Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

The Second Discussion
The Stance of the Abbasid Rulers 1
Despite the weakness that had befell the Umayyads in the last phase of their rule,
it was not possible for any group to eliminate them from power individually, as
was evident from the revolts of the Khawārij, some of the Alawids and others.
Hence the success of eliminating them was linked to having the capacity to fully
subdue the efforts of all the parties which resented the Umayyad Rule. This is
something that the forerunners of the Abbasid campaign had realised.
The best groups, who could help them in reaching their goals, were two: the
Shīʿah who hated the Umayyads and denounced their rule, and the Mawālī 2 many
among who resented the Umayyads and despised them. 3 However the primary
difference between the two groups was that the opposition of the Shīʿah for
the Umayyads (the Kaysāniyyah 4 specifically 5 ) was rooted in religion and thus
could not be altered due to it being rooted in faith and perception, as opposed to
the Mawālī whose opposition was rooted in social matters (which by nature are
susceptible to change), i.e. like the manner in which the dynasty treated them;
their enmity was thus lighter than the enmity of the Shīʿah in this sense.
1 In principle, the Abbasids should be part of the Ahl al-Bayt. However, the term Naṣb is specific
to stances regarding ʿAlī I and his children, to the exclusion of all else, as has been mentioned
already.
2 Freed Slaves.
3 The Umayyads were better than the Abbasids in general, in terms of treating their subjects well in
their worldly affairs and bringing their oppressors to justice. Hārūn al-Rashīd once asked Abū Bakr
ibn ʿAyyāsh, “Are we the best of rulers or the Umayyads?” He said, “They were of more benefit to the
people and you establish Ṣalāh more.” (Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah 10/47).
4 One of the Shīʿah sects, the followers of Mukhtār ibn Abī ʿUbayd whose title was Kaysān according
to one view. They held the view that Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah was emphatically appointed as
the Imām and they believed in Badāʾ. They thereafter sub-divided into many groups. See: Firaq al-
Shīʿah p. 36; al-Farq bayn al-Firaq p. 27; al-Milal wa al-Niḥal 1/28, 147; Minhāj al-Sunnah 3/474.
5 Al-Khuḍrī: al-Dawlah al-ʿAbbāsiyyah p. 14.
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