Abu Hamza al-Khariji

أبو حمزة الخارجي

A Kharijite who met Abdallah ibn Yahya, 'the seeker of truth', in 128 ¹, and entered Medina in 130, after the battle of Qudayd ² ³. According to al-Mas'udi he was al-Mukhtar ibn Awf al-Azdi, who entered Mecca and Medina with Balkh ibn Uqba in 129, calling for Abdallah ibn Yahya al-Kindi, the seeker of truth; Abd al-Malik ibn Muhammad ibn Atiyya met the two of them, killed Balkh at Wadi al-Qura, overtook Abu Hamza and killed him and most of those with him ⁴. Also according to al-Mas'udi, he made his stand and went out in 129, in the days of the amir of the pilgrimage Abd al-Wahid ibn Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik; people spoke to him until Abd al-Wahid came down to pray with the people and went out to his residence ⁵

Overview

Abu Hamza al-Khariji, one of the Kharijites. He met Abd Allah ibn Yahya Talib al-Haqq in 128 AH, and entered Medina in 130 AH after the battle of Qudayd. ¹ ²

Al-Tabari's account

Al-Tabari places his meeting with Abd Allah ibn Yahya in 128 AH, and his entry into Medina in 130 AH. ¹ ³

Al-Mas'udi's account

According to al-Mas'udi he was al-Mukhtar ibn Awf al-Azdi. He entered Mecca and Medina with Bulkh ibn Uqba in 129 AH, calling to Abd Allah ibn Yahya al-Kindi, Talib al-Haqq. They were met by Abd al-Malik ibn Muhammad ibn Atiyya, who killed Bulkh in Wadi al-Qura and caught up with Abu Hamza and killed him and most of his companions. ⁶

Al-Mas'udi mentions another place where he stood, and went out in 129 AH in the days of the amir of the pilgrimage Abd al-Wahid ibn Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, and the people spoke to him until Abd al-Wahid got down to lead the people in prayer, and went out to his house. ⁷

Notes for researchers

The two accounts differ in the year (128 then 130 AH in al-Tabari, 129 AH in al-Mas'udi) and in the fate of Abu Hamza; they have not been reconciled here. A second source is needed.

Sources

Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk — al-Tabari (ed. Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim) , j.7 p.348

Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk — al-Tabari (ed. Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim) , j.7 p.393

Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk — al-Tabari (ed. Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim) , j.7 p.394

Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi , p. 228-229

Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi , p. 743

Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi , p.228-229

Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi , p.743

Lectures on the History of the Islamic Peoples: The Umayyad State — al-Khudari

The Umayyad State — Bakr Muhammad Ibrahim Bakr (1st ed., Markaz al-Raya lil-Nashr wal-I'lam, Cairo 2002)