Abu Sa'idiyya

Template:جعبه اطلاعات فرق و مذاهب Abu Sa'idiyya, were the followers of Hasan ibn Bahram al-Jannabi, known as Abu Sa'id, one of the elders of the "Qarmatians".

Biography

Ibn Hawqal says that Abu Sa'id was a flour seller in Basra. He was sent by Abdan al-Katib, who was the son-in-law of Hamdan Qarmat, first to Fars and then in the year 286 AH to current Bahrain or Al-Ahsa (Al-Hasa), and was tasked with inviting the people of that region. A group of desert Arabs, as well as "Kaysanites" and Qarmatians, gathered around him. Abu Sa'id prepared an army from this gathering and besieged and captured the city of "Hajar", which was the center of Al-Ahsa. The Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tadid Billah sent an army led by Abbas ibn Umar to fight him, which was defeated against Abu Sa'id's army. Subsequently, he gained control over Al-Ahsa (Al-Hasa), Qatif, and other cities of Bahrain. Abu Sa'id was titled "Sayyid" among his followers, and finally, in the year 301 AH, he was killed in the city of Hajar by his Saqalabi (Slavic) servant in a bathhouse.

After him, his son Abu Tahir Sulayman ibn Abi Sa'id took his place and gained dominance over all of Bahrain (Al-Ahsa), and in the year 317 AH, he raided Mecca and tore off the door of the Kaaba. He attacked the pilgrims on the Day of Tarwiyah, killed a number of them, threw their bodies into the Zamzam Well, and took the Black Stone with him.

When Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi became aware of the matter of the relocation of the Black Stone, he severely rebuked Abu Tahir in a letter, deemed his act ugly, and reminded him to return the Black Stone to the Kaaba. After that, Abu Tahir returned the Black Stone to the Kaaba. Abu Tahir was killed in the year 332 AH by a woman who threw a brick at his head from a roof. Nasir Khusraw Qabadiani expresses his observations of Al-Ahsa (Al-Hasa) and the Abu Sa'idiyya sect in his travelogue as follows: that Al-Hasa is a city around which four strong walls of solid clay have been drawn one after another, and between every two walls there is a distance of nearly one farsakh. This city possesses immense water springs. It is said that its Sultan was a noble man. However, he prevented the people of that land from Islam and said that there was no need for prayer and fasting; however, he did not prevent the performance of these rites, and furthermore, he acknowledged the prophethood of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny).

Abu Sa'id told the people that after death, I will return to you again. In his will, it is stated that six of my children should permanently hold the kingship, treat the subjects with justice, and not quarrel with each other until I return again. His grave is in the city of Al-Hasa.

See Also

• Kaaba
• Zamzam Well
• Black Stone
• Qarmatians

Sources

• Mohammad-Javad Mashkur, Farhang-e Feraq-e Islami, Mashhad, Astan Quds Razavi Publications, year 1372 SH, 2nd edition, entry date: N/A, view date: 15 Dey 1404 SH.