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Abu Sufyan
File:Abu Sufyan.jpg
nameSakhr ibn Harb ibn Umayya ibn Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf
Personal details
religionIslam

Abu Sufyan was initially among the enemies of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) at the beginning of his mission, and he played an active role against the Muslims in the battles of Badr, Uhud, and the Trench. His son Muawiyah played a significant political role in the first Islamic century and founded the Umayyad dynasty.


Biography of Abu Sufyan

His kunya, name, and lineage are Abu Sufyan, Abu Hanzhala, Sakhr ibn Harb ibn Umayya ibn Abd Shams al-Umawi[1]. His mother was Safiyya, daughter of Hazn al-Hilaliyya, the paternal aunt of Maymuna, wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny)[2]. According to popular accounts, he was born in Mecca ten years before the Year of the Elephant[3]. Based on this, his birth is estimated to be around 560 CE.


Political and Social Character of Abu Sufyan

Despite Abu Sufyan's prominence in early Islamic history, precise and comprehensive information about his life, particularly before Islam, is unavailable. Some indications from historians suggest that before Islam, he was among the nobles of Quraysh and worked as a merchant[4]. Ibn Habib described him as one of the rulers of Quraysh[5].

At the advent of Islam, Abu Sufyan was considered one of the opponents of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) and became one of his most staunch enemies. He participated with some of the nobles of Mecca in several activities against the Islamic mission. However, compared to other leaders of Quraysh such as Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab, he apparently displayed less hostility, and his opposition was less intense[6].

After the migration of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) from Mecca to Medina, Abu Sufyan likely returned to commercial activities to make up for past losses. In the second year of the Hijra, he was returning from Syria at the head of a trade caravan. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) set out with forces to attack it; however, Abu Sufyan, on one hand, sought help from the Quraysh of Mecca, and on the other, cleverly changed route, safely bringing the caravan to Mecca.

He was reluctant to engage in conflict with the Muslims. Although the caravan had escaped danger, Abu Jahl, enraged by the Prophet's threat, decided not to return to Mecca until he had fought the people of Yathrib[7]. With the occurrence of the Battle of Badr, in which the Quraysh were defeated and a number of polytheists and leaders of Banu Umayya, including Hanzhala, the son of Abu Sufyan, were killed[8]. This defeat weighed so heavily upon them that they decided to once again fight the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) and the Muslims of Medina.

As some researchers have rightly stated, the Battle of Badr gave a bloody dimension to the rivalry or enmity between Banu Umayya and Banu Hashim. This was especially true since leaders of Banu Umayya had been killed by Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and Hamza, and the bitter and painful memory of this remained in the minds of the Quraysh for distant years, even influencing the thoughts of subsequent generations, playing a role in certain events of the first Islamic century[9].

Burning of the Date Palms of Medina

After the defeat at Badr, Abu Sufyan himself took the lead among the polytheists. He set out for Medina with 200 cavalrymen from Quraysh, and after negotiating with Sallam ibn Mishkam, chief of Banu Nadir, he sent individuals to Medina who set fire to date palm orchards in a place called "Urayd" and then fled. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) pursued Abu Sufyan but could not catch him and returned[10].

Battle of Uhud

In the third year of the Hijra, Abu Sufyan moved toward Medina at the head of a large army intending to take revenge on the Muslims[11]. He played a primary role in mobilizing the Meccans for the Battle of Uhud. A fierce battle took place near Medina at Uhud, in which the Muslims were defeated and distinguished figures among them, such as Hamza, Sayyid al-Shuhada, the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), were martyred.

Battles of Badr and the Trench

After the Muslims' defeat at Uhud, Abu Sufyan ascended the mountain and, while praising the idols, challenged the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) to another battle at Badr[12]. The following year, the Prophet went to Badr, but Abu Sufyan persuaded the Quraysh to return to Mecca before reaching the appointed place[13]. The year after that, Abu Sufyan, with the support of the Jews of Medina, organized the battle of the Trench against the Muslims[14]; however, due to the wisdom and foresight of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), the army of Abu Sufyan and his allies returned unsuccessful, and Medina was saved[15].

Abu Sufyan Before the Conquest of Mecca

Abu Sufyan was one of the prominent figures of the Quraysh during the pre-Islamic era. Like many residents of Mecca, he engaged in trade, leading caravans to various commercial centers of the time, particularly to Syria[16]. The three leading figures of the Quraysh during the pre-Islamic period were Utba, Abu Jahl, and Abu Sufyan. The first two were killed in the Battle of Badr; following this battle, Abu Sufyan alone assumed leadership of the Quraysh[17], and all hostilities formed against the Muslims after Badr were conducted under his supervision.

However, this prominent leader of the Quraysh eventually reached a point where one day Abu Bakr, upon hearing something about him, summoned him and shouted at him, while Abu Sufyan responded with gentleness! Amidst this commotion, Abu Quhafa arrived and asked, "My son, at whom are you shouting?" They replied, "At Abu Sufyan!" Abu Quhafa approached Abu Bakr and said, "Do you raise your voice against Abu Sufyan, who until yesterday was the leader of the Quraysh during the pre-Islamic era?" Abu Bakr and those present laughed, and Abu Bakr said:

"O father! God has elevated some people through Islam and humbled others[18]." Although Abu Sufyan's trade caravan was the cause of the Battle of Badr, he had prioritized saving the caravan over fighting the Muslims; however, after the defeat of the polytheists in that battle, he psychologically prepared the people of Mecca for war against the Muslims[19] and prohibited mourning and lamentation for those killed at Badr[20]. Abu Sufyan's enmity created numerous difficulties for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) and the Muslims, and many verses of the Quran were revealed condemning his actions and those of his followers[21].

According to some narrations, the Prophet of Islam cursed Abu Sufyan seven times in various regions[22]. He initiated wars such as Uhud and the Battle of the Trench commanding forces against the Muslims[23]. This hostility continued until the Conquest of Mecca, when, seeing defeat as inevitable, he embraced Islam and encouraged the people of Mecca to surrender to the Islamic army. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) subsequently declared Abu Sufyan's house a place of safety for the people of Mecca[24].


Abu Sufyan After the Conquest of Mecca

After the Conquest of Mecca, Abu Sufyan converted to Islam. To further incline his heart toward Islam—in accordance with Template:Quran text "...and those whose hearts are reconciled..."—the Prophet gave him and each of his two sons one hundred camels and a quantity of silver[25]. For this reason, he faced objections from some of the Companions[26].

Subsequently, he joined the ranks of the Islamic army, and according to some accounts, he lost his eyesight during the campaigns against the people of Ta'if and the Battle of Yarmouk[27]. Some historians believe that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) appointed him as the governor of Najran, a position he held until the Prophet's death[28]. However, this report has its detractors[29], and it seems that if such an event had truly occurred, it would have received greater attention in historical sources.

Faith of Abu Sufyan

After embracing Islam, Abu Sufyan was no longer a prominent figure as he had been previously; since he had openly devoted all his efforts to the destruction of Islam, he could not become a great leader among the Muslims. It was solely the mercy of Islam that granted him and others like him the right to live and even provided them with relatively favorable conditions.

Although some Sunni authors have regarded him as a true Muslim and counted him among the Companions,[30] the Shia[31] and many Sunni scholars[32] consider his Islam to be superficial and classify him among the hypocrites.

This hypocrisy can be deduced from certain statements and actions of his:

  • He is the one who said: "I do not believe in Paradise or Hell[33]!"
  • He repeatedly expressed his desire for the destruction of Islam[34].
  • After the death of the Prophet of Islam and during the event of Saqifah, he offered the caliphate to Imam Ali (peace be upon him); however, due to the hypocritical nature of this offer, he faced a severe reaction from the Imam[35].

During his lifetime, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his progeny) once saw Abu Sufyan walking in front of a donkey upon which his son Mu'awiya was riding, while his son Yazid followed behind. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: "May God curse the one who walks in front, the one who rides upon it, and the one who follows behind[36]."

After Uthman assumed the caliphate, Abu Sufyan and several members of the Umayyad clan went to see him. Abu Sufyan addressed the Umayyads, saying:

O Banu Umayyah! Pass the caliphate among yourselves like a ball. By God, whom Abu Sufyan swears by, I have always hoped that the caliphate would reach you and become hereditary among your descendants[37].

Ali (peace be upon him), after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), said regarding Abu Sufyan: "You have remained an enemy to Islam and its people"; you have ceaselessly been hostile toward Islam and the Muslims[38]. He also referred to Mu'awiya as a hypocrite, the son of a hypocrite, alluding to the hypocrisy of both father and son[39].

Zubayr also said to Abu Sufyan: "May God kill him, for he accepts nothing but hypocrisy." In conclusion, Abu Sufyan did not possess true faith in his heart, and he cannot be considered as following the straight path or adhering to truth and reality.


Death of Abu Sufyan

Ultimately, Abu Sufyan died toward the end of the reign of Uthman[40]. However, there are discrepancies regarding the year of his death, with some scholars citing the year 31 AH[41].


Footnotes

Template:Footnotes

  1. ↑ Al-Muqtani, Vol. 1, p. 277
  2. ↑ Al-Isaba, Vol. 3, p. 333
  3. ↑ Al-Isaba, Vol. 3, p. 333
  4. ↑ Futuh al-Buldan, by Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri, edited by De Goeje, Leiden: 1866 CE, p. 129
  5. ↑ Al-Munammaq fi Akhbar Quraysh, by Muhammad ibn Habib al-Baghdadi, researched by Khurshid Ahmad Faruq, Beirut: Alam al-Kutub, 1985 CE, p. 368
  6. ↑ Jamal min Ansab al-Ashraf, by Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri, edited by Mahmud Firdaws al-Azm, Damascus: 1996–2000 CE, Vol. 1, p. 141
  7. ↑ Maghazi Rasul Allah, by Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, edited by Muhammad Mustafa al-Azami, Riyadh: Dar al-Ilm al-Islami, 1401 AH/1981 CE (peace be upon him), pp. 131–137
  8. ↑ Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, by Ibn Hisham, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik, researched by Mustafa al-Saqqa and others, Qom: Intisharat Iran, 1363 SH. Al-Nabawiyya Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, pp. 305–306; Al-Ma'arif, pp. 344–345
  9. ↑ Tarikh Quraysh, by Husayn Munis, Jeddah: 1408 AH/1998 CE, p. 143
  10. ↑ Al-Siyar wa al-Maghazi, pp. 310–312; Al-Maghazi, by Muhammad ibn Umar al-Waqidi, researched by Marsden Jones, Qom: Dar al-Ilm al-Islami, 1405 AH, Vol. 1, p. 181; Ansab al-Ashraf, by Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri, edited by Mahmud Firdaws al-Azm, Damascus: 1996–2000 CE, Vol. 1, p. 310
  11. ↑ Ansab al-Ashraf, by Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri, edited by Mahmud Firdaws al-Azm, Damascus: 1996–2000 CE, Vol. 1, p. 312
  12. ↑ Al-Siyar wa al-Maghazi, pp. 333–334; Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, by Ibn Hisham, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik, researched by Mustafa al-Saqqa and others, Qom: Intisharat Iran, 1363 SH. Al-Nabawiyya Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, pp. 305–306; Ansab al-Ashraf, by Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri, edited by Mahmud Firdaws al-Azm, Damascus: 1996–2000 CE, Vol. 1, p. 327
  13. ↑ Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, by Ibn Hisham, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik, researched by Mustafa al-Saqqa and others, Qom: Intisharat Iran, 1363 SH. Al-Nabawiyya Ibn Hisham, Vol. 3, pp. 220–221
  14. ↑ Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, by Ibn Hisham, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik, researched by Mustafa al-Saqqa and others, Qom: Intisharat Iran, 1363 SH. Al-Nabawiyya Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, pp. 225–226
  15. ↑ Ansab al-Ashraf, by Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri, edited by Mahmud Firdaws al-Azm, Damascus: 1996–2000 CE, Vol. 1, pp. 343–345
  16. ↑ Al-Isti'ab, Vol. 4, p. 1677
  17. ↑ Al-Maqrizi, Taqi al-Din, Imta' al-Asma', edited by Namisi, Muhammad Abd al-Hamid, Vol. 1, p. 137, Beirut, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 1st ed., 1420 AH
  18. ↑ Al-Mas'udi, Ali ibn al-Husayn, Muruj al-Dhahab wa Ma'adin al-Jawhar, edited by Daghir, As'ad, Vol. 2, p. 299, Qom, Dar al-Hijra, 2nd ed., 1409 AH
  19. ↑ Imta' al-Asma', Vol. 1, p. 123
  20. ↑ Al-Qummi, Ali ibn Ibrahim, Tafsir al-Qummi, edited and corrected by Musawi al-Jaza'iri, Sayyid Tayyib, Vol. 1, p. 111, Qom, Dar al-Kitab, 3rd ed., 1404 AH
  21. ↑ Al-Wahidi, Ali ibn Ahmad, Asbab Nuzul al-Quran, edited by Kamal Basyuni Zaghlul, p. 129, Beirut, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 1st ed., 1411 AH
  22. ↑ Shaykh Saduq, Al-Khisal, edited and corrected by Ghaffari, Ali Akbar, Vol. 2, p. 397, Qom, Islamic Publication Office, 1st ed., 1362 SH; Al-Tabarsi, Ahmad ibn Ali, Al-Ihtijaj 'ala Ahl al-Lajaj, edited and corrected by Khurasan, Muhammad Baqir, Vol. 1, p. 274, Mashhad, Nashr Murtaza, 1st ed., 1403 AH
  23. ↑ Shaykh Mufid, Al-Irshad fi Ma'rifat Hujaj Allah 'ala al-'Ibad, Vol. 1, p. 95, Qom, Shaykh Mufid Congress, 1st ed., 1413 AH; Al-Mas'udi, Ali ibn al-Husayn, Al-Tanbih wa al-Ishraf, corrected by Savi, Abdullah Isma'il, p. 211, Cairo, Dar al-Savi, n.d.
  24. ↑ Al-Qushayri al-Nishaburi, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Sahih Muslim, edited by Abd al-Baqi, Muhammad Fu'ad, Vol. 3, p. 1405, Beirut, Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-Arabi, n.d.; Al-Azdi, Sulayman ibn al-Ash'ath, Sunan Abi Dawud, edited by Abd al-Hamid, Muhammad Muhyi al-Din, Vol. 3, p. 162, Beirut, Al-Maktaba al-Asriyya, n.d.
  25. ↑ Al-Salihi al-Dimashqi, Muhammad ibn Yusuf, Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khayr al-'Ibad, Vol. 5, p. 398, Beirut, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 1st ed., 1414 AH
  26. ↑ Al-Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya'qub, Al-Kafi, edited and corrected by Ghaffari, Ali Akbar and Akhundi, Muhammad, Vol. 2, p. 411, Tehran, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, 4th ed., 1407 AH
  27. ↑ Al-Isti'ab, Vol. 4, p. 1680; Al-A'lam, Vol. 3, p. 201
  28. ↑ Al-Isti'ab, Vol. 2, p. 714
  29. ↑ Al-Isaba, Vol. 3, p. 333
  30. ↑ Ibn al-Jawzi, Abd al-Rahman ibn Ali, Al-Muntazam, investigators: Ata, Muhammad Abd al-Qadir; Ata, Mustafa Abd al-Qadir, Vol. 5, p. 27, Beirut, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, First Edition, 1412 AH
  31. ↑ Ibn A'tham al-Kufi, Ahmad ibn A'tham, Al-Futuh, Vol. 2, p. 563, investigation: Shiri, Ali, Beirut, Dar al-Adwa', 1411 AH
  32. ↑ Al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir, Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk (Tarikh al-Tabari), investigation: Ibrahim, Muhammad Abu al-Fadl, Vol. 10, p. 57, Beirut, Dar al-Turath, Second Edition, 1387 AH
  33. ↑ Al-Isti'ab, Vol. 4, p. 1679
  34. ↑ Ibn al-Athir, Ali ibn Abi al-Karam, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, p. 414, Beirut, Dar Sadir, Dar Beirut, 1385 AH
  35. ↑ Shaykh Mufid, Al-Fusul al-Mukhtarah, investigator and corrector: Mir Sharifi, Ali, p. 248, Qom, Shaykh Mufid Congress, First Edition, 1413 AH
  36. ↑ Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 10, p. 58
  37. ↑ Muruj al-Dhahab, Vol. 2, p. 343; Al-Baladhuri, Ahmad ibn Yahya, Ansab al-Ashraf, investigation: Zakkar, Suhayl; Zirikli, Riyadh, Vol. 5, p. 12, Beirut, Dar al-Fikr, First Edition, 1417 AH
  38. ↑ Al-Himyari, Abu Bakr Abd al-Razzaq ibn Hammam, Al-Musannaf, investigator: A'zami, Habib al-Rahman, Vol. 5, p. 450, India, Al-Majlis al-Ilmi, Second Edition, 1403 AH
  39. ↑ Nasr ibn Muzahim, Waq'at Siffin, investigator and corrector: Harun, Abd al-Salam Muhammad, p. 314, Qom, Library of Ayatollah al-Mar'ashi al-Najafi, Second Edition, 1404 AH
  40. ↑ Al-Maqdisi, Mutahhar ibn Tahir, Al-Bad' wa al-Tarikh, Vol. 5, p. 108, Port Said, Maktabat al-Thaqafa al-Diniyya, n.d.
  41. ↑ Usd al-Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 392
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