Qutham ibn Ubayd Allah: Child Slaughtered in Muawiya’s Campaign

Qutham bin Ubayd Allah bin Abbas — A small child slaughtered in Muawiya’s Yemen campaign

Some people want us to stay silent about Muawiya.

But how can a Muslim stay silent when Sunni sources themselves record that children were slaughtered in a campaign sent by Muawiya?

Qutham bin Ubayd Allah bin Abbas was not a soldier.

He was not fighting in Siffin.

He was not carrying a sword.

He was a small child.

His father, Ubayd Allah bin Abbas, was Imam Ali’s governor over Yemen.

And when Muawiya sent Busr bin Abi Artat toward Hijaz, Makkah and Yemen, 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, then Busr killed Qutham and Abd al-Rahman

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:

Read the wording carefully:

بعث معاوية بسر

“Muawiya sent Busr.”

Then:

فقتل عبد الرحمن وقثم

“He killed Abd al-Rahman and Qutham.”

So do not pretend this was disconnected from Muawiya’s authority.

The killer was Busr.

The campaign was sent by Muawiya.

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:

This was not Busr acting alone as a random criminal.

Sunni history says:

Muawiya sent him.

Core narration 3: Qutham and his brother were small children

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 at the words:

صغيرين

“two small children.”

ولا ذنب لهما

“they have no sin.”

Even the Kinani defender knew these children were innocent.

But Busr killed the defender first, then killed the children.

This was not justice.

This was not jihad.

This was political terror.

Core narration 4: A woman from Kinanah exposed the nature of that rule

Arabic:

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:

“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 said what many people today are afraid to say:

إن سلطانا لا يقوم إلا بقتل الصبي الصغير... لسلطان سوء

“A rule that only stands by killing the small child... is an evil rule.”

If a government needs to kill children to survive, then that government is not guidance.

It is oppression.

Core narration 5: Ibn Abd al-Barr says the two boys were slaughtered while 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 did not call it “ijtihad.”

He called it:

أمور عظام

“grave matters”

and:

هذه القضية الشنعاء

“this ugly / horrific deed.”

And he says the two boys were slaughtered:

وهما صغيران بين يدي أمهما

“while they were small, in front of their mother.”

What kind of Islam is this?

What kind of politics is this?

What kind of “respect all Sahaba” logic becomes silent when the children of Banu Hashim are slaughtered?

Core narration 6: Al-Daraqutni names Qutham and Abd al-Rahman as 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:

Al-Daraqutni’s wording is devastating:

طفلين

“two children.”

And he names them:

عبد الرحمن وقثم

“Abd al-Rahman and Qutham.”

He also says about Busr:

ولم تكن له استقامة بعد النبي

“He did not remain upright after the Prophet.”

Core narration 7: Ibn Abd al-Barr says 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 is the purpose of the campaign in plain words:

لقتل شيعة علي

“to kill the supporters of Ali.”

So when Qutham and Abd al-Rahman were killed, they were killed in a campaign whose target was Imam Ali’s side.

Core narration 8: Al-Dhahabi also records that Qutham and Abd al-Rahman were killed while 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:

Again:

صغيرين

“They were small.”

So stop dressing this up as politics.

Stop hiding behind “ijtihad.”

Stop using Imam Hasan a.s’s peace treaty to wash the blood of children.

Qutham bin Ubayd Allah bin Abbas was a child.

Abd al-Rahman was a child.

Their only “crime” was that their father was on Imam Ali’s side.

Even the Kinani defender said:

ولا ذنب لهما

“They have no sin.”

And yet they were killed.

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

Now answer honestly:

If a Shia ruler had sent an army, and that army slaughtered two small children from the family of Abbas, would Sunnis call it ijtihad?

If a Shia commander had killed children in front of their mother, would they say “do not speak about history”?

If this was done by someone outside their sacred political circle, would they still say “رضي الله عنه”?

Qutham bin Ubayd Allah bin Abbas was a small child.

He was slaughtered with his brother Abd al-Rahman.

The killer was Busr bin Abi Artat.

And Sunni sources connect Busr’s campaign directly to Muawiya.

So do not tell us to stay silent.

Do not tell us to erase the blood.

Do not tell us Imam Hasan a.s’s treaty made oppression righteous.

The treaty was made to stop bloodshed.

It was not a certificate of innocence for the blood already spilled.