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Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi

7th-century Umayyad governor of Kufa

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About Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi

Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi was an Arab military leader and wali.

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUthmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rabīʿa al-Thaqafī , called Ibn Umm al-Ḥakam , was a governor and military leader in the early Umayyad Caliphate. He was a nephew of the Caliph Muʿāwiya I through the latter's sister, Umm al-Ḥakam, and her Thaqafī husband.

According to al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Umm al-Ḥakam campaigned in Byzantine territory in 673. In 678, his uncle appointed him governor of Kūfa in place of al-Ḍaḥḥak ibn Qays. According to Ibn Khayyāt, however, this took place a year earlier. According to al-Ṭabarī, he governed for two years. He dealt with a Kharijite rebellion, but his rule was considered oppressive and he was forced out by the Kūfans. In 679, he was replaced by al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr.

Having been ousted from Kūfa, Ibn Umm al-Ḥakam was appointed governor of Egypt by his uncle. According to al-Ṭabarī, he was prevented from taking up his office by Muʿāwiya ibn Ḥudayj al-Sakūnī, who reportedly said, "by my life, you shall not treat us the way you treated our Kūfan brothers". This story is also found in Ibn Taghrībardī and Ibn al-Athīr, but it al-Sakūnī is known to have died in 672. The cause of the discrepancy in the accounts is unclear.

According to al-Balādhurī, Ibn Umm al-Ḥakam also served as governor of the Jazīra and Mosul. The Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān (685–705) appointed him governor of Damascus.

The prominent Andalusian leaders Tammām ibn ʿAlḳama al-Thaqafī and Tammām ibn ʿAlḳama al-Wazīr were descended from a mawlā (freedman) of Ibn Umm al-Ḥakam and took their nisba from him.

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Important facts

Nationality
Positions held
Governor of Kufa

Family & relationships

Child
Al-Hurr ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Thaqafi

Frequently asked questions

Who was Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi?

7th-century Umayyad governor of Kufa

What was Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi's occupation?

Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi was a military leader and wali.

What nationality was Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi?

Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi was Arab.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi

· Wikidata: Q113212740

· DBpedia: Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi. https://biography.guide/abd-al-rahman-ibn-umm-al-hakam-al-thaqafi/

MLA: "Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/abd-al-rahman-ibn-umm-al-hakam-al-thaqafi/.

Chicago: "Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/abd-al-rahman-ibn-umm-al-hakam-al-thaqafi/.

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