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Sufyan ibn Awf

January 12, 2023

Sufyān ibn ʿAwf ibn al-Mughaffal al-Azdī al-Ghāmidī (Arabic: سفيان بن عوف بن المغفل الأزدي الغامدي) (died 672 or 673/674) was an Arab commander in the service of the Rashidun caliphs Umar (r. 634–644) and Uthman (r. 644–656) and the Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I (r. 661–680). He fought as a partisan of Mu'awiya against Caliph Ali during the First Muslim Civil War, leading a raid against the latter's forces in Iraq. Throughout his military career, he was major commander in the wars with the Byzantine Empire. Though the medieval Arabic, Greek and Syriac accounts are not entirely consistent, he most likely was at the head of a large Arab army that was decisively defeated by the Byzantines in 673/74 and was slain during the battle.

Life

Sufyan belonged to the Ghamid branch of the Azd Sarat tribe resident in the southern Hejaz (western Arabia).[1] He was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[2] During the Muslim conquest of Byzantine Syria, he took part in the siege and capture of Damascus in 634 or 635 as a lieutenant of Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah.[3] During the caliphate of Uthman (r. 644–656), he became a loyalist of Syria's governor Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan.[3] For a certain period, the latter appointed Sufyan ṣāḥib al-ṣawāʾif, i.e. chief commander of the summer expeditions into Byzantine territory in Anatolia, across the northern frontier.[2][4]

During the First Muslim Civil War between Mu'awiya and Caliph Ali (r. 656–661), Sufyan led a raid against Ali's positions in Iraq in 659/660[5] or the summer of 660.[6] Sufyan first reached Hit and Sandawda, both on the west bank of the Euphrates, and upon finding them deserted by their garrisons and inhabitants, who fled at the news of Sufyan's impending assault, he proceeded toward Anbar, on the east bank of the river.[7] During the attack, the commander of the Anbar garrison, Ashras ibn Hassan al-Bakri, and thirty of his soldiers were slain.[8][5] After looting the town, Sufyan withdrew to Syria without proceeding to al-Mada'in as instructed by Mu'awiya, who nonetheless praised him for the expedition's efficiency and success.[8] He promised to install Sufyan to any office he wished.[8] The attacks contributed to the flight of many Iraqis to Syria during the war.[8]

Mu'awiya ultimately prevailed in the conflict and became caliph in 661. He restarted the campaigns against Byzantium after the lull caused by the civil war and in 665 appointed Sufyan alongside his own son Yazid to lead a summer raid against the Byzantines; Sufyan and his men entered Byzantine territory before Yazid, but shortly after withdrew as a result of disease.[9] In the medieval Muslim accounts of al-Ya'qubi (d. c. 900) and al-Tabari (d. 923), Sufyan was a commander of a raid against Byzantine territory in 670/71.[10] According to the Muslim traditional historians al-Waqidi (d. 822), Khalifa ibn Khayyat (d. 854), al-Ya'qubi and al-Tabari, Sufyan led an expedition against the Byzantines in 672, during which al-Waqidi and al-Ya'qubi state he died.[11] According to the Syriac historian Theophilus of Edessa (d. 785), Sufyan was slain with 30,000 of his men by a Byzantine army led by the patricians Florus, Petronas and Cyprian in 673/74; Michael the Syrian (d. 1199) further notes that the location of the battle was at a Lycian coastal city under siege by the Arabs.[12] The battle was a turning point at this stage of the Arab–Byzantine wars, setting the Byzantines up for a counter-offensive over the following several years.[13] In the biography of Sufyan by Ibn Asakir (d. 1176), Sufyan is said to have been killed in Byzantine territory in 674.[14]

References

  1. ^ Ulrich 2008, pp. 87, 99.
  2. ^ a b Elad 2003, p. 108.
  3. ^ a b Biesterfeldt & Günther 2018, p. 809, note 1164.
  4. ^ Biesterfeldt & Günther 2018, p. 809.
  5. ^ a b Biesterfeldt & Günther 2018, p. 853, note 1412.
  6. ^ Madelung 1997, p. 293, note 549.
  7. ^ Madelung 1997, p. 293.
  8. ^ a b c d Madelung 1997, p. 294.
  9. ^ Biesterfeldt & Günther 2018, p. 905.
  10. ^ Jankowiak 2013, p. 267.
  11. ^ Jankowiak 2013, pp. 266–267.
  12. ^ Jankowiak 2013, pp. 246, 276.
  13. ^ Jankowiak 2013, p. 276.
  14. ^ Jankowiak 2013, p. 279, note 178.

Bibliography

  • Biesterfeldt, Hinrich; Günther, Sebastian (2018). The Works of Ibn Wāḍiḥ al-Yaʿqūbī (Volume 3): An English Translation. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-35621-4.
  • Elad, Amikam (2003). "The Beginnings of Historical Writing by the Arabs: The Earliest Syrian Writers on the Arab Conquests". Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam. 28: 65–102.
  • Jankowiak, Marek (2013). "The First Arab Siege of Constantinople". In Zuckerman, Constantin (ed.). Travaux et mémoires, Vol. 17: Constructing the Seventh Century. Paris: Association des Amis du Centre d’Histoire et Civilisation de Byzance. pp. 237–320.
  • Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56181-7.
  • Ulrich, Brian John (2008), Constructing Al-Azd: Tribal Identity and Society in the Early Islamic Centuries, Madison: University of Wisconsin

January 12, 2023
sufyan, sufyān, ʿawf, mughaffal, azdī, ghāmidī, arabic, سفيان, بن, عوف, بن, المغفل, الأزدي, الغامدي, died, arab, commander, service, rashidun, caliphs, umar, uthman, umayyad, caliph, awiya, fought, partisan, awiya, against, caliph, during, first, muslim, civil. Sufyan ibn ʿAwf ibn al Mughaffal al Azdi al Ghamidi Arabic سفيان بن عوف بن المغفل الأزدي الغامدي died 672 or 673 674 was an Arab commander in the service of the Rashidun caliphs Umar r 634 644 and Uthman r 644 656 and the Umayyad caliph Mu awiya I r 661 680 He fought as a partisan of Mu awiya against Caliph Ali during the First Muslim Civil War leading a raid against the latter s forces in Iraq Throughout his military career he was major commander in the wars with the Byzantine Empire Though the medieval Arabic Greek and Syriac accounts are not entirely consistent he most likely was at the head of a large Arab army that was decisively defeated by the Byzantines in 673 74 and was slain during the battle Life EditSufyan belonged to the Ghamid branch of the Azd Sarat tribe resident in the southern Hejaz western Arabia 1 He was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad 2 During the Muslim conquest of Byzantine Syria he took part in the siege and capture of Damascus in 634 or 635 as a lieutenant of Abu Ubayda ibn al Jarrah 3 During the caliphate of Uthman r 644 656 he became a loyalist of Syria s governor Mu awiya ibn Abi Sufyan 3 For a certain period the latter appointed Sufyan ṣaḥib al ṣawaʾif i e chief commander of the summer expeditions into Byzantine territory in Anatolia across the northern frontier 2 4 During the First Muslim Civil War between Mu awiya and Caliph Ali r 656 661 Sufyan led a raid against Ali s positions in Iraq in 659 660 5 or the summer of 660 6 Sufyan first reached Hit and Sandawda both on the west bank of the Euphrates and upon finding them deserted by their garrisons and inhabitants who fled at the news of Sufyan s impending assault he proceeded toward Anbar on the east bank of the river 7 During the attack the commander of the Anbar garrison Ashras ibn Hassan al Bakri and thirty of his soldiers were slain 8 5 After looting the town Sufyan withdrew to Syria without proceeding to al Mada in as instructed by Mu awiya who nonetheless praised him for the expedition s efficiency and success 8 He promised to install Sufyan to any office he wished 8 The attacks contributed to the flight of many Iraqis to Syria during the war 8 Mu awiya ultimately prevailed in the conflict and became caliph in 661 He restarted the campaigns against Byzantium after the lull caused by the civil war and in 665 appointed Sufyan alongside his own son Yazid to lead a summer raid against the Byzantines Sufyan and his men entered Byzantine territory before Yazid but shortly after withdrew as a result of disease 9 In the medieval Muslim accounts of al Ya qubi d c 900 and al Tabari d 923 Sufyan was a commander of a raid against Byzantine territory in 670 71 10 According to the Muslim traditional historians al Waqidi d 822 Khalifa ibn Khayyat d 854 al Ya qubi and al Tabari Sufyan led an expedition against the Byzantines in 672 during which al Waqidi and al Ya qubi state he died 11 According to the Syriac historian Theophilus of Edessa d 785 Sufyan was slain with 30 000 of his men by a Byzantine army led by the patricians Florus Petronas and Cyprian in 673 74 Michael the Syrian d 1199 further notes that the location of the battle was at a Lycian coastal city under siege by the Arabs 12 The battle was a turning point at this stage of the Arab Byzantine wars setting the Byzantines up for a counter offensive over the following several years 13 In the biography of Sufyan by Ibn Asakir d 1176 Sufyan is said to have been killed in Byzantine territory in 674 14 References Edit Ulrich 2008 pp 87 99 a b Elad 2003 p 108 a b Biesterfeldt amp Gunther 2018 p 809 note 1164 Biesterfeldt amp Gunther 2018 p 809 a b Biesterfeldt amp Gunther 2018 p 853 note 1412 Madelung 1997 p 293 note 549 Madelung 1997 p 293 a b c d Madelung 1997 p 294 Biesterfeldt amp Gunther 2018 p 905 Jankowiak 2013 p 267 Jankowiak 2013 pp 266 267 Jankowiak 2013 pp 246 276 Jankowiak 2013 p 276 Jankowiak 2013 p 279 note 178 Bibliography EditBiesterfeldt Hinrich Gunther Sebastian 2018 The Works of Ibn Waḍiḥ al Yaʿqubi Volume 3 An English Translation Leiden Brill ISBN 978 90 04 35621 4 Elad Amikam 2003 The Beginnings of Historical Writing by the Arabs The Earliest Syrian Writers on the Arab Conquests Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam 28 65 102 Jankowiak Marek 2013 The First Arab Siege of Constantinople In Zuckerman Constantin ed Travaux et memoires Vol 17 Constructing the Seventh Century Paris Association des Amis du Centre d Histoire et Civilisation de Byzance pp 237 320 Madelung Wilferd 1997 The Succession to Muhammad A Study of the Early Caliphate Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 56181 7 Ulrich Brian John 2008 Constructing Al Azd Tribal Identity and Society in the Early Islamic Centuries Madison University of Wisconsin Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sufyan ibn Awf amp oldid 1119047779, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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