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THE END OF IBN MULJIM AND HIS COHORTS

There were four persons involved in the assassination of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s): `Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljim, Qatam bint Akhdar, Shabib ibn Bujrah, and Wardan ibn Mujalid. When there was pandemonium in the Mosque after the act, and the people advanced towards the arch of the Mosque, Wardan ran away to his house. One of his relatives, on knowing of his involvement in the assassination, killed him with his sword! Ibn Muljim had run out after inflicting the mortal blow on the Imam (a.s). When the people saw him running away, they chased him. He threatened them that he would kill them if they went near him. But one person from the tribe of Hamdan and Mughirah ibn Nawfal succeeded in apprehending him and brought him back to the Mosque. He was kept under captivity until Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) was laid to rest. When Imam al-Hasan (a.s) came back to al-Kūfah after the funeral, he asked for Ibn Muljim to be brought to his presence. He told him, “O enemy of Allah! For what crime you have killed Amir al-Mu’minin? Did he ever ill-treat you? “He said,” I had sworn to Allah that I would kill him. Therefore, I killed him! Now you have the right to claim qisas or to leave me free! If you give me amnesty I shall kill Mu`awiyah and remove your care forever.” Imam al-Hasan (a.s) said, “You deserve that you must be executed!” Therefore he ordered him to be executed. Haytham bint al-Aswad al-Nakha`iyyah claimed his body for the last rites. The body was given to her. She lighted a pyre and burned the body. Then the uncontrollable crowd went to the house of Qatam. She was killed; her body was rendered to shreds and burned. Her house was looted.

Shabib ibn Bujrah was hiding in the crowds and saved himself. When Mu`awiyah visited al-Kūfah after assuming power, Ibn Bajrah met him. To get into good books of Mu`awiyah he said that he was an accessory of Ibn Muljim in the assassination of `Ali (a.s). When Mu`awiyah heard this he got up in anger and told the people of his tribe that if he saw Ibn Bajrah in al-Kūfah, they will all be executed. He asked them to exile him from al-Kūfah. Hearing this he escaped from al-Kūfah in the darkness of the night. When Mughirah ibn Shu`bah was the emir of al-Kūfah, ibn Bajrah and his companions were killed fighting with the troops of Ibn Shu`bah.