Nu’man Ibn Bashir

Nu’man Ibn Bashir Khazraji Ansari, born in Medina of Helpers “Ansar” (the term donates those men from Medina supported the Prophet, in distinction from the Emigrants, i.e. his Meccan followers) and one of the companions of the Prophet. But then he was the agent for Yazid Ibn Mu’awiya (Umayyad caliph) in Kufa and became an enemy of the Prophet’s household. His father “Bashir” was the first Helper who pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr. Nu’man Ibn Bashir was a preacher, poet and traditionist. He was against Kufi people who supported Ali (the first Imam of ####Shias). He was the only person of Helpers who supported Mu’awiya in Siffin battle (battle fought in 657 between Ali and Mu’awiya). Although some of the Helpers did not support Ali in the battle, but thy did not join to Mu’awiya. In 674 he was appointed as the judge of Damascus, then the Governor General of Yemen and after Mu’awiya the Governor General of Kufa for nine months. In the reign of Yazid, he was the Governor General of Kufa. He was so easy-going that Kufis supported Hossein Ibn Ali (the 3rd Imam of Shias) severely. No one paid taxes and obeyed Nu’man. When Muslem Ibn Aqil (leading supporter of Hossein Ibn Ali) entered Kufi, people supported him. But Nu’man was reported to Yazid by one of the Umayyads supporters as taking no actions about Hossein Ibn Ali’s movement in Kufa. So he was deposed and Ubayd Allh Ibn Ziyad was appointed instead. In the reign of Marwan Ibn Hakam, he was the Governor General of Homs (town in Syria). Nu’man was killed in 658 by people of Homs, as a result of swearing allegiance to Ibn Zubayr (anti-caliph; 624-692) at the age of 64. There is left a Diwan (collected poems) of him.

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