Re: Hur, Ibn-e-Zubair and Theory of relativity
1-Hur b Yazid’s character is overly glorified in present day Imami shia culture.He and his son were not the only ones who defected from army of ibn Sa’d to Hussain.According to ibn Kathir in Al bidaya 40 noblemen of Kufa did so and the number of those killed with Hussain is closer to 150 rather than 72.Hur’s example makes a tragic tale which moves the masses to tears and it has become a convention thats why his story is told again and again.However it should be said in Hur’s defence that he choose certain death unlike other opponents of Yazid who atleast had some chance of survival and even success.
But its wrong to just remember him and not others, I certainly agree with you on this.
2-12er imami shias would have no interest in remembering Abduallh b zubair, their religion comes ( according to them ) from their imam’s teaching anybody elses stance is of no importance to them.Even if these people are bloodline of Hussain/hasan e.g have u attended any majalis about Zayd b ali’s or nafs az zakiyah’s uprisings ? or those of the tawwabun ? even though these people are closely related to Hussain b ali and fighting against tyrants
3-Why should we stop at Abdullah b zubair ? why not remember Tawwabun and Abdullah b Hanzala at Harra ? are they any inferior to ibn zubair in anyway ?
4-Another reason why the uprsising of ibn zubair is forgotten is because the sunni fiqahs which evolved in the late ummayyad and abbassid period did not glorify periods of intra-sahaba warfare.This was not encouraged by the tyrant rulers and the imams had no option but to stifle dissent and approve of the rulers of their time.Even though earlier imams politically oppossed tyrnats of their time e.g Imam-e-Azam Abu hanifa and Imam Malik.
5-Abduallah b zubairs uprising did not have any clear ideological goals.Ibn Zubair is like Mukhtar Thaqafi in this respect a political maverick and a survivor who always managed to make alliances with his former enemies to defeat his present foes.E.g ibn zubairs allies included Mukhtar at a time,Ibrahim b Malik Al Ashtar the famous enemy of uthman ( even though ibn zubair was himself uthmanid).Previously ibn zubair was an ally of ummayyads when he led the disastrous campaign against Ali with his aunt Aisha, consequently one of ibn zubairs brother amr was a ummayyad and his later opponent.Khawarij factions also at several times supported ibn zubair.These political manoverings enabled him to survive for a long time but did not give his movement any clear direction.And when push came to shove all of ibn zubairs allies deserted him and his empire collapsed like a house of cards ( much like Mukhtar Thaqavi).Moreover he could not leave behind a band of dedicated followers like Alids did who would keep his movement going.
5-Lastly ibn zubair died as a staunch opponent of ummayyads and esp of Hajjaj b yusuf who crucified his body.For fascist arab historians ummayyads and esp hajjaj are great heroes (we see in our own country the hero worship of muhammad b qasim the scoundral who flogged the Tabi’i Attiya b Sa’d r.a who was a disciple of Abdullah b Abbas r.a).They clearly did not see ibn zubairs uprising as a revolt against tyranny but a unneccesary diversion from other conquests.
As later imams would prohibit armed uprsiisngs against tyrants but encouraged obediance ( which was the opinion of certain sahaba like abduallh b umar r.a ) it was difficult to justify ibn zubairs actions.Since it became accepted in sunni and imami shia ideology not to lead armed rebellions against tyrants.