We must be familiar with the stories of Abu Nawas, an intelligent and resourceful man. But is the story true or just a lie?
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh all Muslim friends, it is said that at the time of the caliph Harun ar-Rashid, one of the caliphs of the Abbasid Daula, there lived a poet named Abu Nuwas or Abu Nawas, the Caliph had a close relationship with Abu Nawas. Abu Nawas is described as a poet who is lazy but intelligent and resourceful, while Caliph Harun Al Rashid is described as a king who is stupid, extravagant, and very stingy.
This story is very famous in the archipelago and perhaps also in various other parts of the Islamic world. Many comics were written and then consumed by all groups that describe how depraved the actions of this caliph and his best friend Abu Nawas. So when it is mentioned among the people about Harun ar-Rashid, what they imagine is a picture of a king without authority who likes to play music and likes to drink khamr or liquor. It is rare for Muslims to know who the real caliph Harun ar-Rashid is, except from the stories circulating.
The main origin of this story comes from a fairy tale book Alfu lailatin wa lailah (the story of 1001 Nights), this book from the first page to the last page only contains fairy tales and whose name is fairy tales means that it does not have a reliable origin, its contents are just fantasy. For example, the story about Alibaba and the robbers, the story of Aladin and his Magic Lamp, as well as the story about Abu Nawas and Harun ar-Rashid. The origin of this book is a fairy tale originating from the Indians and Persians and then translated into Arabic around the 3rd century Hijriyah, then someone added a few stories so that it arrived at the time of the Mamalik Daula.
The name Abu Nawas became more and more famous when finally it was often adopted as a character to convey messages of wisdom in a humorous manner by contemporary Sufi poets. Then who exactly is Abu Nawas? Abu Nawas’ real name is Abu Ali al-Hasan bin Hani al-Hakami, he was born in 145 Hijri or 747 AD in the city of Ahvas in Persia or Iran. Arab blood flows from his father and Persian blood flows from his mother, his father Hani al-hakam was a member of the military legion of the caliph Marwan 2, while his mother was named Jalban, a Persian woman who worked as a wool washer.
Abu Nawas was an Arab poet and a poet who was famous during the time of the Abbasids. Since childhood he was orphaned, his mother then took him to Basra, Iraq in this city Abu Nawas learned various kinds of knowledge, his expertise in composing qasidah poetry, made him so recognizable in various circles that he was considered the leader of the poets of his time. In Al-Wasith lil Adabil arabi wa Tarikhi he is described as a poet of multivision, full of jokes, sharp tongue, great imagination, and a leading figure in the new generation of writers.
His ability to write poetry attracted the attention of the caliph Harun ar-Rashid through the court musician, Ishaq Al Wawsuli, Abu Nawas was called to be a court poet. However, it is very unfortunate that his life journey was colored by disobedience and it also colored his poems so much that he talked about the issue of khamr (alcohol) to the point that there is a collection of his poems called “Khamriyyat”.
Almost all history books mention the same thing, Abu Nawas is an obscene writer with pictures of liquor, talks dirty, and his poems criticize a lot of hadiths and verses of the Koran that forbid drinking khamr. He was also often in and out of prison because of his poems, but nevertheless it was mentioned in history books that he had repented at the end of his life.
Then who exactly is Harun ar-Rashid? he is Amirul Mukminin Harun al-Rashid bin Mahdi Al Quraish Al Hasyimi. He was one of the caliphs of the Bani Abbasids, even during his time when the Bani Abbasids reached their golden age. He is a king who is known to be close to the scholars, respects knowledge, and always worships, as well as jihad, it is mentioned in various reliable history books that he always performs the pilgrimage one year and the next year he fights and so on.
Al-Hafizh Ibn Kathir said, “His life journey is very good. (He was) a king who did the most jihad and performed the pilgrimage. Every day he gave charity with his own property as much as a thousand dirhams. When he went for Hajj he also made a pilgrimage of a hundred scholars and their children, and if he did not go to Hajj, then he made a pilgrimage of three hundred people. He loves to pray. He loved scholars and poets. His ring is inscribed with the words La ilaha ilallah, he prays a hundred rak’ahs every day until he dies. He never left this except when he was sick.” (Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah, 14:28)
Very few people today know who Abu Nawas really is and who the caliph Harun ar-Rashid is mostly because we are deceived by stories passed down from generation to generation that contain wrong information Wallahu A’lam Bishwab
Reading Source: Al-Furqon Magazine 5th Edition 8th Year 1429H/2008 AD
Image Source: TigaSerangkai.com
