Ima`m al-Ba`qir was contemporary with Umayyad kings. The research about those kings is regarded as among the requirements of the formal research according to modern studies. For such a research pictures political, social, and intellectual life then. That time was very sensitive, for the believers suffered many persecutions.
Ima`m Abu` Ja'far, peace be on him, was still young when the Umayyad dynasty declined. That was during the time of Yazid, son of Mu'a`wiya. Yazid spared no effort to abase the Moslems. He forced them to obey, and then he persecuted them. So, during his days, the Islamic world was full of disasters and tragedies.
Then the Marwa`ni dynasty succeeded the Umayyad dynasty. Now we will mention the lives of the Marwa`ni kings, with whom Ima`m Abu` Ja'far was contemporary. We will honestly mention their policy. The first of the Marwa`ni kings was:
Marwa`n bin al-Hakam
Marwa`n bin al-Hakam was the first to assume the Islamic caliphate, the center of Justice in Islam. He had committed evil deeds against Islam. All the narrators mentioned that he had no good quality. He was
inappropriate for this religious office. Rather he was the enemy of Allah, of His Apostle, and of the Moslems. We will briefly mention some of his affairs.
1. The Prophet cursed him
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, cursed Marwa`n b. al-Hakam when he (Marwa`n) was in the loins of his father.
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That is according to the narration of 'A'isha, who said: "However, Allah's Apostle cursed the father of Marwa`n when Marwa`n was in his loins.
1 When 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubar circumambulated the Ka`ba, he said: "By the Lord of this Building, Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, cursed al-Hakam and his son.
The reporters said: [The people of Medina brought their new-born babies to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. When Marwa`n was born, he was brought to the Prophet. So, he, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "It is the cursed one, the son of the cursed one.
3 Al-Hakam b. Abi al-'As passed by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. Then the Prophet said: "My community will face grief from the one in the lions of that (person).
4 Through the unseen, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, knew that Marwa`n would endanger his community. So, he cursed him, and warned the Moslems of keeping in contact with him.
2. His father was banished from Medina
Al-Hakam was the most spiteful person towards Allah's Apostle, Allah bless him and his family, and the most harmful of them towards him. In other words he hurt the Prophet as Abu` Lahab did.
5He mocked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. He passed from behind him, slandered him, imitated him, and frowned at him. When the Prophet performed the prayer, al-Hakam stood behind him and pointed to him with his
fingers.
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The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, saw him, so he invoked Allah against him, saying: "O Allah, make him shake!" So, al-Hakam shook at his place.
7The Prophet, Allah bless him and his family, was very displeased with al-
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1. Al-Qurtubi, Tafsir, vol. 16, p. 197.
2. Kanz al-'Ummal, vol. 6, p. 90.
3. Al-Hakim, Mustadrak, vol. 4, p. 479.
4. Asad al-Ghaba, vol. 2, p. 34.
5. Ibn Hisham Sira, vol. 2, p. 25.
6. Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. 1, p. 27.
7. Al-Fa'iq, vol. 2, p. 305.
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Hakam, so he ordered him to be banished from Medina. He said: "This cursed person should not live with me at the same place nor should his sons." So, al-Hakam was banished from Medina to Ta`'if, where he and the members of his family remained. They suffered lull and abasement. Poverty and hunger stroke them. When Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, died, 'Uthma`n hurried to Abu` Bakr and asked him to return al-Hakam and his family to Medina. However, Abu` Bakr refused that, saying: "I will not shelter the persons whom Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, dismissed." When 'Umar became caliph, 'Uthma`n talked to him about them. However, 'Umar refused that and said as Abu` Bakr did. When 'Uthma`n became caliph, he brought them back to Medina.
1Then, he enriched them, and made them his ministers.
3. During the Days of 'Uthma`n
When 'Uthma`n became caliph over the affairs of the Moslems, he approached Marwa`n b. al-Hakam. He made him his minister and his private adviser. Thus, Marwa`n managed the affairs of the state while 'Uthma`n had neither will nor choice.
'Uthma`n gave much money to Marwa`n, so Zayd b. Arqam, the treasurer, was indignant with that. He gave the keys to 'Uthma`n and wept. So, 'Uthma`n asked him: "Why do you weep when I help my womb relatives ?
I weep because you have taken this money in return for what you spent in the way of Allah during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle, Allah bless him and his family. One hundred dirhams is enough for Marwa`n." So, 'Uthma`n said: "O Son of Arqam, give me the keys. We will find a person other
than you.
2 "Then 'Uthma`n gave Marwa`n one hundred thousand ounces of gold or silver.
3
These gifts made the Moslems displeased with 'Uthma`n. So, they overthrew his government.
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1. Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. 5, p. 67.
2. Sharh Nahjj al-Balagha, vol. 1, p. 67.
3. Al-Sira al-Halabiya, vol. 2, p. 87.
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His Inclinations and his Qualities
As for the inclinations and qualities of Marwa`n, they are as follows:
A. He was envious. Ma`lik b. Hubayra al-Suku`ni said to al-Husayn b. Numayr: "By Allah, if Marwa`n becomes caliph, he will envy you for your whip and your sandals and the tree under which you sit.
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B. He was shallow in idea and opinion. It was he who caused 'Uthma`n's death. The historians said : "The revolutionists surrounded 'Uthma`n. They asked him to resign from office or to dismiss the Umayyads. Then Marwa`n came out to them. He said to them: May the faces be distorted out of abasement! Have you come to plunder us? These words moved sentiments and lighted the fire of the war and caused the death of 'Uthma`n." If Marwa`n had had reason, he would have not spoken to the revolutionists in such a manner.
C. He was ungrateful. The two Ima`ms (al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them) did him many favors. They saved him from death at the Battle of the Camel. They interceded for him with Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. The Ima`m accepted their intercession for him. However, Marwa`n mistreated them. For example, he prevented the people from burying Ima`m al-Hasan, peace be on him, besides Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. Al-Walid summoned Ima`m Husayn to pledge allegiance to Yazid. Marwa`n advised al-Walid to kill the Ima`m if he had refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid. The historians said that he rejoiced when Yazid killed Ima`m al-Husayn peace be on him.
D. He was perfidious. He broke his promises. He pledged allegiance to Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him, then he deserted him. He broke his pledge of allegiance to Ima`m Ali and revolted against him. Al-Hasan and al-Husayn said to their father, Ima`m 'Ali: "Marwa`n will pledge allegiance to you." However, the Ima`m, peace be on him, said: "I am not in need of his pledge of allegiance. It is a Jewish hand. If he pledged allegiance to me with his
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1. Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 337.
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hand, he would desert with his forefinger.
E. He supported falsehood and error. He joined the party of 'A'isha, then he pledged allegiance to Mu'a`wiya. He was called khayt ba`til (the thread of falsehood).
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This shameful surname was given to his children after him. In this connection Yahya b. Sa'id composed poetry to satirize 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwa`n, who killed 'Amru`` b. Sa'id al-Ashraq.
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Marwa`n was fond of cursing the Commander of the faithful.
Marwa`n was fond of cursing Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. He cursed him on the pulpit every Friday when he was the governor of Medina. Ima`m al-Hasan, peace be on him, knew of that, however, he kept silent. He did not enter the mosque but during the time of the iqa`ma. Marwa`n was displeased with that, so he sent persons to curse Ima`m al-Hasan and his father in his house.
We do not wonder that Marwa`n cursed Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, the pioneer of justice and wisdom in the earth. For no one cursed and hated Ima`m 'Ali except those who were like Marwa`n, who paid no attention to honor and humanity.
His Caliphate
Marwa`n became caliph in the year 64 A.H. That was when Mu'a`wiya b. Yazid abdicated the caliphate, for he wanted to save his religion from the succession he inherited illegally from his father, Yazid. He abdicated that authority the Umayyad based on the sword, and wasting the properties of the Moslems. He exposed his father and his grandfather in the sermon in which he declared his abdication from the authority. In his sermon he said:
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1. Asad al-Ghaba, p. 348.
2. Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. 5, p. 144.
3. Tathir al-Jinan, p. 142.
4. Ibn al-Athi, vol. 3, p. 328.
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Indeed, my grandfather, Mu'a`wiya, usurped illegally the authority from the one who was more appropriate for it. For he (Ima`m 'Ali) was a close relative to Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. He was the best of all the emigrants (muhajirin) in position. He was the first to believe in him. He was the cousin of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. He was his son-in-law, being married to his daughter. The Prophet made him a husband for her, for he (Ima`m 'Ali) chose her. He made her a wife for him ('Ali), for she chose him. So, they were the rest of Allah's Apostle, the last of the prophets, may Allah bless him and his family. So, my grandfather committed what you have known. You have committed with him what you
have known.
1 Then, my grandfather died. He is in his grave full of sins. Then, my father assumed the caliphate. He was inappropriate for it. He followed his caprice. Then, he died. Now, he is in his grave full of sins.
Mu'a`wiya b. Yazid wept, and then he said: "We have known his (Yazid's) evil final result. For he killed the family of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. He violated the sacred city (Mecca), and destroyed the Ka`ba.
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With this sermon, Mu'a`wiya b. Yazid ruined the authority of the family of Abu` Sufya`n. The historians said that he renounced his father. For he was the noblest Umayyad caliph in history.
Marwa`n would not dream of the caliphate. For he decided to pledge allegiance to 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr. However, 'Ubayd Allah b. Zyya`d prevented him from that.
3 Al-Husayn nominated him for the caliphate. He said that he saw a lamp hanging in the sky, that whoever assumed the caliphate would take the lamp, and that no one would take it except Marwa`n.
4Then, he told the Syrians about that, so they responded to him. Then, Ru`h b. Zinba`' addressed the Syrians, saying:
O People of Syria, this is Marwa`n b. al-Hakam. He is the
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1. Jawahir al-Matalib fi Manaqib al-Imam 'Ali b. Abi Talib, p. 133.
2. Al-Nijum al-Jahira, vol. 1, p. 164.
3. Murujj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 31.
4. Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 327.
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Shaykh of Quraysh. He is the avenger of the blood of 'Uthma`n. He fought against 'Ali b. Abi Ta`lib at the Battle of the Camel and of Siffin. So, pledge allegiance to the great one.
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So, the mob competed with each other to pledge allegiance to Marwa`n. Thus, Marwa`n became the first caliph of the Marwa`ni state, which exposed the Moslems to oppression and poverty.
His Death
Marwa`n's caliphate did not last long. It was as short as the dog licks its nose, as Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, said.
2 As for the cause of his death, some references have ascribed it to his wife.
3 When he died, a period of treason, falsehood, and error ended.
'Abd al-Malik bin Marwa`n
He was recognized as caliph during the lifetime of his father. When his father died, the people of Egypt and Syria renewed the pledge of allegiance to him.
4 The historians said: "He had affected worship and had been inclined to asceticism before he became caliph. When he became caliph, he closed the Holy Koran and said: 'This is a separation between you and me.'
5He was truthful when he said that. For he separated himself from Allah's Book and the sunna (practices) of His Apostle. Moreover, he committed deeds contrary to Islam and the Koran. We will mention some of his affairs.
His Qualities
'Abd al-Malik bin Marwa`n had no noble inclination nor had he a good quality. He was like his father. The historians said that he had the worst qualities. Among his qualities are the following:
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1. Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 3.
2. Ibn Abi al-Haddid, Sharh Nahjj al-Balagha, vol. 2, p. 53.
3. Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 4.
4. Ibn Kuthayr, Tarikh, vol. 8, p. 260.
5. Ibid.
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1. Tyranny
'Abd al-Malik was a tyrannical king. Concerning him, al-Mansu`r said: "'Abd al-Malik was tyrannical. He paid no attention to what he did.
1He was a murderer. He knew neither mercy nor justice." After he had killed b. al-Zubayr, he made a speech. In the speech he said: "If any one asked me to fear Allah, I will behead him.
2 He refrained from mentioning the name of Allah. He was the first to prevent the people from speaking in the presence of the caliphs.
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2. Perfidy
'Abd al-Malik was perfidious. He broke his promises. For example, he promised to hand over the caliphate to 'Amru` b. Sa'id al-Ashdaq. However, he broke that. Rather, he killed 'Amru`. Then he threw his head at his companions.
4He did not conform to the close relations between him and 'Amru`. He was full
of love for authority. Some poets composed poems to describe his perfidy.
5
Abd al-Malik was afraid of al-Ashdaq. For the latter intended to overthrow the government of the Marwa`nis. However, Allah punished him, for he was tyrannical. Moreover, he terrified the Moslems and shed their blood.
