Sasa a bin Sohan, the True Follower of the Leader of Eloquence, Ali (a)

Sa’sa’a bin Sohan was one of the students and true followers of Amir Al-Mu’minin (a) and famous amongst the public and elites for his powerful speeches and repartee. Sa’sa’a was a child during the Era of the first caliph, but was considered a brave and wise youth during the era of the second and third caliphs. During the rule of ‘Uthman, Sa’sa’a was one of the nobles of Kufah who was exiled to Levant because of his strong oration power in stimulating the people against the caliph.
Sa’sa’a had a major role during Imam Ali’s (a) caliphate and was present in all his battles. Imam called him Khatib Shahshah because of his skills in delivering speeches, and he was the representative to discussions with the Khawarij during the Battle of Nahrawan. Many of the Imam’s letters have been written by this man’s powerful writing skills. In his discussions with Mu’awiyah, Sa’sa’a revealed his enmity with him numerous times.
Sa’sa’a was a reliable man but few narrations have been quoted by him. His knowledge on Mahdism and the End of Time was more than Amir al-Mu`minin’s (a) other students. It is believed he was one of the architectures of Kufah, and one of the people who took part in the covert burying of Imam Ali (a).
This article introduces Sa’sa’a bin Sohan and his family tree, and explains his role during Imam Ali’s (a) time.