Abd al-Rahman bin Ubayd Allah bin Abbas — A small child killed in Muawiya’s Yemen campaign
Abd al-Rahman bin Ubayd Allah bin Abbas was not a soldier.
He was not killed in a battlefield.
He was a small child.
Sunni sources record that Muawiya sent Busr bin Abi Artat toward Hijaz, Makkah and Yemen. In that campaign, Busr killed the two young sons of Ubayd Allah bin Abbas.
Their names were Abd al-Rahman and Qutham.
Core narration 1: Muawiya sent Busr, and Busr killed Abd al-Rahman and Qutham
Arabic:
وقال البخاري في التاريخ الصغير: حدثنا سعيد بن يحيى بن سعيد، عن زياد، عن ابن إسحاق، قال: بعث معاوية بسر بن أبي أرطاة سنة تسع وثلاثين، فقدم المدينة فبايع، ثم انطلق إلى مكة واليمن فقتل عبد الرحمن وقثم ابني عبيد الله بن عباس.
English:
“Al-Bukhari said in al-Tarikh al-Saghir: Sa‘id bin Yahya bin Sa‘id narrated to us, from Ziyad, from Ibn Ishaq, who said: Muawiya sent Busr bin Abi Artat in the year 39 AH. He came to Madinah and took allegiance, then went to Makkah and Yemen, and killed Abd al-Rahman and Qutham, the two sons of Ubayd Allah bin Abbas.”
Reference:
Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-Kamal, biography of Busr bin Abi Artat, quoting al-Bukhari’s al-Tarikh al-Saghir.
Status:
Sunni rijal / historical report.
Comment:
This is one of the clearest narrations. In one line it says:
بعث معاوية بسر
“Muawiya sent Busr.”
Then it says:
فقتل عبد الرحمن وقثم ابني عبيد الله بن عباس
“He killed Abd al-Rahman and Qutham, the two sons of Ubayd Allah bin Abbas.”
Core narration 2: Ibn al-Athir says Muawiya sent Busr with 3,000 men
Arabic:
في هذه السنة بعث معاوية بسر بن أبي أرطاة، وهو من عامر بن لؤي، في ثلاثة آلاف.
English:
“In this year Muawiya sent Busr bin Abi Artat, from Banu ‘Amir bin Lu’ayy, with three thousand men.”
Reference:
Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, events of year 40 AH.
Status:
Sunni historical report.
Comment:
The campaign was not independent. Sunni sources say Muawiya sent Busr.
Core narration 3: Busr seized Abd al-Rahman and Qutham, and killed them
Arabic:
وأخذ ابنين لعبيد الله بن عباس صغيرين هما: عبد الرحمن وقثم فقتلهما، وكانا عند رجل من كنانة بالبادية، فلما أراد قتلهما قال له الكناني: لم تقتل هذين ولا ذنب لهما؟ فإن كنت قاتلهما فاقتلني معهما! فقتله وقتلهما بعده.
English:
“He seized two young sons of Ubayd Allah bin Abbas; they were Abd al-Rahman and Qutham, and he killed them. They were with a man from Kinanah in the desert. When Busr wanted to kill them, the Kinani said to him: Why are you killing these two when they have no sin? If you are going to kill them, then kill me with them! So he killed him and killed them after him.”
Reference:
Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, events of year 40 AH.
Status:
Sunni historical report.
Comment:
Look carefully at the words:
صغيرين
“two young children.”
And the Kinani defender said:
ولا ذنب لهما
“They have no sin.”
Then Busr killed the defender and killed the two children after him.
Core narration 4: A woman from Kinanah condemned the killing of children
Arabic:
فخرج نسوة من بني كنانة، فقالت امرأة منهن: يا هذا! قتلت الرجال فعلام تقتل هذين؟ والله ما كانوا يقتلون في الجاهلية والإسلام! والله يا ابن أبي أرطاة إن سلطانا لا يقوم إلا بقتل الصبي الصغير، والشيخ الكبير، ونزع الرحمة، وعقوق الأرحام لسلطان سوء!
English:
“Women from Banu Kinanah came out, and one of them said: O man! You killed the men, but why are you killing these two? By Allah, they were not killed in Jahiliyyah nor in Islam! By Allah, O Ibn Abi Artat, a rule that only stands by killing the small child, the old man, removing mercy, and cutting family ties is an evil rule!”
Reference:
Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, events of year 40 AH.
Status:
Sunni historical report.
Comment:
This woman understood the matter clearly:
A rule that stands on killing small children is an evil rule.
Core narration 5: Ibn Abd al-Barr says Busr slaughtered them while they were small, in front of their mother
Arabic:
قال أبو عمر رحمه الله: ذلك لأمور عظام ركبها في الإسلام فيما نقله أهل الأخبار والحديث أيضا من ذبحه ابني عبيد الله بن العباس بن عبد المطلب، وهما صغيران بين يدي أمهما، وكان معاوية قد استعمله على اليمن أيام صفين، وكان عليها عبيد الله بن العباس لعلي رضي الله عنه، فهرب حين أحس ببسر بن أرطاة ونزلها بسر، فقضى فيها هذه القضية الشنعاء.
English:
“Abu Umar said: That was because of grave matters he committed in Islam, as transmitted by the historians and the hadith scholars too, including his slaughtering of the two sons of Ubayd Allah bin Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib while they were small, in front of their mother. Muawiya had appointed him over Yemen during the days of Siffin, while Ubayd Allah bin Abbas was there for Ali. When Ubayd Allah sensed Busr bin Artat, he fled, and Busr entered it and committed this ugly deed.”
Reference:
Ibn Abd al-Barr, al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, biography of Busr bin Abi Artat.
Status:
Sunni biographical / historical report.
Comment:
Ibn Abd al-Barr calls this:
هذه القضية الشنعاء
“this ugly / horrific deed.”
He also says they were slaughtered while small, in front of their mother.
Core narration 6: Al-Daraqutni names the two children
Arabic:
قال أبو الحسن علي بن عمر الدارقطني: بسر بن أرطاة أبو عبد الرحمن له صحبة، ولم تكن له استقامة بعد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، وهو الذي قتل طفلين لعبيد الله بن عباس بن عبد المطلب باليمن في خلافة معاوية، وهما عبد الرحمن وقثم ابنا عبيد الله بن العباس.
English:
“Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Umar al-Daraqutni said: Busr bin Artat, Abu Abd al-Rahman, had companionship, but he did not remain upright after the Prophet ﷺ. He is the one who killed two children of Ubayd Allah bin Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib in Yemen during the caliphate of Muawiya; they were Abd al-Rahman and Qutham, the two sons of Ubayd Allah bin Abbas.”
Reference:
Ibn Abd al-Barr, al-Isti‘ab, quoting al-Daraqutni.
Status:
Sunni biographical statement.
Comment:
This is extremely clear:
طفلين
“two children.”
And their names were:
عبد الرحمن وقثم
“Abd al-Rahman and Qutham.”
Core narration 7: Muawiya sent Busr to kill the supporters of Imam Ali
Arabic:
وقال أبو عمرو الشيباني: لما وجه معاوية بسر بن أرطاة الفهري لقتل شيعة علي...
English:
“Abu ‘Amr al-Shaybani said: When Muawiya sent Busr bin Artat al-Fihri to kill the Shia/supporters of Ali...”
Reference:
Ibn Abd al-Barr, al-Isti‘ab.
Status:
Sunni historical report.
Comment:
This gives the purpose of the campaign in brutal words:
لقتل شيعة علي
“to kill the supporters of Ali.”
Core narration 8: Al-Dhahabi also records that Busr killed them while they were small
Arabic:
وقال ابن إسحاق: قتل قثم وعبد الرحمن ابني عبيد الله بن العباس صغيرين باليمن، فتولهت أمهما عليهما.
English:
“Ibn Ishaq said: He killed Qutham and Abd al-Rahman, the two sons of Ubayd Allah bin Abbas, while they were small in Yemen, and their mother became distraught over them.”
Reference:
Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’, biography of Busr bin Artat.
Status:
Sunni biographical / historical report.
Comment:
Al-Dhahabi also preserves the same core fact: Abd al-Rahman and Qutham were small children, and Busr killed them in Yemen.
Now ask honestly:
What was Abd al-Rahman bin Ubayd Allah bin Abbas’s crime?
He was a child.
What was Qutham’s crime?
He was a child.
Even the Kinani defender said:
ولا ذنب لهما
“They have no sin.”
Yet Busr killed the defender and then killed the two children.
And Sunni sources say Muawiya sent Busr.
They say:
بعث معاوية بسر
“Muawiya sent Busr.”
They say:
كان معاوية قد استعمله على اليمن
“Muawiya had appointed him over Yemen.”
They say:
لما وجه معاوية بسر... لقتل شيعة علي
“When Muawiya sent Busr... to kill the supporters of Ali.”
Qur’an says:
Arabic:
وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا
English:
“And whoever kills a believer deliberately, his recompense is Hell, abiding therein; Allah is angry with him, has cursed him, and has prepared for him a great punishment.”
Reference:
Qur’an 4:93
And Qur’an says:
Arabic:
مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا
English:
“Whoever kills a soul, unless for a soul or corruption in the land, it is as if he killed all mankind.”
Reference:
Qur’an 5:32
Abd al-Rahman bin Ubayd Allah bin Abbas was a small child.
His brother Qutham was a small child.
They were killed in Yemen by Busr bin Abi Artat.
And Sunni sources connect Busr’s campaign to Muawiya.
So do not use Imam Hasan a.s’s peace treaty to erase this blood.
The treaty was made to stop bloodshed.
It was not a certificate of innocence for the blood already spilled.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Ubayd Allah: Child Killed in Muawiya’s Campaign
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