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. They wanted him to reside in the Dar al-Imarah. But the Imam (a.s) did not like to reside there. He straight went to the mosque, offered two genuflections of prayer of thanksgiving and gave a sermon to the gathering. He expressed words of thanks and appreciation to the people of al-Kūfah for their help and cooperation in the successful campaign an al-Basrah. He then went to the locality called al-Rahbah and selected a middle class house for his residence there. He then decided to make al-Kūfah the provisional capital in place of al-Madinah.

This change was necessitated because of the following factors:

(1) Al-Kūfah was strategically located in the middle of the Islamic Domain from where logistically all the regions could be better administered. The borders with Fars were nearby. There were facilities for land and sea voyages. The means of transportation were good. It was a meeting place of travelers from many cities and was a good source of information about the various regions. The edicts of the center could easily be communicated to other regions very easily. The defensive measures could also be organized fast in the event of attack by any alien force. Therefore, when the Syrian forces started attack in different places in the realm, the defense that was organized from al-Kūfah would not have been possible if the capital was in al-Madinah.

(2) It was already seven months since Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) assumed the caliphate, but Mu`awiyah had neither accepted him as the caliph nor extended his hand in bay`ah. In such circumstances, one could not be unconcerned about the possibility of any mischief from him. But there were clear indications that to safeguard his position Mu`awiyah might take military action and commit unnecessary bloodshed. Therefore, the selection of such a place was necessary from where defensive moves could be made at short notice. Al-Kūfah was logistically the best place for the purpose. Al-Kūfah was nearer to Damascus, the head quarters of Mu`awiyah and more easily accessible than from al-Madinah.

[1] Al-Akhbār al-Tiwāl, Page 152

(3) It was experienced from the Battle of the Camel that the number of men who could be mobilized from al-Kūfah was not possible from al-Madinah. Despite the opposition from Abū-Mūsa, a large contingent could be got together from al-Kūfah at a short notice. At the call of the Imam (a.s), 12,000 swordsmen were mobilized for the Battle of the Camel. From al-Madinah hardly a thousand men came. Therefore, it was farsighted to move the capital to al-Kūfah.

(4) Al-Kūfah had the status of a cantonment and military center. Here traditionally the fighting classes were settled. And even their progeny had the same propensity. The people of al-Madinah, because of their affluence were easy going and submissive. Therefore, when the Imam (a.s) declared al-Kūfah as the capital, the people of al-Madinah did not react negatively. In fact, they were happy that now on they might not have to take part in military campaigns! In circumstances when the clouds of war were hovering, peace-loving people may not be depended upon in the event of emergencies.

(5) Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) had already seen that after the demise of the Prophet (a.s), with the exception of a few persons, the people had shown lack of enthusiasm towards him. When they noticed that even after 25 long years of caliphate the conditions were not improving, they opted for his ascension to the caliphate. But not much time had gone by when one group from them had recanted the bay`ah and prepared to fight a battle with him. Those who did not join that group also showed utter unconcern. Therefore, the Quraysh did not seem like cooperating, Banū-Umayyah migrated to Syria as partisans of their kinsman, Mu`awiyah. Banū-Taym wanted talah to become the caliph. Banū-`Adi were in favor of `Abdullah ibn `Umar who had abstained from owing allegiance to the Imam (a.s). Thus many persons, for various reasons, were abstaining from giving him the required support. How could they be expected to rise like one if there was an attack from Mu`awiyah!

(6) Al-Madinah, because of it’s religious sanctity was not so much exposed to outside dangers as was Iraq. Mu`awiyah’s sights were focused on Iraq. He wanted to capture it at any cost. Therefore, it was necessary for the Imam (a.s) to stay in al-Kūfah until those dangers subsided. But neither the dangers lessened nor the mischief of Banū-Umayyah under Mu`awiyah. The Imam (a.s), therefore, had to spend the remaining years of his life in al-Kūfah only.