Massacre
of Banu Umayyad by Abbasids
The nation or dynasty that claims
the Islamic Caliphate as their hereditary right is suffering from a gross
misunderstanding and does an injustice to themselves and the Muslims in general.
If Banu Umayyah wanted to retain the Islamic rule in their own community or
family, they were unjustified. If Banu Abbas or Banu Hashim took it as a matter
of their right, they were also wrong and unjust. But as people in the world
think unjustifiably so, they take for granted the continuation of the right of
succession in government and its authority too. So, if a man snatches by force
his right from a usurper, he often takes resort to murder and violence.
However, the way such murders and violence were justified by Banu Abbas in
respect to Banu Umayyah, is unprecedented. Yes, if semi-historical stories are
to be relied upon by going beyond the historical age, Bukht Nassar had murdered
Bani Israel (children of Israel i.e., Jews) mercilessly and audaciously and
wanted to end their existence on the surface of the globe. But we see that Bani
Israel still survives in the world today. More than this, the Aryans in India
perpetrated all kinds of atrocities on the non-Aryans but the forests of the
Himalayas and the Vindhya range in northern India, and the sands of Rajasthan
in northwestern India kept them covered and the Shudra community of the Hindus
form a remarkable part of the Indian population even today (Shudras were
non-Aryan cultivators, who came under the domination of the Aryans and in many
cases were enslaved). The Aryans of India were the Iranians and Khorasanis. The
Khorasani commanders of the Abbasids persuaded the Abbasids to use such
violence and cruelty in killing Banu Umayyah that all other stories of
atrocities pale in comparison. From the study of conspiratorial activity all
over the world, it emerges that for those who want to make their conspiracy a
success it is necessary to commit limitless killing, bloodshed, oppression and
cruelty to instill terror in the population to eliminate opposition. In this
history of Islam, we also have constantly found proof of this fact. Taking the
Islamic caliphate from the family of Banu Umayyah was not a crime but to give
it to another family in similar fashion was certainly not a matter of credit.
Islam and the world of Islam could not have benefited from it. Therefore, Banu
Abbas committed shameful deeds, bloodshed and slaughter to accomplish such a
task.
A short account of the massacre
resorted by Abu Muslim, Qahtaba bin Shabeeb and other deputies in the name of
the Prophet's family, in the cities of Khorasan has been given in the above
pages. Imam Ibrahim had written to Abu Muslim in his last letter emphatically
not to spare even a single Arabic speaker in Khorasan. He meant by that the
Arab tribes in Khorasan which supported Banu Umayyah and lived there as
royalty. The inhabitants of the city who were non-Muslims and could have been
converted to support the Umayyahs were killed by Abu Muslim. Consequently those
Arab tribes which reached Khorasan in large numbers and were succeeding in
turning the country's language and society into Arabic were all put to death
and the Arabic factor which was influencing the whole country suddenly lost its
power and died. That was how the Iranian language, culture, society and
morality which were dying, got a new lease of life and Iran and Khorasan which
could have been Arab countries like Egypt turned into Persian countries again.
Abu Muslim himself was a Khorasani and Iranian by race and for him there was no
job more interesting and enjoyable than killing the Arabs. National prejudice
which Islam had uprooted completely emerged during the reign of Banu Umayyah
again and it was through the use of this national bigotry and discrimination
between tribes that Banu Umayyah had rendered all Arab tribes specifically Banu
Hashim helpless. When the others knew that a certain person belonged to Banu
Umayyah, they looked at him with fear. As soon as they got better of Banu
Umayyah, they spent all their energy in securing themselves from this danger
and fear. They made up their mind to exterminate them from the face of the
earth. When Abdullah Saffah's uncle Abdullah bin Ali entered Damascus on 5
Ramadan 132 A.H., he ordered a general massacre. When the last Umayyah caliph
Marwan bin Mohammad was killed in Egypt, the most important duty the Abbasids
had, was the extermination of Banu Umayyah. Some Umayyads also joined Banu
Abbas in pulling down the high palace of the caliphate of Banu Umayyah and
lived with the victorious Abbasids with honor. So, the destruction of the seed
of Banu Umayyah completely was not possible. However, Abu Muslim was prepared
to undertake this task nonetheless. He wrote to Abdullah Saffah and the leaders
of the Abbasids repeatedly to kill any individual of Banu Umayyah no matter how
sympathetic or how much of a supporter he might be. The orders were carried out
no doubt however there were some persons who in large numbers had joined the
Abbasids against the Umayyah caliph and helped them in critical situations.
Human propriety and nobility prevented them from killing these helpers. Abu
Muslim sent bribes and instructions to the poets and courtiers who frequented
the courts of the Abbasi caliphs and commanders to recite poems, and talk to
incite the Abbasids against Banu Umayyah so that they would continue to hunger
for revenge and murder. That resulted in driving the Abbasids to capture and
kill all the Banu Umayyah. Saffah had Sulaiman bin Hisham bin Abdul Malik killed
in the open court at once after being incited by the recitation of such a poem
though Sulaiman was a friend and supporter of Saffah. During the days when
Abdullah bin Ali was in Palestine, he was taking a meal beside the river of Abi
Fatras 80 or 90 persons of Banu Umayyah were dining with him. Meanwhile Shibl
bin Abdullah arrived and he started reading poems containing the condemnation
of Banu Umayyah, details of the murder of Imam Ibrahim and finally instigation
to kill Banu Umayyah. Abdullah bin Ali, Abdullah Saffah's uncle at once ordered
their execution. His servants began to kill them. Some of them were killed
instantly while others were severely injured but still alive. Abdullah bin Ali
had all the dead and wounded placed side by side and had his servants make
their bodies into the dining surface for the food. Then the meal was served on
top of them and he along with all his friends sat and ate. They were eating
while under the food those who had not yet died were moaning, they continued
eating until the died from their wounds. The list of the murdered included
Mohammad bin Abdul Malik, Mu'izz bin Yazid, Abdul Wahid bin Sulaiman, Sayeed
bin Abdul Malik, Abu Obaidish bin Waleed bin Abdul Malik. Some say that the
deposed caliph Ibrahim was also among them. In Damascus, the same Abdullah bin
Ali bin Abbas had the graves of the caliphs of Banu Umayyah dug up. A skull was
taken out of Abdul Malik's grave. Nothing came out of Amir Muawiya's grave.
Some graves produced limbs and the rest had turned into dust. When Hisham bin
Abdul Malik's grave was dug up, the tip of his nose was gone otherwise his
entire body was intact. Abdullah bin Ali had his dead body lashed, hung and
then had it burned having the ashes blown away by the wind. Abdullah Ali's
brother Sulaiman bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas killed a group of Banu Umayyah
in Basra and had their dead bodies thrown on the road and forbade their burial.
Dogs continued to eat them for a long time. Abdullah bin Ali's other brother,
Saffah 's uncle Dawood bin Ali, captured and killed every Umayyah in Makkah,
Madinah and the entire Hijaz until nothing remained of Banu Umayyah. In short,
all over the territory it was proclaimed that wherever a member of Banu Umayyah
was found, he should be put to death at once. Just as people leave their houses
to hunt wild animals, similarly they used to go out of their houses to kill the
members of Banu Umayyah until they could not find refuge in any house, village
or city. The Abbasids went on searching for them and killing them for years.
Abu Muslim had the job in Khorasan done more effectively and audaciously. He
killed not only Banu Umayyah but also those who had ever supported Banu Umayyah
or did them any service. Those who managed to escape from the general massacre
went to other places, disguised themselves, changed their names and places of
origin and went pass the Islamic borders.
The provinces and states of Khorasan
witnessed the general massacre in its most horrible form, all the Banu Umayyah
and all the tribes sympathetic to them, escaped to Sindh, Mount Sulaiman and
Kashmir and took refuge there. Those who had changed the names of their tribes
also crossed the Islamic borders, because they could not find peace within the
jurisdiction of the Abbasids authority.
It is said that the descendants of
these runaway Arab tribes who came to Sindh, Kashmir, and the Punjab are still
to be found in India unaware of their Arab blood because their ancestors had
changed their names and professions.
One person from among the Banu
Umayyah, Abdur Rahman bin Muawiya bin Hisham, escaped from becoming the prey of
the Abbasids. He arrived in Spain via Egypt and Qairwan. As Spain was
comparatively free from the influence of the Abbasids and the supporters of
Banu Umayyah were found in large numbers there, he occupied it immediately
after his arrival and founded a separate rule and caliphate, which the Abbasid
caliphs always viewed with envy yet were unable to harm it.
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