The Analysis Of Kufah

In order to understand the political, social and economical situation of Kufa prior to the event of Karbalah one needs to delve into the history in order to get a clear picture of how  Kufa was developed into a state. It was founded during the leadership of Umar Ibn Khataab  (la), and it was inhabited by more than one thousand Companions of the  Prophet (saw)  including twenty-four who had participated in the battle of Badr. Notable Sunni scholars such as  Allamah Shibli Naumani in his famous book 'Al-Farooq' had praised Umar ibn Khataab (la) for the construction of city of Kufa:-


"When a number of cities were conquered, Saad bin Waqqas wrote to Omer that Arabs are becoming spoiled (with all the successes), Omer wrote back to find a spot that has both land and sea strategic importance. Hence Suleiman Hazeefah choose the land of Kufa and named it such.


The city was founded in 17 AH and, as Omar had expressly commanded, houses sufficient to lodge forty thousand persons were constructed. Arab tribes were allotted separate quarters under the supervision of Hayaj ibn Malik. Omar had given explicit instructions with regard to the planning of the city as well as its construction.... the Jami Masjid was built on a raised squared platform and was so spacious that forty thousand persons could pray in it at one time."


Source: Al Farooq, Vol 2, page #  94 - 95

 

"Besides the Jami Masjid, separate mosques were built for each tribe based quarter of the city. Among the settled tribes in Kufah were twelve thousand men from Yemen and eight thousand from the Nazar Clan. There were numerous other tribes settled such as Saleem, Saqeef, Humdaan, Bajablah, Nim-ul Lat, Taghlab, Bani Asad, Nakha, Kindah, Azd, Mazainah, Tamim Muharab, Asad and Amirm Jadilah and Akhlat, Juhaina, Muhjaz, Hawazin, etc".


"In Omar's lifetime the city came to attain such greatness and splendor that the Caliph called it the head of Islam. It had indeed become a center of Arab power".


Source : Al Faruq, Vol 2, pg. # 96

 

These historical facts have also been recorded in:-

Source: Al-Kamel Fi Tarikh Ibn Athir Vol 2 Pg. #  37 - 375,  Fotuh ul-Boldan Balazari  Pg. # 387 - 389, Balazari Pg. # 387 - 389, Tarikh ul-Islam al-Zahabi Pg. # 170, Tarikh Tabari Vol 4, Pg. # 44 -  47

There is no doubting that the Kufan residents were loyal to the leadership of the Sheikhan to the extent that they deemed Kufa to be the head of Islam. Now if the Nawasib are still delusional in regards to this, we would like to question them to clarify to us would the mosque that holds 40 thousand worshippers were they all Shi'ee Imami mosques? Was Umar (la) intent on developing a huge Shi'ee city, wherein beliefs centered cursing him and affirming that Alee (a.s) was the true leader of the Prophet?

We are not able to find any valid sources from the history of Islam that affirm that at the time of Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s) the majority of Kufans were Imami Shias on the contrary we find numerous sources that tell us clearly that the majority of Kufans were followers of Uthmaan bin Affan (l.a). And their hostality towards the Ahlulbayt (a.s)  is evident to the extent that some of these Uthmaan Shi'ee used to curse Alee bin Abi Taalib (a.s).

(وكان من شيعه عثمان من يسب علي ويجهر بذلك على المنابر وغيرها لأجل القتال الذي كان بينهم وبينه.)