Askar () is a village on the southeastern coast of
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
, it is now part of Madinat Khalifa. It is also home to the shrine of
Sa'sa'a bin Sohan Ṣa‘ṣa‘ah ibn Suhān () was born in the year 598 CE, corresponding to about 24 years before Hijra in Qatif, Saudi Arabia. He was a companion of ‘Alī and is revered by the Shia.
He belonged to the tribe of Abdul Qays. He was a prolific wr ...
, a companion of Imam
Ali
Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...
. The majority of the inhabitants today are from the tribes of
Al-Buainain
The Al-Buainain (; also spelled Al Bu'ainain, Al Bu'aynin and Al Boainain) are a clan of the Bani Tamim tribe, and are divided into four main branches which are ''al-Khater'', ''al-Muhammad'', ''al-Ali'' and ''Al-Nuwasir''. The clan is based prim ...
,
Al-Kaabi,
Al-Awazem, and
Al-Mansoori. Many of the inhabitants have been living in the village for more than three to four generations. The population in the area after 2020 has doubled due to the government housing projects.
History
Ṣa‘ṣa‘ah Bin Sohan was exiled by Muawiyah I to Bahrain, where it is believed he lived in the village of Askar until he died in 666 AD. His grave lies in the village of Askar, and is visited by many
Shia Muslims
Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
.
Askar was believed to be founded Shortly before the arrival of
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
to the islands of Bahrain, It used to be primarily resided by
Baharna
The Bahārna (, or ), are an ethnoreligious group of Shia Muslim Arabs indigenous to the historical region of Bahrain. They are generally regarded to be the original inhabitants of Eastern Arabia. They inhabited the area even before the arrival ...
Shi’ite Muslims however sometime in the 1700s it was abandoned due to Bedouin Raids and large Sunni Migrations, and with no protection the Shia population fled and migrated to the village of
Ma’ameer close to the island of
Sitra
Sitra ( or , ''As-Sitra''), also known as Sitrah or Sitra Island ( ), is an island in Bahrain situated approximately south of the capital, Manama, which is on Bahrain Island.
History
The island of Sitra has witnessed various conflicts. One ...
.
References
Al Wasat Newspaper
Populated places in Bahrain
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