Umayyad Caliphate general (died 686)
Al-?u?ayn ibn Numayr al-Sak?n?
(died 5/6 August 686) was a leading general of the early
Umayyad Caliphate
, from the
Sakun
subtribe of the
Kinda
.
[1]
Biography
[
edit
]
A man of his name is recorded as being responsible for the pacification of
Hadramawt
in 632, during the
Ridda Wars
, but most scholars reject an identity with the Umayyad general.
[1]
[2]
Husayn is first securely attested at the
Battle of Siffin
in 657, where he fought for the
Umayyads
.
[1]
He is also mentioned as the leader of summer raids into
Byzantine
Asia Minor
in 678 and 681/682.
[2]
Under
Yazid I
(
r.
680?683) he became governor of the
Jund Hims
(military district of
Homs
), and in this capacity served in the expedition sent against the rebellion in
Medina
and
Mecca
in 683, under the command of
Muslim ibn Uqba
. After Muslim's death, he succeeded him in command of the campaign and
laid siege
to
Ibn al-Zubayr
in Mecca for two months. It was during this siege that the
Kaaba
burned down. Husayn maintained the siege for two months, until news reached him of Yazid's death. He then offered to recognize Ibn al-Zubayr as Caliph, provided that he would come to
Syria
, but when the latter refused, Husayn turned his army back.
[1]
[2]
Back in Syria, he played an important role in securing the Umayyad family's nomination of the experienced, though elderly,
Marwan ibn al-Hakam
as Caliph, instead of Yazid's young son
Khalid
.
[1]
[2]
The leading Umayyad commander,
Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad
, then sent him to the
Jazira
, where, on 6 January 685, he defeated the
Shi'a
sect of the Penitents at the
Battle of Ayn al-Warda
.
[1]
[2]
Husayn also participated in the attempted reconquest of
Iraq
under
Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad
, and like him, fell at the
Battle of Khazir
on 5 or 6 August 686.
[1]
[2]
His son, Yazid ibn Husayn, also fought for the Umayyads in the
Second Civil War
and served as governor of Hims for
Umar II
(
r.
717?720), while his grandson Mu'awiya also served as governor of Hims for
Yazid III
(
r.
743?744), but went over to
Marwan II
(
r.
744?750) during the
Third Civil War
.
[2]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Lammens & Cremonesi (1971), pp. 620?621
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Crone (1980), p. 97
Sources
[
edit
]