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Siege of Mecca (683)

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650:, had abandoned the city fearing divine retribution; it was only when Ibn al-Zubayr himself began to demolish the remains of the old building, that they were encouraged to return and aid him. Ibn al-Zubayr's reconstruction changed the original plan, incorporating modifications that Muhammad himself is reported to have intended, but which had not been carried out during Muhammad's lifetime for fear of alienating the recently converted Meccans. The new Kaaba was built entirely of stone—the old one was of alternating layers of stone and wood—and had two doors, an entrance in the east and an exit in the west. In addition, he included the semi-circular 173: 46: 564:, as caliph, Umayyad authority practically collapsed in the provinces and proved shaky even in the Umayyads' home province of Syria. Husayn was therefore willing to acknowledge Ibn al-Zubayr as caliph, provided that he would issue a pardon and follow him to Syria. Ibn al-Zubayr refused the last demand, since this would place him under the control of the Syrian elites, and Husayn with his army departed for Syria. 634: 180: 572:
The retreat of the Umayyad army left Ibn al-Zubayr in undisputed control of Mecca. With the collapse of Umayyad authority, he was soon acknowledged as the rightful caliph across most of the Muslim world, including northern Syria. His authority, however, remained mostly nominal. The Umayyads, under
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families. The Medinan aristocracy, however, who felt their position threatened by Mu'awiya's large-scale agricultural projects around their city, and regarded Yazid as unfit for the office of caliph due to his reputed dissolute lifestyle, led a public denunciation of their allegiance to Yazid, and
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and be recognized as Caliph, departed with his forces. Ibn al-Zubayr remained in Mecca throughout the civil war, but he was nevertheless soon acknowledged as Caliph across most of the Muslim world. It was not until 692, that the Umayyads were able to send another army which
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in October 680, leaving Ibn al-Zubayr as the leading contender and rival for the Umayyads. As long as Yazid lived, Ibn al-Zubayr denounced his rule from the sanctuary of Mecca but did not openly claim the caliphate, instead calling himself "the fugitive at the sanctuary"
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on 26 August 683 and proceeded to sack Medina—one of the impious acts for which the Umayyads are denounced in later Muslim tradition. For his sack of Medina, subsequent tradition remembers Muslim ibn Uqba as, in the words of
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The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XX: The Collapse of Sufyānid Authority and the Coming of the Marwānids: The Caliphates of Muʿāwiyah II and Marwān I and the Beginning of the Caliphate of ʿAbd al-Malik, A.D. 683–685/A.H.
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The siege continued for 64 days until 26 November, when news of Yazid's death (11 November) reached the besiegers. Husayn now entered into negotiations with Ibn al-Zubayr. Although the Umayyad court at
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was separated again from the main building, and the western gate was walled up, reverting to the general outlines of the pre-Islamic plan. This is the form in which the Kaaba has survived to this day.
363:, also rebelled against Yazid, the Umayyad ruler sent an army to subdue Arabia. The Umayyad army defeated the Medinans and took the city, but Mecca held out in a month-long siege, during which the 654:
wall into the building proper. The three fragments of the Black Stone were bound in a silver frame, and placed by Ibn al-Zubayr inside the new Kaaba. After the Umayyad reconquest of the city, the
529:. Husayn's army arrived before Mecca in September. In a first battle, Ibn al-Zubayr proved victorious, but the Umayyads persisted, and on 24 September placed the city under siege, employing 548:
burst asunder. Many later sources ascribe the fault to the besiegers, with the result that "this siege and bombardment too figure prominently in the lists of Umayyad crimes" (
601:, who had succeeded his father Marwan after the latter's death in April 685, thereafter restricted himself to securing his own position, while Ibn al-Zubayr's brother 490:, the "heathen incarnate", although in the earlier sources he is represented as devout and reluctant to undertake the task assigned to him by the Caliph. 226: 1257: 552:), but more reliable accounts attribute the event to a torch borne by one of Ibn al-Zubayr's followers, which the wind wafted onto the building. 172: 81: 1267: 999: 544:, over which a wooden structure covered with mattresses had been erected to protect it, caught fire and burned down, while the sacred 498:
After taking Medina, Muslim set out for Mecca, but on the way he fell ill and died at Mushallal, and command passed to his lieutenant
188: 442:, where his supporters awaited him to rise in revolt against the Umayyads, but his convoy was intercepted and he was killed at the 1277: 219: 411:
elites, who challenged the Umayyads' claim to the succession. Among them, the two chief candidates for the caliphate were the
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After the Umayyads' departure, Ibn al-Zubayr initiated the rebuilding of the Kaaba, but most of the people, led by
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Many of the Medinans had fled to Mecca, including the commander of the Qurayshites at the battle of al-Harra,
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At first Yazid and his governors in Medina tried to negotiate with Ibn al-Zubayr, as well as the dissatisfied
610: 277: 499: 434:). To avoid being forced to acknowledge Yazid, on the latter's accession the two men fled from Medina to 368: 152: 574: 302: 1197: 285: 367:
was damaged by fire. The siege ended when news came of Yazid's sudden death. The Umayyad commander,
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The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XIX: The Caliphate of Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiyah, A.D. 680–683/A.H. 60–64
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and his sons), from their city. As a result, Yazid sent an army to subdue the province, and chose
451:) and insisting that the caliph should be chosen in the traditional manner, by a tribal assembly ( 1252: 1126:
The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: The Islamic Near East from the 6th to the 11th Century
602: 598: 423: 337: 157: 614: 262: 1262: 1105:. SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. 1060:. SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. 573:
the leadership of Marwan ibn al-Hakam, managed to consolidate their position in Syria in the
514: 622: 377: 312: 403:), in 680, the Muslim world was thrown into turmoil. Although Mu'awiya had named his son, 8: 482: 470: 1174: 625:
which lasted from March–October 692, Ibn al-Zubayr was killed, and the civil war ended.
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expelled the Umayyad family members, some 1,000 in number (including the future caliph
292: 160: 117: 1224: 1180: 1170: 1156: 1130: 1106: 1085: 1061: 1038: 487: 443: 389: 257: 133: 618: 606: 586: 307: 272: 506:, this was much against Uqba's will, but in accordance with the wishes of Yazid. 1153:
E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936, Volume VIII: Ṭa'if–Zūrkhāna
1148: 1124: 1120: 1100: 1079: 1054: 537: 407:, as his heir, this choice was not universally recognized, especially by the old 340:, who was among the most prominent challengers to the dynastic succession to the 609:
and gained control of all of Iraq in 687. In 691, Abd al-Malik managed to bring
1209: 1205: 1023: 1015: 578: 561: 415: 1241: 1228: 1201: 1184: 1144: 1075: 1050: 1042: 1019: 1003: 995: 582: 478: 465: 458: 393: 372: 96: 83: 54:(pictured here in 2003), which was severely damaged by fire during the siege 1247: 549: 329: 236: 193: 37: 638: 545: 1179:. Translated by Margaret Graham Weir. Calcutta: University of Calcutta. 518: 268: 45: 647: 530: 522: 503: 431: 356: 341: 371:, after vainly trying to induce Ibn al-Zubayr to return with him to 617:
back into the Umayyad fold, and advanced into the Iraq. Mus'ab was
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Ibn al-Zubayr established his command post on the grounds of the
404: 348: 345: 961: 672: 670: 408: 352: 204: 621:, and Umayyad authority re-established across the East. After 328:
in September–November 683 was one of the early battles of the
949: 937: 823: 796: 633: 594: 541: 453: 435: 364: 360: 333: 75: 51: 1081:
The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661–750
891: 889: 748: 667: 439: 412: 249: 859: 513:, who played a leading role in Mecca's defense along with 886: 835: 973: 908: 906: 904: 876: 874: 772: 760: 738: 736: 723: 721: 706: 682: 927: 925: 923: 921: 901: 871: 847: 784: 733: 718: 694: 1084:(Second ed.). London and New York: Routledge. 637:Ibn al-Zubayr rebuilt the Ka'ba, incorporating the 918: 1239: 481:indeed overcame the Medinans' resistance at the 581:, but an Umayyad attempt to recover control of 1191: 676: 220: 560:promptly declared Yazid's sickly young son, 179: 1215:The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition 1169: 1029:The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition 955: 943: 895: 841: 829: 802: 754: 628: 525:(central Arabia), under the leadership of 227: 213: 44: 1223:. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 317–322. 1192:Wensinck, A. J. & Jomier, J. (1978). 632: 1143: 1119: 1074: 1049: 1037:. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 54–55. 979: 967: 912: 865: 817: 790: 778: 766: 742: 727: 712: 688: 502:. According to the account reported by 1258:Sieges involving the Umayyad Caliphate 1240: 1151:. In Houtsma, Martijn Theodoor (ed.). 1098: 880: 853: 1155:. Leiden: Brill. pp. 1162–1163. 813: 811: 208: 1129:(Second ed.). Harlow: Longman. 994: 931: 700: 477:to lead it. Muslim's army of 12,000 517:. Ibn al-Zubayr was also joined by 388:At the death of the founder of the 13: 808: 14: 1289: 1268:Mecca under the Umayyad Caliphate 426:(a grandson of the first caliph, 66:24 September – 26 November 683 CE 430:, and nephew of Muhammad's wife 234: 192:Location of Mecca within modern 178: 171: 398: 1099:Howard, I. K. A., ed. (1990). 1: 1278:680s in the Umayyad Caliphate 1176:The Arab Kingdom and Its Fall 661: 540:. On Sunday, 31 October, the 383: 380:Mecca, ending the civil war. 567: 7: 533:to bombard it with stones. 500:Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni 378:again besieged and captured 369:Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni 153:Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni 10: 1294: 1000:"ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr" 988: 677:Wensinck & Jomier 1978 20: 589:by pro-Alid forces under 461:, not just the Umayyads. 244: 166: 146: 127: 58: 43: 35: 30: 970:, pp. 48–49, 51–53. 605:defeated Mukhtar at the 527:Najda ibn Amir al-Hanafi 493: 475:Muslim ibn Uqba al-Murri 16:Part of the Second Fitna 629:Rebuilding of the Kaaba 424:Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr 338:Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr 158:Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr 643: 623:another siege of Mecca 286:Ibn al-Zubayr's Revolt 147:Commanders and leaders 636: 577:, and even reclaimed 515:al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi 457:) from among all the 575:Battle of Marj Rahit 336:was a sanctuary for 189:class=notpageimage| 21:For other uses, see 1149:"Yazīd b. Mu'āwiya" 958:, pp. 166–170. 946:, pp. 165–166. 868:, pp. 114–115. 832:, pp. 157–160. 805:, pp. 154–157. 757:, pp. 149–154. 619:defeated and killed 483:Battle of al-Harrah 471:Marwan ibn al-Hakam 449:al-ʿaʾidh biʾl-bayt 278:Madhar & Harura 97:21.4167°N 39.8167°E 93: /  1171:Wellhausen, Julius 1076:Hawting, Gerald R. 1012:Lévi-Provençal, E. 644: 591:Mukhtar al-Thaqafi 511:Abd Allah ibn Muti 438:. Husayn made for 161:Mukhtar al-Thaqafi 118:Zubayrid Caliphate 1136:978-0-582-40525-7 1112:978-0-7914-0040-1 1067:978-0-88706-855-3 982:, pp. 92–98. 781:, pp. 47–48. 769:, pp. 89–90. 715:, pp. 49–51. 703:, pp. 54–55. 691:, pp. 46–47. 488:Julius Wellhausen 444:Battle of Karbala 418:(the grandson of 390:Umayyad Caliphate 321: 320: 203: 202: 134:Umayyad Caliphate 123: 122: 1285: 1232: 1188: 1166: 1140: 1116: 1095: 1071: 1046: 983: 977: 971: 965: 959: 953: 947: 941: 935: 929: 916: 910: 899: 893: 884: 878: 869: 863: 857: 851: 845: 839: 833: 827: 821: 815: 806: 800: 794: 788: 782: 776: 770: 764: 758: 752: 746: 740: 731: 725: 716: 710: 704: 698: 692: 686: 680: 674: 607:Battle of Harura 402: 400: 239: 229: 222: 215: 206: 205: 182: 181: 175: 116:Victory for the 108: 107: 105: 104: 103: 102:21.4167; 39.8167 98: 94: 91: 90: 89: 86: 60: 59: 48: 28: 27: 1293: 1292: 1288: 1287: 1286: 1284: 1283: 1282: 1273:Sieges of Mecca 1238: 1237: 1210:Bosworth, C. E. 1163: 1137: 1113: 1092: 1068: 991: 986: 978: 974: 966: 962: 956:Wellhausen 1927 954: 950: 944:Wellhausen 1927 942: 938: 930: 919: 911: 902: 896:Wellhausen 1927 894: 887: 879: 872: 864: 860: 852: 848: 842:Wellhausen 1927 840: 836: 830:Wellhausen 1927 828: 824: 820:, p. 1162. 816: 809: 803:Wellhausen 1927 801: 797: 789: 785: 777: 773: 765: 761: 755:Wellhausen 1927 753: 749: 741: 734: 726: 719: 711: 707: 699: 695: 687: 683: 675: 668: 664: 631: 611:Zufar al-Kilabi 597:in August 686. 570: 496: 397: 386: 351:. After nearby 322: 317: 240: 235: 233: 199: 198: 197: 196: 191: 185: 184: 183: 101: 99: 95: 92: 87: 84: 82: 80: 79: 78: 49: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1291: 1281: 1280: 1275: 1270: 1265: 1260: 1255: 1253:680s conflicts 1250: 1234: 1233: 1198:van Donzel, E. 1189: 1167: 1161: 1141: 1135: 1117: 1111: 1096: 1090: 1072: 1066: 1053:, ed. (1989). 1051:Hawting, G. R. 1047: 1008:Kramers, J. H. 1004:Gibb, H. A. R. 996:Gibb, H. A. R. 990: 987: 985: 984: 972: 960: 948: 936: 917: 900: 898:, p. 165. 885: 883:, p. 223. 870: 858: 856:, p. 222. 846: 844:, p. 157. 834: 822: 807: 795: 783: 771: 759: 747: 732: 717: 705: 693: 681: 679:, p. 319. 665: 663: 660: 630: 627: 569: 566: 495: 492: 416:Husayn ibn Ali 401: 661–680 385: 382: 332:. The city of 326:siege of Mecca 319: 318: 316: 315: 310: 305: 300: 295: 289: 288: 282: 281: 275: 265: 260: 254: 253: 245: 242: 241: 232: 231: 224: 217: 209: 201: 200: 187: 186: 177: 176: 170: 169: 168: 167: 164: 163: 155: 149: 148: 144: 143: 136: 130: 129: 125: 124: 121: 120: 114: 110: 109: 74: 72: 68: 67: 64: 56: 55: 41: 40: 33: 32: 31:Siege of Mecca 23:Siege of Mecca 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1290: 1279: 1276: 1274: 1271: 1269: 1266: 1264: 1261: 1259: 1256: 1254: 1251: 1249: 1246: 1245: 1243: 1236: 1230: 1226: 1222: 1218: 1216: 1211: 1207: 1203: 1199: 1195: 1190: 1186: 1182: 1178: 1177: 1172: 1168: 1164: 1162:90-04-08265-4 1158: 1154: 1150: 1146: 1142: 1138: 1132: 1128: 1127: 1122: 1121:Kennedy, Hugh 1118: 1114: 1108: 1104: 1103: 1097: 1093: 1091:0-415-24072-7 1087: 1083: 1082: 1077: 1073: 1069: 1063: 1059: 1058: 1052: 1048: 1044: 1040: 1036: 1032: 1030: 1025: 1021: 1017: 1013: 1009: 1005: 1001: 997: 993: 992: 981: 976: 969: 964: 957: 952: 945: 940: 934:, p. 55. 933: 928: 926: 924: 922: 915:, p. 48. 914: 909: 907: 905: 897: 892: 890: 882: 877: 875: 867: 862: 855: 850: 843: 838: 831: 826: 819: 814: 812: 804: 799: 793:, p. 90. 792: 787: 780: 775: 768: 763: 756: 751: 745:, p. 47. 744: 739: 737: 730:, p. 89. 729: 724: 722: 714: 709: 702: 697: 690: 685: 678: 673: 671: 666: 659: 657: 653: 649: 642: 641: 635: 626: 624: 620: 616: 612: 608: 604: 600: 596: 592: 588: 584: 580: 576: 565: 563: 559: 553: 551: 547: 543: 539: 534: 532: 528: 524: 520: 516: 512: 507: 505: 501: 491: 489: 484: 480: 476: 472: 467: 462: 460: 456: 455: 450: 445: 441: 437: 433: 429: 425: 421: 417: 414: 410: 406: 395: 391: 381: 379: 374: 370: 366: 362: 358: 354: 350: 347: 343: 339: 335: 331: 327: 314: 311: 309: 306: 304: 301: 299: 296: 294: 291: 290: 287: 284: 283: 279: 276: 274: 270: 266: 264: 261: 259: 256: 255: 251: 247: 246: 243: 238: 230: 225: 223: 218: 216: 211: 210: 207: 195: 190: 174: 165: 162: 159: 156: 154: 151: 150: 145: 141: 137: 135: 132: 131: 126: 119: 115: 112: 111: 106: 77: 73: 70: 69: 65: 62: 61: 57: 53: 47: 42: 39: 34: 29: 24: 19: 1263:Second Fitna 1235: 1220: 1213: 1175: 1152: 1125: 1101: 1080: 1055: 1034: 1027: 980:Kennedy 2004 975: 968:Hawting 2000 963: 951: 939: 913:Hawting 2000 866:Hawting 1989 861: 849: 837: 825: 818:Lammens 1987 798: 791:Kennedy 2004 786: 779:Hawting 2000 774: 767:Kennedy 2004 762: 750: 743:Hawting 2000 728:Kennedy 2004 713:Hawting 2000 708: 696: 689:Hawting 2000 684: 655: 651: 645: 639: 599:Abd al-Malik 571: 554: 550:G.R. Hawting 538:Grand Mosque 535: 508: 497: 463: 452: 448: 387: 355:, the other 330:Second Fitna 325: 323: 297: 263:Ayn al-Warda 237:Second Fitna 194:Saudi Arabia 128:Belligerents 38:Second Fitna 36:Part of the 18: 1206:Pellat, Ch. 1145:Lammens, H. 1024:Pellat, Ch. 1016:Schacht, J. 881:Howard 1990 854:Howard 1990 562:Mu'awiya II 546:Black Stone 100: / 1242:Categories 1219:Volume IV: 662:References 519:Kharijites 394:Mu'awiya I 384:Background 303:Marj Rahit 269:al-Mukhtar 267:Revolt of 88:39°49′00″E 85:21°25′00″N 1229:758278456 1202:Lewis, B. 1185:752790641 1043:495469456 1033:Volume I: 1020:Lewis, B. 932:Gibb 1960 701:Gibb 1960 648:Ibn Abbas 568:Aftermath 531:catapults 504:al-Tabari 357:holy city 342:Caliphate 313:2nd Mecca 298:1st Mecca 1221:Iran–Kha 1212:(eds.). 1173:(1927). 1147:(1987). 1123:(2004). 1078:(2000). 1026:(eds.). 998:(1960). 587:defeated 558:Damascus 428:Abu Bakr 420:Muhammad 293:Al-Harra 140:Zubayrid 71:Location 1194:"Ka'ba" 989:Sources 479:Syrians 459:Quraysh 422:), and 409:Medinan 405:Yazid I 349:Yazid I 346:Umayyad 344:by the 258:Karbala 252:risings 142:Meccans 1227:  1208:& 1183:  1159:  1133:  1109:  1088:  1064:  1041:  1022:& 603:Mus'ab 523:Yamama 432:A'isha 353:Medina 308:Maskin 273:Khazir 113:Result 1196:. In 1057:64–66 1002:. In 656:hatīm 652:hatīm 640:hatīm 595:Mosul 593:near 579:Egypt 542:Kaaba 521:from 494:Siege 466:Ansar 454:shūrā 436:Mecca 373:Syria 365:Kaaba 361:Islam 334:Mecca 76:Mecca 52:Kaaba 1225:OCLC 1181:OCLC 1157:ISBN 1131:ISBN 1107:ISBN 1086:ISBN 1062:ISBN 1039:OCLC 615:Qays 585:was 583:Iraq 440:Kufa 413:Alid 324:The 250:Alid 248:Pro- 138:Pro- 63:Date 50:The 1248:683 1035:A–B 613:'s 359:of 1244:: 1217:. 1204:; 1200:; 1031:. 1018:; 1014:; 1010:; 1006:; 920:^ 903:^ 888:^ 873:^ 810:^ 735:^ 720:^ 669:^ 399:r. 392:, 1231:. 1187:. 1165:. 1139:. 1115:. 1094:. 1070:. 1045:. 447:( 396:( 280:) 271:( 228:e 221:t 214:v 25:.

Index

Siege of Mecca
Second Fitna

Kaaba
Mecca
21°25′00″N 39°49′00″E / 21.4167°N 39.8167°E / 21.4167; 39.8167
Zubayrid Caliphate
Umayyad Caliphate
Zubayrid
Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni
Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr
Mukhtar al-Thaqafi
Siege of Mecca (683) is located in Saudi Arabia
class=notpageimage|
Saudi Arabia
v
t
e
Second Fitna
Alid
Karbala
Ayn al-Warda
al-Mukhtar
Khazir
Madhar & Harura
Ibn al-Zubayr's Revolt
Al-Harra
1st Mecca
Marj Rahit
Maskin

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