The Shrine of the 11th Imam Hasan al-Askari ('a) in Samarra, Iraq after the 2006 bombing. It has now been rebuilt, al-hamdu lillah.

*****

Mu'awiya sent another circular letter saying: “If any person is suspected of being a supporter of Ahl Al-Bayt he should be subjected to torture and his house should be demolished”. This order was implemented so strictly that as written by Ibn Abu al-Hadid, the Shi'ah took refuge in the houses of their relatives and friends. Even then they were afraid of their servants and servant-girls lest they should divulge the secret, because if anyone was not on good terms with another, he reported to the authorities that such and such person was a supporter of Ahl Al-Bayt. The people were, therefore, arrested on mere accusation and suspicion and were tormented and made homeless. This persecution was more severe in Iraq during the rule of Ziyad Ibn Sumayya as compared with other places. Despite Imam Ali's brilliant past record and the honour enjoyed by him in Islam it was made necessary that, in all the Islamic countries and the areas, which formed part of the territories of Islam, he should be abused and cursed in the sermons of Friday prayers and at other times, and Mu'awiya and Yazid should be honoured and praised. Mu'awiya wrote officially to Ziyad Ibn Sumayya, the Governor of Iraq, that the evidence given in any matter by a person, who was known to be a Shi'ah, should not be accepted, and those, who provided him shelter should also not be treated to be honourable.

Hujr Ibn Adi, Rashid Hujari and their eleven companions were subjected to the severest persecution and torture, so much so that Mu'awiya killed six of them who were at that time the best persons. There were many, whose hands and feet were amputated, and pins reddened in fire were thrust into their eyes, and some others were buried alive.

The evil propaganda of Mu'awiya and his agents in Syria and other Islamic territories misled the people. Whosoever uttered a word against Mu'awiya was treated to be a murderer of Uthman and shedding his blood was considered lawful. Credulous persons, who are numerous in all ages, and are easily impressed by evil propaganda, came to believe that Uthman's blood was shed without any justification, and those, who were satisfied with this act deserved to be punished.

This was how Mu'awiya and his agents poisoned the public mind. The Khawarij, too, who were inimical towards both Mu'awiya and Imam Ali ('a) kept quiet regarding Mu'awiya on account of fear, but abused the Commander of the Faithful openly and treated him to be an infidel. This thing in itself rendered great help to Mu'awiya and created a grudge in the hearts of the people against Imam Ali ('a) and his followers, so much so that when on the day of Āshura Imam Husayn ('a) mentioned the reason for his coming towards Kufa and then asked his opponents as to why they had gathered to kill him they replied: “It is due to the grudge, which we have against your father”1

Imam Ali ('a) spoke about the Umayyad’s in a sermon from Nahjul Balagha: “By Allah, they would continue like this till there would be left no unlawful act before Allah but they would make it lawful and no pledge but they would break it, and till there would remain no house of bricks or of woolen tents but their oppression would enter it. Their bad dealings would make them wretched, till two groups of crying complainants would rise, one would cry for his religion and the other for this world and the help of one of you to one of them would be like the help of a servant to his master, namely when he is present, he obeys him, but when the master is away he backbites him. The highest among you in distress would be he who bear best belief about Allah. If Allah grants you safety accept it, and if you are put in trouble endure it, because surely (good) result is for the God-fearing”2

In 659 Mu’awiya stepped up his war of nerves against Ali ('a) and sent several contingents into Jazirah and Hijaz to terrify people and to destroy their morale. His policy at first was to strike a spark of terror and then to let the fire do the rest but his captains soon changed it into a scene of violence and death. In Jazirah, Ne'man Ibn Bashir attacked Ain-at-Tamar with 2,000 men; Sufyan Ibn Auf attacked Anbar and Madaen with 6,000 soldiers; Abdullah Ibn Masadah Fizari attacked Tima with a force of 1,700; and Zahhak Ibn Qays and his followers laid waste the township of Waqsa. They killed all those men, women, and children whom they suspected to be friendly to Ali, and they plundered the public treasury wherever they found one.3

The acquisition of Egypt immeasurably strengthened Mu’awiya's hands. He then sent units of his army into Hijaz, Jazirah and Iraq. They went around plundering, spreading terror, and killing. Mu’awiya attacked the banks of the Tigris in person and seized the public treasury in Jazirah.4

Mu’awiya and his generals had adopted a policy of waging irregular warfare against the successor of the Prophet of Islam and the sovereign of all Muslims. To them irregular warfare meant unconventional warfare; limited conventional military actions, and unlimited terrorism. They plunged the Dar-ul-Islam into a trauma from which it has never recovered.

In 660, Mu’awiya sent Bisr Ibn Artat with 3,000 soldiers to Hijaz and Yemen on a rampage of pillaging, destroying, burning and killing. In Yemen, Bisr killed with his own hands, the infant twins of Obaidullah Ibn Abbas who was the governor of that province. When he returned to Syria, gorged on innocent blood, tens of thousands of Muslims had been killed.

One of the governors of Ali ('a) in a frontier district, was Kumayl Ibn Ziyad. He sought his master's permission to raid Syria. Such raids into Syria, he said, would compel Mu’awiya to halt his own raids into Hijaz and Iraq. But his application drew forth a characteristic reply from Ali ('a) who wrote to him: “I hardly expected you to suggest that we raid the towns and villages in Syria. It is true that the Syrians are our enemies, but they are also human beings, and what's more, they are Muslims. If we send raiding parties into Syria, it is most probable that the victims of our punitive action will not be the Syrian marauders who violate our borders but the Syrian civil population - the non-combatant folks. Is it therefore right and fair to plunder and to kill them for the crimes they did not commit? No. They will not pay the penalty for the crimes of their leaders. The best thing for us to do, therefore, is to strengthen our own defences against the enemy, and to rout him before he can do any harm to our people”

The dominant logic of “mirror image” of matching terror with terror did not appeal to Ali; he considered is basically fallacious. Though Ali ('a) drove the intruders out of his dominions, law and order had broken down. The Syrian’s began to violate the frontier with growing frequency. Bisr Ibn Artat defeated the small garrison defending the strategic town of Anbar and occupied it. He then put the whole population to the sword as was customary with him.

Ali ('a) called upon the Iraqi’s to stand up in defence of their homes against the Syrian’s but found them unresponsive. In winter they said that it was too cold to go on a campaign, and in summer they said that it was too hot. Many Iraqi leaders were still working for Muwaiya in return for his gifts and promises, and they spread disaffection in the country. Mu’awiya also worked hard to undermine the allegiance to Ali ('a) of the Iraqi army. For him, conflict was not limited to the operation of armies, but was carried on behind the front by his agents and partisans, by subversion and sabotage, and by propaganda and indoctrination.

Since there was no punitive action against them, the Syrian marauders were emboldened to penetrate deeper and deeper into Iraq.

Ali ('a) made many attempts to shake the Iraqi’s out of their lethargy but they acted as if the Syrian raids were not hurting them. Their head-in-the-sand attitude so exasperated him that he told them that if they did not obey his orders, and take up arms to defend their borders, he would abandon them in Kufa, and with the handful of loyal followers he still had with him, would go and try to stop the enemy, regardless of the consequences.

This threat appears to have worked. The Iraqi’s suddenly realized that if Ali ('a) abandoned them, they would be left leaderless. They, therefore, assured him that they would obey him - in peace and in war.

Ali ('a) immediately set to work to reorganize the army, and to mobilize fresh troops. He summoned Abdullah Ibn Abbas from Basra, and he ordered other leaders and their troops to assemble in the camp at Nukhayla near Kufa.

Ali ('a) had plunged into work to make up for time already lost through the earlier tardiness of the Iraqis in obeying his orders. But this new spurt of energy alarmed his enemies, and they plunged into intrigue to forestall him.

Ali ('a) had completed his preparations for an invasion of Syria but just when he was giving finishing touches to his logistical plans, he was assassinated in the Great Mosque of Kufa at the dawn of Ramadan 19 of 40 A.H. (January 27, 661).5

We also condemn Abu Huraira for his collusion with Busr Ibn Artat in the massacre of thousands of Muslims. It has been reported by the Sunni historians, including Tabari, Ibn Athir, Ibn Abu al-Hadid, Allama Samhudi, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Khallikan, and others that Mu'awiya Ibn Abu Sufyan sent the cruel Busr Ibn Artat with 4,000 Syrian soldiers to Yemen via Medina to crush the people of Yemen and the Shi’as of Ali. The assailants murdered thousands of Muslims in Medina, Mecca, Ta'if, Tabala' (a city of Tihama), Najran, Safa, and its suburbs. They did not spare the young or old of the Bani Hashim or the Shi’as of Ali. They even murdered the two small sons of the Holy Prophet's cousin, Ubaidullah Ibn Abbas, the governor of Yemen, who had been appointed by Ali. It is said that more than 30,000 Muslims were killed on the order of this tyrant. The Bani Umayya and their followers committed these insane atrocities. The Sunni’s beloved Abu Huraira witnessed this slaughter and was not only silent but actively supported it. Innocent people, like Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari, and Abu Ayyub Ansari sought refuge. Even the house of Abu Ayyub Ansari, who was one of the Prophet's chief companions, was set on fire. When this army turned towards Mecca, Abu Huraira remained in Medina.

Now I ask you to tell us, in the name of Allah, whether this deceitful man who had been in the company of the Holy Prophet (S) for three years, and who narrated more than 5,000 hadith from the Prophet (S), had not heard those famous hadith regarding Medina. The ulema of both the sects6 have quoted from the Holy Prophet (S), who said repeatedly: “He who threatens the people of Medina with oppression will be threatened by Allah and will be cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by humanity. Allah will not accept anything from him. May he be cursed who threatens the people of Medina. If anyone harms the people of Medina, Allah will melt him like lead in fire”

So why did Abu Huraira join the army which devastated Medina? Why did he fabricate hadith in opposition to the rightful successor to the Prophet? And why did he incite people to revile the man about whom the Prophet (S) had said: “To abuse him is to abuse me”? You decide whether a man who fabricated hadith in the name of the Prophet (S) was not cursed.

Many notable ulema7 have written that Mu'awiya ordered Busr to attack San'a, Yemen from Medina and Mecca. He gave a similar order to Zuhak Ibn Qais Al-Fahri and others. Ab ul-Faraj reports it in these words: “Whoever from the companions and Shi’a of Ali is found should be killed; even women and children should not be spared”

With these strict orders, they set out with a force of 3,000 and attacked Medina, San'a', Yemen, Ta'if, and Najran. When they reached Yemen, the governor, Ubaidullah Ibn Abbas, was out of the city. They entered his house and slaughtered his two sons Sulayman and Dawud in the lap of their mother.

Ibn Abu al-Hadid writes in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, vol.I, p.121, that in this raid 30,000 people were killed, excluding those who were burnt alive.

Allah says:

وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا

“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is Hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement” (4:93).

This Holy verse explicitly says that if a man kills a single believer intentionally, he deserves Allah's curse, and his abode is in Hell. Wasn't Mu'awiya associated with the murder of believers? Did he not order the killing of Hajar Ibn Adi and his seven companions? Did he not order that Abdu'r-Rahman Ibn Hasan Al-Ghanzi be buried alive?

Many Sunni scholars8 have reported that Hajar Ibn Adi was one of the eminent companions who, along with seven companions was brutally murdered by Mu'awiya. Their crime was refusing to curse Ali.

Imam Hasan ('a) was the elder grandson of the Holy Prophet (S). Was he not included in Ashab al-Kisa (people of the mantle)? Was he not one of the two leaders of the youths of Paradise and a believer of exalted rank? According to the reports9, Mu'awiya sent poison to Asma' Ju'da and promised her that if she killed Hasan Ibn Ali ('a), he would give her 100,000 dirhams and would marry her to his son Yazid. After the martyrdom of Imam Hasan ('a), he gave her 100,000 dirhams but refused to marry her to Yazid. Would you hesitate to call Mu'awiya accursed? Is it not a fact that in the Battle of Siffin the great companion of the Holy Prophet (S), Ammar Ibn Yasir, was martyred by Mu'awiya's order? All the prominent ulema say with one accord that the Holy Prophet (S) said to Ammar Ibn Yasir: “It will not be long before you will be killed by a rebellious and misguided group”

Have you any doubt that thousands of devout believers were killed by Mu'awiya's subordinates? Wasn't the pure and valiant warrior, Malik Ashtar, poisoned by Mu'awiya's order? Can you deny that Mu'awiya's chief officials, Amr Ibn al-Aas and Mu'awiya Ibn Khadij, brutally martyred the Commander of the Faithful's governor, the pious Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr? Not content with that, they put his body into the carcass of a donkey and set it on fire.

If I were to give you the details about the believers killed by Mu'awiya and his officials, it would require not one night, but several. Do you gentlemen still doubt that Mu'awiya deserves to be cursed?!10

Slaying Shi’a Muslims had begun since Imam 'Ali's term. After Imam's forces dispersed and there was no security found but in Iraq, Mu'awiya deployed his troops along with some envoys to various areas among whom were Busr Ibn Artat, Sufyan Ibn 'Awf Ghamidi and Dhahhak Ibn Qays. Their responsibility in cities was to trace and, “Kill any Shi’a they noticed at Mu'awiya's behest”

Busr set out to Medina where he killed many of 'Ali's disciples and enthusiasts and demolished their houses as well. He then went to Mecca and Sarat respectively and slayed any Shi’a Muslim he discovered. Ultimately, he left there for Najran and martyred 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Abd al-Muddan as well as his son. Earlier we presented a profile of his crimes.

Among areas that Busr passed en route and plundered was an area the residents of which were from the tribe of Hamdan, 'Ali's Shi’a Muslims. Ambushing them, Busr killed numerous men and captured a number of women and children. For the ever-first time Muslim women and children were captured. These measures were once again adopted later in Karbala. About Busr, Mas'udi has written that he slayed a number from the tribes of Khuza'a and Hamdan together with a group known as al-Abna' (from Persian race) in Yemen. He killed anyone of whose attachment to 'Ali he heard.

Setting out to Anbar, 'Awf Ibn Sufyan martyred Ibn Hasan al-Bakri in addition to Shi’as men and women.

After Hasan Ibn 'Ali ('a) had to compromise with Mu'awiya, one of the menaces the Imam felt was the security of 'Ali's Shi’a Muslims. Hence it was stipulated within the contract that 'Ali's disciples should be all endowed with security. Although Mu'awiya had conceded it, immediately on the same day he announced that he would disregard the entire commitments.

Mu’awiya’s Governor of Kufa, Ziyad’s main mission was to suppress the Shi’a Muslims of Kufa throughout Iraq.

“He was always seeking after Shi’a Muslims and anywhere tracing he slayed them,” Ibn A'tham said.

The first measure taken by Ziyad was cutting off the hands of those (nearly eighty) who were not convinced to swear allegiance to him. Ziyad's harsh treatment in Basra, with a group of the Kharijites in addition to Shi’a Muslims, was proverbial. He had declared a kind of martial law in Basra. At nights, following the night prayer, the opportunity people had for staying outdoors was as long as reciting the Sura (chapter) of The Cow. During the curfew, Ziyad's soldiers slayed anyone they traced. Historians have introduced Ziyad as the ever-first one who drew his sword to people, arrested them by accusing them and chastized them with suspicion.

Among the Shi’a Muslims martyred by Ziyad were Muslim Ibn Zaymur and 'Abd Allah Ibn Nuja who were both from the tribe of Haďram. In a letter to Mu'awiya succeeding Hujr's martyrdom, Imam Husayn ('a) had commemorated their martyrdom too. He cut off the limbs of people and blinded them. Mu'awiya himself murdered a great number as well.

Elsewhere it has been written that Mu'awiya had issued the verdict of executing a group of Shi’a Muslims. Ziyad assembled Shi’a Muslims in a mosque in order to make them express loathing for 'Ali. He also searched for Shi’a Muslims in Basra to kill.

In a letter Imam Hasan ('a) objected to Mu'awiya in this regard. Treating the same way, Samura Ibn Jundab, a substitute for him in Basra, had allegedly augmented the number of orphans in Basra and massacred nearly 8,000 people until Ziyad objected.

Although the accuracy of the above-mentioned figures is not definite, it manifests a profile of their atrocities. Ziyad's treatment towards 'Ali's friends was unjust, in a real sense exactly the same as that of 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Amir, Mu'awiya's another governor. Nu'man Ibn Bashir, ex-governor of this area, on account of his acute rancour to dwellers of Kufa did not even want to obey Mu'awiya's order to increase their provisions from Bayt al-Mal (public treasury).

Under the guise of a peace-seeking character, Mu'awiya had commanded Ziyad to decimate anyone at 'Ali's religion. “Kill anyone amongst you who is from 'Ali's Shi’a Muslims or accused of his amity”, he wrote to his agents, “and for it find evidence even hidden under the rocks even though it was solely an assumption. Exclude the name of the one for whose amity to 'Ali you found any proof from Bayt al-Mal and discontinue his provision” He then wrote in conclusion, “Kill anyone from among yourselves who is accused of having devotion to 'Ali and demolish his house as well”

Ibn Abu al-Hadid has also written that as far as Ziyad was well acquainted with Shi’a Muslims, “He massacred them all anywhere whom he noticed, intimidated them, cut off their limbs, blinded them, hung them from tree branches and banished them”11

• 1. A Probe into the History of Ashura by Dr. Ibrahim Ayati.
• 2. Nahjul Balagha sermon 98.
• 3. Dr. Hamid-ud-Din.
• 4. History of Islam, Lahore, Pakistan, p. 204, 1971.
• 5. The Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims by Sayed Razwy.
• 6. like Allama Samhudi in Ta'rikh ul-Medina, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in Musnad, Sibt Ibn Jauzi in Tadhkira, page 163.
• 7. Ab ul-Faraj Ispahani and Allama Samhudi in Ta'rikh ul-Medina, Ibn Khallikan, Ibn Asakir and Tabari in their histories; Ibn Abu al-Hadid in Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, vol.I, and many others of notable ulema.
• 8. Ibn Asakir and Yaqub Ibn Sufyan in their Histories; Baihaqi in his Dala'il; Ibn Abd ul-Bar in Isti'ab; and Ibn Athir in Kamil.
• 9. of Mas'udi, Ibn Abd ul-Bar, Ab ul-Faraj Ispahani, Tabaqa of Muhammad Ibn Sa'd, Tadhkira of Sibt Ibn Jauzi, and other accredited ulema of the Sunnis.
• 10. Peshawar Nights by Sultanul Waizin Shirazi.
• 11. History of The Caliphs From the Death of the Messenger (S), to the Decline of the 'Umayyad Dynasty 11-132 AH by Rasul Ja'fariyan.