Ibn al-Khashshab (died 1125)
Encyclopedia
Abu'l-Faḍl Ibn al-Khashshāb (أبوالفضل بن الخشاب; died 1125) was the Shi'i qadi
and ra'is of Aleppo
during the rule of the Seljuk emir
Radwan
.
His family, the Banu-l-Khashshab, were wealthy wood-merchants in the city. Upon the arrival of the First Crusade
, ibn al-Khashshab was one of the first to preach jihad
against the crusaders, a concept which became more popular throughout the 12th century. His preaching was popular among the masses, but Ridwan, along with his Hashshashin
advisors, were not willing to wage battle against the newly formed crusader states
. Aleppo was continually threatened by the crusaders and eventually Ridwan was humiliated by Tancred of Antioch
, forced to place crosses on the minaret
s of some of the mosque
s in the city.
Ibn al-Khashshab had sought help from the Abbasid
caliph
in Baghdad
, but each time his requests were ignored; finally, in 1111, he travelled to Baghdad to seek help from the caliph in person. He instigated a riot and destroyed the pulpit of the minbar
in the private mosques of the Seljuk sultan and the caliph. In response, the sultan ordered Mawdud
, the governor of Mosul
, to come to Aleppo's aid, and ibn al-Khashshab returned home. However, Ridwan did not want Mawdud interfering in his affairs, and had ibn al-Khashshab imprisoned; Mawdud and Ridwan could not cooperate and Mawdud returned home.
When Ridwan died in 1113, ibn al-Khashshab governed the city in place of weak or child emirs. He rid the city of the Hashshashin, by expulsion or execution. When the crusaders threatened the city again in 1119, Ibn al-Khashshab negotiated an alliance with Ilghazi
of the Artuqid dynasty
in Mesopotamia
, and the crusader Principality of Antioch
was defeated at the Battle of Ager Sanguinis
that year. Ibn al-Khashshab personally led Aleppan troops in the battle.
The crusaders besieged Aleppo in 1124, and when they desecrated Muslim cemeteries outside the city, ibn al-Khashshab ordered that four of the six Christian churches in the city, including the cathedral, be converted into mosque
s. The besiegers, led by Baldwin II of Jerusalem
and Joscelin I of Edessa, were allied with the Muslim Dubais, whom ibn al-Khashshab publicly denounced. The siege was eventually raised with help from Mosul
in 1125, but later that year, ibn al-Khashshab was murdered by his old Hashshashin enemies. The next year Aleppo fell under the control of Zengi
, who began to implement the jihad that ibn al-Khashshab had so fervently preached.
Another ibn al-Khashshab was the leader of the Shi'i in Aleppo during the time of Saladin
. He wrote a four-volume annotated commentary of Al-Muqtassid, a grammar manual by Ibn Hubayrah, and commented on the Sermon of the roar of a camel
. He was executed by As-Salih Ismail al-Malik
in 1172.
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
and ra'is of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
during the rule of the Seljuk emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
Radwan
Radwan
Fakhr al-Mulk Radwan was a Seljuq ruler of Aleppo from 1095 to 1113.He was the son of Tutush I and brother of Duqaq, but was raised by his tutor Janah ad-Dawla al-Husain. When Tutush died in 1096, Radwan inherited his Syrian possessions and ruled from Aleppo, though Janah ad-Dawla was in charge...
.
His family, the Banu-l-Khashshab, were wealthy wood-merchants in the city. Upon the arrival of the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
, ibn al-Khashshab was one of the first to preach jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
against the crusaders, a concept which became more popular throughout the 12th century. His preaching was popular among the masses, but Ridwan, along with his Hashshashin
Hashshashin
The Assassins were an order of Nizari Ismailis, particularly those of Persia that existed from around 1092 to 1265...
advisors, were not willing to wage battle against the newly formed crusader states
Crusader states
The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and the Holy Land , and during the Northern Crusades in the eastern Baltic area...
. Aleppo was continually threatened by the crusaders and eventually Ridwan was humiliated by Tancred of Antioch
Tancred, Prince of Galilee
Tancred was a Norman leader of the First Crusade who later became Prince of Galilee and regent of the Principality of Antioch...
, forced to place crosses on the minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
s of some of the mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s in the city.
Ibn al-Khashshab had sought help from the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, but each time his requests were ignored; finally, in 1111, he travelled to Baghdad to seek help from the caliph in person. He instigated a riot and destroyed the pulpit of the minbar
Minbar
A minbar is a pulpit in the mosque where the imam stands to deliver sermons or in the Hussainia where the speaker sits and lectures the congregation...
in the private mosques of the Seljuk sultan and the caliph. In response, the sultan ordered Mawdud
Mawdud
Mawdud ibn Altuntash was a Turkic military leader who was atabeg of Mosul from 1109 to 1113...
, the governor of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, to come to Aleppo's aid, and ibn al-Khashshab returned home. However, Ridwan did not want Mawdud interfering in his affairs, and had ibn al-Khashshab imprisoned; Mawdud and Ridwan could not cooperate and Mawdud returned home.
When Ridwan died in 1113, ibn al-Khashshab governed the city in place of weak or child emirs. He rid the city of the Hashshashin, by expulsion or execution. When the crusaders threatened the city again in 1119, Ibn al-Khashshab negotiated an alliance with Ilghazi
Ilghazi
Najm ad-Din Ilghazi ibn Artuq was the Turkish Artukid ruler of Mardin from 1107 to 1122.- Biography :His father Artuk was the founder of the Artukid dynasty, and had been appointed governor of Jerusalem by the Seljuq emir Tutush. When Artuk died, Ilghazi and his brother Sökmen succeeded him as...
of the Artuqid dynasty
Artuqid dynasty
The Artquids or Artuqid dynasty was a Turkmen dynasty that ruled in Eastern Anatolia, Northern Syria and Northern Iraq in the eleventh and twelfth centuries...
in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, and the crusader Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
was defeated at the Battle of Ager Sanguinis
Battle of Ager Sanguinis
In the Battle of Ager Sanguinis, also known as the Battle of the Field of Blood, the Battle of Sarmada, or the Battle of Balat, Roger of Salerno's Crusader army of the Principality of Antioch was annihilated by the army of Ilghazi of Mardin, the Artuqid ruler of Aleppo on June 28,...
that year. Ibn al-Khashshab personally led Aleppan troops in the battle.
The crusaders besieged Aleppo in 1124, and when they desecrated Muslim cemeteries outside the city, ibn al-Khashshab ordered that four of the six Christian churches in the city, including the cathedral, be converted into mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s. The besiegers, led by Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem , formerly Baldwin II of Edessa, also called Baldwin of Bourcq, born Baldwin of Rethel was the second count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and the third king of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death.-Ancestry:Baldwin was the son of Hugh, count of Rethel, and his wife Melisende,...
and Joscelin I of Edessa, were allied with the Muslim Dubais, whom ibn al-Khashshab publicly denounced. The siege was eventually raised with help from Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
in 1125, but later that year, ibn al-Khashshab was murdered by his old Hashshashin enemies. The next year Aleppo fell under the control of Zengi
Zengi
Imad ad-Din Zengi was the atabeg of Mosul, Aleppo, Hama and Edessa and founder of the Zengid dynasty, to which he gave his name.-Early life:...
, who began to implement the jihad that ibn al-Khashshab had so fervently preached.
Another ibn al-Khashshab was the leader of the Shi'i in Aleppo during the time of Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
. He wrote a four-volume annotated commentary of Al-Muqtassid, a grammar manual by Ibn Hubayrah, and commented on the Sermon of the roar of a camel
Sermon of the roar of a camel
The roar of a camel is a sermon believed by Shi'a to have been delivered by Ali. It is most famous for being included in the letter and sermon collection Nahj al-Balagha.-Transmission:...
. He was executed by As-Salih Ismail al-Malik
As-Salih Ismail al-Malik
As-Salih Ismail al-Malik was an emir of Damascus in 1174, the son of Nur ad-Din ZangiHe was only eleven years old when his father died in 1174. As-Salih came under the protection of the eunuch Gumushtugin and was taken to Aleppo, while Nur ad-Din's officers competed for supremacy...
in 1172.
Sources
- Carole HillenbrandCarole HillenbrandCarole Hillenbrand OBE is professor of Islamic History at the University of Edinburgh. She is currently the Vice-President of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies and a Member of the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics....
, The Crusades, Islamic Perspectives. New York, 2000. - P.M. Holt, The Age of the Crusades: The Near East from the Eleventh Century to 1517. New York, 1986.
- Amin MaaloufAmin MaaloufAmin Maalouf , born 25 February 1949 in Beirut, is a Lebanese-born French author. Although his native language is Arabic, he writes in French, and his works have been translated into many languages. He received the Prix Goncourt in 1993 for his novel The Rock of Tanios...
, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes. 1983