Umm Kulthum bint Ali: Difference between revisions

'''Umm Kulthūm bint 'Alī''' ({{lang-ar|أُمّ كُلْثُوم بِنْت عَلِيّ|link=}}), also known as '''Zaynab al-Ṣughrā''' ({{lang-ar|زَيْنَب ٱلصُّغْرَىٰ|lit=the junior Zaynab|link=no}}), was the youngest daughter of [[Fatima]] and [[Ali|Ali ibn Abi Talib]]. The former was the daughter of the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] and the latter was his cousin. Ali is also recognized as the fourth [[Rashidun Caliphate|Rashidun caliph]] ({{Reign|656|661}}) and the first [[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Shia imam]]. A young Umm Kulthum lost her grandfather and mother in 632 [[Common Era|CE]]. While she was still a child, the second Rashidun caliph [[Umar|Umar ibn al-Khattab]] ({{Reign|634|644}}) asked for her hand in marriage, which was resisted by Umm Kulthum and her father Ali, possibly due to Umar's reputation for harsh treatment of women. By one [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] account, Ali finally agreed to the marriage when Umar enlisted the support of prominent [[Muslims]] for his proposal.(according to shia Muslims this marriage is a lie. Because umm kulthum was only five years old when umer died. According to shia islam this marriage is not possible because umer is not from allul bait (syed) marriage between syed and non syed is haram according to shia islam.

Umm Kulthum was the fourth child of [[Fatima]] and [[Ali|Ali ibn Abi Talib]], and their youngest daughter.{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2005|p=9938}} The former was the daughter of the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] and the latter was his cousin. Ali is also recognized as the fourth [[Rashidun Caliphate|Rashidun caliph]] ({{reign|656|661}}) and the first [[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Shia imam]]. Umm Kulthum is also known as Zaynab al-Sughra ({{lit|the junior Zaynab}}) to distinguish her from her older sister [[Zaynab bint Ali|Zaynab al-Kubra]] ({{lit|the senior Zaynab}}).{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2005|p=9938}} The [[Arabic]] world {{TranslTransliteration|ar|zaynab}} literally means 'adornment of father'.{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2005|p=9938}}{{Sfn|Adibzadeh|2013|p=37}} Umm Kulthum was still a young child in 632 [[Common Era|CE]] when her grandfather Muhammad and her mother Fatima both died.{{Sfn|Esposito|2022}}{{sfn|Buehler|2014|p=186}}

The second [[Rashidun Caliphate|Rashidun caliph]] [[Umar|Umar ibn al-Khattab]] is said to have asked Umm Kulthum for her hand in marriage during his reign ({{Reign|634|644}}), according to the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] historian [[Ibn Sa'd]] ({{Died in|845}}) in his biographical {{TranslTransliteration|ar|Tabaqat}}. Still a child at the time, Umm Kulthum resisted this proposal, the report by Ibn Sa'd continues. This refusal is attributed by the Islamicist [[Wilferd Madelung|W. Madelung]] ({{Died in|2023}}) to Umar's reputation for harsh treatment of women. Ali too was reluctant but eventually gave in, according to Ibn Sa'd, when Umar enlisted the support of prominent [[Muslims]] for his proposal.{{Sfn|Madelung|1997|p=67}} This proposal was likely an overture by Umar, who may have considered Ali's cooperation necessary in his collaborative scheme of government.{{sfn|Madelung|1997|pp=62, 65}} While Ali reputedly advised Umar and his predecessor [[Abu Bakr]] ({{Reign|632|634}}) in governmentcertain matters,{{sfn|Nasr|Afsaruddin|2023}}{{sfn|Poonawala|1982}} thetheir mutualconflicts distrust and hostility betweenwith Ali and the two caliphs is also well-documented,{{sfn|Aslan|2005|p=122}}{{sfn|Madelung|1997|pp=42, 52–54, 213–4}}{{sfn|Abbas|2021|p=94}} but largely downplayed or ignored in Sunni sources,{{sfn|Jafri|1979|p=45}}{{sfn|Shah-Kazemi|2019|p=78}} where there is often a tendency to neutralize the conflicts among the [[Companions of the Prophet|companions]] after Muhammad.{{Sfn|Shah-Kazemi|2019|p=78}}{{Sfn|Lucas|2004|p=255{{ndash}}284}}{{Sfn|Soufi|1997|p=120}} In contrast, these conflicts might have been magnified in [[Shia Islam|Shia]] sources.{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=45}}

Ali was himself elected caliph in 656,{{Sfn|Gleave|2008}} and later assassinated in his ''de-facto'' capital [[Kufa]] in January 661.{{sfn|Shah-Kazemi|2006|p=37}}{{sfn|Esposito|2003|p=15}}{{sfn|Momen|1985|p=25}} Soon after Ali's death, his eldest son [[Hasan ibn Ali|Hasan]] was elected caliph in Kufa,{{sfn|Wellhausen|1901|p=18}}{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012a}} but later abdicated in favor of [[Mu'awiya I|Mu'awiya]] ({{Reign|661|680}}) in August 661.{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2005|p=9937}}{{Sfn|Madelung|2003}} The [[Hasan–Muawiya treaty|peace treaty]] between Hasan and Mu'awiya stipulated that the latter should not appoint a successor.{{Sfn|Madelung|2003}} Hasan kept aloof from politics after his abdication in compliance with the peace treaty,{{sfn|Hulmes|2008|p=218}}{{sfn|Momen|1985|pp=27-28}}{{sfn|Jafri|1979|p=157}} but was poisoned and killed in 669, most likely at the instigation of Mu'awiya,{{Sfn|Madelung|2003}}{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2005|p=9937}}{{Sfn|Madelung|1997|p=331}} who thus paved the way for the succession of his son [[Yazid I|Yazid]] ({{Reign|680|683}}).{{Sfn|Momen|1985|p=28}}{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=158}} Hasan was then succeeded as the head of Muhammad's family by his brother [[Husayn ibn Ali|Husayn]],{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2005|p=9937}} who nevertheless upheld the treaty with Mu'awiya.{{Sfn|Madelung|2004}}{{Sfn|Daftary|2013|p=32}}

Mu'awiya designated his son Yazid as his successor in 676,{{Sfn|Madelung|1997|p=322}} in violation of his earlier agreement with Hasan.{{Sfn|Madelung|1997|pp=493-8}} Yazid is often remembered by Muslim historians as a debaucher who openly violated the Islamic norms,{{Sfn|Momen|1985|p=28}}{{Sfn|Pinault|1998|p=70}}{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=167}} and his nomination was met with resistance from the sons of Muhammad's prominent companions, including Husayn ibn Ali.{{sfn|Wellhausen|1927|p=145}}{{sfn|Hawting|2000|p=46}} On Mu'awiya's death and Yazid's succession in 680, the latter instructed the governor of Medina to secure Husayn's pledge of allegiance by force. Husayn immediately left his hometown [[Medina]] for [[Mecca]] at night to avoid recognizing Yazid as the caliph.{{Sfn|Madelung|2004}} After receiving letters of support from some Kufans, whose intentions were confirmed by his envoy, Husayn later left Mecca for Kufa, accompanied by some relatives and supporters,{{Sfn|Madelung|2004}} including Zaynab and Umm Kulthum.{{Sfn|Pinault|1998|p=71}} On their way to Kufa, Husayn's small caravan was intercepted by Yazid's army and forced to camp in the desert land of [[Karbala]] on 2 October 680 away from water and fortifications.{{Sfn|Madelung|2004}} The promised Kufan support did not materialize as the new governor of Kufa killed the envoy of Husayn and intimidated Kufan tribal chiefs.{{Sfn|Madelung|2004}} Having been surrounded for some days and deprived of the drinking water of the nearby [[Euphrates|Euphrates river]],{{Sfn|Momen|1985|p=28}}{{Sfn|Pinault|1998|p=70}}{{Sfn|Aghaie|2007|p=117}} Husayn was later killed on 10 October 680, alongside most of his male relatives and his small retinue, in the [[Battle of Karbala]] against the army of the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyad caliph]] [[Yazid I|Yazid ibn Mu'awiya]] ({{Reign|680|683}}).

After the battle, the women and children in Husayn's camp were taken prisoner and marched first to Kufa and later to the capital [[Damascus]] in [[Levant|Syria]].{{Sfn|Momen|1985|pp=30{{ndash}}31}} Yazid eventually freed the captives,{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2005|p=9938}} and they returned to Medina.{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2019|p=107}}{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2005|p=9938}} The Muslim historian [[Ibn Abi Tahir Tayfur]] ({{Died in|893}}) records two speeches about Karbala in his {{TranslTransliteration|ar|[[Balaghat al-nisa']]}}, which is an anthology of eloquent speeches by women''.{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2019|pp=109-10}}''{{Sfn|Sayeed|2008}} He attributes one of the two speeches to Umm Kulthum in the market of Kufa,{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2019|pp=|p=107}} and the other to her sister Zaynab in the court of Yazid in Damascus.{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2019|pp=|p=107}}{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2019|pp=109-10}} Most Shia authors, however, have later attributed both sermons to Zaynab, which the Islamicist [[Tahera Qutbuddin|T. Qutbuddin]] considers highly likely.{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2019|pp=109-10}} Concerning the first sermon, Ibn Tayfur writes that the Kufans wailed and wept when they saw Muhammad's family in captivity. Umm Kulthum (or Zaynab) then addressed the crowd and chastised them for their role in Husayn's death and recounted the events of Karbala.{{Sfn|Qutbuddin|2019|pp=|p=111}}{{Sfn|Hamdar|2009|p=92}}

* [[Zaynab (name)]]

* {{cite thesis |author-last=Adibzadeh |author-first=S. |title=The Journey of Beauty Towards Perfection: Zaynab Bint 'Alī Ibn Abī Tālib and the Model of Human Changes Towards Developing Attributes of Walīyat Allāh and al-Insān al-Kāmil |publisher=Temple University |year=2013 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1416413849?pq-origsite|id=gscholar&fromopenview=true{{ProQuest|1416413849}} }}

* {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/voicesofislam0000unse_r7b1/mode/2up |url-access=registration |title=Voices of Islam |volume=2 |editor-first=V.J. |editor-last=Cornell |publisher=Praeger |isbn=0275987345978-0275987343 |year=2007 |chapter=The Passion of 'Ashura in Shiite Islam |author-first=K.S. |author-last=Aghaie |pages=111{{ndash}}124 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/voicesofislam0000unse_r7b1/page/110/mode/2up}}

* {{cite encyclopedia|author-last=Gleave|author-first= R.M.| title='Alī b. Abī Ṭālib|encyclopedia= Encyclopaedia of Islam|edition=Third|editor1-first=K.|editor1-last= Fleet|editor2-first=G.|editor2-last= Krämer|editor3-first=D.|editor3-last= Matringe|editor4-first=J.|editor4-last= Nawas|editor5-first=D.J.|editor5-last= Stewart|year=2008|doi= 10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_26324|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_26324|isbn=9789004171374}}

* {{cite journal|author-last=Hamdar|author-first= A.|title=Jihad of words: Gender and contemporary Karbala narratives|journal=The Yearbook of English Studies|volume= 39.1|year=2009|issue= 1|pages=84{{endash}}100|doi= 10.1353/yes.2009.0016|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/814313/summary|url-access=subscription}}

* {{cite encyclopedia |first=W. |last=Madelung |author-link= |title=Ḥasan b. 'Ali b. Abi Ṭāleb |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica |year=2003 |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hasan-b-ali |volume=XII/1 |pages=26{{endash}}28|ISSNissn=2330-4804}}

* {{cite encyclopedia |first=W. |last=Madelung |title=Ḥosayn b. 'Ali i. Life and Significance in Shi'ism|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica |year=2004 |url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/hosayn-b-ali-i|volume=XII/5|pages= 493{{endash}}498|ISSNissn=2330-4804}}

* {{cite encyclopedia |year=2006 |title='Ali ibn Abi Talib |encyclopedia=Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia |publisher=Routledge |url=https://archive.org/details/MedievalIslamicCivilizationAnEncyclopedia_201603/page/n79/mode/2up |author-link=Reza Shah-Kazemi |editor-last=Meri |editor-first=J.W. |pppages=36{{endash}}37 |isbn=9780415966917 |author-first=R. |author-last=Shah-Kazemi|url-access=registration|volume=1}}

*{{cite encyclopedia |author-last=Veccia Vaglieri |author-first=L. |title=(al-)Ḥasan b. 'Alī b. Abī Ṭālib |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam |edition=Second |editor1-first=P. |author-link=Laura Veccia Vaglieri |editor1-last=Bearman |editor2-first=Th. |editor2-last=Bianquis |editor3-first=C.E. |editor3-last=Bosworth |editor4-first=E. |editor4-last=van Donzel |editor5-first=W.P. |editor5-last=Heinrichs |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0272 |year=2012a |doi=10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0272 |url-access=subscription |isbn=9789004161214}}

*{{cite encyclopedia |year=2012c |title=Fāṭima |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0217 |author-link= |editor1-last=Bearman |editor1-first=P. |edition=Second |isbn=9789004161214 |author-last=Veccia Vaglieri |author-first=L. |doi=10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0217 |editor2-first=Th. |editor2-last=Bianquis |editor3-first=C.E. |editor3-last=Bosworth |editor4-first=E. |editor4-last=van Donzel |editor5-first=W.P. |editor5-last=Heinrichs |url-access=subscription}}

*{{cite book |author-last=Wellhausen |author-first=J. |year=1927 |title=The Arab Kingdom and Its Fall |translator-first=M. |translator-last=Graham Weir |publisher=University of Calcutta |OCLCoclc=752790641 |url=https://archive.org/details/arabkingdomandit029490mbp/page/n5/mode/2up |url-access=registration}}