600:. Shurahbil arrived first, ahead of Ibn Numayr, and made camp. The Penitents attacked him and his troops fled. The next day, Ibn Numayr arrived with his troops. He called on the Penitents to surrender, who in turn demanded the surrender of the Umayyad army and the handing over of Ibn Ziyad, the supreme commander of the Umayyad forces, to be executed for his involvement in the death of Husayn. The battle began on Wednesday, 4 January. Ibn Surad divided the Penitents into three groups, sending two to attack the Umayyad flanks, while he himself remained in the center. On the first day, the Penitents were able to repel the Umayyads, but on the next day, Ibn Ziyad sent Shurahbil back to fight under the command of Ibn Numayr, and the numerical superiority of the Umayyad army began to prevail. Despite holding the ground, the Penitents suffered severe losses. On the third day of the battle, they were completely surrounded. Ibn Surad ordered his men to dismount and advance on foot to engage in one-on-one combat. The Umayyad army started raining arrows on them and the Penitents were almost annihilated. Ibn Surad fell to an arrow shot, and of the remaining four commanders, three were killed in quick succession. Finally, the Penitents' banner passed to the last commander, Rifa'a ibn Shaddad. At this point, the Penitents received the news that their supporters from al-Mada'in and Basra were on the way to join them, but they had been completely destroyed by now, so instead of waiting for the reinforcements, Rifa'a retreated with a few survivors and escaped to al-Qarqisiya during the night.
492:
182:
612:, who had earlier been prevented by the Umayyad governor from assisting Husayn in the Battle of Karbala. Mukhtar had been critical of the Penitents movement for its lack of organization and political program. With Ibn Surad gone, Mukhtar became the undisputed leader of the pro-Alid Kufans. He had long-term plans and a more organized movement; he appropriated the Penitents' slogan of "Revenge for Husayn", but also advocated for the establishment of an Alid caliphate in the name of Ali's son
559:(684). Following the victory, he sent Ibn Ziyad back to Iraq. Realizing that his forces were not strong enough to reconquer the province, Ibn Ziyad set out to strengthen the Umayyad army by recruiting from various Syrian Arab tribes, which included even the tribes that had opposed Marwan at the Battle of Marj Rahit. By the time he faced the Penitents, Ibn Ziyad had raised a formidable army of Syrians.
189:
519:. Ibn Ziyad was expelled from Iraq and he fled to Syria. This afforded the Penitents their opportunity to act. A large-scale recruiting campaign was launched which met with considerable success and 16,000 men joined the movement. On the day of departure though, only 4,000 men arrived, of whom another 1,000 left on the way. Undeterred, the Penitents moved up the
592:
force, Zufar also advised to pair the detachments so that one could fight mounted and the other fighting on foot when needed. Despite showing sympathy, Zufar refrained from joining the
Penitents outright, seeing no hope in their endeavor. Nevertheless he offered Ibn Surad to stay in al-Qarqisiya and fight the Umayyads alongside him, but Ibn Surad refused.
630:. With his combined forces, he seized Kufa, and consequently its eastern and northern dependencies, in October 685. Later he sent a considerably large and professional army of 13,000, which consisted mostly of infantry, under Ibn al-Ashtar, to fight the Umayyads. Ibn al-Ashtar destroyed the Umayyad army at the
416:
as heir in 676 had been opposed by many who resented his rise to the caliphate. Hereditary succession was alien to Arab custom, where the rulership passed within the wider clan, and
Islamic principles, where the supreme authority over the Muslim community was not the possession of any man. Opposition
591:
and instead divide his cavalry into small detachments and conduct constant skirmishes against their flanks, "firing arrows at them and thrusting at them in an open space for they outnumber you and you cannot be sure that you will not be surrounded". Noticing the absence of infantry in the
Penitents'
595:
Following Zufar's advice, the
Penitents camped outside Ayn al-Warda, with the town in their rear. They rested for five days before the Umayyad army arrived. The total strength of the latter was 20,000, but it was divided into two units due to disputes between its two field commanders. Some 8,000
511:, blamed themselves for the disaster and decided to atone for their perceived sinful abandonment of their leader. Considering the prohibition of suicide in Islam, they decided to sacrifice themselves in a fight against the perpetrators of the massacre, to achieve salvation and martyrdom.
387:
in 680. Initially a small underground movement, the
Penitents received widespread support in Iraq after the death of Yazid in 683. They were deserted by most of their supporters shortly before the departure to northern Syria where a large Umayyad army under the command of
1148:
The
History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XX: The Collapse of Sufyānid Authority and the Coming of the Marwānids: The Caliphates of Muʿāwiyah II and Marwān I and the Beginning of the Caliphate of ʿAbd al-Malik, A.D. 683–685/A.H.
396:, the small Penitent army was annihilated and its senior leaders, including Ibn Surad, were killed. Nevertheless, this battle proved to be a forerunner and source of motivation for the later more successful movement of
515:, a companion of Muhammad and old ally of Ali, was chosen as leader of the movement. Meanwhile Yazid died in 683 and Umayyad authority collapsed across the Caliphate, giving rise to the civil war known as the
474:
to prepare the ground for his arrival. Ibn Aqil sent back a favorable report, urging Husayn to depart for Kufa. Shortly afterwards, Ibn Aqil was apprehended and executed by the
Umayyad governor
587:) and arrive there before the Umayyads, as the town could be used as a base of operations in the arid steppes. Given the large numerical disparity, Zufar urged him to avoid a
478:
and his supporters suppressed. Unaware of the situation, Husayn left for Kufa, but was intercepted and killed just outside of the town. His expected support never arrived.
232:
1374:
674:(died 774). According to historian Gernot Rotter, the account of Abu Mikhnaf, who is generally considered reliable, is not entirely authentic in this regard.
432:, could lay "some claim to be considered as caliphal candidates" by virtue of their descent. They refused to be bribed or cajoled into acknowledging Yazid.
608:
The small number of
Penitents who survived felt remorse for not having fulfilled their vows of sacrifice. They went over to join another pro-Alid leader,
547:, a cousin of Muawiyah I, as the caliph. Marwan's accession was challenged by several north-Syrian tribes led by Banu Qays who supported the cause of the
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with the invitation to revolt against Yazid and regain his rightful place as the leader of the Muslim community which his father, caliph
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in his abortive uprising against the
Umayyads in 680. Pro-Alid Kufans had urged Husayn to revolt against the Umayyad caliph
635:
580:
616:. In contrast to the Penitents, which had been a purely Arab movement, Mukhtar also appealed to local non-Arab converts (
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informed Ibn Surad of the
Umayyad troops' location and advised him to march on Ayn al-Warda (identified with modern
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of the previous year had entrenched themselves there and aided the Penitents with supplies. The Qaysi chief
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According to Rotter, this date is fictitious and the battle would have been fought in the summer of 685.
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and killed Ibn Ziyad, Ibn Numayr, and Shurahbil. Mukhtar controlled most of Iraq, parts of the
622:). In addition, he was able to win over an influential military commander and the chief of the
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was preparing to launch an assault on Iraq. In the three-day long battle that ensued at
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troops were under the command of Shurahbil ibn Dhi'l-Kala, and the rest were under
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The primary source of the Penitents movement is the work of the Iraqi historian
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Sāsānid Soldiers in Early Muslim Society: The Origins of ʿAyyārān and Futuwwa
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439:, where all his opponents were based, to obtain their obedience. Of these,
1249:
The Armies of the Caliphs: Military and Society in the Early Islamic State
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1319:. Translated by Margaret Graham Weir. Calcutta: University of Calcutta.
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1202:. Translated by Allison Brown. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers.
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After Muawiyah's death in April 680, Yazid ordered the governor of
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On their march towards Syria, the Penitents made a short stay at
572:
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1273:(in German). Wiesbaden: Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft.
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527:(Upper Mesopotamia). They were all mounted and well-equipped.
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The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661–750
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Die religiös-politischen Oppositionsparteien im alten Islam
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Umayyads of the line of Muawiyah and Yazid; descendants of
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candidate to succeed him, Umayyad loyalists in Syria chose
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Some of Husayn's supporters in Kufa, who called themselves
650:), before he was killed by the Zubayrid governor of Basra
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555:. Marwan defeated them with a small army of 6,000 at the
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ended with his death after a few weeks. With no suitable
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but then failed to assist him when he was killed in the
16:
Battle in 685 between the Umayyad army and the Penitents
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751:
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1176:(Second ed.). London and New York: Routledge.
1120:
Muhammad and the Believers, at the Origins of Islam
1270:Die Umayyaden und der zweite Bürgerkrieg (680-692)
1195:
417:was led especially by the sons of a few prominent
375:, who wished to atone for their failure to assist
1297:(in German). Berlin: Weidmann'sche Buchhandlung.
1222:The Origins and Early Development of Shi'a Islam
470:), had previously held. Husayn sent his cousin
25:
344:) was fought in early January 685 between the
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8:
1096:The Ismāʿı̄lı̄s: Their History and Doctrines
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683:Political supporters of the fourth caliph
642:, and parts of western and northern Iran (
233:
219:
211:
22:
1099:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
451:. There Husayn received letters from the
1375:Battles involving the Umayyad Caliphate
1198:Shia Islam: From Religion to Revolution
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535:The short reign of Yazid's successor
356:). The Penitents were a group of pro-
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143:Shurahbil ibn Dhi'l Kala' al-Himyari
503:, Iran, depicting the Penitent army
447:evaded the governor and escaped to
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1252:. London and New York: Routledge.
14:
1338:. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.
187:
180:
465:
1:
1390:680s in the Umayyad Caliphate
1316:The Arab Kingdom and Its Fall
581:Zufar ibn al-Harith al-Kilabi
147:Sulayman ibn Surad al-Khuza'i
1123:. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
687:and his descendants (Alids).
201:Location within modern Syria
1385:Battles involving the Alids
628:Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar
342:مَعْرَكَة عَيْن ٱلْوَرْدَة
140:Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni
1406:
412:'s designation of his son
614:Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya
408:The first Umayyad caliph
250:
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129:
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1125:Harvard University Press
1332:Zakeri, Mohsen (1995).
1267:Rotter, Gernot (1982).
1226:Oxford University Press
553:Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr
445:Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr
551:-based counter-caliph
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334:Battle of Ayn al-Warda
292:Ibn al-Zubayr's Revolt
130:Commanders and leaders
26:Battle of Ayn al-Warda
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476:Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad
390:Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad
136:Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad
77:36.84083°N 40.07917°E
652:Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr
577:Battle of Marj Rahit
557:Battle of Marj Rahit
425:, who, according to
198:class=notpageimage|
935:, pp. 217–218.
896:, pp. 182–183.
833:, pp. 146–147.
809:, pp. 145–146.
785:, pp. 140–145.
545:Marwan ibn al-Hakam
284:Madhar & Harura
73: /
1311:Wellhausen, Julius
1289:Wellhausen, Julius
1168:Hawting, Gerald R.
1076:, p. 185–186.
610:Mukhtar al-Thaqafi
575:refugees from the
523:River towards the
513:Sulayman ibn Surad
505:
398:Mukhtar al-Thaqafi
365:Sulayman ibn Surad
158:Rifa'a ibn Shaddad
82:36.84083; 40.07917
1345:978-3-447-03652-8
1159:978-0-88706-855-3
1134:978-0-674-05097-6
1106:978-0-521-37019-6
992:, pp. 28–29.
923:, pp. 27–28.
845:, pp. 17–18.
821:, pp. 49–50.
598:Husayn ibn Numayr
455:garrison town of
385:Battle of Karbala
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270:
267:
265:
262:
261:
257:
253:
252:
249:
244:
236:
231:
229:
224:
222:
217:
216:
213:
199:
183:
174:
170:
167:
166:
161:
156:
154:
148:
145:
141:
137:
134:
133:
128:
124:
120:
117:
115:
112:
111:
106:
98:
95:
92:
91:
86:
57:
53:
50:
49:
46:4 January 685
45:
42:
41:
37:
34:
29:
24:
19:
1380:Second Fitna
1352:
1334:
1315:
1293:
1269:
1248:
1221:
1218:Jafri, S. M.
1197:
1172:
1147:
1119:
1095:
1069:
1057:
1045:
1033:
1026:Daftary 1990
1021:
1009:
1002:Hawting 1989
997:
990:Kennedy 2001
975:Hawting 1989
970:
963:Hawting 1989
948:Kennedy 2001
928:
921:Kennedy 2001
906:Kennedy 2001
901:
889:
862:
855:Daftary 1990
850:
838:
826:
819:Daftary 1990
814:
802:
795:Hawting 2000
790:
778:
771:Hawting 2000
736:
724:
704:
692:
679:
666:
617:
607:
594:
569:al-Qarqisiya
566:
534:
517:Second Fitna
506:
482:Belligerents
434:
407:
353:
333:
331:
269:Ayn al-Warda
268:
243:Second Fitna
152:
108:Belligerents
33:Second Fitna
31:Part of the
18:
1192:Halm, Heinz
1074:Donner 2010
1062:Zakeri 1995
1050:Donner 2010
1014:Donner 2010
894:Donner 2010
756:Rotter 1982
741:Rotter 1982
672:Abu Mikhnaf
644:Adharbayjan
537:Muawiyah II
80: /
1359:Categories
1235:0195793870
1224:. Oxford:
933:Jafri 2000
867:Jafri 2000
716:References
698:Abu Sufyan
585:Ras al-Ayn
501:Kermanshah
427:Islamicist
419:companions
404:Background
394:Ras al-Ayn
309:Marj Rahit
275:al-Mukhtar
273:Revolt of
68:40°04′45″E
65:36°50′27″N
56:Ras al-Ayn
1325:752790641
1303:453206240
843:Halm 1997
604:Aftermath
521:Euphrates
509:Penitents
497:tile-work
487:Penitents
369:companion
350:Penitents
319:2nd Mecca
304:1st Mecca
119:Penitents
1313:(1927).
1291:(1901).
1246:(2001).
1220:(2000).
1194:(1997).
1170:(2000).
1117:(2010).
1093:(1990).
640:Arminiya
541:Sufyanid
531:Umayyads
423:Muhammad
410:Mu'awiya
373:Muhammad
354:Tawwabin
299:Al-Harra
163:Strength
51:Location
1084:Sources
626:tribe,
363:led by
346:Umayyad
264:Karbala
258:risings
153:†
99:victory
1342:
1323:
1301:
1277:
1256:
1232:
1206:
1180:
1156:
1131:
1103:
636:Jazira
619:mawālī
571:. The
563:Battle
525:Jazira
437:Medina
361:Kufans
338:Arabic
314:Maskin
279:Khazir
168:20,000
149:
93:Result
1149:64–66
658:Notes
648:Jibal
624:Nakha
573:Qaysi
549:Mecca
453:Iraqi
449:Mecca
414:Yazid
381:Yazid
171:3,000
123:Alids
121:(Pro-
1340:ISBN
1321:OCLC
1299:OCLC
1275:ISBN
1254:ISBN
1230:ISBN
1204:ISBN
1178:ISBN
1154:ISBN
1129:ISBN
1101:ISBN
646:and
457:Kufa
443:and
367:, a
358:Alid
332:The
256:Alid
254:Pro-
43:Date
1365:685
685:Ali
499:in
461:Ali
421:of
371:of
1361::
1228:.
1127:.
982:^
955:^
940:^
913:^
874:^
763:^
748:^
638:,
466:r.
400:.
340::
1348:.
1327:.
1305:.
1283:.
1262:.
1238:.
1212:.
1186:.
1162:.
1137:.
1109:.
463:(
352:(
336:(
286:)
277:(
234:e
227:t
220:v
125:)
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