Mukhtar al-Thaqafi

Abu Ishaq Al-Mukhtar Bin Abu Ubaydah Al-Thaqafi
Grave of Mukhtar near the Great Mosque in Kufa, Iraq
Born	Taif, Hejaz ( now in Saudi Arabia)
Died	Kufa, Umayyad Empire (now in Iraq).
Opponent(s)	Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad Shimr Bin Dhi'l-Jawshan Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr
Spouse(s)	Umrah bint Yazid Nariyah

al-Mukhtār ibn Abī ‘Ubaydah al-Thaqafī (Arabic: المختار بن أبي عبيدة الثقفي‎‎) (also spelled Mukhtar bin Abu Ubaid), (born c. 622, al-Ṭaʾif, Arabia [now in Saudi Arabia]—died March 687, Kūfah, Iraq), was an early Islamic revolutionary based in Kufa, Iraq who led an abortive rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphs in vengeance for the death of Husayn ibn 'Ali at the Battle of Karbala

Al-Mukhtar's full name was Mukhtar Abu Ubaid Masood Thaqafi of Banu Hawazin tribe, he was born in Ta’if in 622 CE, 1 AH, the year the Islamic prophet Muhammad began the Migration to Medina. Al-Mukhtar was the son of Abu Ubaid al-Thaqafi who was killed at the Battle of al-Jisr in November 634 CE, 13 AH. His mother's name was Husna, He had two sisters:

After death of his father Mukhtar was brought up by his mother and uncle Saeed bin Masood Thaqafi his uncle was made governor of Al-Mada'in by Umar; during the time of Muawiyah, when there was a cease-fire between Imam Hasan (as) and Muawiyah, Mukhtar's uncle, till then the governor of Al-Mada'in, was transferred to the governorship of Mosul.

In 60 AH, Ubaidullah bin Ziyad arrested al-Mukhtar and sent him to al-Tamura, a fearful prison underground.Maytham al-Tammar was in the same prison with Mukhtar. Al-Mukhtar was released by Ubaidullah bin Ziyad on order of Yazeed bin Mu'awiyah who was persuaded by Abdullah bin Umar husband of Safyyah Mukhtar's sister. Ibn Ziyad gave him three days to leave Kufa, so al-Mukhtar left for Makkah.