Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2277
The Year 67 AH
تَرْجَمَةُ الْمُخْتَارِ بْنِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ الْكَذَّابِ هُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ بْنُ أَبِي عُبَيْدِ بْنِ مَسْعُودِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُمَيْرِ بْنِ عَوْفِ بْنِ عُقْدَةَ بْنِ غِيَرَةَ بْنِ عَوْفِ بْنِ ثَقِيفٍ الثَّقَفِيُّ، أَسْلَمَ أَبُوهُ فِي حَيَاةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ، فَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَذْكُرْهُ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ فِي الصَّحَابَةِ، وَإِنَّمَا ذَكَرَهُ ابْنُ الْأَثِيرِ فِي الْغَابَةِ، وَقَدْ كَانَ عُمَرُ بَعْثَهُ فِي جَيْشٍ كَثِيفٍ فِي قِتَالِ الْفُرْسِ سَنَةَ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ، فَقُتِلَ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَهِيدًا، وَقُتِلَ مَعَهُ نَحْوٌ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةِ آلَافٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ - كَمَا قَدَّمْنَا - وَعُرِفَ ذَلِكَ الْجِسْرُ بِهِ، وَهُوَ جِسْرٌ عَلَى دِجْلَةَ، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ إِلَى الْيَوْمِ جِسْرُ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، وَكَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْوَلَدِ صَفِيَّةُ بِنْتُ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ الْعَابِدَاتِ، وَهِيَ زَوْجَةُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ لَهَا مُكْرِمًا وَمُحِبًّا وَمَاتَتْ فِي حَيَاتِهِ. وَأَمَّا أَخُوهَا الْمُخْتَارُ هَذَا فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ أَوَّلًا نَاصِبِيًّا يُبْغِضُ عَلِيًّا بُغْضًا شَدِيدًا، وَكَانَ عِنْدَ عَمِّهِ بِالْمَدَائِنِ، وَكَانَ عَمُّهُ نَائِبَهَا، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَهَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ يَوْمَ خَذَلَهُ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ وَهُوَ سَائِرٌ إِلَى الشَّامِ لِقِتَالِ مُعَاوِيَةَ بَعْدَ مَقْتَلِ أَبِيهِ عَلِيٍّ، فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ الْحَسَنُ مِنْهُمْ بِالْغَدْرِ، فَرَّ مِنْهُمْ إِلَى الْمَدَائِنِ فِي جَيْشٍ قَلِيلٍ، فَقَالَ الْمُخْتَارُ لِعَمِّهِ: لَوْ أَخَذْتَ الْحَسَنَ فَبَعَثْتَهُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ لَاتَّخَذْتَ عِنْدَهُ بِذَلِكَ الْيَدَ الْبَيْضَاءَ أَبَدًا. فَقَالَ لَهُ عَمُّهُ: بِئْسَ مَا تَأْمُرُنِي بِهِ يَابْنَ أَخِي. فَمَا زَالَتِ الشِّيعَةُ تُبْغِضُهُ حَتَّى كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ عَقِيلٍ بِالْكُوفَةِ مَا كَانَ، وَكَانَ الْمُخْتَارُ مِنَ الْأُمَرَاءِ بِالْكُوفَةِ، فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ: أَمَا لَأَنْصُرَنَّهُ، فَبَلَغَ ابْنَ زِيَادٍ ذَلِكَ فَحَبْسَهُ بَعْدَمَا ضَرَبَهُ مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ، فَأَرْسَلَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ إِلَى يَزِيدَ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ يَشْفَعُ فِيهِ، فَأَرْسَلَ يَزِيدُ إِلَى ابْنِ زِيَادٍ فَأَطْلَقَهُ وَسَيَّرَهُ إِلَى الْحِجَازِ فِي عَبَاءَةٍ، فَضَوَى إِلَى ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ بِمَكَّةَ، فَقَاتَلَ مَعَهُ حِينَ حَصَرَهُ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، ثُمَّ بَلَغَ الْمُخْتَارُ مَا أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ فِيهِ مِنَ التَّخْبِيطِ، فَسَارَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَتَرَكَ ابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ سَأَلَ ابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ لَهُ كِتَابًا إِلَى ابْنِ مُطِيعٍ نَائِبِ الْكُوفَةِ فَفَعَلَ، فَسَارَ إِلَيْهَا. وَكَانَ يُظْهِرُ مَدْحَ ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ فِي الْعَلَانِيَةِ وَيَسُبُّهُ فِي السِّرِّ، وَيَمْدَحُ مُحَمَّدَ ابْنَ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ وَيَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ، وَمَا زَالَ حَتَّى اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَى الْكُوفَةِ بِطَرِيقِ التَّشَيُّعِ وَإِظْهَارِ الْأَخْذِ بِثَأْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ. اجتماع الشيعة بالكوفة على المختار بن أبي عبيد وَبِسَبَبِ ذَلِكَ الْتَفَّتْ عَلَيْهِ جَمَاعَاتٌ كَثِيرَةٌ مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ حَتَّى قَاوَمَ نُوَّابَ ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَلَى الْكُوفَةِ، وَأَخْرَجَ عَامِلَ ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ مِنْهَا، وَاسْتَقَرَّ مُلْكُ الْمُخْتَارِ بِهَا، ثُمَّ كَتَبَ إِلَى ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ يَعْتَذِرُ إِلَيْهِ وَيُخْبِرُهُ أَنَّ ابْنَ مُطِيعٍ كَانَ مُدَاهِنًا لِبَنِي أُمَيَّةَ، وَقَدْ خَرَجَ مَنَ الْكُوفَةِ، وَأَنَا وَمَنْ بِهَا فِي طَاعَتِكَ، فَصَدَّقَهُ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ ; لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَدْعُو لَهُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَوْمَ الْجُمْعَةِ عَلَى رُءُوسِ النَّاسِ، وَيُظْهِرُ طَاعَتَهُ. ثُمَّ شَرَعَ فِي تَتَبُّعِ قَتَلَةِ الْحُسَيْنِ وَمَنْ شَهِدَ الْوَقْعَةَ بِكَرْبَلَاءَ مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ ابْنِ زِيَادٍ، فَقَتَلَ مِنْهُمْ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا، وَظَفِرَ بِرُءُوسِ كِبَارٍ مِنْهُمْ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْمُخْتَارَ بَعْثَ بِرَأْسِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَرَأْسِ حُصَيْنِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ وَمَنْ مَعَهُمَا إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ بِمَكَّةَ فَأَمَرَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ بِهَا فَنُصِبَتْ عَلَى عَقَبَةِ الْحَجُونَ، وَقَدْ كَانُوا نَصَبُوهَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ. وَطَابَتْ نَفْسُ الْمُخْتَارِ بِالْمُلْكِ وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْقَ لَهُ عَدُوٌّ وَلَا مُنَازِعٌ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ ابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ تَبَيَّنَ خِدَاعَهُ وَمَكْرَهُ وَسُوءَ مَذْهَبِهِ، فَبَعَثَ أَخَاهُ مُصْعَبًا أَمِيرًا عَلَى الْعِرَاقِ، فَسَارَ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ فَاجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُهَا، وَوَفَدَ إِلَيْهِ جَمَاعَاتٌ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ فَلَمْ يَتِمَّ سُرُورُ الْمُخْتَارِ حَتَّى سَارَ إِلَيْهِ مُصْعَبُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ فِي جَيْشٍ هَائِلٍ فَحَاصَرَهُ بِالْكُوفَةِ، وَضَيَّقَ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا زَالَ حَتَّى أَمْكَنَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ، فَقَتَلَهُ وَاحْتَزَّ رَأْسَهُ، وَأَمَرَ بِصَلْبِ كَفِّهُ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ، وَبَعَثَ مُصْعَبٌ بِرَأْسِ الْمُخْتَارِ مَعَ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الشُّرَطِ عَلَى الْبَرِيدِ إِلَى أَخِيهِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، فَوَصَلَ مَكَّةَ بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ فَوَجَدَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ يَتَنَفَّلُ، فَمَا زَالَ يُصَلِّي حَتَّى أَسْحَرَ، وَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى الْبَرِيدِ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِالرَّأْسِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ قَرِيبَ الْفَجْرِ قَالَ: مَا جَاءَ بِكَ ؟ فَأَلْقَى إِلَيْهِ الْكِتَابَ فَقَرَأَهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، مَعِي الرَّأْسُ. فَقَالَ: أَلْقِهِ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ. فَأَلْقَاهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَقَالَ: جَائِزَتِي يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَقَالَ: جَائِزَتُكَ الرَّأْسُ الَّذِي جِئْتَ بِهِ تَأْخُذُهُ مَعَكَ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ. زوال دولة المختار ثُمَّ زَالَتْ دَوْلَةُ الْمُخْتَارِ كَأَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ، وَكَذَلِكَ سَائِرُ الدُّوَلِ، وَفَرِحَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ بِزَوَالِهَا، وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي نَفْسِهِ صَادِقًا، بَلْ كَانَ كَاذِبًا وَكَاهِنًا، وَكَانَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ الْوَحْيَ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ عَلَى يَدِ جِبْرِيلَ يَأْتِي إِلَيْهِ. قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ بسنده عَنْ رِفَاعَةَ الْقِتْبَانِيِّ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ فَأَلْقَى لِي وِسَادَةً وَقَالَ: لَوْلَا أَنَّ أَخِي جِبْرِيلَ قَامَ عَنْ هَذِهِ لَأَلْقَيْتُهَا لَكَ. قَالَ: فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَضْرِبَ عُنُقَهُ. قَالَ: فَذَكَرْتُ حَدِيثًا حَدَّثَنِيهِ أَخِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَمِقِ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ أَمَّنَ مُؤْمِنًا عَلَى دَمِهِ فَقَتَلَهُ، فَأَنَا مِنَ الْقَاتِلِ بَرِيءٌ وَقَدْ قِيلَ لِابْنِ عُمَرَ: إِنَّ الْمُخْتَارَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ الْوَحْيَ يَأْتِيهِ. فَقَالَ: صَدَقَ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ لَيُوحُونَ إِلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِمْ وَرَوَى ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ قَالَ: قَدِمْتُ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ فَأَكْرَمَنِي وَأَنْزَلَنِي حَتَّى كَانَ يَتَعَاهَدُ مَبِيتِي بِاللَّيْلِ، قَالَ: فَقَالَ لِي: اخْرُجْ فَحَدِّثَ النَّاسَ. قَالَ: فَخَرَجْتُ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ: مَا تَقَوُلُ فِي الْوَحْيِ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: الْوَحْيُ وَحْيَانِ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا قَالَ: فَهَمُّوا بِي أَنْ يَأْخُذُونِي، فَقُلْتُ: مَا لَكُمْ وَذَاكَ، إِنِّي مُفْتِيكُمْ وَضَيْفُكُمْ، فَتَرَكُونِي. وَإِنَّمَا أَرَادَ عِكْرِمَةُ أَنْ يُعَرِّضَ بِالْمُخْتَارِ وَكَذِبِهِ فِي ادِّعَائِهِ أَنَّ الْوَحْيَ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ. وَرَوَى الطَّبَرَانِيُّ، مِنْ طَرِيقِ أُنَيْسَةَ بِنْتِ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ، أَنَّ أَبَاهَا دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ بْنِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا أَبَا عَامِرٍ لَوْ سَبَقْتَ رَأَيْتَ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ زَيْدٌ: حُقِرْتَ وَتَعِسْتَ، أَنْتَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، كَذَّابٌ مُفْتَرٍ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ. وَقَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ بسنده عَنْ أَبِي الصِّدِّيقِ النَّاجِيِّ، أَنَّ الْحَجَّاجَ بْنَ يُوسُفَ دَخْلَ عَلَى أَسْمَاءَ بِنْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ، بَعْدَمَا قَتَلَ ابْنَهَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ ابْنَكِ أَلْحَدَ فِي هَذَا الْبَيْتِ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَذَاقَهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ، وَفَعَلَ بِهِ وَفَعَلَ، فَقَالَتْ: كَذَبْتَ، كَانَ بَرًّا بِالْوَالِدَيْنِ، صَوَّامًا قَوَّامًا، وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَخْبَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ سَيَخْرُجُ مِنْ ثَقِيفٍ كَذَّابَانِ الْآخِرُ مِنْهُمَا شَرٌّ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِ وَهُوَ مُبِيرٌ. هَكَذَا رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ بِهَذَا السَّنَدِ وَاللَّفْظِ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فِي دَلَائِلِ النُّبُوَّةِ. وَذَكَرَ الْعُلَمَاءُ أَنَّ الْكَذَّابَ هُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ بْنُ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، وَكَانَ يُظْهِرُ التَّشَيُّعَ وَيُبْطِنُ الْكَهَانَةَ، وَيُسِرُّ إِلَى أَخِصَّائِهِ أَنَّهُ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ، وَلَكِنْ مَا أَدْرِي هَلْ كَانَ يَدَّعِي النُّبُوَّةَ أَمْ لَا ؟ وَكَانَ قَدْ وُضِعَ لَهُ كُرْسِيٌّ يُعَظَّمُ، وَيُحَفُّ بِالرِّجَالِ وَيُسْتَرُ بِالْحَرِيرِ، وَيُحْمَلُ عَلَى الْبِغَالِ، وَكَانَ يُضَاهِي بِهِ تَابُوتَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْمَذْكُورُ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَلَا شَكَّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ ضَالًّا مُضِلًّا، أَرَاحَ اللَّهُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْهُ بَعْدَمَا انْتَقَمَ بِهِ مِنْ قَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى وَكَذَلِكَ نُوَلِّي بَعْضَ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضًا بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ. وَأَمَّا الْمُبِيرُ فَهُوَ الْقَتَّالُ وَهُوَ الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الثَّقَفِيُّ، نَائِبُ الْعِرَاقِ لِعَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ، الَّذِي انْتَزَعَ الْعِرَاقَ مِنْ يَدِ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ. وَذَكَرَ الْوَاقِدِيُّ أَنَّ الْمُخْتَارَ لَمْ يَزَلْ مُظْهِرًا مُوَافَقَةَ ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ حَتَّى قَدِمَ مُصْعَبٌ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ فِي أَوَّلِ سَنَةِ سَبْعٍ وَسِتِّينَ، وَأَظْهَرَ مُخَالَفَتَهُ، فَسَارَ إِلَيْهِ مُصْعَبٌ فَقَاتَلَهُ، وَكَانَ الْمُخْتَارُ فِي نَحْوٍ مَنْ عِشْرِينَ أَلْفًا، وَقَدْ حَمَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْمُخْتَارُ مَرَّةً فَهَزَمَهُ، وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ جَيْشُ الْمُخْتَارِ حَتَّى جَعَلُوا يَنْصَرِفُونَ إِلَى مُصْعَبٍ وَيَدْعُونَ الْمُخْتَارَ، وَيَنْقِمُونَ عَلَيْهِ مَا هُوَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْكَهَانَةِ وَالْكَذِبِ. فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُخْتَارُ ذَلِكَ انْصَرَفَ إِلَى قَصْرِ الْإِمَارَةِ، فَحَاصَرَهُ مُصْعَبٌ فِيهِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ، ثُمَّ قَتَلَهُ فِي رَابِعَ عَشَرَ رَمَضَانَ سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ وَسِتِّينَ، وَلَهُ مِنَ الْعُمُرِ سَبْعٌ وَسِتُّونَ سَنَةً فِيمَا قِيلَ.
Translation
✧ Biography of al-Mukhtār b. Abī ʿUbayd the Liar He is al-Mukhtār b. Abī ʿUbayd b. Masʿūd b. ʿAmr b. ʿUmayr b. ʿAwf b. ʿUqdah b. Ghiyarah b. ʿAwf b. Thaqīf, of the Thaqafī tribe. His father embraced Islam during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ but did not see him, so most people do not mention him among the Companions. Only Ibn al-Athīr mentions him in al-Ghābah. ʿUmar sent him in a large army to fight the Persians in the year 13 AH, and he was martyred on that day along with about four thousand Muslims, as we have mentioned. That bridge became known by his name, a bridge over the Tigris, and to this day it is called the Bridge of Abū ʿUbayd. He had a daughter, Ṣafiyyah bt. Abī ʿUbayd, who was among the righteous, devout women. She was the wife of ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, who honored and loved her, and she died during his lifetime. As for her brother, this al-Mukhtār, he was at first a Nāṣibī who hated ʿAlī intensely. He was staying with his paternal uncle at al-Madāʾin, where his uncle was governor. When al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī entered it on the day the people of Iraq abandoned him while he was marching to Syria to fight Muʿāwiyah after the killing of his father ʿAlī, and when al-Ḥasan sensed their treachery, he fled from them to al-Madāʾin with a small force. Al-Mukhtār said to his uncle, "If you seized al-Ḥasan and sent him to Muʿāwiyah, you would gain lasting favor with him." His uncle replied, "What an evil thing you advise me, son of my brother." The Shīʿah continued to hate him until the affair of Muslim b. ʿAqīl occurred in Kufa. Al-Mukhtār was one of the commanders in Kufa and began saying, "I will certainly support him." This reached Ibn Ziyād, who imprisoned him after flogging him one hundred lashes. Ibn ʿUmar sent to Yazīd b. Muʿāwiyah interceding for him, so Yazīd wrote to Ibn Ziyād, who released him and sent him to the Hijaz in a cloak. He joined Ibn al-Zubayr in Makkah and fought fiercely with him when the Syrians besieged him. Then news reached al-Mukhtār of the turmoil among the people of Iraq, so he set out to them, leaving Ibn al-Zubayr. It is said that he asked Ibn al-Zubayr to write him a letter to Ibn Muṭīʿ, governor of Kufa, which he did, and he journeyed there. He would publicly praise Ibn al-Zubayr but revile him in secret. He would praise Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyyah and call people to him. He continued until he took control of Kufa through Shīʿism and his avowed pursuit of vengeance for al-Ḥusayn. The Shīʿah gathering in Kufa around al-Mukhtār b. Abī ʿUbayd. Because of that, large groups of Shīʿah gathered around him until he opposed Ibn al-Zubayr's governors in Kufa, expelled Ibn al-Zubayr's agent from it, and al-Mukhtār's rule became established there. Then he wrote to Ibn al-Zubayr apologizing and informing him that Ibn Muṭīʿ had been lenient toward the Umayyads and had left Kufa, and that he and those in it were under his obedience. Ibn al-Zubayr believed him because he invoked blessings on him from the pulpit on Fridays before the people and displayed obedience to him. Then he began tracking down the killers of al-Ḥusayn and those who had witnessed the battle of Karbalāʾ on the side of Ibn Ziyād. He killed many of them and captured the heads of their leaders. Then al-Mukhtār sent the head of ʿUbayd Allāh Ibn Ziyād, the head of Ḥuṣayn b. Numayr, and those with them to ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zubayr in Makkah. Ibn al-Zubayr ordered them to be set up on the hill of al-Ḥajūn, and they had previously been set up in Madinah. Al-Mukhtār rejoiced in sovereignty and thought that no enemy or rival remained. Then Ibn al-Zubayr discerned his deception, cunning, and evil ways, so he sent his brother Muṣʿab as emir over Iraq. Muṣʿab marched to Basra, whose people gathered to him, and delegations from Kufa came to him. Al-Mukhtār's joy was not complete before Muṣʿab b. al-Zubayr marched against him from Basra with a formidable army, besieged him in Kufa, and pressed him hard until God gave him victory over him. He killed him, severed his head, and ordered his hand to be crucified on the gate of the mosque. Muṣʿab sent al-Mukhtār's head with a man from the police on the postal road to his brother ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zubayr. He reached Makkah after the evening prayer, found ʿAbd Allāh engaged in supererogatory prayer, and he continued praying until the last part of the night, paying no attention to the courier who had brought the head. Near dawn, he said, "What has brought you?" The courier handed him the letter. He read it and said, "O Commander of the Faithful, I have the head with me." He said, "Throw it at the gate of the mosque." He threw it, then came back and said, "My reward, O Commander of the Faithful." He said, "Your reward is the head you brought; take it with you to Iraq." The fall of al-Mukhtār's state. Then al-Mukhtār's state vanished as if it had never been, as is the case with all states, and the Muslims rejoiced at its fall. That is because the man was not sincere in himself; rather, he was a liar and a soothsayer, and he claimed that revelation descended upon him at the hand of Gabriel, who came to him. Imam Aḥmad said, with his chain of transmission, on the authority of Rifāʿah al-Qitbānī: "I entered upon al-Mukhtār, and he tossed me a cushion and said, 'Were it not that my brother Gabriel had risen from this, I would have thrown it for you.' He said: I wanted to strike his neck. He said: Then I remembered a ḥadīth my brother ʿAmr b. al-Ḥamiq narrated to me: The Messenger of God ﷺ said: 'Any believer who gives safety to a believer regarding his blood and then kills him, I am innocent of the killer.'" It was said to Ibn ʿUmar that al-Mukhtār claimed revelation came to him. He said, "He is right. God Almighty said: 'And indeed the devils inspire their allies' (6:121)." Ibn Abī Ḥātim narrated, on the authority of ʿIkrimah: "I came to al-Mukhtār, and he honored me and lodged me, even checking on my lodging at night. He said to me, 'Go out and narrate to the people.' So I went out, and a man came and said, 'What do you say about revelation?' I said, 'Revelation is of two kinds. God Almighty said: "By what We have revealed to you, this Qurʾān" (12:3). And He said: "And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy—devils from mankind and jinn—inspiring one another with adorned speech as delusion" (6:112).' He said: They were about to seize me, but I said, 'What is the matter with you? I am your mufti and your guest.' So they left me." ʿIkrimah intended to allude to al-Mukhtār and his lie in claiming that revelation descended upon him. Al-Ṭabarānī narrated, on the authority of Unaysah bt. Zayd b. Arqam, that her father entered upon al-Mukhtār b. Abī ʿUbayd, who said to him, "O Abū ʿĀmir, if you had come earlier you would have seen Gabriel and Michael." Zayd said to him, "May you be despised and perish! You are too insignificant before God for that, a liar, fabricating against God and His Messenger." Imam Aḥmad said, with his chain of transmission, on the authority of Abū al-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, that al-Ḥajjāj b. Yūsuf entered upon Asmāʾ bt. Abī Bakr al-Ṣiddīq after he had killed her son ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zubayr and said, "Your son committed heresy in this House, and God made him taste a painful punishment, and He did to him such and such." She said, "You lie. He was dutiful to his parents, fasting and praying. By God, the Messenger of God ﷺ informed us that from Thaqīf two liars would emerge, the last of them worse than the first, and he is a slayer." This is how Aḥmad narrated it with this chain and wording. Al-Bayhaqī mentioned this ḥadīth in Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah. The scholars mentioned that the liar is al-Mukhtār b. Abī ʿUbayd, who displayed Shīʿism while concealing soothsaying, and secretly told his intimates that revelation came to him. But I do not know whether he claimed prophethood or not. A pulpit was set up for him that was venerated, surrounded by men, draped with silk, and carried on mules. With it he imitated the Ark of the Israelites mentioned in the Qurʾān. There is no doubt that he was astray and led others astray. God gave the Muslims relief from him after having used him to take vengeance on other wrongdoers, as He said: "And thus We make some wrongdoers allies of others for what they used to earn" (6:129). As for "the slayer," he is the fighter, al-Ḥajjāj b. Yūsuf al-Thaqafī, governor of Iraq for ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwān, who wrested Iraq from the hand of Muṣʿab b. al-Zubayr. Al-Wāqidī mentioned that al-Mukhtār kept displaying agreement with Ibn al-Zubayr until Muṣʿab arrived in Basra at the beginning of the year 67 AH, and he declared his opposition. Muṣʿab marched against him and fought him. Al-Mukhtār had about twenty thousand men. Al-Mukhtār attacked him once and routed him, but al-Mukhtār's army did not hold, and they began defecting to Muṣʿab, cursing al-Mukhtār, and denouncing him for his soothsaying and lying. When al-Mukhtār saw that, he withdrew to the governor's palace, where Muṣʿab besieged him for four months, then killed him on the fourteenth of Ramaḍān in the year 67 AH, at the age of sixty-seven, as it is said.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.