Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (4/141)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

He was a skilled horseman—courageous, handsome, and striking in appearance. He fought al-Mukhtār and killed him, yet he was notorious for shedding blood.

ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān later marched out to wage war against him.

His mother was al-Rabāb bint Unayf al-Kalbiyyah.

Because of his open-handedness he was nick-named “the Beehive Vessel.”(1)

About him ʿUbaydullāh ibn Qays al-Ruqayyāt composed:

Musʿab is but a meteor sent by God;
when it blazes, the darkness is dispelled.
His rule is one of honor, unmarred by
tyranny or arrogant pride.
In every affair he fears God—
and prosperous is the man whose aim is piety.(2)

Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid said, “I have never seen an emir more comely than Musʿab.”

ʿUmar ibn Abī Zāʾidah related that al-Shaʿbī said, “I have never seen an emir upon the pulpit more handsome than Musʿab.”

Al-Madāʾinī remarked, “He was envied for his beauty.”

Ibn Abī al-Zinād reported from his father:

“While in the Ḥijr (the semicircular space beside the Kaʿbah) ʿAbdullāh, Musʿab, and ʿUrwah—the three sons of al-Zubayr—were joined by Ibn ʿUmar. He said to them, ‘Make a wish.’

· Ibn al-Zubayr(3) said, ‘I wish for the caliphate.’
· ʿUrwah said, ‘I wish that people would take knowledge from me.’
· Musʿab said, ‘I wish for the governorship of Iraq, and to be married to both ʿĀʾishah bint Ṭalḥah and Sukaynah bint al-Ḥusayn.’

Ibn ʿUmar then said, ‘As for me, I wish for forgiveness.’

They each attained what they had wished for, and it is hoped that Ibn ʿUmar too has been forgiven.”(4)

(1) See Thimar al-Qulub, p. 508. (2) The verses are cited in al-Shiʿr wa-l-Shuʿaraʾ, p. 450, with the reading: “a king of mercy … a majesty that is feared”; in al-Kamil, vol. 2, p. 269, with the variant “… a king of power …”; and in al-Aghani, Dar edition, vol. 5, p. 79, with the variant “… there is nothing in him …”. See also the Diwan, p. 91, which gives: “There is in him neither tyrannical majesty nor arrogant pride.” (3) That is: ʿAbd Allah (servant of God). (4) Reported by Abu Nuʿaym in Hilyat al-Awliyaʾ, 2/171; Ibn Qutayba also quotes it in ʿUyun al-Akhbar, 3/258, without a chain of transmission and in a different wording.

كَانَ فَارِساً، شُجَاعاً، جَمِيْلاً، وَسِيْماً، حَارَبَ المُخْتَارَ وَقَتَلَهُ، وَكَانَ سَفَّاكاً لِلدِّمَاءِ. سَارَ لِحَرْبِهِ عَبْدُ المَلِكِ بنُ مَرْوَانَ. وَأُمُّهُ: هِيَ الرَّبَابُ بِنْتُ أُنَيْفٍ الكَلْبِيَّةُ. وَكَانَ يُسَمَّى مِنْ سَخَائِهِ: آنِيَةَ النَّحْلِ (١) . وَفِيْهِ يَقُوْلُ عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بنُ قَيْسِ الرُّقَيَّاتِ: إِنَّمَا مُصْعَبٌ شِهَابٌ مِنَ اللَّـ ... ـهِ تَجَلَّتْ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ الظَّلْمَاءُ مُلْكُهُ مُلْكُ عِزَّةٍ لِيْسَ فِيْهَا ... جَبَرُوْتٌ مِنْهُ وَلاَ كِبْرِيَاءُ يتَّقِي اللهَ فِي الأُمُوْرِ وَقَدْ أَفْـ ... ـلَحَ مَنْ كَانَ هَمَّهُ الاتِّقَاءُ (٢) قَالَ إِسْمَاعِيْلُ بنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَمِيْراً قَطُّ أَحْسَنَ مِنْ مُصْعَبٍ. وَرَوَى عُمَرُ بنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ: أَنَّ الشَّعْبِيَّ قَالَ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَمِيْراً قَطُّ عَلَى مِنْبَرٍ أَحْسَنَ مِنْ مُصْعَبٍ. قَالَ المَدَائِنِيُّ: كَانَ يُحْسَدُ عَلَى الجَمَالِ. وَرَوَى: ابْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِيْهِ، قَالَ: اجْتَمَعَ فِي الحِجْرِ: عَبْدُ اللهِ، وَمُصْعَبٌ، وَعُرْوَةُ - بَنُوْ الزُّبَيْرِ - وَابْنُ عُمَرَ، فَقَالَ: تَمَنَّوْا. فَقَالَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ (٣) : أَتَمَنَّى الخِلاَفَةَ. وَقَالَ عُرْوَةُ: أَتَمَنَّى أَنَّ يُؤْخَذَ عَنِّي العِلْمُ. وَقَالَ مُصْعَبٌ: أَتَمَنَّى إِمْرَةَ العِرَاقِ، وَالجَمْعَ بَيْنَ عَائِشَةَ بِنْتِ طَلْحَةَ، وَسُكَيْنَةَ بِنْتِ الحُسَيْنِ. فَقَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ: أَمَّا أَنَا، فَأَتَمَنَّى المَغْفِرَةَ. فَنَالُوا مَا تَمَنَّوْا، وَلَعَلَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ قَدْ غُفِرَ لَهُ (٤) .

(١) انظر " ثمار القلوب " ص ٥٠٨. (٢) الابيات في " الشعر والشعراء " ص ٤٥٠ وروايته: " ملك رحمة ... جبروت يخشى.." و" الكامل " ٢ / ٢٦٩ وروايته: "..ملك قوة ... " " و" الاغاني " ط الدار ٥ / ٧٩ وروايته: ".. ليس فيه.." ثم انظر الديوان ص ٩١ وروايته: " ليس فيه. جبروت ولا به كبرياء..". (٣) أي: عبد الله. (٤) رواه أبو نعيم في الحلية ٢ / ١٧١، وقد أورده ابن قتيبة في " عيون الاخبار " ٣ / ٢٥٨ بغير إسناد وسياق مختلف.