Mughirah ibn Shubah, an adversary of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), played a role in the attack on the house of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her). He belonged to the Thaqif tribe and embraced Islam in the fifth year of Hijrah. He participated in various military campaigns during the caliphates, including the conquests of Syria and Iraq.
Mughirah ibn Shubah was appointed by the second caliph to govern Bahrain, Basra, and Kufa. During the caliphate of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), he refused to pledge allegiance to the Imam, but later, after the arbitration with Muawiyah, he pledged allegiance and was appointed governor of Kufa. On the pulpit of the Kufa Mosque, he openly cursed Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) and his followers.
Narrations Regarding Mughirah ibn Shubah’s Burial Site
Abu Hasan al-Ziyadi reports:
“Mughirah ibn Shubah died in the year fifty AH, in the month of Shaban, and was buried in Kufa in a place called Thawiyah.”
Ibn al-Athir states:
“Thawiyah is a place in Kufa where Abu Musa al-Ashari and Mughirah ibn Shubah are buried.”
Yaqut al-Hamawi narrates:
“Ibn Hibban reported that Mughirah ibn Shubah was buried in Thawiyah, Kufa, and Abu Musa al-Ashari was also interred there.”
Ibn Abi al-Hadid of Kufa reports:
“The graves of Mughirah and Ziyad are in Thawiyah, Kufa, and the people know their locations. This knowledge has been passed down from their ancestors. Although changes in the terrain have obscured some details and some graves may have merged over time, the site remains known.”
Abu Faraj Ali ibn Hussain al-Isfahani writes in Al-Aghani:
“Mughirah’s tomb is located in the cemetery of the Thaqif tribe. The biographical accounts in historical sources confirm this.”
Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri, citing Abi Sad Mawla Kinda, states:
“He witnessed Mughirah’s funeral and reports that Mughirah was buried on a very hot day near the Rassafah area of Kufa. Locals, unfamiliar with him, initially intended to stone the grave but were persuaded to refrain.”
Another account from Abu Faraj al-Iafahani notes:
“After Mughirah’s death, people were guided to bury him in the cemetery of the Thaqif tribe so that his grave could be identified. Initially, some followers of Mughirah attempted to show hostility, but upon realizing he posed no harm, they ceased.”
Shaikh Muhammad Hirz al-Din in Maraqid al-Maarif writes:
“Mughirah ibn Shubah’s grave is in Thawiyah, behind Kufa and near Najaf, on the eastern side of the city. With the city’s expansion, Thawiyah became the burial place of prominent Kufan figures. Among them is Kumayl ibn Ziyad al-Nakhai. Today, most ancient graves have disappeared, with only Kumayl ibn Ziyad’s grave remaining clearly identifiable.”
Dawud Hajjar al-Najafi, who lived in Najaf in the early 14th century AH, reports:
“While digging near Thawiyah, about a hundred paces from Kumayl ibn Ziyad’s grave, I discovered a large stone with Kufic inscriptions. I showed it to Mulla Ali al-Khalili al-Najafi, a scholar and ascetic of the time, who instructed it to be reburied and marked so no one would disturb the grave. The inscription clearly identifies it as the burial site of Mughirah ibn Shubah, confirming its exact location.”
These historical accounts clearly demonstrate that Mughirah ibn Shubah’s grave is located in Thawiyah, Kufa, and not in Najaf, thereby refuting claims that the burial site in Najaf belongs to him.
