The text of the entry was: Did you know ... that the 10th-century Hamdanid prince Sayf al-Dawla is said to have fought against the Byzantines in over 40 battles?
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Sayf's direct role in the growth of Twelver Shia Islam in Aleppo[edit]
There's an interesting tidbit in Zakkar's Emirate of Aleppo (page 249 of the 1971 book, pages 263–264 of the 1969 thesis): Based on the works of the contemporary Arabic historians al-Muhallabi and the Aleppine Ibn al-Adim, Zakkar notes that the Muslims of the city were largely Sunni until AH 351 (962 CE) when the Byzantines "conquered Aleppo and killed most of its Muslim population(?)". Afterward, Sayf al-Dawla had Aleppo partly repopulated by transferring there Twelver Shia Muslims from Harran. By the efforts of Sayf al-Dawla, a Twelver himself, and the Harrani newcomers, Shia Islam spread and became predominant in Aleppo. That's the only unique or interesting piece of information that the Zakkar source offers that's not already covered by this article. --Al Ameer (talk) 18:52, 18 May 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Hamdanid princes had patronized Shi'is. Sayf al-Dawla built a mausoleum of al-Muhassin, son of al-Husayn, called Mashhad al-Dikka, on the foot of Jabal Jawshan west of the walled city, encouraging Shi'is and the descendants of Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib to settle in Aleppo.
Amabe goes on to mention similar efforts by Sayf al-Dawla's son and that a century later, even the Sunni Seljuq governor Aq Sunqur had to rebuild Mashhad al-Dikka due to the Shi'i persuasion of the population. Stephennie Mulder ([1]–87) elaborates on the shrine, noting that Sayf al-Dawla built it to appease the Shia of Aleppo despite debate/controversy among the Shia ulema on the existence of such a son of Husayn named Muhassin. The original construction is not extant, the present structure having been burnt, rebuilt and renovated on several occasions. It was cared for by Sunni rulers well into the Mamluk period. Hope the FAC for this article will be happening soon. Al Ameer (talk) 03:46, 7 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Al Ameer son, thanks a lot for this info. As you have correctly detected, I am revisiting the Hamdanids, after a very long time. I have a soft spot for Sayf al-Dawla, he is a fascinating figure and one of the reasons I began researching Islamic history (IIRC, he is the the first medieval Islamic figure I worked on, ten years ago). Sayf will be put to ACR and FAC soon. My intention, however, is to first go through the sources and find if anything is missing. I am especially concerned with his domestic policies and relations with the Arab tribes, which are not well covered other than by the EI2 article and Kennedy, as opposed to the wealth of information about his battles with Byzantium. If Zakkar has anything of value, I would be grateful if you could add it here. Constantine ✍ 16:03, 7 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Cplakidas: I am looking forward to the day, the article is in great shape. In the meantime, will look through Zakkar, and other sources if I could find them, and add what I can. Al Ameer (talk) 17:17, 7 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Al Ameer son: I've added the last major pieces of information I think the article lacked. Once my current noms are through, I will nominate Sayf for MILHIST A-class, and after that, will go for FAC. Looking forward to your reviews, and if you think anything is missing, please let me know. Constantine ✍ 16:53, 17 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Cplakidas: Article is looking great—I’ve been keeping up with the improvements. Don’t think there’s much I could add as the article is very comprehensive, but will check sources I have. And I will keep my eyes open for the upcoming nominations. Al Ameer (talk) 03:47, 18 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Cplakidas: You know, I was going to nudge you about it a few days ago but it slipped my mind ;) Glad to finally see this on the docket. I'll review and leave my comments soon. Al Ameer (talk) 20:16, 20 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Al Ameer son: I had a few nominations open that moved at snail's pace. I hope this will be quicker. Looking forward to your review :) Constantine ✍ 21:18, 20 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]
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