Ibn Tabataba facts for kids

Abū ʿAbdallāh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Ismāʿīl al-Dībāj ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ghamr ibn al-Ḥasan al-Muthannā (died 15 February 815), known as Ibn Ṭabāṭabā, was a leader from the Hasanid family. He became the public face of an unsuccessful rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate in 814–815. This happened during a big civil war known as the Fourth Fitna.

Who Was Ibn Tabataba?

Ibn Tabataba was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his grandson, Hasan. He was part of a group called the Zaydis, who believed that leadership should come from the Prophet's family.

Early Life and the Name Tabataba

The special name Ṭabāṭabā was given to either Ibn Tabataba's father or grandfather. Some say it was because of a small speech problem. But it was also a common way to describe people who were related to the Prophet Muhammad on both their mother's and father's sides.

Ibn Tabataba lived in a city called Medina. One day, a man named Nasr ibn Shabath came to him. Nasr wanted Ibn Tabataba to become a religious and political leader, known as an imam. This made Ibn Tabataba want to lead, so he followed Nasr to a region called Iraq.

The Start of an Uprising

However, when Ibn Tabataba arrived in Iraq, Nasr's friends didn't want him to be the leader. They even offered him 5,000 gold coins to go back to Medina! Ibn Tabataba refused the money but started his journey home.

On his way, he heard about another rebellion being planned by a man named Abu'l-Saraya. Abu'l-Saraya was gathering his Zaydi followers near the tomb of al-Husayn, another important figure in Islamic history. Ibn Tabataba immediately went to Kufa, a city known for supporting the Prophet's family.

In Kufa, Ibn Tabataba managed to get only a few people to join him. These people were not well-armed. The two groups, Ibn Tabataba's and Abu'l-Saraya's, met outside Kufa. On 27 December 814, Abu'l-Saraya announced Ibn Tabataba as the "commander of the faithful." He also explained the goals of their uprising in a public speech.

Leading the Revolt

Even though Ibn Tabataba was called the "commander," he was mostly just a public figure. The real power and decisions were made by Abu'l-Saraya. Many historians believe that Abu'l-Saraya wasn't truly fighting for religious reasons. Instead, he likely saw Ibn Tabataba and the Zaydis as a way to gain power for himself.

The rebellion started well. On 14 February 815, the rebels won a battle against the Abbasid Caliphate's soldiers. These soldiers were sent by al-Hasan ibn Sahl, who was the governor of Iraq for Caliph al-Ma'mun.

The End of the Uprising

There are different stories about how Ibn Tabataba died. Some say he was fighting outside Kufa and got hurt. Others, like the historian al-Tabari, claim that Abu'l-Saraya poisoned him.

On his deathbed, Ibn Tabataba chose another leader, Ali ibn Ubayd Allah, to take his place. But Ali refused and instead suggested Muhammad ibn Zayd. Ibn Tabataba died the very next day, on 15 February 815, in Kufa. The uprising continued for a short time after his death but eventually failed.