Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni | |
|---|---|
| Governor ofJund Hims | |
| In office 680–683 | |
| Monarch | Yazid I |
| Succeeded by | Nu'man ibn Bashir al-Ansari |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 5/6 August 686 |
| Relations | Mu'awiya ibn Yazid (grandson) |
| Children | Yazid ibn Husayn |
| Parent | Numayr |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Mu'awiya I (657–c. 661) Umayyad Caliphate (661–death) |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Siffin (657) Raids onAsia Minor (678 and 681/682) Battle of al-Harra (683) Siege of Mecca (683) Battle of Ayn al-Warda (685) Battle of Khazir † (686) |
Al-Ḥuṣayn ibn Numayr al-Sakūnī (died 5/6 August 686) was a leading general of the earlyUmayyad Caliphate, from the Sakun subtribe of theKinda.[1]
A man of his name is recorded as being responsible for the pacification ofHadramawt in 632, during theRidda Wars, but most scholars reject an identity with the Umayyad general.[1][2] Husayn is first securely attested at theBattle of Siffin in 657, where he fought for theUmayyads.[1] He is also mentioned as the leader of summer raids intoByzantineAsia Minor in 678 and 681/682.[2]
UnderYazid I (r. 680–683) he became governor of theJund Hims (military district ofHoms), and in this capacity served in the expedition sent against the rebellion inMedina andMecca in 683, under the command ofMuslim ibn Uqba. After Muslim's death, he succeeded him in command of the campaign andlaid siege toIbn al-Zubayr in Mecca for two months. It was during this siege that theKaaba burned down. Husayn maintained the siege for two months, until news reached him of Yazid's death. He then offered to recognize Ibn al-Zubayr as Caliph, provided that he would come toSyria, but when the latter refused, Husayn turned his army back.[1][2]
Back in Syria, he played an important role in securing the Umayyad family's nomination of the experienced, though elderly,Marwan ibn al-Hakam as Caliph, instead of Yazid's young sonKhalid.[1][2] The leading Umayyad commander,Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, then sent him to theJazira, where, on 6 January 685, he defeated theShi'a sect of the Penitents at theBattle of Ayn al-Warda.[1][2] Husayn also participated in the attempted reconquest ofIraq underUbayd Allah ibn Ziyad, and like him, fell at theBattle of Khazir on 5 or 6 August 686.[1][2]
His son, Yazid ibn Husayn, also fought for the Umayyads in theSecond Civil War and served as governor of Hims forUmar II (r. 717–720), while his grandson Mu'awiya also served as governor of Hims forYazid III (r. 743–744), but went over toMarwan II (r. 744–750) during theThird Civil War.[2]
