign, it is
  important to bear the bias of our sources in mind

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Section II The Death of Husayn
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First Steps to War

• Upon his accession, Yazid wrote to his governor
  of Medina, Walid ibn Utba
• He informed Walid of his accession and instructed
  him compel Husayn, Ibn Umar and Ibn al-Zubayr to
  pledge allegiance
• Marwan, who was then in Medina, counselled Walid
  to arrest Husain and Ibn al-Zubayr immediately
  before news of Muawiyas death became public
• Walids failure to do so allowed both men to
  escape to Mecca
• Ibn Umar was not considered a threat, being too
  religious
• He seems to have been part of a much wider
  tendency which attempted to remain neutral
• During the conflict between Ali and Muawiya,
  many others had taken a similar line, such as Abu
  Musa al-Ashari

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First Steps to War

• By contrast, Yazid considered Abdullah ibn
  al-Zubayr to be a very grave threat
• As his name indicates, Ibn al-Zubayr was the son
  of al-Zubayr ibn Awwam, a major companion of
  Muhammad
• Zubayr had died at the Battle of the Camel,
  fighting against Ali
• Realising that his life was probably in danger,
  Ibn al-Zubayr fled to Mecca
• Once there he quickly began to gather support,
  declaring himself the fugitive at the House (or
  the Kaba)
• That he was able to gather such a following
  indicates that there was discontent amongst the
  wider Quraysh tribe
• In other words, the predominance of the Bani
  Umayya had caused many other clans to feel left
  out
• To this, we must also add the widespread belief
  (first popularised by Abu Bakr and Umar) that
  Quraysh in its entirety had a claim to the
  caliphate
• Umayyad dominance thus threatened that claim

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First Steps to War

• Furthermore, Ibn al-Zubayrs location at Mecca
  was also important
• As we shall see, during his time in control, Ibn
  al-Zubayr was able to portray himself as the
  protector of Mecca
• At any rate, Ibn al-Zubayr was able to defeat the
  forces of Yazids governor
• Unable to defeat him at the outset, Yazid
  (according to Tabari, from al-Zuhri) sent him a
  silver chain and manacles (Tab. 2.397)
• This was intended to humiliate him and warn him
  of future consequences
• Not surprisingly, Ibn al-Zubayr refused to accept
  this gift
• Interestingly, he is said to have refused this
  gift at the insistence of Marwan ibn al-Hakam
• Thus, even at this very early stage, we are also
  dealing with splits in the Umayyad clan itself
• Despite this, Ibn al-Zubayr continued to quietly
  build up his forces

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The Revolt of Husayn

• The account of Husayns revolt is given in Tabari
  (2.227 onwards)
• Interestingly, Tabaris main source, one Ammar
  al-Duhni cites Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Ali ibn
  al-Husayn
• This man was Husayns grandson, was the fifth
  Imam for the Shia and was known by the nickname
  al-Baqir (he who splits open knowledge)
• Meanwhile Husayn, who had also fled to Mecca, had
  begun to receive letters from his partisans
  (shia) in Kufa, encouraging him to rebel against
  Yazid
• The first letter was signed by some of the
  leading supporters of the Alid family in Kufa
• We thank God for casting down the tyrannical
  rule of your enemy, who had usurped the power to
  rule this community without any rightand killed
  the best of men Hujr ibn AdiWe invite you to
  come to Kufa, as we have no Imam to guide us
  (Tab II, p.223)

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The Revolt of Husayn

• A second letter arrived soon afterwards, which
  counsels speed
• In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
  Compassionate to al-Husayn ibn Ali, from his
  shia, the faithful Muslims further make haste,
  for the people are awaiting you, as they have no
  Imam other than you! So haste, and again haste!
  Peace (Tab. 2. p.234)
• This letter is one of the first references to the
  Shia by that term
• Husayns response important
• From Husayn ibn Ali to the believers and the
  MuslimsI have understood what you said and that
  you have invited me to come to you because you
  have no Imam to guide youI am sending you my
  cousin and the trusted one from my family Muslim
  ibn Aqil to report to me about your affairs. If
  his report conforms with what you have written, I
  will soon come. But you must be clear about the
  fact that the Imam is only one who follows the
  Book of God, makes justice and honesty his
  conduct and behaviour, judges with truth, and
  devotes himself to the service of God. Peace
  (Tab. 2. p.235)
• This letter reveals a number of significant ideas
• Husayns letter does not contain a reference to
  Shia
• Jafri interprets this as meaning he saw his
  leadership as wider

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The Revolt of Husayn

• An alternative could be that references to a Shia
  style imamate have been removed
• The letter also reveals that Husayn had reason to
  doubt the Kufans sincerity
• The final part of the letter sets out a
  particular idea of the Imamate
• At any rate, Muslim goes to Kufa
• He finds widespread support and writes to Husayn
  urging him to come quickly
• Although there is widespread support, Ubaydullah
  ibn Ziyad (governor of Iraq) has received prior
  warning of the plan
• And, before he can organise himself properly,
  Muslim is killed
• However, Husayn has already set off for Kufa
• He is accompanied by his household and retainers
• In other words, he is virtually alone and has no
  army as such
• Upon reaching Iraq, he is stopped at a place
  called Karbala by a much larger Umayyad force
  (reputedly 1,000 strong)

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The Martyrdom of Husayn

• The seriousness of the situation seems to have
  deeply affected everyone present
• Thus, the first Umayyad commander, Hurr
  al-Tamimi, joined Husayn after a short interval
• He was replaced by Umar ibn Sad and all attempts
  at negotiation ceased
• And, on the evening of 9th Muharram 61AH (681CE),
  Husayn prepared for the forthcoming attack
• The sources report a number of speeches,
  encounters and single combats (as was customary,
  or at least believed to be)
• Husayns last address before the Umayyad soldiers
  is emotive and because it contains some important
  ideas, deserves to be quoted
• O People! You are accusing me but think who I
  am! Then search your hearts for what you are
  doing to me. Consider well if it be lawful for
  you to kill me and violate my sacrosanctity. Am I
  not the son of the daughter of your Prophet, the
  son of the Prophets wasi and cousin? Did not
  the Prophet say of me and my brother that they
  are the lords of the youth of Paradise? You
  cannot deny the truth of what I have said
  concerning the merits of the family of Muhammad.
  Are all these not sufficient to prevent you from
  shedding my blood? (Tab. 2. p.329)

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The Martyrdom of Husayn

• Husayns reference to a statement of the Prophet
  is interesting and important
• He also refers to the merits of his family, in
  the same manner as his brother Hasan and father
  Ali had done previously
• Husayn describes his father as Muhammads wasi
• This word basically means heir or estate
  executor and is taken by the Shia to be a
  reference to Alis divinely appointed role as
  Imam
• This is an early reference to what would become a
  very important Shia religious concept
• After a short fight, Husayns followers are all
  killed
• His family members then attempt to defend him,
  but are also killed
• The sources describe the events in great detail
  and at great length
• However, despite some possible hyperbole, it is
  clear that most of Husayns family were murdered,
  including his infant son
• Husayn himself was then killed and his head
  struck off and taken to Ubadyullah ibn Ziyad, who
  gloated over it

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The Martyrdom of Husayn

• Ubadyullah ibn Ziyad is reported to have hit the
  lips of Husayns severed head with a cane
• The sources report that Zayd ibn Arqam, an old
  companion of Muhammad, saw this
• Remove your cane from those lips! By God, on
  these lips have I seen the lips of the Prophet of
  God (Tab. 2., p.373)
• Ali ibn al-Husayn, Husayns ill teenage son was
  the only male survivor of the massacre
• The women of Husayns family, along with the
  corpses were then taken to Yazid in Damascus
• In purely physical terms, Karbala proved a
  disaster for the Ahl al-Bayt in that most of its
  adult males were murdered
• As you might expect, the event had a profound
  impact on Ali ibn al-Husayn
• Ali was a deeply religious man and after being
  returned to Medina by Yazid, he eschewed all
  involvement in politics
• He has the reputation of a very devout man and a
  number of his prayers have been recorded
• Because of this reputation, he is more widely by
  the honorific title Zayn al-Abideen (Ornament
  of the Worshippers)

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The Martyrdom of Husayn

• Tabaris account is long and detailed,
  illustrating the events significance
• The revolt and death of Husayn mark a turning
  point in Islamic history
• The murder of Husayn and almost his entire family
  sent shockwaves throughout the Muslim empire
• For the Shia, his death is seen as willing
  martyrdom for the cause of God
• And, very quickly afterwards, the Shia community
  began to mark the day (10th Muharram)
• Later on, this developed into a series of
  elaborate re-enactments and displays of ritual
  grief and is now the most important Shia
  religious ceremony
• Ubaydullah followed this with a series of arrests
  of key Shia supporters
• And, at that point, the revolt seemed to be over
• However, as we shall see in the next session,
  this was not the case

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• Questions?

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Section III The Death of Yazid
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Crisis revolt

• The fall of Husayn and the subsequent repression
  allow Ibn al-Zubayr to strengthen his hand
• He begins to take pledges of allegiance in secret
• In 63AH, a deputy of senior figures from Medina
  visits Yazid to put rumours of his drunkenness to
  the test
• Upon their return, Medina renounces its loyalty
  to Yazid and revolts
• Marwan ibn al-Hakam and about 1,000 clansmen and
  retainers are besieged in their homes
• Marwan writes to Yazid for reinforcements
• Muslim ibn Uqbah al-Murri (a staunch supporter of
  Yazid) crushes the revolt, ransacking Medina in
  the process
• Interestingly, Zayn al-Abideen takes no part in
  the revolt
• At about this time, Ibn al-Zubayr openly revolts
• The Umayyad force, now under a different
  commander, laid siege to Mecca

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The Siege of Mecca

• During this period, Mecca was twice besieged
• Both sieges saw the use of heavy catapults and
  fire
• Indeed, the Kaba itself seems to have been
  damaged in the fighting
• The first siege ended in 64AH (683CE) with the
  sudden death of Yazid
• The Umayyad force then began to negotiate with
  Ibn al-Zubayr (who was now the only predominant
  force)
• With the Umayyads in disarray, Ibn al-Zubayr is
  recognised as caliph in Mecca, Medina, Arabia and
  parts of Syria
• He is also able to appoint his brother, Musab,
  as governor of Iraq

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Umayyad Collapse?

• Yazids son Muawiya (known as Muawiya II) is
  appointed caliph in Syria by the Umayyad forces
  there
• However, with Yazids death, the Umayyad camp
  itself split into several factions
• Muawiya II lasts barely a few months before
  being killed
• Marwan thus emerged as the clear Umayyad
  candidate and was declared caliph in 64AH (684CE)
• This change of dynasty was to have momentous
  consequences
• Muawiyas direct descendents (known as the
  Sufyanids after Abu Sufyan) lost their claim to
  the caliphate
• The Marwanid dynasty provided the caliphs for the
  next 70 years
• And, at the Battle of Marj Rahit, Marwan defeats
  the Zubayrid forces decisively, forcing a retreat
  to Mecca
• This change of dynasty marks a convenient place
  to stop and pause for a moment