IRAQ-IRAN: The Land Of Fitnah (Trouble). Painful History of Khilafah.

The Khawarij Are Mocking Islam

The ‘Land of Fitnah’:

Iraq-Iran

A Page From The

Painful History of Khilafah

(M. Javed Naseem)

We are in the first ten days (‘Aashura’) of the first month of Islamic calendar, Moharram. If you look back in the history books, you’ll discover that a lot had happened during those days in the early history of Islamic Caliphate – or even before. I have noticed one very interesting historical fact which I would like to share with you, i.e., Iraq was always a trouble-spot; and Iran and Iraq used to be one country.

During the time of the Sassanid Empire of Persia, from the 3rd century to the 7th century, the major part of Iraq was called “Dil-e-Iranshahr” – meaning ‘Heart-of-Iran City’ in Persian. Its metropolis Ctesiphon (not far from present-day Baghdad) functioned for more than 800 years as the capital city of Iran. Most of the ‘Khawarij’ or ‘Khariji’ trouble-makers came to the Arab countries from this region. Later on Persia was separated from Iraq.

Today, the blood of Muslims is spilled again to create a third country ‘Kurdistan’ out of it.

Al-Bukhari reported a Hadith as follows:

“The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, ‘O Allah! Bless our Sham and our Yemen’.

People said, ‘Our Najd as well’.

The Prophet again said, ‘O Allah! Bless our Sham and Yemen’.

They said again, ‘Our Najd as well’.

On that the Prophet said, ‘There will appear earthquakes and afflictions, and from there will come out the side of the head of Satan’.”

This Hadith was also partly reported by Muslim.

Abu Dawood and Ibn Hibban reported that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

"There will be a time when you would be divided into strong armies: An army in Syria, an army in Yemen and an army in Iraq.”

Ibn Hawalah said to the Prophet, ‘Choose for me, O Messenger of Allah, if I happen to live until that day’.

The Prophet said: "Go to Syria as it is the land Allah has chosen on this earth. Allah sends to it the best of His people. But if you do not do that, go to your Yemen and let people drink from your streams. Indeed Allah has promised me to look after Sham (ancient Syria) and its people.”

(Note: For more details on this subject you can consult the books of Hadith under the chapter of "likable deeds".)

This Hadith also proves that the Fitan (Fitnah or afflictions) will arise from the direction of Najd which is East of Medina.
Ibn Hajar explains that East of Madinah (or Najd) is the countryside of Iraq and the area surrounding it. So, temptations, afflictions and other Fitan (Fitnah) will emerge from the East (Iraq-Iran). He also reported from many scholars that the eastern people at the time were non-Muslims, so the Prophet (s.a.w.) predicted that the severe afflictions would be from that side. Therefore, Najd means part of Iraq.
In fact, history proved what he predicted. The origin of the first Fitnah (trouble) which took place in the Muslim Ummah and which divided the Ummah causing much harm, was from the eastern side. Also many innovations emerged from that region which distorted the face of Islam.
Najd mentioned in the Ahadith means the countryside of Iraq. The Hadith reported in Sahih Muslim also supports this opinion. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said while he was facing the East:

"Know that the Fitnah (affliction) will be there, know that the affliction will be there where the horn of Satan emerges". (Reported by Imam Muslim).

There is a clear Hadith reported by Tabrani, proving that the Fitnah will be in Iraq. In this narration the name ‘Iraq’ is mentioned instead of Najd.

The history of Muslim Ummah is a living proof of what is meant by the above Hadith. That region has always been a source of big trouble and distress for Muslims throughout the ages. But it does not mean at all that this place is disparaged totally and that those who live there are all evil or condemned. The region produced numerous eminent scholars of the Quran, Hadith, Fiqh and other fields of Shariah.

It only means that if you live there, you should be patient during hardships and keep yourself away from Fitnah. Keep holding tightly the rope of Allah.

Iraq was the first ‘Muslim’ country to attack

Makkah and partially destroy Kaabah in two

different attempts (in the first siege of 683-AD and

in the second siege of 692-AD by the Umayyads)

during the war (or civil war) for Caliphate.

Iran was the second ‘Muslim’ country accused

to kill Muslims in Masjid al-Haram during Hajj

in multiple attempts to capture Kaabah. The first

Shiite ‘Mahdi’ led seizure in 1979 lasted 2 weeks.

In the Arab world, Iraqi-Irani people were known as the trouble-makers because of their lying, hypocrisy, nepotism and betrayal. They were not considered trustworthy.

Iraqis betrayed Ali ibn Abu Talib and killed him.

Iraqis betrayed Hussain bin Ali and killed him.

Iraqis betrayed Saddam Hussain and got him killed

besides selling Iraq to the Americans.

Betrayal has been their national character.

When Caliph Muawiya died, the Caliphate faced the biggest political crisis of Islamic history. His son Yazid declared to be the new Caliph although he did not deserve to be made the Caliph of the Muslims. At that time, there were many people who were more qualified and suitable for governing and doing the work of the Caliphate. Abdullah bin Zubair was one of them. Yazid had a bad reputation and his personal life was questionable. For that reason, some dignitaries of Islam and the elites of Madinah refused to accept him as Caliph. They challenged his right to succession and refused to take oath of allegiance.

The great companion of the Prophet (s.a.w.), Abdullah bin Umar was the best person for the job but he was not interested in that. Hussain bin Ali tried to secure the Caliphate but the Kufi people betrayed him. Abdullah bin Zubair was the next best candidate available but Ummayyad did not want him. Still people of Makkah, Madinah and neighboring territories pledged their loyalty to Abdullah and he was declared Caliph in Makkah. He was nevertheless soon acknowledged as Caliph across most of the Muslim world.

Compared to his, the Caliphates of Marwan bin Hakam and Abdel Malik ibn Marwan are known as the Caliphates of the Rebels. But after the martyrdom of Abdullah bin Zubair, the Caliphate of Abdel Malik could be considered legitimate.

The capital of the Caliphate used to be Madinah (now Saudi Arabia) but after the death of the Third Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, the new Caliph, Ali ibn Abu Talib, chose Kufa (in Iraq) as the capital of the Caliphate. Actually, it was because of a big group of people from Iraq (Kufa and Basra) and another group from Egypt that revolted against Caliph Uthman, invaded his house and killed the Caliph. They put pressure on Ali to move to Kufa (in Iraq) and Ali submitted to end the crisis.

But the people of Kufa (Iraq) had a history of betrayal and they maintained that by eventually killing Ali ibn Abu Talib and then years later his son, Hussain bin Ali, too. The tradition continued through the 20^th century when they betrayed President Saddam Hussain and conspired to help the American troops to capture Baghdad. Even in the 21^st century, they are now betraying Sunnis and Kurds. They also supported Daesh (or ISIS or ISIL) in the beginning and chopped the heads of many opponents. They killed thousands of people and destroyed town after town, and then they turned against Daesh too. Now they are supporting American troops again to get rid of Daesh or IS.

Ummayyads sent two different expeditions to conquer Makkah and Madinah. They conquered Madinah but Makkah resisted strongly. At that time, Caliph Yazid died suddenly and the expedition to Makkah was abandoned.

Hajjaj bin Yusuf was from Hijaz but he was appointed first as an army commander and then as Governor of Iraq and other provinces by the Omayyad Caliphate in Syria. He led the troops from Iraq and laid the second siege of Makkah in 692-AD. Famous companion of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), Abdullah bin Zubair was ruling Makkah as a parallel Khalifa to the Omayyad Khalifa in Syria Abdel Malik bin Marwan. Abdullah bin Zubair was the son of Asma who was the daughter of the Prophet’s companion and father-in-law Abu Bakr Siddiq.

Abdullah bin Zubair’s brother Mus’ab bin Zubair was the Governor of Iraq. But Iraqis betrayed him when Abdel Malik bin Marwan’s army invaded Iraq. Mus’ab was killed and Iraq became the part of Ummayyad Caliphate in Syria.

On hearing the news of his brother’s death and falling of Iraq, Abdullah bin Zubair gathered Makkans and while addressing them, he said :

“… I am happy because his death amounts to his martyrdom. But I am sad because parting with a loyal friend at a time of crisis gives a burning pain which every friend would feel. Who was Mus’ab? He was one of the slaves of Allah and one of my supporters. Let it be known to you that the Iraqis are very disloyal and great hypocrites (Munafiqeen). They bartered the profit gained from Mus’ab for a petty price. If Mus’ab was slain, his father, brother and son who were all very gentle and pious, were also slain. By Allah, we shall not die in bed …”

Abdel Malik bin Marwan persuaded Syrian chiefs to attack Makkah but all of them refused to face Abdullah bin Zubair and turn the Kaaba into a battlefield. So he left Damascus and went to Kufa (Iraq). There he convinced Hajjaj bin Yusuf to do that. Hajjaj took 3,000 soldiers and left Kufa for Makkah. Hajjaj put Makkah under siege during the month of Ramadan. He fixed catapults on the mountains and started showering stones on Makkans at the Masjid al-Haraam. Stone showers continued from the month of Ramadan till after the pilgrimage of Hajj.

The siege and stoning lasted about three months during which a large boulder fell on the roof of the Kaaba and it collapsed.

Iraq (Babylon): The country of Nimrod.

Hajjaj’s army partially destroyed Kaaba.

What the Iraqis and Ummayyads did to

Makkah and Madinah, Hulagu Khan did

worse to Baghdad (Iraq) as a punishment.

Hajjaj bin Yusuf had laid siege of the Kaaba up to the hills of Safa and Marwa and the final battle took place in the holy confines of the sanctuary of the Kaaba. Abdullah bin Zubair had very few people left with him due to the blockade. Eventually, they were all killed. Hajjaj’s soldiers chopped the head of Abdullah bin Zubair and hung it on the wall of the Kaaba. Another tradition says that the head was sent to Abdul Malik in Syria. Abdullah’s mother Asma bint Abu Bakr sought permission to bury the dead-body of her son but Hajjaj refused. After a few days, Asma also died.

Remember! Asma was the daughter of the companion of the Prophet (s.a.w.), Abu Bakr. She used to bring food and water for the Prophet (s.a.w.) and Abu Bakr when they were hiding in the cave of Thaur (Saur) fledding Makkah, for three days, at the time of Hijra.

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“Oh, People of Iraq, Oh, People of Hypocrisy!

My name is Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf al-Thaqafi.

When I take off my turban, you will know me.

I see the crop of heads that has ripened and

need to be harvested, and I shall harvest them.”

-- Hajjaj bin Yusuf

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(Coins of Iraq during the governorship of Hajjaj bin Yusuf)

Hajjaj bin Yusuf was a ruthless man. In the reign of the Caliph Abdel Malik, he restored discipline among troops being used to repress a rebellion in Iraq. In 692 he personally led troops in crushing the rebellion (parallel Caliphate) in Makkah. The brutality with which he secured his victory was to recur during the rest of his public life. He was more known for his oppression and tyranny than justice. He executed companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.) like Abdullah bin Umar, Abdullah bin Zubair and Sa’id ibn Zubair. He ruled Iraq for 20 years. He demolished the parts of Kaaba he did not like, and then reconstructed the Kaaba.

The great Sufi scholar Hassan al-Basri said:

“Hajjaj is a calamity sent by Allah. Do not try to remove him by force, but ask Allah Ta'ala.”

Hajjaj got sick and after suffering for some time, died at the age of 54. On the death bed, he uttered:

"The weight of my sins is as the weight of the sky and the earth,
Yet I hope that Allah will show me Mercy.
If He favors me with His pleasure,
It will be the fulfillment of my hope.
But should He do justice,
He would condemn me to torture.
It will be no injustice.”

His tearful eyes closed for ever with these words:

"O Allah! Grant me salvation, for people say You will not forgive me. Lord! People give me no hope, though I repose much hope in you!"

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