#7779;).
He is the first performer of prayer, the brother of the Prophet, and the first person to drive away the tyrants in (the Battle of) Badr.
#7779;)—your commander—and his son-in-law, and the Book of Allah is scattered.
Faḍl ibn al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Utbah ibn Abī Lahab has been one of the famous poets at the end of the first century AH. Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih has narrated: “When Walīd ibn ‘Abd al-Malik was circumambulating [ṭawāf] the Ka‘bah, Faḍl ibn al-‘Abbās was reciting this poem while getting water from the well of Zamzam:
íÃíåÇ ÇáÓÇÆá Úä Úáíø ÊÓÃá Úä ÈÏÑò áäÇ ÈÏÑíøò
ãõÑóÏøóÏò Ýí ÇáãÌÏ ÇÈØÍí ÓÇÆáÉò ÛÑøå ãÖíøò
O he who is asking from ‘Alī! You are asking from the moon of Banū Hāshim and the one present at the Battle of Badr.
Are you doubtful in praising the greatness of the ‘abṭaḥī’ man, or asking about his precedence in Islam?
Among the first persons to have recited poetry in defending the right of the Commander of the Faithful ‘Alī (‘a) was a woman named Umm Masṭaḥ ibn Athāthah. Historians have narrated, thus: After Abū Bakr and ‘Umar treated ‘Alī harshly to acquire his allegiance by force, Umm Masṭaḥ came to the mosque, stood in front of the grave of the Prophet and recited this poem:
ÞÏ ßÇä ÈÚÏß ÇäÈÇÁ åäÈËÉð áæ ßäÊ ÔÇåÏåÇ áã ÊßËÑ ÇáÎØÈ
ÇäÇ ÝÞÏäÇß ÝÞÏ ÇáÃÑÖ æ ÇÈáåÇ ÝÇÎÊá Þæãß ÝÇÔåÏåã æ áÇ ÊÛÈ
After you, an event and differences have occurred that would never happen if you were present.
We lost you just as the soil would lose water. Your community is going astray. Be witness and neglect not.
Among the poets who used to engage in argumentation and defend the right of ‘Alī (‘a) was the great Arab poet and man of letter, Abū’l-Aswad Daw’ilī who lived in Baṣrah at the place of the tribe of Banū Qashīr that were sympathetic to ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān. None of them could surpass Abū’l-Aswad in speech. So, they instead persecuted and harassed him, throwing stones at his house every night. He gave this reply to them:
íÞæá ÇáÃÑÐáæä ÈäæÞÔíÑ ØæÇá ÇáÏåÑ áÇ ÊäÓì ÚáíøÇð!
ÝÞáÊ áåã æ ßíÝ íßæä ÊÑßí ãä ÇáÃÚãÇá ãÝÑæÖÇð ÚáíøÇð¿
ÃÍÈ ãÍãÏÇð ÍÈøÇð ÔÏíÏÇð æ ÚÈÇÓÇð æ ÍãÒÉ æ ÇáæíøÇð
Èäí Úã ÇáäÈí æ ÇÞÑÈíå ÃÍÈ ÇáäÇÓ ßõáåã ÅáíäÇ
ÝÇä íß ÍõÈøõåã ÑÔÏÇð ÇÈå æ áÓÊ ÈãÎØìÁ Çä ßÇä ÛíÇð
åã Çåá ÇáäíÍÉ ÛíÑ Ôß æ Çåá ãæÏÊí ãÇ ÏãÊ ÍíøÇð
ÑÇíÊ Çááå ÎÇáÞ ßá Ôì åÏÇåã æÇÌÊÈی ãäåã äÈíøÇð
æ áã íÎ ÈåÇ ÇÍÏÇð ÓæÇåã åäíÆÇð ãÇ ÇØÝÇå áåã ãÑíøÇð
The vile people such as Banū Qashīr say, “With the passage of time, why have you not forgotten ‘Alī?”
I said to them, “How could I abandon deeds that are incumbent upon me?”
I love Muḥammad so much, and ‘Abbās, Ḥamzah and the successor [waṣī] (i.e. ‘Alī) as well.
The cousins and nearest of kin of the Prophet are the most beloved of people for me.
If love for them is guidance, I have attained it then, and if this love is useless, then I have lost nothing.
Undoubtedly, they are the people of admonition and my beloved ones so long as I live.
I regard God as the Creator of everything. He has guided them and appointed the Prophet from among them.
Except them, nobody is worthy of it. May this God’s choice of them be pleasant!
This continued until finally, at the end of the Umayyad rule, great and famous poets such as Kumayt al-Asadī, Kuthayyir ‘Azzah and Sayyid Ḥumayrī who thawed themselves in the guardianship [wilāyah], have recited more poems in defense of ‘Alī’s (‘a) right.
2. The Shī‘ah Poets’ Confrontation with the Umayyad and ‘Abbāsid Poets
The second subject about which Shī‘ah poets have recited poetry is the poems they have composed to counter the Umayyad and ‘Abbāsid poets. After 35 AH when ‘Uthmān ibn al-‘Affān was murdered, the Umayyads used to utilize the weapon of poetry to attain their wicked objectives and incite people against the Commander of the Faithful (‘a). Among those who had recited poetry against the Imām was Walīd ibn ‘Uqbah, maternal brother of ‘Uthmān, who has been described by the Qur’an as fāsiq [transgressor]. He had accused Banū Hāshim, the head of which was ‘Alī (‘a), of killing ‘Uthmān, saying:
Èäì åÇÔã ÑÏæÇ ÓáÇÍ ÇÈä ÇÎʘã æ áÇ ÊäåÈæå áÇ ÊÍá äåÇÆÈå
Èäì åÇÔã ßíÝ ÇáåæÇÏÉ ÈíääÇ æ ÚäÏ Úáì ÏÑÚå æ äÌÇÆÈå
Èäì åÇÔã ßíÝ ÇáÊæÏÏ ãäßã æÏã ÇÈä ÇÑæì Ýíßã æ ÍÑÇÆÈå
O Banū Hāshim! Return the weapon of your maternal cousin and do not usurp his property as his property is not lawful for you.
O Banū Hāshim! How could harmony be established between you and us while the chain mail and camels of ‘Uthmān are with ‘Alī?
O Banū Hāshim! How could I accept your friendship while the spears of Ibn Arwā (‘Uthmān) are with you?
Then, ‘Abd Allāh ibn Abī Sufyān ibn Ḥārith ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib answered him, saying thus poetically:
ÝáÇÊÓÃáæäÇ ÓíÝßã Çä ÓíÝßã ÇÖíÚ æ ÇáÞÇå áÏì ÇáÑæÚ ÇÍÈå
æ ÔÈåÊå ßÓÑì æ ÞÏ ßÇä ãËáå ÔÈíåÇð ÈßÓÑì åÏíå æ ÖÑÇÆÈå
ãäÇ Úáíøñ ÇáÎíÑ ÇÍÈ ÎíÈÑ æ ÇÍÈ ÈÏÑ íæã ÓÇáÊ ßÊÇÆÈå
æ ßÇä æáì ÇáÃãÑ ÈÚÏ ãÍãÏ Úáíø æ Ýí ßá ÇáãæÇØä ÇÍÈå
æí ÇáäÈí ÇáãØÝì æ ÇÈä Úãå æÃæá ãä áì æ ãä áÇä ÌÇäÈå
You may not get your sword from us because when its owner was frightened, he threw it and it was lost.
You likened him to Khosroe, and in fact he was like him. And his horses and properties were like that of his (Khosroe).
‘Alī, the good, is from us; the victor of Khaybar and Badr when the hostile army came.
‘Alī is the one vested with authority after Muḥammad and the companion of the Prophet in all the wars.
He is the successor of Prophet al-Muṣṭafā and his cousin. He is the first person to perform prayer and the one who is so well-mannered.
Walīd ibn ‘Uqbah composed his next poem against the Commander of the Faithful (‘a) when he wrote a letter to his brother, ‘Umārah ibn ‘Uqbah who was then living in Kūfah, inciting him to be inimical to the Imām, saying thus:
Çä íß Ùäøí Ýí ÚãÇÑÉ ÇÏÞÇð íäã æ áÇ íØáÈ ÈÐÍá æ áÇ æÊÑ
íÈíÊ æ ÇæÊÇÑ ÇÈä ÚÝÇä ÚäÏå ãõÎíãÉð Èíä ÇáÎæÑäÞ æ ÇáÞÑ
ÊãÔì ÑÎìø ÇáÈÇá ãÊÔÒÑ ÇáÞæì ßÇäß áã ÊÓãÚ ÈÞÊá ÇÈì ÚãÑ
ÇáÇ Åöäøó ÎíÑ ÇáäÇÓ ÈÚÏ ËáÇËÉ ÞÊÈá ÇáäÌíÈì ÇáÐí ÌÇÁ ãä ãÑ
If my guess is ever correct about ‘Umārah, he is sleeping and does not take revenge!
He is sleeping comfortably while the murderers of ‘Uthmān are near him encamping between the Khawarnaq [magnificent building] and the Palace!
He is walking with a peace of mind and sound body, as if he has not heard of the killing of Abū ‘Amrū (‘Uthmān).
Be aware that the best of people after the three persons is the one who has been killed by the ‘tajībī’ who came from Egypt.
Then, Faḍl ibn al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib replied to him reciting thus:
ÃÊØáÈ ËÇÑÇð áÓÊ ãäå æ áÇáå æ ãÇáÇÈä ÐßÑÇä ÇáÝæÑì æ ÇáæÊÑ
ßãÇ ÇÝÊÎÑÊ ÈäÊ ÇáÍãÇÑ ÈÇãøåÇ æ ÊäÓì ÇÈÇåÇ ÅÐÇ ÊÓÇãì Çæ áæÇáÝÎÑ
ÇáÇ Çä ÎíÑ ÇáäÇÓ ÈÚÏ äÈíåã æí ÇáäÈí ÇáãØÝì ÚäÏ Ðí ÇáÐßÑ
æ Çæá ãä áì æ ÝæäÈíøå æ Çæá ãä ÇÑÏì ÇáÛæÇÉ áÏì ÈÏÑ
Are you taking revenge for a person who has no relationship with you? Ibn Dhakrān Ṣafūrī is one thing while taking revenge for ‘Uthmān is another.
You can still remember that you were suffering from poverty, he forgot the father of his donkey while taking pride in the mother of his horse.
Be aware that the best of people after the Prophet in the sight of God is the successor of Prophet Muṣṭafā.
He is the first to have performed the prayer, the brother of the Prophet, and the first person to have driven away the oppressive contingent in (the Battle of) Badr.
Sometime during the Battle of Jamal when the supporters of the Umayyads and the so-called ‘Uthmānīs were reciting rajaz-metered verses in affirming their movement and inciting their supporters, the companions of the Commander of the Faithful (‘a) were also answering them in return. Among these persons were ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir and Mālik al-Ashtar. For example, some members of the tribe of Banū Ḍabbah who had surrounded the camel of ‘Ā’ishah would take the reins of camel and would be killed. The last person to have taken the bridle of camel said, thus:
äÍä Èäæ ÖÈøÉ ÃÍÇÈ ÇáÌãá ääÚì ÇÈä ÚÝøÇä ÈÇØÑÇÝ ÇáÇÓá
ÑõÏøæÇ ÚáíäÇ ÔíÎäÇ Ëã ÈÌá
We are the Banū Ḍabbah, supporters of (the Army of) Jamal, and are taking ‘Uthmān’s revenge with our spears.
Return to us our sheikh in safety.
Mālik al-Ashtar rushed to confront him and said, thus:
ßíÝ äóÑõÏøõ äÚËáÇð æ ÞÏ ÞÎá ÓÇÑÊ Èå Ãõãøõ ÇáãäÇíÇ æ ÑóÍóá
How could we return Na‘thal (‘Uthmān) while he is enshrouded, swords having penetrated his body, and is dead?!
Then, Mālik al-Ashtar gave a strike to him and killed him.
During the Battle of Ṣiffīn, due to the prolongation of the battle, in addition to military combat and confrontation, there was also confrontation in poetry in its broadest sense between the two belligerent armies. Naṣr ibn Muzāḥim has mentioned great poets such as Mālik al-Ashtar, Khuzaymah ibn Thābit, Faḍl ibn al-‘Abbās, Qays ibn Sa‘d ‘Udayy ibn Ḥātam, ‘Amrū ibn Ḥamq al-Khazā‘ī, Ḥujr ibn ‘Udayy al-Kindī, Nu‘mān ibn ‘Ajlān al-Anṣārī, Muḥammad ibn Abī Sabrah Qurayshī, Mughayrah ibn Ḥārith ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, Jundab ibn Zuhayr, Abū Zubayd aṭ-Ṭā’ī, Aḥmar (an Iraqi poet), Abū Ḥabbah ibn Ghuzayyah al-Anṣārī, and others who had recited poetry in countering the poets of the people of Shām. The Commander of the Faithful (‘a) himself had been giving replies to individuals such as ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ.
Ibn Abī’l-Ḥadīd thus says: “Najāshī was one of the Iraqi poets in (the Battle of) Ṣiffīn who had been ordered by ‘Alī to confront the poets of the people of Shām such as Ka‘b ibn Ju‘ayl and others.”
Summary
The Shī‘ah poets had recited poetry in various arenas:
1. Argumentation: After the event of Saqīfah, the truth-speaking Shī‘ah poets spoke out in defense of the Commander of the Faithful’s (‘a) right, among whom were the leading orators of the Banū Hāshim such as ‘Abd Allāh ibn Abī Sufyān ibn Ḥārith ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib and Mughayrah ibn Ḥārith ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib.
2. Confronting the Umayyad and ‘Abbāsid poets: After ‘Uthmān’s murder in 35 AH, the Umayyads used to recite poetry against the Commander of the Faithful (‘a). From then on, the Shī‘ah poets responded through poetry.
For example, during the Battle of Ṣiffīn there was also a battle of poetry between the two warring parties.
Questions
1. What does ‘Allāmah Amīni say about the argumentation of the Shī‘ah poets?
2. Since when did the Shī‘ah poets’ confrontation with the poets affiliated to the enemies of the Shī‘ah start?
