The Abbasids as Successors to the Umayyads

TEHRAN (Iran News) Abu al-‘Abbas al-Saffah was the first caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, who came to power after the overthrow of the Umayyad caliphate. The title “Saffah” means “very generous” or “very bloodthirsty.” It was given to him either because of his extensive generosity to his supporters—whether relatives or key allies—or, according to another account, due to his cruelty toward his enemies. In dictionaries, “Saffah” may also be considered a modified form of the word Saffak (slaughterer).

The Abbasids’ victory and al-Saffah’s rise to power was the result of a widespread, organized political and propagandist movement against Umayyad rule and the oppression of their governors across the lands. At that time, this was called the “Abbasid Revolution.”

Of course, this victory was not achieved overnight; it followed a series of coordinated steps that weakened the Umayyads. The Abbasids, descendants of Banu Hashim and cousins of the Prophet, began secret propaganda against the Umayyads in the middle of their rule.

They established their main center of activity in the region of Khorasan (in today’s eastern Iran), where discontent with Umayyad rule had reached its peak. They raised the slogan “al-Rida min Al Muhammad” (“Satisfaction with the family of Muhammad”) in order to rally all the discontented, without naming a specific individual.

One of the key factors in the Abbasids’ success was the military leadership of a charismatic and intelligent figure named Abu Muslim al-Khurasani. Today, his character could be likened to Ahmad Shah Massoud or Qasem Soleimani. As the representative of Imam Ibrahim (the Abbasid leader at that time), he went to Khorasan, united various Arab tribes and discontented Iranians, and built a powerful army.

In the year 129 AH, Abu Muslim raised the banner of revolt against the Umayyads. His forces quickly captured major cities in Khorasan, such as Merv and Nishapur. The Abbasid army, with its black banners and standards (which became their symbol—and from which the ISIS flag later borrowed its color), marched westward through Iranian lands. They fought fierce battles in each city against Umayyad forces.

The climax of these struggles was the Battle of the Zab (or the Battle of the Great Zab) in 132 AH. In this battle, the Abbasid army, led by Abdullah ibn Ali (uncle of al-Saffah), faced the army of the last Umayyad caliph, Marwan II. This battle sealed the final downfall of the Umayyad state.

After their victory at the Zab, the Abbasids entered Kufa. There, in the Great Mosque of Kufa in the year 132 AH, allegiance was pledged to Abu al-‘Abbas al-Saffah as the first Abbasid caliph.

The key factors in the Abbasids’ victory over the Umayyads were:

the use of general slogans such as “al-Rida min Al Muhammad” to attract all the discontented, the establishment of a network of propagandists throughout the Islamic realm,

and taking advantage of the deep dissatisfaction of the people of Khorasan with Umayyad discrimination.

At the same time, the decisive role of Abu Muslim al-Khurasani cannot be denied. Furthermore, the discontent of the people, the internal weakness of the Umayyads, and their internal and tribal conflicts had already weakened them.

Thus, Abu al-‘Abbas al-Saffah did not come to the caliphate by election, but through a full-scale military campaign. He established the Abbasid state, which endured for more than five centuries (132–656 AH), and became the second stage of oppression after the Umayyads in usurping the rights of the family of the Messenger—peace and blessings of God be upon them.