We discussed earlier (in part 7) that Iran’s
ruling elite and intellectuals of the time were shocked at the loss of their
empire. They were seething with a deep feeling of anger and revenge against the
Arabs who had dismantled their empire. Caliph Umar’s killing was part of that
revenge. However, that was only the beginning.
Next came Abdullah bin Saba’s
purported promulgation of the concept of Wasi and Imamate and that they
both must exist only in Ali (R) or in his progeny. Being alien to the Quran,
this idealogy could not gain much ground among Muslims – not until Abbasids
appeared on the scene turning this ideology into a mass movement for their own
political end against the Umayyads.
Although this movement originally started in Kufa and where
it could not gain much strength initially, but thanks to Abbasids, it soon
spread to Khorasan and started gaining wide-spread support among people of
mainly Persian descent who, although had accepted Islam but, nevertheless,
carried an affection in their hearts for their pre-Islamic belief of divine
right of kings and, who, now readily transferred it to the divine right of Imam
and Wasi; thus creating the first permanent wedge in the then one Muslim
Ummah. The foundation laid by Abdullah bin Saba was thus
realized in the form of a permanent Shiite faith.
To understand how it happened we need to start from the
period just after Caliph Ali (R) when the Umayyads gained the upper hand in the
power struggle for the Islamic Caliphate and made Damascus
the Capital of their empire. Seeing that Umayyads had overpowered the
rebellious Kufis, their leader Imam Hasan, the eldest son of Caliph Ali (R),
made a peace offer. According to Ibn Khaldun:
Imam Hasan wrote to Ameer Mu’awiya that
he (Imam Hasan) would step down from the Caliphate of Kufa if all the wealth in
its treasury (Bayt-ul-maal) was given to him and if the tax of Darul Jabaru
(part of the then Persia) was continued to be paid to him. [Ibn Khaldun, Vol.2,
page 456]
After this agreement Umayyads had good relation with Imam
Hasan:
The relationship between Ameer Mu’awiya
and Imam Hasan was pleasant. Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain used to visit Ameer
Mu’awiya and he used to give them gifts and cash (as much as up to two hundred
thousand Dirhams). [Al-Bidaya Wan-Nihaya, Vol. 8]
This cordial relationship continued with Imam Hussain after
the death of Imam Hasan:
Ameer Mu’awiya granted one million
Dirhams, and his son Yazid doubled this grant. These grants were conferred
every year on both sons of Ali (R) Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain. [Commentary on
Nahj-al-Balagha by Ibn Abi-al-Hadeed]
Umayyads and Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain also had family
relationships. The niece of Imam Hussain, i.e., the daughter of
Abdullah-bin-Jafar Tayyar, Sayyida-Umm Muhammad was married to Yazid and the
wife of Imam Hussain, the revered mother of Ali Akbar, was the niece (sister's
daughter) of Ameer Mu’awiya.
But when the Caliphate of the entire Islamic empire
(including Egypt,
Iraq, and
Hijaz) came under the Umayyads’ control during the period of Abdul Malik bin
Marwaan, a serious power struggle started between them and the Abbasids.
Abbasids were descendents from the same lineage as Umayyads.
Therefore, they could not accept Umayyads’ exclusive grip on power. This family
rivalry between the Umayyads and the Abbasids gave the Iranians the perfect
opportunity they were looking for – for taking far greater revenge against the
Arabs who had dismantled their empire. So, they supported the Abbasids in their
power struggle against the Umayyads. (After all Abbas (R), the uncle of the
Prophet (PBUH) was a great supporter of Ali (R) and his confidant.) It was the
Iranian support of the Abbasids that eventually led to the dismantling of the
Umayyad Caliphate, and in which Abu Muslim Khorasani played a central role.
Who was Abu Muslim Khorasani and how did he turn out to be
such a powerful central figure in Abbasids’ battle against the Umayyads? This
is somewhat a long and intricate story.
Umayyads had granted the ownership of taxes of Hamima, a
town situated on the road between Medina
and Damascus, to Ali bin Abdullah
bin Abbas (i.e., the grandson of Abbas (R). His name Ali was chosen because he
was born on the same day that Caliph Ali (R) died). He had settled in Hamima
and died there in 117 A.H. Among his sons, Muhammad bin Ali became the most
influential and laid the foundation of the Abbasid dynasty. He was the father
of the first Abbasid Caliph Abul Abbas Saffah and the second more popular one
Abu Jaafar Mansour.
Since Kufa was the hotbed of
rebellion against the Umayyads, they kept a strict eye on it. Most Kufis,
however, stuck to their belief in Imams and continued to support one Imam or
the other from among the progeny of Caliph Ali (R) – Muhammad bin Al-hanfiyyah
(the eldest son) and his son Abu Hashim; Ali bin Hussain bin Ali (aka Zainul
Abedeen) and his sons Muhammad Baqar and Zaid; Jaafar Sadiq bin Muhammad Baqar,
and Yahya bin Zaid. (All of the different Shiite sects derive from these
Imams.) Umayyads could not tolerate anyone of them. Muhammad bin Ali bin
Abdullah bin Abbas had seen that Umayyad Caliphs killed anyone who openly
challenged their rule. So, he embarked on a secret scheme.
By now Imam Abu Hashim of the Kesaniyah sect of Shiites had
settled in Hamima. (Remember, Hamima was under financial jurisdiction of Ali
bin Abdullah bin Abbas granted to him by the Umayyads.) Imam Abu Hashim did not
have any son. So, when he died in Hamima, Abbasids proclaimed that Imam Abu
Hashim had appointed Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas as his Wasi and Imam.
Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas wanted to take full advantage of this
situation in his battle against the Umayyads. But he also knew that Umayyads
would eliminate his family if they came to know about the Imamate of his
father. So he asked Imam Abu Hashim’s followers – who, by now, had turned into
his father’s followers and supporters – to keep it secret.
Muhammad bin Ali chose Kufa and Khorasan as centers of his
secret activities. Kufa, because it was the seat of Shiite faith; and Khorasan,
because it had overwhelming Persian population. Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah
bin Abbas gained further support and loyalty of the followers of Imam Abu
Hashim by emphasizing that his own connection with the Prophet’s family (Ahl-ul-Bayt)
was somewhat closer than Caliph Ali’s as his (Muhammad bin Ali’s) family was
descendent from the uncle of the Prophet (PBUH) whom he loved very much.
Having thus gained the loyalty of Imam Abu Hashim’s Shiite
followers, Muhammad bin Ali then embarked on building a powerful underground
movement against the Umayyads. He planned a two-phase long-term strategy to
overthrow the Umayyads: 1) Preaching secretly the concept of Ahl-ul-Bayt
among the mainly Persian population of Khorasan, and 2) Challenging the
Umayyads when this movement had gathered considerable political strength and
popular support.
To achieve the first goal Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah
dispatched his most loyal supporters to Khorasan with strict instructions. They
were to pretend to be businessmen and under no circumstances they were supposed
to reveal their true connection to Muhammad bin Ali. For this purpose, he
created a powerful and intricate organization. He chose two men (Muhammad bin
Khunis and Abu Akramah Siraj) to head this secret organization. Under their
control, he appointed twelve men to direct the effort in different regions of
Khorasan. Then he appointed seventy men to carry out this secret activity under
the direction of each of these twelve regional leaders. To oversee the
operation in Kufa, he appointed his family’s trusted slave Maisarah.
This period of secret preaching lasted for almost 29 long
years (from 100 A.H. to 128 A.H). There were episodes in which several of its
members were killed including the top two leaders Muhammad bin Khunis and Abu
Akramah Siraj on the orders of the Umayyad governor of Khorasan (Asad bin
Abdullah Qusri) when he became suspicious of their activities. Yet this
underground movement continued to grow.
This mission got a tremendous boost when Bakir bin Mahaan, a
great supporter of the Abbasids who also happened to be very wealthy, joined
this movement in 105 A.H. In the mean time Maisarah, the leader of this
movement in Kufa died, and Imam Muhammad (the title “Imam” now shifting to him
from his father) then appointed Bakir bin Mahaan as his point man in Kufa.
Throughout this phase of the movement Imam Muhammad bin Ali
bin Abdullah bin Abbas was in constant touch with his followers thus keeping a
close tab on the progress of his mission in Khorasan. He used to meet with his
followers during each Hajj season and give them advice and guidance to carry
out their activities in Khorasan. (He did not want to give any inkling of his
secret mission to Umayyads by traveling to Khorasan.)
As for those who were killed in his movement Imam Muhammad
thanked God for having accepted their sacrifice for the sake of truth. When the
Umayyad governor of Khorasan Asad died Imam Muhammad’s movement in Khorasan
caught further speed and momentum.
But before he could realize his dream Imam Muhammad died in
Hamima in 126 A.H. and his son Imam Ibrahim (the title “Imam” shifting once
again from his father to him) took over his mission. Shortly thereafter, Bakir
bin Mahaan also died in Kufa and Imam Ibrahim appointed Mahaan’s son-in-law Abu
Salmah Khalal Hafs in his place.
Imam Ibrahim gave his father’s movement (against the
Umayyads) even greater impetus than his father. The stage was now set for this
movement to enter its next phase as it had gathered enough strength and power
to challenge the Umayyads, who, by now had been weakened by constant bickering
and rivalry within their own ranks. (For example, when Walid (the second)
became the Umayyad Caliph his cousin Yazid (not to be confused with Yazid bin
Mu’awiyaa) got him killed and declared himself the Caliph.)
While all these internal family strives were going on within
the ranks of the Umayyads dynasty Imam Ibrahim plotted his next move. There was
a slave in the service of Imam Ibrahim whose name was Abu Muslim Khorasani. He
was given to his father Imam Muhammad in 125 A.H. by Bakir bin Mahaan who had
bought him from Isa bin Mu’aqqil and who had educated and trained him in Shiite
faith. Abu Muslim Khorasani was extremely brave and courageous person. Seeing
that Umayyads have become weak Imam Ibrahim selected Abu Muslim Khorasani to
lead the next phase of his father’s movement in Khorasan against the Umayyads.
Imam Ibrahim wrote his followers in Khorasan to obey the orders of Abu Muslim
Khorasani. And Imam Ibrahim gave following instructions to Abu Muslim Khorasani
while dispatching him to Khorasan:
Remember that you have a special place in our family! Try
to get the loyalty of the Yemenites because of their opposition to the Umayyads
due to tribal rivalry. You would not be successful in your mission without
their support. Never trust anyone from the tribe of Rabiyah (the Kharajites).
Eliminate – even kill – as many Arabs as you may think fit to achieve your
goal. If you doubt anyone then kill him.
Abu Muslim reached Khorasan in 128 A.H. and took advantage
of the differences and enmities among the Arab tribes there. He did this for a
year to consolidate his position in Khorasan. Then he wrote a threatening
letter to Nasr bin Sayyar, the Umayyad governor of Khorasan at the time.
Thinking that it is an isolated incident Nasr sent his men to arrest Abu Muslim
Khorasani. But Abu Muslim Khorasani’s men were ready for the encounter and they
quickly overpowered and defeated the Nasr’s men. Since Abu Muslim Khorasani was
instructed by Imam Ibrahim to always fight in the name of Ahlul Bayt
(the foundation of Shiite faith) people of Khorasan started flocking to Abu
Muslim’s side in droves.
Thus the Abbasids who had patiently built their underground
network of supporters for 29 years, were now fully prepared and waiting to take
on the once mighty Umayyads who, by now, had become weak due to internal
fighting but, nevertheless, were still drunk with arrogance of imperial power.
The secret scheme having been hatched against them by Imam Muhammad was now
being given final touches by Imam Ibrahim. Slowly but surely the noose had been
tightening secretly around their neck for all these years, and the Umayyads
were not even aware of it. Further, to the delight of Imam Ibrahim, Abu Muslim
Khorasani turned out to be a savvy military commander and a shrewd political
strategist. Imam Ibrahim could not have asked for a better person than Abu
Muslim Khorasani to lead the military phase of his father’s campaign against
the Umayyads.
Now, Nasr bin Sayyar, the Umayyad governor of Khorasan
thinking that Abu Muslim Khorasani was a lone ranger (and was not part of a
larger network controlled by Imam Ibrahim of the Abbasids), and finding that
Abu Muslim’s greatest support came from people of Persian descent, tried to
unite different Arab tribes who had settled in Khorasan but were beset by their
own tribal rivalries and infighting. Nasr (who was from Bani Kananah tribe)
wrote to Sheiban, the leader of the Rabiyah tribe that we should forget our
differences and unite our efforts to deal with our common enemy: Abu Muslim
Khorasani and his people, the non-Arabs. Nasr also invited the Yemenite leader
Jadi’y bin Shabib (aka Kermani) to join hands in this common Arab cause.
But, Kermani did not agree to join hands with Nasr. So, Nasr
got him killed. Now, Kermani’s son Ali rose up in anger and started organizing
his Yemenite tribe to take revenge against Nasr for his (Ali’s) father’s
killing.
Here was a perfect opportunity for Abu Muslim Khorasani to
exploit for his Master’s (i.e., Imam Ibrahim’s) political end. And he did. He
wrote to Ali that if you want to take revenge for your father’s murder then
have a meeting with Sheiban and try to persuade him not to join hands with
Nasr. What happened next? And how was Abu Muslim Khrasani able to defeat the
Umayyads and finally extinguish the flame of their Caliphate? We will discuss
these in the next issue.