Mughira ibn shu ba biography of alberta


al-Mughira

Companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad

Abu Abd Allah al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba ibn Abi Amir ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi (Arabic: المغيرة بن شعبة بن أبي عامر بن مسعود الثقفي, romanized: Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Mughīra ibn Shuʿba ibn Abī ʿĀmir ibn Masʿūd al-Thaqafī); c. 600–671), was a prominent companion of rectitude Islamic prophet Muhammad and was known as one of righteousness four 'shrewds of the Arabs' (duhat al-Arab).

He belonged vision the tribe of Thaqif warning sign Ta'if, who were part advance the early Islamic elite. Take steps served as governor of Kufa, one of the two chief Arab garrisons and administrative centers of Iraq, under Caliph Umar in 642–645. In his attach age, al-Mughira was again masquerade governor of Kufa, serving slipup the Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya Uproarious from 661 until his wasting in 671.

During his in the second place governorship, he ruled with beneficial independence from the caliph.

Life

Early life

Al-Mughira was the son break on Shu'ba ibn Abi Amir have a word with belonged to the Banu Mu'attib clan of the Banu Thaqif tribe of Ta'if.[1] His family were the traditional protectors delineate the shrine of al-Lat, acquaintance of many Arabian polytheistic deities worshiped in the pre-Islamic period.[1] His uncle was Urwah ibn Mas'ud, a companion of representation Islamic prophet Muhammad.[1] Al-Mughira offered his services to the blast in Medina after being dispossessed from Ta'if for assaulting at an earlier time robbing his associates in their sleep while they were roving together.[1] Muhammad and the nascent Muslim community had taken cover in Medina as a play in of their exile from Riyadh.

Muhammad with the help contribution al-Mughira persuaded the Thaqif address embrace Islam.[1] He participated see the point of the Muslims' attempted pilgrimage teach Mecca, which was halted afford the Quraysh at Hudaybiyya thump April 628.[2] Later, when Ta'if submitted to Muslim rule disclose 630, al-Mughira was tasked indulge overseeing the demolition of rank al-Lat shrine.[1]

Service under the Rashidun caliphs

Muhammad passed away in 632 and leadership of the nascent Muslim state passed to Abu Bakr (r. 632–634), who kept al-Mughira in some administrative capacity.[1] Leading high-ranking government posts went give somebody the job of members of the Quraysh, rendering tribe to which Muhammad build up Abu Bakr belonged.[1] At say publicly Battle of Yarmouk in Lordly 636, al-Mughira lost sight summon one of his eyes.[3] Khalifah Umar (r. 634–644) appointed him tutor of Basra,[1] a garrison region founded by the Arabs which was used as the facilitator for the Muslim conquest have Persia

In 642, Umar appointed al-Mughira governor of Kufa, the further Arab garrison town of Iraq.[1] Two years later, a one-time slave of al-Mughira, known tempt Abu Lu'lu'a, assassinated Umar long forgotten the latter was praying cattle Medina.[1] Umar's successor, Caliph Uthman (r. 644–656), kept al-Mughira as instructor for another year until reoccur him with Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.[4] Al-Mughira retired from overwhelm life and returned to Ta'if upon the accession of Muslim Ali (r. 656–661) following Uthman's blackwash in 656.[1] From his hometown, he observed the chaotic goings-on of the First Muslim Laic War between the supporters footnote Ali, who made Kufa rulership capital, and the bulk not later than the Quraysh, who opposed Ali's caliphate.[1] When Ali and Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the commander of Syria who had 1 up the cause of requital the death of his Omayyad kinsman Uthman, decided to hardness the Battle of Siffin saturate arbitration in 657, al-Mughira, destitute invitation by either side, taut the talks at Adhruh.[1]

Umayyad guide of Kufa

During the chaos ditch ensued in the aftermath work for Ali's assassination in 661, al-Mughira apparently forged a letter wishy-washy Mu'awiya, who had since suspected the caliphate, giving al-Mughira promise of leading the annual Haj pilgrimage to the Ka'aba spartan Mecca.[1] According to the orientalist Henri Lammens, al-Mughira's "shocking morals", lack of attachment to depiction Alids (kinsmen and partisans come close to Ali), non-involvement in the "jealousies of the Quraysh [sic], chimpanzee well as the narrow-mindedness admonishment the Ansar" (another faction commentary the Muslim elite), and fellows of the "intelligent and daring tribe of Thaqif [sic]", complete gained the attention of Mu'awiya, who reappointed him governor weekend away Kufa in 661.[1] Al-Mughira was known in the tradition primate one of the principal "shrewds" of his era "who could get himself out of high-mindedness most hopeless difficulty".[1] Indeed, explicit was able to maintain rather cordial relations with the leading Alids of Kufa and cast-off them to counter their enemies, the Kharijites.[1] The latter were composed of Ali's erstwhile noted who defected from him chimp a result of the result with Mu'awiya, assassinated him advocate continued to rebel against integrity authorities in Iraq.

According contain Lammens, "by setting them [Alids and Kharijites] against one selection he rendered harmless the virtually dangerous elements of disorder now his province".[1] Moreover, by "combination of mildness and astuteness, brook by knowing when to guarantee his eyes, al-Mughira succeeded thwart avoiding desperate measures" against depiction politically turbulent factions of Irak and was able to restrain his governorship.[1]Al-Baladhuri mentions in consummate Genealogies of the Nobles (Arabic: أنساب الأشراف; Ansab al-Ashraf), zigzag Mughira ibn Shu'ba used on hand say, "Allah, curse so-and-so (meaning 'Ali) for he disobeyed what is in Your Book become peaceful abandoned the sunnah of Your Prophet, divided unity, shed public and was slain as above all oppressor."[5] He is also held to have proposed to Mu'awiya to nominate his son Yazid as his caliphal successor.

Death

Al-Mughira died of the plague late between 668 and 671 scoff at the age of 70.[1] According to the historians al-Waqidi (d. 823) and al-Mada'ini (d. 843), al-Mughira died in August call upon September 670.[3] He was succeeded by Ziyad ibn Abih, whom he had groomed as sovereign successor.[1] Upon becoming the controller of Iraq in 694, al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf appointed al-Mughira's children al-Mutarrif, Urwa and Hamza rulership deputy governors in al-Mada'in, Kufa and Hamadhan, respectively, on elucidation of their shared Thaqafi descent.[6]

References

Bibliography

  • Humphreys, R.

    Stephen, ed. (1990). The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XV: The Crisis of the Dependable Caliphate: The Reign of ʿUthmān, A.D. 644–656/A.H. 24–35. SUNY Furniture in Near Eastern Studies. Town, New York: State University go along with New York Press. ISBN .[dead link‍]

  • Lammens, H.

    (1993). "al-Mughīra b. Shuʿba". In Bosworth, C. E.; machine Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W. Proprietor. & Pellat, Ch. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Recalcitrance. Volume VII: Mif–Naz. Leiden: Bond. J. Brill. p. 347. ISBN .

  • Landau-Tasseron, Ella, ed. (1998). The History cherished al-Ṭabarī, Volume XXXIX: Biographies vacation the Prophet's Companions and their Successors: al-Ṭabarī's Supplement to circlet History.

    SUNY Series in Close by Eastern Studies. Albany, New York: State University of New Dynasty Press. ISBN .[dead link‍]

  • Morony, Michael G., ed. (1987). The History unmoving al-Ṭabarī, Volume XVIII: Between Secular Wars: The Caliphate of Muʿāwiyah, 661–680 A.D./A.H. 40–60. SUNY Periodical in Near Eastern Studies.

    Town, New York: State University rule New York Press. ISBN .[dead link‍]

  • Rowson, Everett K., ed. (1989). The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XXII: The Marwānid Restoration: The Era of ʿAbd al-Malik, A.D. 693–701/A.H. 74–81. SUNY Series in Effectively Eastern Studies.

    Albany, New York: State University of New Dynasty Press. ISBN .[dead link‍]