Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr
Encyclopedia
`Abd Allah al-Zubayr or ibn Zubayr ( ‘Abdallāh ibn az-Zubayr;
624 - 692) was an Arab sahabi whose father was Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and whose mother was Asma bint Abi Bakr
, daughter of the first Caliph
Abu Bakr
. He was the nephew of Aisha
, Prophet Muhammad
's third wife.
and Sassanid empires. He marched to Sbeitla
, Tunisia, the capital of self-proclaimed local emperor Gregory the Patrician
. Gregory was defeated and killed in the Battle of Sufetula in 647 CE.
, but upon the ascension of Yazid I
, he refused to swear allegiance to the new caliph
. He advised Husayn to accept the invitation of the men of Kufa and leave at once; this would have cleared Hejaz of his only rival in eminence.
One of his supporters, Muslim ibn Shihab
, was the father of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri
who became a famous scholar.
where he declared himself the righteous caliph
, and he began building support. Eventually he consolidated his power by sending a governor to Kufa
. Soon, Ibn Zubayr established his power in Iraq
, southern Arabia and in the greater part of Syria
, and parts of Egypt
. Ibn Zubayr benefitted greatly from widespread dissatisfaction among the populace with Umayyad rule. Yazid tried to end Ibn Zubayr's rebellion by invading the Hejaz
, and took Medina
after the bloody Battle of al-Harrah
followed by the siege of Makkah but his sudden death ended the campaign and threw the Umayyad
s into disarray with civil war eventually breaking out.
the Umayyad civil war was ended, and Zubayr lost Egypt and whatever he had of Syria to Marwan I
. This coupled with the Kharijite rebellions in Iraq reduced his domain to only the Hejaz
.
control over the Islamic Empire.
624 - 692) was an Arab sahabi whose father was Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and whose mother was Asma bint Abi Bakr
Asma bint Abi Bakr
Asmā' bint Abu Bakr was one of the companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.-Family:She was Abu Bakr's daughter. Her mother was Qutaylah bint Abd-al-Uzza. Her half-sister was Aisha and half-brother was Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr.-Early Life: ? – 610:...
, daughter of the first Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...
. He was the nephew of Aisha
Aisha
Aisha bint Abu Bakr also transcribed as was Muhammad's favorite wife...
, Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
's third wife.
Biography
He was a member of the Bani Assad tribe. As a young man, Abd Allah was an active participant in numerous Muslim campaigns against both the ByzantineByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and Sassanid empires. He marched to Sbeitla
Sbeitla
Sbeitla is a small town in north-central Tunisia. Nearby are the Roman ruins of Sufetula, containing the best preserved Forum temples in Tunisia...
, Tunisia, the capital of self-proclaimed local emperor Gregory the Patrician
Gregory the Patrician
Gregory the Patrician was a Byzantine governor, and self-proclaimed Emperor of the province of Africa.-Career:Gregory the Patrician was related by blood to the Imperial House of Heraclius, through the Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II's cousin Nicetas. Gregory was appointed Exarch of Africa by the...
. Gregory was defeated and killed in the Battle of Sufetula in 647 CE.
Ibn al-Zubayr's revolt
Ibn al-Zubayr was not active in politics during the reign of Muawiyah IMuawiyah I
Muawiyah I was the first Caliph of the Umayyad Dynasty. After the conquest of Mecca by the Muslims, Muawiyah's family converted to Islam. Muawiyah is brother-in-law to Muhammad who married his sister Ramlah bint Abi-Sufyan in 1AH...
, but upon the ascension of Yazid I
Yazid I
Yazīd ibn Mu‘āwiya ibn Abī Sufyān , commonly known as Yazid I, was the second Caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate . He ruled for three years from 680 CE until his death in 683 CE. Many Muslims condemn Yazid's rule as contentious and unjust...
, he refused to swear allegiance to the new caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
. He advised Husayn to accept the invitation of the men of Kufa and leave at once; this would have cleared Hejaz of his only rival in eminence.
One of his supporters, Muslim ibn Shihab
Muslim ibn Shihab
Muslim ibn Shihab was a known 8th century Muslim. He supported Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr in his revolt against the Ummayed and became the father of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri....
, was the father of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri
For the geographer from Al-Andalus see Mohammed Ibn Abu Bakr al-ZuhriMuhammad ibn Muslim ibn Ubaydullah ibn Shihab al-Zuhri , usually called simply Ibn Shihab or al-Zuhri...
who became a famous scholar.
Yazid
After the death of Husayn bin Ali at the Battle of Karbela, Ibn Zubayr returned to the HejazHejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
where he declared himself the righteous caliph
Rashidun
The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first four Caliphs who established the Rashidun Caliphate. The concept of "Rightly Guided Caliphs" originated with the Abbasid Dynasty...
, and he began building support. Eventually he consolidated his power by sending a governor to Kufa
Kufa
Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
. Soon, Ibn Zubayr established his power in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, southern Arabia and in the greater part of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and parts of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Ibn Zubayr benefitted greatly from widespread dissatisfaction among the populace with Umayyad rule. Yazid tried to end Ibn Zubayr's rebellion by invading the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
, and took Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
after the bloody Battle of al-Harrah
Battle of al-Harrah
The Battle of al-Harrah is a battle fought at al-Harrah in 683 CE, then lying to the northeast of Medina. The battle was fought against the armies of Yazid ibn Muawiyah by Abdullah ibn Zubayr and his allies, the people of Medina and several notable Sahabas, many of whom were killed in the battle....
followed by the siege of Makkah but his sudden death ended the campaign and threw the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
s into disarray with civil war eventually breaking out.
Marwan
This essentially split the Islamic empire into two spheres with two different caliphs, but soonthe Umayyad civil war was ended, and Zubayr lost Egypt and whatever he had of Syria to Marwan I
Marwan I
Marwan ibn al-Hakam was the fourth Umayyad Caliph, who took over the dynasty after Muawiya II abdicated in 684. Marwan's ascension pointed to a shift in the lineage of the Umayyad dynasty from descendants of Abu Sufyan to those of Hakam, both of whom were grandsons of Umayya...
. This coupled with the Kharijite rebellions in Iraq reduced his domain to only the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
.
Abd al-Malik
Ibn Zubayr was finally defeated by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, who sent Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf to reunite the Islamic empire. Hajjaj defeated and killed Ibn Zubayr on the battlefield in 692, beheading him and crucifying his body, reestablishing UmayyadUmayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
control over the Islamic Empire.