Rafed English

Amru bin al-Hamaq al-Khaza'i

He was b. (son of) al-Kahil b. Habbib b. Amru b. al-Qayn b. Dharrah b. Amru b. Sa'd b. Ka'b b. Rabi'a al-Khaza'i.

He became Muslims before the Conquest (of Mecca), and emigrated to Medina. He was a loyal companion. Thus the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, prayed for Allah to make him (i.e., Amru) enjoy his youth. So eighty years, passed and no one saw a white hair among his hair, in addition to this, there was handsomesness on his face, that increased his splendor.

After the Prophet, Amru became a companion of the Commander of the faithful (ie, Ali) peace be on him, Thus he was the sincere companion to whom Ali said; "I wish I had a hundred people. like you in my army." Amru witnessed the Battles headed by Ali such as the Camel, Siffin, and al-Nahrwan.
The Commander of the faithful invoked Allah for Umru with these words. "O Allah, enlighten his heart with piety, and guide him to your stright path." Moreover, he said to him: "Amru, you will be killed after me. Indeed, your head will be moved (from one place to another). It will be the first head to be moved in Islam. Woe unto him who will kill you."1

Ibn al-Athir said in his book (al-Kamil fi Tarikh, vol.3, p.183): "When Zyyad came to Kufa, Ammara b. Aqaba b. Abu Mi'yat said to him: Indeed Amru b. al-Hamq has gathered the Shi'tes of Abu Turab (ie, Imam Ali)". Thus Zyyad sent for him (and said to him): "What are thse groups which you have gathered? Whomever you want to speak to, (you should speak to him) in the mosque."2.

"Then Amru was still (as al-Tabari has narrated) afraid and expectiong till the event of Hijr b. Adi occurred. Then he proved Himself brave. A man called Bakr b. 'Ubayd from al-Hamra' (ie, the police of Zyyad) hit Umru on the head with an iron bar. Thus Amru fell over the ground. The Shi'ites carried him and hid him in the house of a man from the Azd. Then Amru went out to leave (Kufa). The other leader, Rifa'a b. Shaddad, accompanied him. So they headed for al-Mada'in. Then they departed till they arrived at the land of Mousil. They hid in a countain there. The governor of al-Rustaq condemned that. So he went to them with the horses. As for Amru, he reached Mousil while he was ill. As for Rifa'a b. Shaddad, who was a strong young men, he jumped on ihs quick horse and said to Amru: I will fight on behalf of you.' It does not avail me that you fight on behalf of me. Save yourself if you can. Thus Rifa'a attacked them, so they let him go. Then he want out while his horse was bolting. The horsemen went out looking for him. He was a sharp shooter so that he wounded or killed those horsemen who followed him. Thus they left him and went away. Then they asked Amru: "Who are you? "It is him whom if you lave it will be safer for you, and whom if you kill, it will be more harmful for you," replied' Amru, Again they asked him, but he refused to tell them. Thus b. Abu Balta'a, the governor of al-Rustaq, sent him to Abe al-Rahman b. Abd Allah b. Uthman al-Thaqafi, the governor of Mousil. When the latter saw Amru b. al-Hamaq, he knew him, and then he wrote to Mu'awiya concerning him. So Mu'awiya ordered Abd al-Rahman to stab Amru nine times as he (ie, Amru) stabbed Uthman."

Ibn Kuthayr opposed the Above mentioned account of al-Tabari. He said: "Indeed the companions of Mu'awiya found Amru dead in a cave. They cut off his head and sent it to Mu'awiya. Thus it was the first head to be moved in Ialam. Then Mu'awiya sent his head to his wife (ie, Amru's wife), Amina bint al-Sharid, who was in the prison of Mu'awiya. The head was put on her lap. She put her hadn on his forehead and kissed his mouth, and then she said: "you had concealed him for a long time, then you have offered him to me and he is dead. Therefore welcome to this lovable left."

Then he was in what al-Husayn, peace be on him, wrote to Mu'awiya: Aren't you who killed Amru b. al-Hamaq, the Companion of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family? He was the righteous person whom worship wore out to the extent that it made his body weak and his color yellow. you had given him security. you had given him some of the covenants of Allah and His pledges. If you had given them to a bird, it would have come showing impudence towards you Lord and disdaining His covenan through that."

I (i.e., the author) say: Through this covenant, al-Husayn refers to the clauses of the fifth item in the Peace Treaty.

In his book 'Safiinat al-Bihar, Abbas al-Qummi said: "His (ie, Amru's) gave was in the outskirts of Mousil. Abu Abd Allah, (ie, Sa'id b. Hamdan), the cousin of Saif al-Dawla, was the first to build the grave in the month of Sha'ban in the year 336 A.H."

In the book (Usul al-Tarikh wa al-Adab, vol. 9, p. 2) it has been mentioned: "Abu Al-Hasan 'Ali b. Abu Bakr al-Harawi said in the book al-Ziyarat (ie, visitations): "The shrine of Amru b. al-Hamaq was on the highest elevation at the outskirts of the Mousil. His body was buried (there) and his head was carried to Damascus. It was said that it was the first head to be carried in Islam. In the the shrine were some Sheriffs from the children of al-Husayn, peace be on him."

____________
1. Abbas al-Qummi, Safinat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 360.

2. al-Tabari had mentioned that slander of Ammara b. Aqaba, and then he said: "It is said that it was Yazid b. Ruwaym who slandered Amru b. al-Hamq, and said: He (ie, Amru has provoked the two cities (ie, Basrah and Kufa.)"

Adopted from the book: "Sulh al-Hasan (a.s.)" by: "Sheykh Radi al-Yasin"

Share this article

Comments 0

Your comment

Comment description

Latest Post

Most Reviews

MOST READ