5.Masrooq bin Ajda e Hamadani e Koofi

Masrooq bin Ajda e Koofi was one of the judges of the Umayyads. He was one of the stern enemies of the Leader of the Faithful, Ali (a.s.) and used to excessively abuse and swear against him.

          Whenever Shuraih was unavailable in Kufa, he used to replace him on the judicial post. Significant details are mentioned about him in the book ‘Baaztaab e Tafakkur e Othmani’:

‘Masrooq bin Ajda e Hamadani e Koofi (63 Hijrah)[1]:

Ajda means someone whose nose is cut off and it is the name of Satan also. Umar changed this name to Abdur Rahman[2]. He was one of the five close companions of Abdullah bin Masood and according to the opinion of a few, the first amongst the five.[3] He is amongst the jurisprudents and commentators who came after the time of Prophet and one of the eight pious worshippers of Kufah[4], such that he never used to arrange food for his family and always said: ‘God will take care of our livelihood’.[5]

          His student Sha’bi says: ‘As per his Fatwas, Masrooq was more learned than Shuraih but Shuraih never used to consult Masrooq, although Masrooq was independent of Shuraih. After Alqama, he was the cheif of all the interpreters in Kufa.[6] Zahabi has also regarded him as the cheif in interpretation and a cleric who was well aware of the Book of Allah.[7]

          He was one of the warriors in Qadsiyya[8] and of Othmani faith[9], he used to invite the people of Kufah for supporting and backing Othman[10]. Moreover, Masrooq managed to deviate Abu Waael, who belonged to the Alavi sect, towards the Othmani sect with his speeches and preaching[11]. He often went along with Aswad e Nakhei to Aaesha and abused Ali (a.s.).[12] He fled along with Marra e Hamadani towards Qazween after receiving their grants from the leader of the faithful, Ali (a.s.).[13]

Masrooq had extreme hatred against Ali (a.s.) and used to oppose him, even his wife used to say that Masrooq exaggerates in abusing Ali (a.s.). He is considered as one of the three men (Masrooq, Marra and Shuraih) who did not have faith in Ali (a.s.).[14] Therefore, he did not participate in any of the battles of Ali (a.s.) and when he was asked: ‘O Masrooq! Why did you not support Ali in his battles?’ He said: ‘If you find two groups standing in opposition to each other and an Angel comes down and says: “And kill not one another; indeed, Allah is ever Merciful unto you”[15], will this not prevent you from this action? They asked: ‘Why?’ Masrooq replied: ‘I swear to God that such an Angel (Gabriel) has arrived and such a verse has descended on the Prophet and this verse is an evident one which has not been abrogated![16]

It has arrived in a tradition that he said these words at the battlefield of Siffeen between the two armies and went away.[17] Therefore, Allama Shustari has rejected the tradition which states that Masrooq fought along with Ali (a.s.) in the battle of Nehrwaan and he stated that even if it is accepted, even the Umayyads considered the war against Khawarij to be legal. This issue cannot be marked as a positive point for Masrooq with respect to his past actions and stands. Moreover, there is a tradition in which Aisha refers to him as her son, which is a proof over his viciousness.[18]

          He took such a stand against Ali, (a.s.) but was once an envoy (tax collector) of Mu’awiyah and then the Judge of Wasit. He died holding this same status.[19]

He used to say: ‘Zyaad, Shuraih and Satan, compelled me to accept this position[20], although, whenever Zyaad used to take Shuraih along with him to Basra, Masrooq used to take care of the judicial issues of Kufah. [21]

          The kind of stand that could be taken by a person with such a political viewpoint against the uprising of Karbala, is evident. Therefore, he was the supporter of Obaidullah bin Ziyad.[22] Masrooq died in the year 63 Hijri[23] in Kufah and made a request in his will to be buried in the graveyard of Jews.[24] [25]  

        Those who seek the truth and wish to derive the realities from the historical reports, should think deeply about this will.

          How could a person who held the first or the second judicial position of such a vast territory at that time, ask in his will to be buried in the graveyard of Jews?! Did the people who held high positions not have relations with the Jews? Did the request made by a person, who was so called the face of the religious judiciary, to be buried in the graveyard of Jews, not become a cause of the propagation or the inclination towards the Jews?

     Why were such shameful acts committed by the heads of the Umayyad rule? Has the time not come for the people to be aware of their disgraceful behavior and to know that these were the thieves of the Caliphate and not the symbols of faithfulness?

          Along with his will to be buried in the graveyard of the Jews, Masrooq also gave a statement in order to explain his will, which turned out to be more disgraceful and outrageous. He said that he will come out of his grave in such a state that there will be no one who would have faith in God and his Messenger except for him!

Masrooq was one of the commanders of the army of Ibn e Zyaad.[26]

Masrooq was amongst those Kufi men who used to abuse Ali (a.s.).[27]

Whereas Masrooq has narrated from Aisha that she asked the Holy Prophet:

یا رسول اللّٰہ؛من الخلیفة من بعدک

قال:خاصف النعل

قالت:من خاصف النعل

قال:انظر ،فنظرت فاذا علی بن ابی طالب علیھما السلام

قالت :یا رسول اللّٰہ؛ذاک علی بن ابی طالب

قال :ھو ذاک۔

‘Who will be your successor after your demise? He said: The one who is stitching his shoe. I asked: Who is the one stitching a shoe? He said: Look! When I looked, I found that it was Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.). I said: O Messenger of Allah! It is Ali bin Abi Talib. He said: Yes, he is the one. [28]

          Ibn e Maghazili has mentioned in his book ‘Manaqib: 55’ that Aisha used to regard Masrooq as her own son and used to tell her: You are my son and the most beloved one amongst them.

Masrooq said to Aisha: O mother! I ask you for the sake of Allah, His Messenger and myself, as I am one of yours sons, regarding Mukhdaj who was killed in the war against the Khawarij. What have you heard from the Prophet about them?

Aisha said: I have heard that the Holy Prophet said:

ھم شرّالخلق والخلیقة، یقتلھم خیرالخلق والخلیقة،وأقربھم عند اللّٰہ وسیلة

‘They are the worst of the creations and they will be killed by someone who is the best of the creations and the most beloved of them near Allah.’[29]