Abbas ibn Ali
Abbas ibn Ali | |
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Shaban 26 AH c. 15 May 647 | |
Died | 10 Muharram 61 AH 10 October 680 (aged 33) |
Cause of death | Killed in the Battle of Karbala |
Resting place | Al-Abbas Shrine, Karbala, Iraq |
Known for | Battle of Karbala |
Title | List of titles
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Spouse | Lubaba bint Ubayd Allah ibn al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib |
Children |
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Parents | |
Relatives | |
Family | Ahl al-Bayt |
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Ali |
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Al-Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (
Titles
The kunya of Abbas was Abu al-Fadl (lit. 'father of virtue').[1] Another epithet of him was Qamar Bani Hashim (lit. 'moon of the Hashemites'), and he is often described as tall and handsome.[2] Abbas is said to have inherited the boldness and bravery of his father Ali ibn Abi Talib,[3][2] always carrying the victorious standard on the battlefield.[2] Abbas is indeed celebrated as shir-i ghazi (lit. 'the warrior-lion') and shir-i awzhan (lit. 'the valiant lion') in Persian language.[1] He is also known as Alam-d'ar (lit. 'standard-bearer') for his role in the Battle of Karbala, and as al-Saqqa' (lit. 'the water carrier') and Abu al-Qirba (qirba means 'a water-skin') for his desperate attempt on the evening of Ashura to bring water from the Euphrates river to quench the unbearable thirst of the besieged Ahl al-Bayt.[2][1] The Islamicist J. Calmard draws a parallel between Abbas and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, an elder son of Ali and his standard-bearer, saying that Abbas fulfilled the same warrior functions near Husayn.[2]
Birth and early life
Abbas was born in Medina to Ali and Fatima bint Hizam ibn Khalid ibn Rabi'a, a woman from the Banu Kilab tribe.[1] Abbas had three full brothers, named Abd Allah, Ja'far and Uthman.[2] Their mother Fatima thus became known as Umm al-Banin (lit. 'mother of the sons').[1] Abbas' brothers were all killed in the Battle of Karbala just before him.[2] Some sources refer to him as al-Abbas al-Akbar (lit. 'the elder/greater Abbas') to distinguish him from another son of Ali, named al-Abbas al-Asghar (lit. 'the younger/smaller Abbas').[1] Abbas' date of birth is disputed. According to the Sunni historian Ibn Sa'd (d. 845), he had not yet reached puberty when Ali was assassinated in 661, whereas some others have written that Abbas was thirty-four at that time. The Shia scholar Bahr al-Ulum (d. 1797) reports 4 Shaban 26 (15 May 647) as the birthdate of Abbas.[1] Naturally, much of what exists in sources about Abbas is in connection to the Battle of Karbala.[1]
Battle of Karbala and death (680)
Accession of Yazid
In an appointment that violated earlier agreements with Ali's eldest son Hasan,[4] the Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya (r. 661–680) designated his son Yazid (r. 680–683) as his successor in 676.[5] Yazid is often presented by Muslim historians as a debaucher who openly violated the Islamic norms,[6][7][8] and his nomination was indeed met with resistance at the time from sons of some prominent companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, including Husayn ibn Ali.[9][10] On Mu'awiya's death and Yazid's accession in 680, the latter instructed the governor of Medina to secure Husayn's pledge of allegiance by force, and Husayn immediately left for Mecca to avoid recognizing Yazid as the caliph.[11] He was accompanied by some relatives, including Abbas.[1]
Journey to Karbala
After receiving letters of support from
Water shortage
On 7 Muharram,[15] on orders of Ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad commander Umar ibn Sa'd (d. 686) cut off Husayn's access to the Euphrates river.[16][11] Abbas and some fifty companions were nevertheless able to bring back some water to Husayn's camp in a night sortie.[11] Despite this attempt, the Islamicist L. Veccia Vaglieri (d. 1989) believes that the camp suffered from thirst for three days.[17] Among other experts, D. Pinault similarly writes that the camp suffered from thirst and hunger during the siege,[18] and the opinion of A. Hamdar is close.[19] Karbala has a hot desert climate.[20][21]
Negotiations
Ibn Sa'd was instructed by Ibn Ziyad not to let Husayn leave unless he pledged his allegiance to Yazid.[16] Husayn did not submit to Yazid,[11][17] but negotiated with Ibn Ziyad through Ibn Sa'd to be allowed to retreat and avoid bloodshed. The governor did not relent, however,[17][11] and finally ordered Ibn Sa'd to fight, kill, and disfigure Husayn and his supporters unless they pledged allegiance to Yazid, in which case their fate would be decided later.[11]
Safe passage
As a member of the Banu Kilab, the Umayyad commander
Tasu'a
Ibn Sa'd decided to attack on Tasu'a (9 Muharram) after the afternoon prayer. As the Umayyad army approached, however, Husayn dispatched Abbas and some companions, who tell Ibn Sa'd to delay the confrontation until the following day.[1][11] Husayn now besieged his followers in a speech to leave and not risk their lives for his sake, after which Abbas was the first to renew his support, saying that he would follow his brother in life or death.[1] Nearly all those present stayed with Husayn until the end.[11][21][22] Husayn and his companions spent that night praying and reading the Quran,[23] as reported by the Shia jurist Ibn Tawus (d. 1266) and in most maqatil works.[24] On this night, Zaynab bint Ali is said to have reminded her half-brother Abbas of their father's wish for the latter to be the reserves of Karbala, and to be to Husayn as Ali was to Muhammad. This Abbas confirmed and swore to do.[25] There is a report by Ibn Tawus that Abbas was killed on Tasu'a in a failed sally to bring water,[2][24] though most traditions place his death on Ashura.[2]
Ashura
On the morning of Ashura (10 Muharram), Husayn organized his supporters, some seventy-two men,[17] and designated Abbas as his standard-bearer, an indication of his privileged position among the companions.[1] Husayn then spoke to the enemy lines and asked them why they considered it lawful to kill the grandson of Muhammad.[17] The Umayyad commander al-Hurr ibn Yazid al-Tamimi defected to Husayn's side, probably after this speech.[26] The Umayyad army then showered the camp with arrows,[17] thus commencing the battle which lasted from morning till sunset and consisted of incidents of single combat, skirmishes, assaults, and retreats.[11] On one occasion, Abbas helped rescue a group of companions who were surrounded by enemy horsemen.[1] By the early afternoon, however, the companions had all fallen and were followed by the Banu Hashim.[27]
Death
The Sunni historians
Credibility
Among others, al-Mufid argues that Abbas' burial place, far from Husayn and his companions, adds to the credibility of this account, which is also corroborated by another report about Abbas' death attributed to Ali ibn al-Husayn. In support of this account, the Islamicist A. Bahramian and his co-author note that the traditional supplications for pilgrims contain references to Abbas' mission to fetch water and his arms being severed. The two authors also note that Abbas later became known as al-Saqqa' (lit. 'the water carrier') and Abu al-Qirba (qirba means 'a water-skin').[1]
After his death
After the battle, some Umayyad soldiers stripped Abbas' garments,[1][22] and his corpse was thus dishonored.[31] As with Husayn and his other companions, the head of Abbas was severed and brought to Yazid in Damascus,[2] in his case by Harmala ibn K'ahil al-Asadi.[1]
Shrine
Abbas was buried by some men of the
Descendants
Abbas had a young son named Ubayd Allah, born to Lubaba bint Ubayd Allah, the grand-daughter of Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. This son was likely taken captive after the Battle of Karbala, and the lineage of Abbas continued through him. In particular, the poetry by Abbas' descendants is collected in one of the chapters in al-Awraq by the Abbasid-era author al-Suli (d. 946–947). One of his descendants was Abbas ibn al-Hasan al-Alawi, who reached fame as a poet and scholar during the reigns of the Abbasid caliphs, al-Rashid (r. 786–809) and al-Ma'mun (r. 813–833). The Zanj rebellion was ignited in Iraq and Bahrain in the ninth century by Ali ibn Muhammad Sahib al-Zanj, who claimed descent from Abbas.[1] However, this claim has been disputed by some historians.[33]
Significance in Shia Islam
Abbas is regarded in Shia Islam as an ultimate paragon of courage, chivalry, love, sincerity, and self-sacrifice. Shias make the supplication of tawassul to Abbas, thus requesting him to join his prayers with them. Abbas is thus associated in Shia with the alleviation of grief and suffering. Serious oaths are made in his name, and Shias distribute food for charity as part of vows (nadhrs) made in the name of Abbas.[1]
Muharram rituals
Tasu'a (9 Muharram) is devoted in Shia as the day of mourning for Abbas.[1] He is celebrated in religious passion-plays (ta'zies) as the water carrier of the Ahl al-Bayt and the standard bearer of Husayn.[2] The ta'zie of Abbas' death is among the oldest passion-plays and is frequently performed throughout the year.[1] The green standards (alams) carried in Muharram processions are often adorned on top with a metal hand (panja) representing Abbas' severed hand, with outstretched fingers that symbolize the Ahl al-Bayt.[2][1] They are engraved with the invocations such as Ya hazrat-e Abbas (lit. 'O, exalted Abbas') or Ya Abu al-Fadl.[2] Food and water are also distributed for charity in his name.[2] From West Indies to the island of Java, Sunnis and Hindus also commonly participate in most Shia Muharram rituals.[2]
Religious art
Abbas is heavily featured in Shia art. Verses of poetry about him and his likeness historically appear in public religious buildings, particularly in the tile work (kashik'ari) of saqqa-khanas (public drinking-water repositories), husayniyyas and takiyyas (both are places to commemorate Husayn), and zur-khanahs (traditional Persian gymnasiums). Abbas is depicted in religious paintings often seated on a white horse and holding Husayn's banner while fighting enemies or holding a water-skin and surrounded by the womenfolk and children of the Ahl al-Bayt.[1]
Significance in Bektashism
According to the traditions of the
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Pilgrimage scene in 2014
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Bahramian & Bulookbashi 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Calmard 1982.
- ^ Hyder 2006, p. 91.
- ^ Madelung 1997, pp. 493–8.
- ^ Madelung 1997, p. 322.
- ^ Momen 1985, p. 28.
- ^ Pinault 2000, p. 70.
- ^ Abbas 2021, p. 167.
- ^ Wellhausen 1927, p. 145.
- ^ Hawting 2000, p. 46.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Madelung 2004.
- ^ Munson 1988, pp. 22–3.
- ^ Tabatabai 1975, pp. 175, 188.
- ^ Adibzadeh 2013, pp. 78–79.
- ^ Qutbuddin 2019, p. 106.
- ^ a b Momen 1985, p. 29.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Veccia Vaglieri 2012.
- ^ Pinault 2000, p. 71.
- ^ Hamdar 2009, pp. 85–86.
- ^ Adibzadeh 2013, p. 82.
- ^ a b c Momen 1985, p. 30.
- ^ a b Tabatabai 1975, p. 176.
- ^ Munson 1988, pp. 23.
- ^ a b Sindawi 2002, p. 91.
- ^ Aghaie 2004, p. 128.
- ^ Wellhausen 1901, p. 66.
- ^ Hyder 2006, p. 89.
- ^ Pinault 2001, p. 13.
- ^ Sindawi 2002, p. 93.
- ^ Howard 1986.
- ^ Pinault 2001, p. 1.
- ^ a b Momen 1985, p. 33.
- ^ Popovic 1999, pp. 33–35, 150, 155.
- ^ Elsie 2019.
Sources
- ISBN 9780300252057.
- Adibzadeh, S. (2013). The Journey of Beauty Towards Perfection: Zaynab bint 'Alī Ibn Abī Tālib and the Model of Human Changes Towards Developing Attributes of Walīyat Allāh and al-Insān al-Kāmil (Thesis). Temple University.
- Aghaie, K.S. (2004). The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi'i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0295984554.
- Bahramian, A.; Bulookbashi, A.A. (2015). "Al-'Abbās b. 'Alī". In Madelung, W.; Daftary, F. (eds.). Encyclopaedia Islamica. Translated by Negahban, F.
- Calmard, J. (1982). "'Abbās b. 'Alī b. Abū Ṭāleb". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. I/1. pp. 77–79. ISSN 2330-4804.
- ISBN 9781788315692.
- Hamdar, A. (2009). "Jihad of words: Gender and contemporary Karbala Narratives". The Yearbook of English Studies. 39: 84–100.
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- Howard, I.K.A. (1986). "Husayn the Martyr: A Commentary on the Accounts of the Martyrdom in Arabic Sources". Al-Serāt: Papers from the Imam Ḥusayn Conference, London, July 1984. Vol. 12. London: The Muhammadi Trust of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. pp. 124–142. ISBN 9780710302076.
- Hyder, A. (2006). Reliving Karbala: Martyrdom in South Asian Memory. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195373028.
- ISBN 9780521561815.
- Madelung, W. (2004). "Ḥosayn b. 'Ali i. Life and Significance in Shi'ism". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. XII/5. pp. 493–498.
- ISBN 9780300035315.
- Munson, H. (1988). Islam and Revolution in the Middle East. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300041276.
- Pinault, D. (2000). "Zaynab bin 'Ali and the Place of the Women of the Households of the First Imāms in Shī'ite Devotional Literature". In Hambly, G. (ed.). Women in the Medieval Islamic World: Power, Patronage, and Piety. Macmillan. ISBN 9780333800355.
- Pinault, D. (2001). Horse of Karbala: Muslim Devotional Life in India. Palgrave. ISBN 0312216378.
- Popovic, A. (1999). The Revolt of African Slaves in Iraq, in the 3rd/9th Century. Translated by King, L. Markus Wiener Publishers. ISBN 1558761624.
- ISBN 9783447198790.
- Sindawi, K. (2002). "The Image of Ḥusayn ibn 'Alī in Maqātil Literature" (PDF). Quaderni di Studi Arabi. 20/21: 79–104.
- ISBN 0873953908.
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- Wellhausen, J. (1927). The Arab Kingdom and Its Fall. Translated by Weir, M.G. University of Calcutta. OCLC 752790641.