Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd al Thaqafi was an early Islamic revolutionary who led an abortive rebellion against the Umayyid Caliphs who ruled the Muslim world after the murder of the fourth Caliph, Ali ibn Abu Talib.

Life

Al-Mukhtar was born in Ta'if in 622 CE, 1 AH, the year Muhammad began the Migration to Medina. He was the son of a martyr in one of the first Islamic battles, and grew up in Medina while it was under the rule of Muhammad.

When Yazid I, the third Umayyid Caliph, took power in 683, an increasing number of Muslims were dissatisfied with their government, and the hereditary succession of men they saw as bad muslims and rulers.

The rebellion which broke out in 686 CE was supported by the faction of Muslims. Al-Mukhtar led the rebellion, which was launched from Kufa, in present-day Iraq. It is rumored that he was rebelling on behalf of Ali's son Husayn ibn Ali, after he was martyred in Karbala by the army of Yazid. Al-Mukhtar was in prison whilst the tragedy of Karabala was taking place, or so it is said in his defense as he was not present but was later hailed as a supporter of Hussein. After he was out of prison, he found out about what happened in Karbala. So he set out to avange the grandson of Mohammad's death.

Al-Mukhtar was defeated and killed by the forces under the command of Musa'ab ibn Al Zubair outside of Kufa in April 687, and many of his followers were killed in the subsequent repression.

Al-Mukhtar struggle was not a revolution for power. It was for the revange of killings of house holds of Muhammad. He found and killed each and every person had eiher killed or had helped in the killing of house hold of Muhammad.

At a moment he was sentenced and was about to be killed by a governor of Yazid(Laen). That time he said that I have not finished a task which Imam Ali has said that I will be doing, So, no body can kill me and in an interesting sequence he was saved.

For reference read MUKHTARNAMA

Legacy

Some of his remaining followers constituted a distinct sect, known as the Kaysanites Shia, which continued to exist-awaiting al-Hanifiya's return-for the next two hundred years. A large scale television series about him is being produced in Iran. Filming began in 2003 and is expected to end mid-2008.

References

• Islamic Apocalyptic Movements in Modern Iran