The Qur’anic prophecy

regarding Hakam and his sons

The prophecies which have been narrated regarding the Umayyad rule are either with their reference in general, or about a few of them specifically, like Abu Sufiyan, Hakam, and one of their sons.

The narrations which we will mention in this regard, are the ones that have been narrated by the renowned Sunni clerics.

Suyooti has narrated in his Tafseer from Ibn e Abi Hatim who narrated from the son of Umar:

The Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) said:

‘I saw the sons of Hakam bin Abil Aas seated on the pulpits, like apes, the Almighty Allah said in this regard:

(وَمٰا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْیَا الَّتِی أَرَیْنٰاکَ اِلاّٰ فِتْنَةً لِلنّٰاسِ وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُوْنَةَ )[1]

“We did not appoint that vision that We showed you except as a test for the people and the tree cursed in the Qur’an.”

‘Shajara e Mal’oona’ or the cursed lineage is of Hakam and his sons.

Suyooti has also narrated from Ayesha that she said to Marwan bin Hakam: I have heard from the Holy Prophet regarding your father and grandfather:

انکم الشجرة الملعونة فی القرآن۔

‘You are the lineage that has been cursed in the Holy Quran’.[2]

Aloosi has also mentioned in his Tafseer that the Holy Prophet said:

رأیت ولد الحکم بن ابی العاص علی المنابر کأٔنھم القردة، و أنزل اللّٰہ تعالی فی ذلک: (وَمٰا جَعَلْنٰا....)، والشجرة الملعونة الحکم وولدہ

‘I saw the sons of Hakam bin Al Aas on the pulpits, they were like apes, the Almighty Allah revealed the verse ‘Wa ma Ja’alna’ in this regard. The cursed lineage or ‘Shajara e Mal’oona’ is Hakam and his sons.[3]

Qartabi has also narrated in his Tafseer:

انہ رأی فی المنام بنی مروان ینزون علی منبرہ نزو القردة، فساء ذلک فقیل: انّما ھی الدّنیا أعطوھا، فسرّی عنہ و ما کان لہ بمکّة منبر و لکنّہ یجوز أن یری بمکّة رؤیا المنبر بالمدینة۔

‘The Holy Prophet saw in his dream that the sons of Marwan are jumping on his pulpit like apes. He was extremely saddened by this incident. It was said to the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) that it is just this world where they have been given the rule. His grief diminished on hearing this word. There was no pulpit for the Holy Prophet in Mecca but he had seen his pulpit of Medina in this dream seen in Mecca’’.[4]

Shaukani has mentioned this narration in his Tafseer. The Holy Prophet said:

رأیت ولد الحکم بن ابی العاص علی المنابر کأنھم القردة ، فأنزل اللّٰہ ھذہ الآیة

I saw the sons of Hakam bin Abil Aas on the pulpits and they were like apes. Then, the Almighty Allah revealed this verse ‘Wa ma Ja’alna’.[5]

Fakhr e Razi has also narrated in his Tafseer with reference to this verse:

... رأی رسول اللّٰہ صلی الله علیه وآله وسلم فی المنام انّ ولد مروان یتداولون منبرہ، فقصّ رؤیاہ علی أبی بکر و عمر و قد خلا فی بیتہ معھما، فلمّا تفرّقوا سمع رسول اللّٰہ صلی الله علیه وآله وسلم الحکم یخبر رسول اللہ صلی الله علیه وآله وسلم، فاشتدّ ذلک علیہ ۔و ممّا یؤکدہ ھذا التأویل قول عایشہ لمروان:  لعن اللّٰہ أباک و أنت فی صلبہ، فأنت بعض من لعنہ اللّٰہ[6]

“The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) saw in a dream that the sons of Marwan have placed their foot on his pulpit, he narrated his dream to Abu Bakr and Umar, both of them were alone in his house with him. After they left, the Holy Prophet heard that Hakam quoted this incident narrated by him. This incident extremely saddened his holiness and he was deeply aggrieved (as those two informed Hakam of the conversation that took place in solitude).”

That which emphasises on the inner meaning of this verse is the words of Ayesha said to Marwan that the Almighty Allah has cursed his father while he was in his father’s loin, hence you are cursed as well.

Suyooti has also mentioned this narration with reference to this verse in another manner:

رأی  رسول اللّٰہ صلی الله علیه وآله وسلم بنی الحکم بن أبی العاص ینزون علی منبرہ نزو القردة، فساء ذلک، فما استجمع ضاحکاً حتّی مات و أنزل اللّٰہ فی ذلک ( وَمٰا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْیَا الَّتِی أَرَیْنٰاکَ اِلاّٰ فِتْنَةً لِلنّٰاسِ)[7]

‘The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) saw in his dream that the sons of Hakam bin Abil Aas are jumping on his pulpit like apes; he became extremely aggrieved of this incident and did not bring a smile to his face till the end of his life.’

Zamakhshari has also mentioned this meaning in his Tafseer but in another words; he has narrated the incident related to the verse ‘Wa ma ja’alna…’ in this manner:

رأی فی المنام أنّ ولد الحکم یتداولون منبرہ کما یتداول الصبیان الکرّة [8]

‘‘The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) saw that the sons of Hakam are strangling with each other for his pulpit like the children do.’’