Abd Allah ibn Amir al-Hadhrami
Abd Allah ibn Amir al-Hadhrami عبد الله بن عامر الحضرمي | |
|---|---|
| Governor of Mecca | |
| In office 655–656 | |
| Caliph | Uthman |
| Preceded by | Ali ibn 'Adi ibn Rabi'ah[1] |
| Succeeded by | Qutham ibn Abbas[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Died | c. 659 |
| Parent(s) | Amr ibn al-Hadhrami Umm Talha bint Kurayz |
| Relatives | Arwa bint Kurayz (aunt) Abd Allah ibn Amir (cousin) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Umayyad Caliphate |
Abd Allāh ibn ʿĀmir al-Hadhrami (Arabic: عبد الله بن عامر الحضرمي) was a 7th-century Arab administrator and Umayyad partisan active during the First Fitna. He served briefly as governor of Mecca under Caliph Uthman ibn Affan and later led a pro-Umayyad uprising in Basra against Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, during which he was killed.
Family and early life
Abd Allah ibn Amir was born in Yemen, a heritage reflected in his nisba, al-Hadhrami. His family were long-standing confederates of the Banu Umayya clan.[3]
His father, Amr ibn al-Hadhrami, was a prominent leader of the Quraysh during the early days of Islam. In 624, he led a Meccan trade caravan that became the target of the Raid on Nakhla, where he was killed by Waqid ibn Abdullah, making him the first casualty in the armed conflict between the Muslims of Medina and the Meccans.[4]
Through his mother, Umm Talha bint Kurayz, Abd Allah was a maternal first cousin of Caliph Uthman, as his mother was the sister of Uthman's mother, Arwa bint Kurayz.[5]
Political career
Governorship of Mecca
During the final months of Uthman ibn Affan’s caliphate, al-Hadhrami was appointed governor of Mecca.[6] He remained in office through the time of Uthman's assassination in 656, after which the city became a focal point for Umayyad loyalists and opponents of Ali’s accession.[7]
Following his arrival in power, Ali issued a general dismissal of Uthman's provincial governors, whom he considered to be symbols of nepotism and corruption.[8][9] Ali's attempt to gain control of Mecca failed when the local population refused to swear allegiance to him; the city subsequently entered into open rebellion against Medina.[9] Fleeing governors from Yemen, including Ya'la ibn Umayya and Abd Allah ibn Abi Rabi'ah, arrived in the city with wealth and resources which they used to equip the revolt led by Aisha.[9] Al-Hadhrami was among the first to support Aisha’s calls for vengeance against the regicides.[10]
Activity in Basra
Following the appointment of Uthman ibn Hunayf as governor of Basra by Ali, al-Hadhrami remained in the city as a deputy for the former governor, Abd Allah ibn Amir. Ibn Hunayf subsequently arrested him without resistance to secure control of the provincial administration, ending al-Hadhrami's initial tenure there.[11]
Pro-Umayyad revolt and death
In 659, following the Umayyad annexation of Egypt, Mu'awiya I dispatched al-Hadhrami back to Basra to foment a pro-Umayyad uprising. His arrival successfully drew support from factions of the Banu Tamim, forcing Ali’s deputy governor, Ziyad ibn Abihi, to seek protection from the Banu Azd tribe.[12]
Ali initially attempted to resolve the situation by sending Aʿyan ibn Dabiʿah al-Mujashiʿ, but Aʿyan was assassinated shortly after arrival.[13] Ali then dispatched Jariyah ibn Qudamah, who restored Ziyad to the governor’s palace and led a military crackdown on the rebels.[14]
Al-Hadhrami and approximately seventy followers withdrew to the fortified house of Sabil al-Saʿdi. During the ensuing assault, Jariyah ordered the structure to be set on fire; al-Hadhrami and most of his supporters were killed in the conflagration.[14][15] Notably, Mu'awiya reportedly showed little reaction to the news, a detail historians highlight as evidence of the expendable nature of provincial allies during the civil war.[14]
See also
References
- ^ Madelung 1997, p. 81.
- ^ Madelung 1997, p. 202.
- ^ Madelung 1997, p. 116, note 122.
- ^ Abdul-Rahman 2009, p. 185.
- ^ al-Zubayri 1953, p. 147.
- ^ Madelung 1997, p. 116.
- ^ al-Tabari 1998, p. 37.
- ^ Donner 2010, p. 158.
- ^ a b c Madelung 1997, p. 148.
- ^ al-Tabari 1998, p. 36.
- ^ Madelung 1997, p. 171.
- ^ Madelung 1997, p. 300.
- ^ al-Tabari 1996, p. 168.
- ^ a b c Madelung 1997, p. 302.
- ^ Wellhausen 1927, p. 100.
Bibliography
- Abdul-Rahman, Muhammad Saed (2009). Tafsir Ibn Kathir Juz' 2 (Part 2): Al-Baqarah 142 to Al-Baqarah 252 (2nd ed.). MSA Publication Limited. ISBN 978-1-8617-9676-9.
- Donner, F.M. (2010). Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-06414-0.
- Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-56181-5.
- al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir (1998). Brockett, Adrian (ed.). The History of al-Tabari, Volume XVI: The Community Divided. State University of New York Press.
- al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir (1996). Humphreys, Stephen (ed.). The History of al-Tabari, Volume XVII: The First Civil War. State University of New York Press.
- Wellhausen, J. (1927). The Arab Kingdom and Its Fall. University of Calcutta.
- al-Zubayri, Mus'ab ibn Abd Allah (1953). Lévi-Provençal, E. (ed.). Kitab Nasab Quraysh. Cairo: Dar al-Ma'arif.