قتل تميم بالمشقر

قتل تميم بالمشقر

c. 550 CE

The al-Mushaqqar massacre of Banu Tamim: after Tamim — urged on by Sa'sa'a ibn Najiya, al-Farazdaq's grandfather — plundered Khusraw's Yemeni tax convoy, Khusraw had his Bahrayn governor Azad Firuz 'al-Muka'bbir' (the hand-and-foot cutter) lure Tamim into the fort at Hajar with a promise of provisions; the men were killed, the boys shipped to Persia, and Hawdha ibn Ali — freshly crowned 'dhu al-taj' by Khusraw — begged a hundred captives and freed them 1.

Depth

At a glance

Era
Pre-Islamic Arabia
Region
Arabia
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In time

540550560 c.
Pre-Islamic Arabia

Overview

Ibn al-Athir relates that the Banu Tamim were killed at the fortress of al-Mushaqqar by al-Mukabbir, the agent of Khosrow in Bahrain. This was in the days of Khosrow Anushirvan before Islam, and the date is approximate. 2

The cause

Wahriz sent money and some fine goods from Yemen to Khosrow. When the caravan reached the lands of Tamim, Sa'sa'a ibn Najiya al-Mujashi' called his people to rise against it. They refused, then rose and seized it. 2

The massacre

The men of the caravan went to Hawdha ibn Ali al-Hanafi, who clothed them and went with them to Khosrow. Khosrow was pleased with him and placed a crown on his head, and he was called "the crowned". Hawdha told Khosrow about the Tamim that there was nothing between them and him but death, so Khosrow ordered his agent to kill the Banu Tamim. A crier called that whoever of them was at Hajar should come to receive provisions. When they entered al-Mushaqqar, their men were killed and their boys were spared, and he took them across to Fars. 2

Qa'nab al-Riyahi, the horseman of Rabi'a, was killed that day. Hawdha asked al-Mukabbir for a hundred captives and freed them. 2

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
أزاد فيروز المكعبر· Banu Tamim· صعصعة بن ناجية· هوذة بن علي الحنفي

People and things also explored

Banu Tamim· صعصعة بن ناجية· The delegation of Banu Tamim and the boasting contest· يوم الجفار (الصيلم)· يوم النسار· يوم ذي نجب· Banu Darim· Banu Hanifa

Sources

  1. al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p. 349
  2. al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p.349
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “قتل تميم بالمشقر”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/mushaqqar-massacre/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.

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Related

Banu Tamim

A large Arab tribe descended from Tamim ibn Murr; its clans in juz' 4 include Darim, Bahdala and Minqar. Its delegation under Utarid ibn Hajib came to the Prophet in the Year of Delegations, 9 AH, challenged him with their orator and poet, then accepted Islam; the opening of sura al-Hujurat was revealed about them. Ibn Ishaq also records that Bishr ibn al-Harith al-Sahmi had a maternal half-brother in the tribe, Sa'id ibn Amr.