Umm Kulthum bint Ali

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Umm Kulthūm bint 'Alī
Known forGranddaughter of Muhammad
Survivor of the Battle of Karbala
Parents
Relatives
List of relatives
FamilyAhl al-Bayt
Part of a series on
Islam
Beliefs
Practices
History
Culture and society
Related topics

Umm Kulthūm bint 'Alī (Arabic: أُمّ كُلْثُوم بِنْت عَلِيّ), also known as Zaynab al-Ṣughrā (Arabic: زَيْنَب ٱلصُّغْرَىٰ, lit. 'the junior Zaynab'), was the youngest daughter of Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib. The former was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the latter was his cousin. Ali is also recognized as the fourth Rashidun caliph (r. 656–661) and the first Shia imam. A young Umm Kulthum lost her grandfather and mother in 632 CE. While she was still a child, the second Rashidun caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (r. 634–644) asked for her hand in marriage, which was resisted by Umm Kulthum and her father Ali, possibly due to Umar's reputation for harsh treatment of women. By one Sunni account, Ali finally agreed to the marriage when Umar enlisted the support of prominent Muslims for his proposal.

Umm Kulthum survived the Battle of Karbala in 680, where her brother Husayn and most of her male relatives were massacred by the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mua'awiya (r. 680–683). Women and children in Husayn's camp were taken captive after the battle and marched to Kufa and then the Umayyad capital Damascus. A public speech ascribed to Umm Kulthum in Kufa condemns Yazid, defends Husayn, and chastises the Kufans for their role in his death. She was later freed and returned to her hometown Medina.

Early life

See also: Zaynab bint Ali

Umm Kulthum was the fourth child of Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib, and their youngest daughter.[1] The former was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the latter was his cousin. Ali is also recognized as the fourth Rashidun caliph (r. 656–661) and the first Shia imam. Umm Kulthum is also known as Zaynab al-Sughra (lit. 'the junior Zaynab') to distinguish her from her older sister Zaynab al-Kubra (lit. 'the senior Zaynab').[1] The Arabic world zaynab literally means 'adornment of father'.[1][2] Umm Kulthum was still a young child in 632 CE when her grandfather Muhammad and her mother Fatima both died.[3][4]

Marriage to Umar

The second Rashidun caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab is said to have asked Umm Kulthum for her hand in marriage during his reign (r. 634–644), according to the Sunni historian Ibn Sa'd (d. 845) in his biographical Tabaqat. Still a child at the time, Umm Kulthum resisted this proposal, the report by Ibn Sa'd continues. This refusal is attributed by the Islamicist W. Madelung (d. 2023) to Umar's reputation for harsh treatment of women. Ali too was reluctant but eventually gave in, according to Ibn Sa'd, when Umar enlisted the support of prominent Muslims for his proposal.[5] This proposal was likely an overture by Umar, who may have considered Ali's cooperation necessary in his collaborative scheme of government.[6] While Ali reputedly advised Umar and his predecessor Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) in certain matters,[7][8] their conflicts with Ali is also well-documented,[9][10][11] but largely downplayed or ignored in Sunni sources,[12][13] where there is often a tendency to neutralize the conflicts among the companions after Muhammad.[13][14][15] In contrast, these conflicts might have been magnified in Shia sources.[12] Some Shia scholars stated that the marriage indeed took place, and that rejecting the fact that it took place is not a possibility claiming that rejecting the event is ignorance[16] & stubbornness.[17][18][19] An example, is Al-Majlisi and Sistani, who are held very highly by Shia scholarship.[20] [21]Some shiite scholars said there is evidence that Ali, her father, consented to the marriage and didn’t oppose it.[22] This was also verified through genealogists.[23]

Battle of Karbala

Captives at the court of Yazid
A tilework inside Mu'awin ul-Mulk in Kermanshah, Iran, depicting the captives in the court of Yazid
See also: Battle of Karbala and Zaynab bint Ali

Ali was himself elected caliph in 656,[24] and later assassinated in his de-facto capital Kufa in January 661.[25][26][27] Soon after Ali's death, his eldest son Hasan was elected caliph in Kufa,[28][29] but later abdicated in favor of Mu'awiya (r. 661–680) in August 661.[30][31] The peace treaty between Hasan and Mu'awiya stipulated that the latter should not appoint a successor.[31] Hasan kept aloof from politics after his abdication in compliance with the peace treaty,[32][33][34] but was poisoned and killed in 669, most likely at the instigation of Mu'awiya,[31][30][35] who thus paved the way for the succession of his son Yazid (r. 680–683).[36][37] Hasan was then succeeded as the head of Muhammad's family by his brother Husayn,[30] who nevertheless upheld the treaty with Mu'awiya.[38][39]

Mu'awiya designated his son Yazid as his successor in 676,[40] in violation of his earlier agreement with Hasan.[41] Yazid is often remembered by Muslim historians as a debaucher who openly violated the Islamic norms,[36][42][43] and his nomination was met with resistance from the sons of Muhammad's prominent companions, including Husayn ibn Ali.[44][45] On Mu'awiya's death and Yazid's succession in 680, the latter instructed the governor of Medina to secure Husayn's pledge of allegiance by force. Husayn immediately left his hometown Medina for Mecca at night to avoid recognizing Yazid as the caliph.[38] After receiving letters of support from some Kufans, whose intentions were confirmed by his envoy, Husayn later left Mecca for Kufa, accompanied by some relatives and supporters,[38] including Zaynab and Umm Kulthum.[46] On their way to Kufa, Husayn's small caravan was intercepted by Yazid's army and forced to camp in the desert land of Karbala on 2 October 680 away from water and fortifications.[38] The promised Kufan support did not materialize as the new governor of Kufa killed the envoy of Husayn and intimidated Kufan tribal chiefs.[38] Having been surrounded for some days and deprived of the drinking water of the nearby Euphrates river,[36][42][47] Husayn was later killed on 10 October 680, alongside most of his male relatives and his small retinue, in the Battle of Karbala against the army of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (r. 680–683).

After the battle, the women and children in Husayn's camp were taken prisoner and marched first to Kufa and later to the capital Damascus in Syria.[48] Yazid eventually freed the captives,[1] and they returned to Medina.[49][1] The Muslim historian Ibn Abi Tahir Tayfur (d. 893) records two speeches about Karbala in his Balaghat al-nisa', which is an anthology of eloquent speeches by women.[50][51] He attributes one of the two speeches to Umm Kulthum in the market of Kufa,[49] and the other to her sister Zaynab in the court of Yazid in Damascus.[49][50] Most Shia authors, however, have later attributed both sermons to Zaynab, which the Islamicist T. Qutbuddin considers highly likely.[50] Concerning the first sermon, Ibn Tayfur writes that the Kufans wailed and wept when they saw Muhammad's family in captivity. Umm Kulthum (or Zaynab) then addressed the crowd and chastised them for their role in Husayn's death and recounted the events of Karbala.[52][53]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e Qutbuddin 2005, p. 9938.
  2. ^ Adibzadeh 2013, p. 37.
  3. ^ Esposito 2022.
  4. ^ Buehler 2014, p. 186.
  5. ^ Madelung 1997, p. 67.
  6. ^ Madelung 1997, pp. 62, 65.
  7. ^ Nasr & Afsaruddin 2023.
  8. ^ Poonawala 1982.
  9. ^ Aslan 2005, p. 122.
  10. ^ Madelung 1997, pp. 42, 52–54, 213–4.
  11. ^ Abbas 2021, p. 94.
  12. ^ a b Jafri 1979, p. 45.
  13. ^ a b Shah-Kazemi 2019, p. 78.
  14. ^ Lucas 2004, p. 255–284.
  15. ^ Soufi 1997, p. 120.
  16. ^ Almurtadha, Sharif. Rasael Shareef Almurtada 3. p. 149. As for the one who denies, due to the negligence of our disciples, the occurrence of this contract, and the transmission of this narration, and that she gave birth to children of a known and well-known age. It is not permissible for anyone except an ignorant or stubborn person to push it, and what need do we have to push away necessities and observations in a matter that has a way out of religion
  17. ^ Shoshtri, Muhammad Taqi. Qamoos Arrijal 12. p. 216. Al-Tastari said: "The author said: In the reports: that Omar married her by force, and Al-Murtada had a message in which he insisted on that and others insisted on denying it. I said: No researcher has denied it, without a doubt, so our reports of it are frequent in her marriage and her waiting period, in addition to the reports of the common people and the traffic agreement"
  18. ^ Tehrani, Muhammad Al-Hussein. Marifat Alimam 15. p. 258. Al-Tahrani said: "The marriage of Omar bin Al-Khattab to Umm Kulthum, daughter of Al-Siddiqa Al-Kubra, may God's peace be upon her, is one of the recognized historical events, so why do some Shiites want to deny that in some books"
  19. ^ Al-Wafi. Faydh Kashani flood 21. p. 109. Mirza Abu Al-Hasan Al-Shaarani said: "But the truth is that the narration of Zubayr bin Bakkar, despite the proximity of his reign and the fact that his book was in the sight of those who knew about this incident and their witness, is linked to the frequency, because the marriage of Ali's daughter, peace be upon him, to the caliph of his time was not something that would be hidden or forgotten after a hundred years, and it was reported by those who claim Knowledge and trustworthiness, such as Zubayr ibn Bakkar, who was the judge of Mecca and was known for his genealogy in his time and after, must be truthful, even though this incident was also transmitted from other men, according to the degree of understanding and authenticity, such as Abu Bishr al-Dulabi, Ibn Saad, and Ibn Wahb, which usually prevents their collusion in lying. And what was mentioned in our hadiths also supports it"
  20. ^ Al-Majlisi. Miraat Aluqool fi sharh Akhbar Arrasool 20. p. 45. Also, Al-Mufid's denial (may God bless him and grant him peace) of the origin of the incident is only to show that this was not proven by their methods. Otherwise, after the receipt of that news, and what will be presented with the chains of transmission, that Ali, peace be upon him, when Omar died, he came to Umm Kulthum and took her to his house, and other things. I verified it [the marriage] in the book (Bihar Al-Anwar). Denying that is strange
  21. ^ "question 85". 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Tehrani, Muhammad al-Hussein. Maarifat Alimam Tehrani 15. p. 263. The marriage was with Ali's consent, and Al-Abbas was correct in his mediation, and Omar was praised for his desire, and scholars know that Uthman's marriage to the daughter of the Chosen One, may God's prayers and peace be upon him and his family, was a source of pride for Uthman and not for the Chosen One, may God's prayers and peace be upon him and his family... Yes, it is clear from what we mentioned. Omar's marriage to Umm Kulthum is a proven historical matter that is recognized and cannot be denied
  23. ^ Al-Amri, Ali bin Abi Al-Ghanim. Almajdi fi ansab al talibeen. p. 199. What is relied upon from these narrations is what we saw above, that Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib married his to Omar with the consent and permission of her father and Omar [wife] gave [birth to] her children Zaid…
  24. ^ Gleave 2008.
  25. ^ Shah-Kazemi 2006, p. 37.
  26. ^ Esposito 2003, p. 15.
  27. ^ Momen 1985, p. 25.
  28. ^ Wellhausen 1901, p. 18.
  29. ^ Veccia Vaglieri 2012a.
  30. ^ a b c Qutbuddin 2005, p. 9937.
  31. ^ a b c Madelung 2003.
  32. ^ Hulmes 2008, p. 218.
  33. ^ Momen 1985, pp. 27–28.
  34. ^ Jafri 1979, p. 157.
  35. ^ Madelung 1997, p. 331.
  36. ^ a b c Momen 1985, p. 28.
  37. ^ Jafri 1979, p. 158.
  38. ^ a b c d e Madelung 2004.
  39. ^ Daftary 2013, p. 32.
  40. ^ Madelung 1997, p. 322.
  41. ^ Madelung 1997, pp. 493–8.
  42. ^ a b Pinault 1998, p. 70.
  43. ^ Abbas 2021, p. 167.
  44. ^ Wellhausen 1927, p. 145.
  45. ^ Hawting 2000, p. 46.
  46. ^ Pinault 1998, p. 71.
  47. ^ Aghaie 2007, p. 117.
  48. ^ Momen 1985, pp. 30–31.
  49. ^ a b c Qutbuddin 2019, p. 107.
  50. ^ a b c Qutbuddin 2019, pp. 109–10.
  51. ^ Sayeed 2008.
  52. ^ Qutbuddin 2019, p. 111.
  53. ^ Hamdar 2009, p. 92.

Sources

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Umm_Kulthum_bint_Ali&oldid=1226307009"