Hamdan Tribe Were Always Obedient to Imam ‘Ali (A.S.)
Hamdan Tribe Were Always Obedient to Imam ‘Ali (A.S.): Hamdan is a large tribe in Yemen. After the Battle of Tabuk, they sent a delegation to the Prophet (S) and in return, in 9 AH the Prophet (S) sent the Commander of the Faithful (‘a) to Yemen to invite them to Islam.
After reading the message of the Prophet (S), all of them embraced Islam. Imam ‘Ali (‘a) wrote a letter to the Prophet (S) about the news of the tribe of Hamdan’s acceptance of Islam in which he sent salutations to Hamdan three times. Upon the receipt of the letter, the Prophet (S) performed prostration of gratitude (sujud shukr) as a token of gratitude for the received news. See Kamil Ibn Athir, vol. 1, pp. 26, 29-30. In praise of them, Imam ‘Ali (‘a) has thus recited: “The Hamdanis are the possessors of the religion and of good manners. They are adorned by their religion, their bravery, and their wrath against enemies at the time of confrontation. If I were the doorkeeper of heaven, I would tell the Hamdanis: ‘Enter therein in tranquility!’” See ‘Aqd al-Farid, vol. 4, p. 339; Waq‘ah Siffin, p. 274.
When Imam ‘Ali (‘a) mobilized people to wage war against Mu‘awiyah, someone protested against him. And since it was probable for him to create disorder while the army was being organized, those witnessing the event put an end to his life by striking him with punches and kicks, and the Imam (‘a) paid his blood money.
In reply to the threat of Mu‘awiyah, Imam ‘Ali (‘a) praised the might and bravery of the tribe of Hamdan, saying: “When I found death as a “red death” (honorable death), then I mobilized the tribe of Hamdan and they also mobilized the tribe of Himyar. See Waqi‘ah Siffin, p. 43.
The tribe of Hamdan was one of the three tribes having the largest number of combatants in the army of Hadrat ‘Ali (‘a).
In one of the encounters in Siffin, members of this tribe, being on the right flank, had shown their unique firmness especially eight hundred from among their youth who remained steadfast till their last breath. One hundred and eighty of them were martyred and wounded; eleven among those who attained martyrdom were commanders. As the banner in the hands of one of them would fall on the ground, another would pick it up, and in the encounter with their opponents the Azud and Bujaylah killed three thousand of them.
In one of the nights during the Battle of Siffin, when Mu‘awiyah along with his four thousand men intended to launch a night assault on the army of Imam ‘Ali (‘a), the tribe of Hamdan was informed of it, and they were on guard, ready for battle till morning.
One day, Mu‘awiyah along with his army engaged in a battle with this tribe but having suffered considerable losses he also left the battlefield and fled. Mu‘awiyah dispatched the tribe of ‘Ak to fight them. The Hamdanis attacked them in such a manner that Mu‘awiyah found no other alternative but to give the order for their withdrawal. Imam ‘Ali (‘a) asked the Hamdanis to subdue the soldiers from the land of Hamas. The Hamdanis stormed and defeated them after an epic engagement with them thus forcing them to withdraw near the station and camp of Mu‘awiyah.
The members of the tribe of Hamdan were always obedient to Imam ‘Ali (‘a). When there was a difference on opinion within the camp of the Imam on the tying of copies of the Qur’an on lances, the commander of this tribe said to the Imam: “We do not have any protest and we will execute any order you will give.”
United Nations Advices Muslim Countries to follow Imam Ali (A.S.)
