Abu Bilal Mirdas

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Abu Bilal Mirdas
Died681
Kharijite leader
OpponentUbayd Allah ibn Ziyad
Parents
  • Hudayr ibn Amr (father)
  • Udayya (mother)
RelativesUrwa ibn Udayya (brother)

Abu Bilal Mirdas ibn Udayya al-Tamimi (died 681) was the leader of

Ibadiyya
to this day.

Origin and early career

Abu Bilal was from the Rabia ibn Hanzala branch of Banu Tamim tribe, which provided a series of Kharijite leaders. Although his father's name was Hudayr ibn Amr, he was known by his mother's name Udayya. He was a resident of the Iraqi garrison town of Basra. Little is known of his early life.[1]

After the assassination of the third caliph Uthman in 656 by provincial rebels, the caliphate fell into civil war as Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, a relative of Uthman and the governor of Syria, challenged the legitimacy of the new caliph Ali. The indecisive battle between the two at Siffin ended in an arbitration agreement in July 657. Asserting that human arbitration was invalid as God's command was clear that the rebels (in this case Mu'awiya) had to be fought and overcome, some of Ali's soldiers left the army. They were called Kharijites following this secession.[2] Abu Bilal's brother Urwa ibn Udayya is reported to have been the first person to raise the slogan of la hukma illa li-llah (judgment belongs to God alone), which later became the characteristic Kharijite slogan, against the arbitration.[3] Abu Bilal himself was present at the battle and was among the seceders. He later fought against Ali in the Battle of Nahrawan in July 658 where the caliph crushed the Kharijite insurgents.[4] Following Ali's assassination in 661 by a Kharijite, Mu'awiya became the sole ruler, establishing the Umayyad Caliphate.[5]

Leader of the Basran quietists

After the defeat at Nahrawan, where many of the senior Kharijite leaders were killed, Abu Bilal gave up armed insurrection and returned to Basra along with his brother Urwa.

Sufriyya and Abu Bilal is counted among their imams.[8]

At some point, Abu Bilal protesting and humiliating the governor of Basra

Abdallah ibn Amir, just because the latter wearing fine garment. However, Abu Bilal conduct risen the anger of a Tabi'un named Abu Bakrah Muhammad ibn Bashar Bindar, who quoted a Hadith about forbidding to humiliate a ruler in public, while cursing Abu Bilal.[9][10]

Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad suppressed the Kharijite disturbances and imprisoned many of them including Abu Bilal. According to the account of Umar ibn Shabba (d. 877), the jailer was impressed by Abu Bilal's piety and permitted him to spend the nights at his home and return in the mornings. Upon learning that Ibn Ziyad intended to kill all the Kharijite prisoners the next morning, one of Abu Bilal's confidants reported this to his family. Despite this, Abu Bilal returned to the prison the next morning. Moved by this, the jailer pleaded to Ibn Ziyad who spared Abu Bilal's life and released him, while the others were killed.[3][11][12]

Revolt and death

Darabjird
Ramhurmuz
class=notpageimage|
Basra
and approximate locations of some of Abu Bilal's battles

Ibn Ziyad is said to have severely persecuted the Kharijites after his conciliatory measures had failed.

AH (680).[3][14] With forty men he left Basra and established himself in Ahwaz. In contrast to looting and murder by extremist Kharijites, he remained peaceful but collected taxes equivalent to the stipend of himself and his followers. Ibn Ziyad sent against him an army of 2,000 under the command of Aslam ibn Zur'a al-Kilabi. Despite being far inferior in numbers, the Kharijites defeated the Basran force in the encounter at the village of Asak near Ramhurmuz.[4][3][15] Ibn Zur'a narrowly escaped being captured by a Kharijite named Ma'bad. He was mocked and humiliated in Basra for his embarrassing defeat at the hands of such a tiny force. People in the market of Basra taunted him: "Abu Bilal is behind you!", "Oh Ma'bad, capture him!" Ibn Ziyad had to deploy his personal guards to rescue Ibn Zur'a.[16]

In the year 61 AH (680–681) Ibn Ziyad sent another army, 4,000-strong (3,000 according to another account

Friday prayers before fighting. While the Kharijites were busy praying, the Basrans attacked and massacred them. Abu Bilal's head was cut off and taken to Ibn Ziyad.[4]

Aftermath of Abu Bilal's death

As soon as Abbad returned to Basra, a group of four Kharijites at the head of Ubayda ibn Hilal killed him and his son in vengeance for Abu Bilal.

Mu'tazila denied that he was a Kharijite and claimed him as one of their own.[13]

However, his Kharijite view were condemned by Sunni who demands general obedience towards the authority, as Scholars of later such as

Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymeen, and Majd ad-Dīn Ibn Athir era has written on their commentary that the conduct of Dhu al-Khuwaishirah Hurqus ibn Zuhayr as-Sa'di and Abu Bilal Mirdas as a warning about the danger of Kharijites.[9][10]

Notes

  1. ^ According to another account, however, Urwa's execution occurred after Abu Bilal's death.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Gaiser 2020.
  2. ^ Watt 1973, pp. 12–14.
  3. ^ a b c d Wellhausen 1901, p. 26.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Levi Della Vida 1993, pp. 123–124.
  5. ^ Donner 2010, pp. 166–167.
  6. ^ a b c Wellhausen 1901, p. 25.
  7. ^ Watt 1973, p. 27.
  8. ^ Madelung & Lewinstein 1997, p. 766.
  9. ^ a b Ibn Athir, Majd ad-Dīn (2009). Saleh Shaaban, Ayman (ed.). جامع الأصول في أحاديث الرسول (ص) 1-15 مع الفهارس ج4 [Jami` al-Usul in the hadiths of the Prophet (pbuh) 1-15 with indexes, part 4] (in Arabic). Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah. p. 56. Retrieved 18 December 2021. Jami' al-Tirmidhi Book: 33, Hadith: 2224
  10. ^ a b as-Sidawy, Abu Ubaidah Yusuf (2018). "Mencela Pemimpin, Ciri Khas Kelompok Khawarij" (Article). Muslim.or.id (in Indonesian). Muslim.or.id. Retrieved 18 December 2021. Fatawa Ulama Al-Akabir hal. 94-96 dan Madarik An Nadhar hal. 272-275
  11. ^ Gaiser 2016, pp. 64–65.
  12. ^ Morony 1987, p. 197.
  13. ^ a b Gaiser 2016, p. 62.
  14. ^ Gaiser 2016, p. 63.
  15. ^ a b Howard 1990, p. 183.
  16. ^ Gaiser 2016, p. 65.
  17. ^ Wellhausen 1901, pp. 26–27.
  18. ^ Howard 1990, pp. 183–184.
  19. ^ Howard 1990, p. 184.
  20. ^ a b Wellhausen 1901, p. 27.
  21. ^ Gaiser 2016, pp. 63–64.

Sources

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