MUSLIMS: DOCTRINESkingship.89 There are several problems with this explanation. One is
its association of a regional culture with a genealogical identity. Many
of the genealogically "southern" tribal groups that settled in Kufa had
migrated to northern Arabia and Mesopotamia centuries earlier. In
order for such an argument to be effective, the "southern" Arabs who
were already in or near Iraq at the time of the conquest should be
distinguished from those Arabs who actually migrated from Yam an
to Iraq. A more serious objection is the fact that "southern" Arabs at
Basra (such as the Azd), in Syria (such as the Kalb), or in Egypt showed
no more inclination to support 'Ali's family than the majority of Arabs
who stayed in southern Arabia. Nor does such an explanation work
for Kufa, where support came from both "northern" and "southern"
groups. The followers of I:Jujr ibn 'Adi and of Sulayman ibn ~urad
were divided almost equally between "northern" and "southern" Ar-
abs.9o Individuals who supported al-Mukhtar came from nearly all the
tribes in Kufa, including members of the Quraysh and An~ar. The
minor Yamani clans of Shibam, Nahd, Kharif, and Shakir were more
solid in their support, and since they were the ones who accompanied
'All's chair and performed the tawwiif around it, it is legitimate to
trace this part of the ceremony to southern Arabia.^91
It is difficult to explain the support for 'Ali's family in tribal terms.
As with the Khawarij, only some individuals from a wide variety of
tribal groups were usually involved. The tribes themselves were divided
internally, as is shown clearly in the revolt of the ashriif against al-
Mukhtar in July of 686. On that occasion the ashriif and their followers
among the Hamdan, Kinda, BajIla, Tamim, 'Ijl, Azd, Nakha',
Khath'am, Qays, and Taym ar-Ribab were ranged against some of
their own kinsmen who supported al-Mukhtar. 'Abd al-Mu'min, the
son of Shabath ibn Rib'i of Tamim, fought on al-Mukhtar's side
against his own father.^92 Afterwards Arabs of Madhl:tij, Kinda, Asad,
Tamim, and Hamdan joined the army of Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar
which marched against 'Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad.^93
It seems better to explain matters in terms of specific local social,
economic, and historic circumstances at Kufa. There were at least two
89 Jafri, Shi'a Islam, p. 117; Montgomery Watt, Formative Period, pp. 41-44.
90 Baladhuri, Ansiib, IVa, 224; Jam, Shi'a Islam, pp. 162-65,231-32; Tabari, Ta'rzkh,
n, 140; Montgomery Watt, Formative Period, p. 42.
91 Dixon, Umayyad Caliphate, pp. 46,68-69,72,75.
92 Ibid., pp. 61, 63.
93 Ibid., p. 65.