Battle of al-Harrah
Encyclopedia
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 Sahaba
s, many of whom were killed in the battle.. It is the second most infamous battle during the reign of Yazid bin Muawiyah
, the 2nd Umayyad Caliph.
Caliph
in 6?80 CE he faced two major crises. First was the dissent of Husayn ibn Ali
(Arabic:حسين بن علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب) and the other was the revolt of Abdullah ibn Zubayr (Arabic:عبد الله بن الزبير). Husayn ibn Ali rejected the legitimacy of Yazid ibn Muawiyah as Caliph, which ultimately led to his death in the Battle of Karbala
on October 10, 680. This event further deepened the schism between Sunni and Shia denominations..
After killing of Husayn ibn Ali that Abdullah ibn Zubayr, the hero of the Battle of Sufetula which was fought in 647 against the Exarch
Gregory of Byzantine
Rome in Africa
, decided to stand up against Yazid ibn Muawiyah
.. He refused to swear allegiance to Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiyah. Abdullah bin Zubayr later launched an insurgency in the Hejaz
region, the heartland of Islam
, where Makkah and Medina
are located.
The people of Medina
were not quick to join Abdullah ibn Zubayr’s revolt. They first sent their emissaries to speak with Yazid ibn Muawiyah but returned disenfranchised with his approach to the problems of the region, his general policies and governing style. When the emissaries returned they held a council with other Medinites of status and decided to expel the Umayyad
Governor
of Medina
, Uthman ibn Muhammad, as well as his aide, Marwan ibn Hakam. Other Umayyad supporters were expelled along with them..
Yazid sent an army of 10,000 Syrians against Medina
in 683 under General Muslim bin Uqbah al-Marri. A young soldier, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who later played a major role in the politics of the Umayyad Caliphate, was in this army and participated in the Battle of al-Harrah against the Medinites. Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, a Medinite Sahaba, also fought against the Umayyad army in this battle.
army became a cause celebre
that was invoked by future generations. Muslim bin Uqbah al-Marri was henceforth known as Musrif meaning he who exceeds all bounds of propriety. Medina was recaptured and Makkah was also besieged. During the siege, the Holy Kaaba
was damaged. The siege ended when Yazid died suddenly in 683 CE.
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...
. The battle was fought against the armies of Yazid ibn Muawiyah
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...
by Abdullah ibn Zubayr and his allies, the people of 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...
and several notable Sahaba
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
s, many of whom were killed in the battle.. It is the second most infamous battle during the reign of Yazid bin Muawiyah
Yazid
-Given name:* Yazid I , second Umayyad Caliph upon succeeding his father Muawiyah* Yazid II, Umayyad caliph* Yazid III, Umayyad caliph* Yazid Kaïssi, French-born Moroccan footballer* Yazid Mansouri, French-born Algerian footballer...
, the 2nd Umayyad Caliph.
Background
( became 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...
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"...
in 6?80 CE he faced two major crises. First was the dissent of Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
(Arabic:حسين بن علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب) and the other was the revolt of Abdullah ibn Zubayr (Arabic:عبد الله بن الزبير). Husayn ibn Ali rejected the legitimacy of Yazid ibn Muawiyah as Caliph, which ultimately led to his death in the Battle of Karbala
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
on October 10, 680. This event further deepened the schism between Sunni and Shia denominations..
After killing of Husayn ibn Ali that Abdullah ibn Zubayr, the hero of the Battle of Sufetula which was fought in 647 against the Exarch
Exarch
In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
Gregory of Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Rome in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, decided to stand up against Yazid ibn Muawiyah
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 Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiyah. Abdullah bin Zubayr later launched an insurgency in 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...
region, the heartland of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, where Makkah and 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...
are located.
The people of 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...
were not quick to join Abdullah ibn Zubayr’s revolt. They first sent their emissaries to speak with Yazid ibn Muawiyah but returned disenfranchised with his approach to the problems of the region, his general policies and governing style. When the emissaries returned they held a council with other Medinites of status and decided to expel 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...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of 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...
, Uthman ibn Muhammad, as well as his aide, Marwan ibn Hakam. Other Umayyad supporters were expelled along with them..
Yazid sent an army of 10,000 Syrians against 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...
in 683 under General Muslim bin Uqbah al-Marri. A young soldier, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who later played a major role in the politics of the Umayyad Caliphate, was in this army and participated in the Battle of al-Harrah against the Medinites. Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, a Medinite Sahaba, also fought against the Umayyad army in this battle.
Hadith
Aftermath
Following their victory, the Syrian army looted the city for three consecutive days. A large number of occupants were killed. The depravity of the people of Medina by the 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...
army became a cause celebre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
that was invoked by future generations. Muslim bin Uqbah al-Marri was henceforth known as Musrif meaning he who exceeds all bounds of propriety. Medina was recaptured and Makkah was also besieged. During the siege, the Holy Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur'an states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham, or Ibraheem, in Arabic, and his son Ishmael, or Ismaeel, as said in Arabic, after he had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque...
was damaged. The siege ended when Yazid died suddenly in 683 CE.