ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Biography of Imam `alĪ Ibn AbĪ-tĀlib Transfer of the Capital During the caliphate of `Umar, when Iranian territory was annexed, the Muslims established two new cities in Iraq. One was al-Basrah and the other al-Kūfah. Al-Basrah is a coastal town and al-Kūfah is in the hinterland. Al-Basrah is named after the white and soft rocks found there that are called the same. Al-Kūfah is three miles from al-Hirah.

In 7 A.H., Sa`d ibn Abi-Waqqas moved from al-Mada’in to that place and started living in thatched shacks and thus settled one hundred thousand persons. Because of this settlement of huge numbers the place was called al-Kūfah. The word al-Kūfah has its root in takūf that means gathering. There is another etymological reason for the naming of the city. Because the place is full of small pebbles it is called al-Kūfah. A place that has plenty of stones and pebbles is called al-Kūfah or Kūfan.

Al-Kūfah is located near the banks of the river Euphrates. Its climate is mild and it has plenty of gardens and oases. It has good agricultural production and was of particular interest to the Arabs from the deserts of Hijaz. After a fire accident in their settlement, they constructed houses with bricks and stones. When it became the capital during the caliphate of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s), its importance increased very much.

Because of the biographers’ gathering there, it became the center for scholastic, religious and political excellence. During the Battle of the Camel the people of al-Basrah sided with the party of Jamal and the people of al-Kūfah were with `Ali (a.s). After the battle was over, he made `Abdullah ibn `Abbas the governor of al-Basrah and appointed Hakim and Ziyad for collection of taxes and the chief of the bayt al-mal .

Then he went to al-Kūfah to humor the people there who had wholeheartedly supported him. When he reached al-Mirbad outside al-Basrah, where Umm al-Mu’minin had camped with her army on arrival there, he turned his face towards al-Basrah and said: “All praise to Allah who has sent me out of this worst of lands, which is fast moving towards destruction, is near the sea and far from the blessings of the sky.”[1] When the Imam (a.s) entered the limits of al-Kūfah on 12 Rajab 36 H, the elite of the town, who had already received the tidings of his victory, came out of the town to give him a warm welcome.

They accompanied the Imam (a.s) riding alongside him into the town.