Talk:Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr/GA1

GA Review

Article (edit | visual edit | history) · Article talk (edit | history) · Watch

Reviewer: Al Ameer son (talk · contribs) 19:19, 10 February 2021 (UTC)

I will take up this review in the next few days. Al Ameer (talk) 19:19, 10 February 2021 (UTC)

Thank you for picking this up @Al Ameer son:. I will address the issues asap. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 23:30, 10 February 2021 (UTC)

• Remove the calligraphic spelling of his name from the infobox. I see these in a lot of articles. They serve no purpose and are basically user-generated decoration (no encyclopedic value).

Agreed. Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Mention that Zubayr ibn Awwam was a "prominent" or "leading" companion of Muhammad in lead, as it is stated in body.

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• I'd reconfigure the lead. It should start as Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr was the governor of Basra in 686–691, with brief interruption, for his brother, the Mecca-based caliph (or counter-caliph if you prefer) Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, during the Second Fitna (or Second Islamic/Muslim Civil War if your prefer). Mus'ab was a son of Zubayr ibn Awwam, a prominent companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Before becoming governor, he led an abortive (or "unsuccessful" if you prefer) campaign against Umayyad Palestine. He defeated and killed the pro-Alid revolutionary Mukhtar al-Thaqafi in 687 (perhaps link Battles of Harura and Madhar somewhere here?) and came to control the whole of Iraq. Then continue. And no need for "Arab commander", IMO.

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• "His policies in Iraq". State in brief which policies/actions got him dismissed.

This is very much ambiguous in sources. Tabari gives three versions, crux of which is that Iraqis complained to Abd Allah for some reason (reason not specified). According to Fishbein, similar is account of Baladhuri: unspecified complaints.AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 18:53, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

Lammens' funny jibes are of no help either. He just says that his "successes" in Iraq "upset" Abd Allah who then removed him.AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 18:59, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Mention that the Umayyad forces were led by Caliph Abd al-Malik.

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Just a comment: I am very tempted to assume that al-Rabab ibn Unayf, daughter of a Kalb chief, was a sister of the Kalb chief Bahdal ibn Unayf, but I need to verify that (if true).

Couldn't find in Tab. or EI2, but the Wikipedia article on al-Zubayr says, without ref, that she was a Kalbite. Perhaps Ahmed, Asad Q. (2010) has some info? AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• No need for second mention of "Islamic prophet" in Family, early life and career.

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Drop "career" from the heading of the first section since his career is not discussed here.

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• "Except Syria" → better "Except parts of Syria"

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Consistent spelling of Muawiyah/Mu'awiya. I know that you and I prefer to use the latter.

Yeah right, done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Any details about his governorship of Medina?

Unfortunately none that I could find. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 18:53, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Who are the Kharijites, in brief. Also, was it the Azariqa, Najda, neither, both?

Mostly Azariqa. Added backround and his strugle against them.AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 18:53, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Any more information about his widescale executions of Mukhtar's supporters? Do you know if any RS consider the 6,000-8,000 figure exaggerated? Wondered this myself from before.

No doubt the primary sources inflate the figures. But in this particular case, I haven't come across a source which expressly doubts this number. Hawting in EI2 says "many" of Mukhtar's partisans were killed, whereas Lammens states "considerable number". Dixon and Donner say 6000, Wellhausen says 6000-8000, Anthony says 8,000 whereas Kennedy doesn't give any number just saying Mus'ab "extracted bloody reprisals" on Mukhtar's supporters, so does Daftary saying the ashraf "took their own revenge on the mawalı". Tucker doesn't talk about the incident at all. I have copied the relevant discussion from the Battle of Harura article.AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 16:46, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• What were the consequences for the mass slaughter? It is mentioned later in the article that his severity against Mukhtar's supporters turned many Iraqis against him. But could this be elaborated here?

Added Lammens' funny remark;) AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Mention why Mus'ab appointed Muhallab over Mosul and its dependencies.

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Fell apart → Fell out

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Link Anbar (town)

Done. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

• Elaborate on "severely punished any remaining Umayyad loyalists". Were they jailed, executed, expelled? --Al Ameer (talk) 21:11, 10 February 2021 (UTC)

Elaborated. You might want to see Tabari for Mus'ab's ingenuity in inventing insults ;) AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 03:18, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

Thanks, that was an interesting little read ;) --Al Ameer (talk) 22:12, 15 February 2021 (UTC)

• Mention that his son Isa was slain at Maskin before him. Was this not related to his determination to continue the hopeless battle on his own?

Done. Regarding the influence of Isa's death on Mus'ab.s own determination to fight, I haven't seen anything, yet, to that effect. Will definitely add if found. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 11:14, 17 February 2021 (UTC)

• Maybe move his building of a dyke to the governorship section, as it pertains more to that than to his personality. It may have to be standalone sentence after "the campaigns ended in failure". That sentence could then be expanded with more information about his governance, if there's any info available, even if just from the primary sources (Tabari, Baladhuri). --Al Ameer (talk) 22:12, 15 February 2021 (UTC)

Done. Tabari, AFAIK, focuses only on Mus'ab's war affairs. Baladhuri might have some info, but finding information in Arabic is very difficult. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 11:14, 17 February 2021 (UTC)

Yes, understood. --Al Ameer (talk) 16:00, 17 February 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for addressing everything above. Just two more suggestions. --Al Ameer (talk) 22:12, 15 February 2021 (UTC)

Thanks to you too for the thorough review. As always, your feedback has resulted in great improvement. AhmadLX-(Wikiposta) 11:14, 17 February 2021 (UTC)

Congratulations on another job well done. Al Ameer (talk) 16:00, 17 February 2021 (UTC)