The Sufyānī’s rebellion

The Sufyānī’s rebellion

Sufyānī is a man from the offspring of Abū Sufyān who will revolt a little before Imam Mahdi’s advent. He is one of the evilest people of the time, who will pretend to be religious, deceive many groups of people, kill a lot in some Islamic countries, and deal with his opponents in a heinous way. According to some Hadiths, after taking control of Shām (present-day Syria), he will invade Iraq and its neighborhoods and commit a large-scale massacre there. However, he will rule for only nine months, and overall, it will not take more than 15 months from the beginning of his rebellion until his death.

The rise of Sufyānī is mentioned in many hadith sources of Shiites and Sunnis and is explained as one of the definite signs of Imam al-Mahdi’s advent. In general, the signs of Imam al- Mahdi’s appearance are divided into definite and possible signs which have been mentioned in traditions. Sufyānī is one of those definite sings as we read in a narration from ‘Abd bin al-Malik bin A’yan saying,

«کنت عند ابي جعفر فجري ذکر القائم فقلت له ارجو ان يکون عاجلا و لا سفياني فقال لا والله انه لمن المحتوم الذي لا بد منه»

“I was at the presence of Imam al-Bāqir (the Shia fifth Imam) and we came to talk about the Upriser (Imam al-Mahdi). I told the Imam, ‘I wish the Imam would appear sooner and there was no Sufyānī (to move against him)’. The Imam replied, ‘By God you will not attain your wish. It (the rise of Sufyānī) is a definite sign that has to take place.’”^[1]

Based on other narrations, Sufyānī will rise some months prior to the appearance of the Imam. He is a brutal and bloodthirsty man and will kill many people during his rulership.

Although it is understood from some narrations that Sufyānī is a specific person from the lineage of Abu Sufyān, other narrations imply that he is not exclusively a person, rather this name points to specific characteristics and plans which many people have had during the history.

For instance, there is a narration from Imam Ali bin al-Ḥusayn (the fourth Imam of Shia) saying,

«امر السّفيانى حتم من اللّه و لا يكون قائم الّا بسفيانى»

“The appearance of Sufyānī is one of the certain matters and always there has been a Sufyānī against anyone who rises.”^[2]

Another tradition from Imam al-Ṣādiq (the Shia sixth Imam) states,

«إنّا و آل ابى سفيان اهل بيتين تعادينا فى اللّه: قلنا صدق اللّه و قالوا كذب اللّه: قاتل ابو سفيان رسول اللّه صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم و قاتل معاوية على بن ابى طالب عليه السلام و قاتل يزيد بن معاوية الحسين بن على عليه السلام و السّفيانى يقاتل القائم‏»

“We and the dynasty of Abu Sufyān are two dynasties that don’t have agreement about Divine programs; we have confirmed the expressions of God and they have denied them. Abu Sufyān fought against the Prophet, and Muāwiyah against Ali bin Abī Tālib, and Yazīd against al-Ḥusayn bin Ali, and Sufyānī will fight against the Upriser.”^[3]

This narration proves what is mentioned in the previous narration that always there has been and will be a person like Sufyānī against anyone who rises.

Consequently, regardless of Sufyānī being one of the descendants of Abū Sufyān or not, we know that his characteristics and efforts are all similar to those of Abū Sufyān so, for knowing the evil plans of Sufyānī who is one of the worst enemies of Imam al-Mahdi we should be aware of Abū Sufyān’s attributes. According to Ayatullah Makārim Shīrāzī^[4], Abu Sufyān had the following characteristics:

1) He was a capitalist who had collected his fortunes by the act of plundering, violating others’ rights, usury and the like.

2) He was a powerful man who had gained his power through evil ways and was the leader of ignorant parties in Mecca and its surrounding regions.

3) He was considered as the symbol of an oppressive system practiced in Mecca. He supported idolatry because idols were the best tool for the law of “divide and rule” and “fooling and stupefying exploited people”.

He transferred all these characteristics to his son, Muāwiyah, and through him to his grandson Yazīd. Both of them followed the plans of the father. His children and successors tried to destroy Islam and return people to the rituals practiced before Islam.

Likewise, Sufyānī will be against the rise of the great universal peacemaker. He will try to delay the real revolution of Imam al-Mahdi by his hellish power to return the time to the past and to prevent the peacemakers from destroying the oppressive class systems in benefits of the exploiters. He will perform this act by using his expanded destructive power; as it has been mentioned in traditions that he conquers some flourished regions of the earth.^[5]

Among other traits of Sufyānī that are referred to in our Islamic narration we can point to the following ones:

1- He will rise from cities in Rom while carrying a cross in his neck.^[6] Maybe it tells us that he originally emerge among European cities who are Christians.

2- He will designate a great reward for those who cut the head of a Shia and bring it to him.^[7]

3- Between his uprising and his death there is a 15 months gap, he will militate for 6 months and will rule for 9 months that is mostly over Arab cities.^[8]

Of course, Sufyānī, like Abū- Sufyān, will be defeated against the universal revolutionary movement of Imam al-Mahdi and his efforts and plans will all be destroyed. Finally, according to traditions the earth will swallow him and his army up in Baydā located between Mecca and Medina. It is interesting to know that Imam al-Bāqir says in a narration that the 51^st verse of Surah Saba’ points to his event. God in this verse says,

(وَ لَوْ تَرى‏ إِذْ فَزِعُوا فَلا فَوْتَ وَ أُخِذُوا مِنْ مَكانٍ قَريبٍ)

“If you could see how miserable are the disbelievers when they are terrified with the chastisement; they want to escape but they cannot; they are seized in the nearest spot where they have been gathered.”^[9]

Source: The Final Hope, no. 5, May 2015