Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

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For the son of Harith, see Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith.

Sakhr ibn Harb, (Arabic: صخر بن حرب ) more commonly known as Abu Sufyan, was a leading man of the Quraish of Mecca and a staunch opponent of Muhammad but later adopted Islam and became one of Muhammad's companions. He was also the father of the Caliph Muawiyah I, the founder of the Umayyad dynasty.

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[edit] Family

[edit] Ancestry

Abu Sufyan was born 560 CE as a son of Harb ibn Umayya. Abu Sufiyan's grand-father was Umayya, after whom the Umayyad dynasty was named, and his great-grand father was Abd Shams ibn Abd al-Manaf, brother to Muhammad's great-grandfather Hashim.

[edit] Women and children

There are several sources that state that Abu Sufyan had sexual relation with several women prior to becoming a Muslim. Those hadith are not restricted to any particular source, but can be found in Shi'a, Sunni and Mutazilite sources. While Sunnis tend to question or reject those hadith[citation needed], Shi'a and Mutazilite are prone to quote from those sources.

Abu Sufyan was married to Hind bint Utbah, who in 602[citation needed] gave birth to Muawiyah I, who would later establish the Umayyad dynasty of caliphs.

However, controversial Muslim sources quoted by Shi'a and Mutazili scholars, but rejected by Sunnis state that the marriage to Muawiyah's mother was arranged since Hind bint Utbah was engaged in a Nikah Ijtimah; thus, the genetic bond between Abu Sufyan and Muawiyah is disputed.[1]

Abu Sufyan also had relations with his kinswoman Saffya bint abi al-A'as, who bore him a daughter called Ramlah. Against her father's wished, Ramlah converted to Islam and migrated to Abyssinia with her husband. Later, after Ubayd-Allah had converted to Christianity, she moved to Medina and became one of Muhammad's wives, better known as "Umm Habiba" When Abu Sufyan heard about the marriage he commented, “this stallion will not be hit on the nose...” a phrase meaning that the husband is suitable for the bride (an unsuitable stallion trying to mate with a mare would be hit on the nose, hence the phrase).[2] She later played an important role in his father's diplomatic attempts at reaching a settlement with Muhammad.

According to some sources, he was rumored to have a relation with Layla bint Harmalah, the mother of Amr ibn al-A'as, sources quoted by Shi'a and Mutazili scholars,[3] but rejected by Sunnis[citation needed].

Abu Sufyan is also considered the father of Ziyad ibn Abihi. Ziyad was an illegitimate child and Abu Sufyan never recognized him during his life-time, but in 664, his son Mu'awiyah controversially recognised Ziyad as a brother.[4]

[edit] Biography

[edit] Opposition to Islam

Abu Sufyan was the chieftain of the Banu Abd-Shams clan of the Quraish tribe, which made him one of the most powerful and well respected men in Mecca. Abu Sufyan viewed Muhammad as a threat to Mecca's social order, a man aiming for political power and a blasphemer of the Quraish gods.

When the Quraish issued several acts of persecution to dissuade conversion to Islam, Abu Sufyan's daughter Ramlah was among those emigrating to Abyssinia for refuge.

[edit] Military conflict with Muhammad

After Muhammad had migrated to Medina in 622, Muslim raids threatened the caravans coming in from Syria to Mecca. In 624, Abu Sufyan was the leader of such a caravan and as a Muslim force moved to intercept him, he called for help from the Quraish. This resulted in the Battle of Badr, which ended in a Muslim victory. Abu Sufyan however managed to bring his caravan home to Mecca. The death of most Quraish leaders in the battle left him the leader of Mecca.

Subsequently he was the military leader in the Meccan campaigns against Medina, such as the Battle of Uhud in 625 and the Battle of the Trench in 627, but could not attain final victory.

Eventually the two parties would agree to an armistice, the Treaty of Hudaybiyya in 628, which allowed Muslims to make the pilgrimage to the Kaaba.

[edit] Muslim Conquest of Mecca

When the armistice was violated in 630 by allies of the Quraish, Muhammad moved towards conquering Mecca. Abu Sufyan, sensing that the balances were now tilted in Muhammad's favour and that the Quraish were not strong enough to hinder the Muslims from conquering the city, travelled to Medina, trying to restore the treaty. During his stay, he was repulsed by Ali and by his own daughter Ramlah, who now was one of Muhammad's wives. Though Muhammad refused to reach an agreement and Abu Sufyan returned to Mecca empty handed, these efforts ultimately ensured that the conquest occurred without battle or bloodshed.

Muhammad assembled an army of approximately 10,000 men and marched towards Mecca. Again Abu Sufyan travelled back and forth between Mecca and Muhammad, still trying to reach a settlement. According to the sources, he found assistance in Muhammad's uncle Al-Abbas, though some scholars consider that historians writing under the rule of Abbas' descendants, the Abbasid dynasty, had exaggerated Abbas' role and downplayed the role of Sufyan, who was the ancestor of the Abbaside's enemies.[5]

On the eve of the conquest, Abu Sufyan adopted Islam. When asked by Muhammad, he conceded that the Meccan gods had proved powerless and that there were indeed "no god but God", the first part of the Islamic confession of faith. When asked about the second part, the prophethood of Muhammad, Abu Sufyan still expressed some doubt but eventually yielded to threats, issued according to different sources by either Abbas or Umar.[5] In turn, Muhammad declared Abu Sufyan's house a sanctuary:

“ All those who lays down arms are safe. All those in the house of Abu Sufyan are safe. All those behind locked doors are safe.[6] ”

[edit] Later life

After the conquest of Mecca, Abu Sufyan fought as one of Muhammad's lieutenants in the subsequent wars. During the Siege of Taif, he lost an eye. According to Muslim tradition, he asked Muhammed to put his eye ball back in, to which Muhammad replied: "Which would you prefer: An eye (the word for eye and water spring in arabic are the same) in heaven or shall I pray to Allah that he brings it back?", at which point Abu Sufyan preferred an eye in heaven and threw it away.[7]

When Muhammed died in 632, Abu Sufyan was in charge of Najran[citation needed]. He offered his help to Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law Ali to make him Caliph, but Ali refused.[citation needed]

Abu Sufyan also fought in the Battle of Yarmouk in 636, in which he lost his second eye.[8]

Abu Sufyan died at the age of ninety-five in 650 at Medina. His kinsman Uthman, who had become the third Caliph in 644 led the prayer on him.

[edit] Legacy

Abu Sufyan's son Muawiyah became the founder of the Umayyad dynasty, the first Muslim dynasty which ruled the Islamic realm for a century from 661 to 750.

Sunni view him as an upright Sahabi, since they view all Sahaba as upright. The fact that Abu Sufyan fought for the Muslims and sacrificed his eyes in battle is held as further evidence for his uprightness. Sunnis hold that since Caliph Uthman led Abu Sufyan's funeral prayer, he could not have been a hypocrite. (See Sahih Bukhari 2:23:359) They also cite Muhammad himself, who didn't call Abu Sufyan as an infidel when the latter accepted Islam and by offering him the choice between having an eye in heaven or on earth, supposed that Abu Sufyan would enter heaven.

Shi'a have a very dim view of both his personality and life. Shi'a view him as a hypocrite that managed to infiltrate Islamic ranks and be included among the Muslims.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The sources list four people thought of being Muawiyahs father:
    1. Abu-ibn-Umar ibn Musaafir (or Musaafir Abu Umar)
    2. Umar ibn Walid
    3. Abbas ibn Abd-al-Muttalib or Abu Sufyan.
    4. Sabah the Ethiopian or a unknown fourth.
    Some list Abu Sufyan as one of the four, other do not. In any case, Abu Sufyan accepted Muawiyah as his child. For this reason, Shi'a name him "Muˤāwiyya ibn Hind", after his mother.[1]
  2. ^ Page 317 , Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh by Ibn al-Athir (Arabic)
  3. ^ www.holynajaf.net
  4. ^ See Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan for references
  5. ^ a b John Glubb, The Life and Times of Muhammad, Lanham 1998, p. 304-310.
  6. ^ Page 329, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh by Ibn al-Athir (Arabic).
  7. ^ www.sahaba.net
  8. ^ Page 393, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh by Ibn al-Athir (Arabic).
    www.sahaba.net
  9. ^ www.al-islam.org

[edit] External links

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