Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1859
The caliphate of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb
خَبَرِ الْمُثَنَّى بْنِ حَارِثَةَ وَأَبِي عُبَيْدِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَصْلٌ فِيمَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضِ الْعِرَاقِ فِي هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةِ مِنَ الْقِتَالِ . قَدْ قَدَّمْنَا أَنَّ الْمُثَنَّى بْنَ حَارِثَةَ لَمَّا سَارَ خَالِدٌ مِنَ الْعِرَاقِ بِمَنْ صَحِبَهُ إِلَى الشَّامِ - وَقَدْ قِيلَ: إِنَّهُ سَارَ بِتِسْعَةِ آلَافٍ. وَقِيلَ: بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافٍ. وَقِيلَ: بِسَبْعِمِائَةٍ. وَقِيلَ: بِأَقَلَّ. إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ صَنَادِيدُ جَيْشِ الْعِرَاقِ - فَأَقَامَ الْمُثَنَّى بِمَنْ بَقِيَ، فَاسْتَقَلَّ عَدَدَهُمْ، وَخَافَ مِنْ سَطْوَةِ الْفُرْسِ لَوْلَا اشْتِغَالُهُمْ بِتَبْدِيلِ مُلُوكِهِمْ وَمَلِكَاتِهِمْ، وَاسْتَبْطَأَ الْمُثَنَّى خَبَرَ الصِّدِّيقِ، فَسَارَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَوَجْدَ الصِّدِّيقَ فِي السِّيَاقِ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِأَمْرِ الْعِرَاقِ، فَأَوْصَى الصِّدِّيقُ عُمَرَ أَنْ يَنْدُبَ النَّاسَ لِقِتَالِ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، فَلَمَّا مَاتَ الصِّدِّيقُ وَدُفِنَ لَيْلَةَ الثُّلَاثَاءِ، أَصْبَحَ عُمَرُ فَنَدَبَ النَّاسَ وَحَثَّهُمْ عَلَى قِتَالِ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَحَرَّضَهُمْ وَرَغَّبَهُمْ فِي الثَّوَابِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَلَمْ يَقُمْ أَحَدٌ ; لِأَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا يَكْرَهُونَ قِتَالَ الْفُرْسِ ; لِقُوَّةِ سَطْوَتِهِمْ، وَشِدَّةِ قِتَالِهِمْ، ثُمَّ نَدَبَهُمْ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي وَالثَّالِثِ، فَلَمْ يَقُمْ أَحَدٌ وَتَكَلَّمَ الْمُثَنَّى بْنُ حَارِثَةَ وَتَكَلَّمَ الْمُثَنَّى بْنُ حَارِثَةَ، فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ لَا يَعْظُمَنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ هَذَا الْوَجْهُ، فَإِنَّا قَدْ تَبَحْبَحْنَا رِيفَ فَارِسَ، وَغَلَبْنَاهُمْ عَلَى خَيْرِ السَّوَادِ، وَشَاطَرْنَاهُمْ وَنِلْنَا مِنْهُمْ، وَلَهَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا بَعْدَهَا. فَأَحْسَنَ، وَأَخْبَرَهُمْ بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى يَدَيْ خَالِدٍ مِنْ مُعْظَمِ أَرْضِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَمَا لَهُمْ هُنَالِكَ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَمْلَاكِ وَالْأَمْتِعَةِ وَالزَّادِ، فَلَمْ يَقُمْ أَحَدٌ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْيَوْمُ الرَّابِعُ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنِ انْتَدَبَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ الثَّقَفِيُّ، وَهُوَ وَالِدُ الْمُخْتَارِ، وَسَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، وَسَلِيطُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ، وَهُوَ مِمَّنْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا ثُمَّ تَتَابَعَ النَّاسُ فِي الْإِجَابَةِ، وَأَمَرَ عُمَرُ طَائِفَةً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ، وَأَمَّرَ عَلَى الْجَمِيعِ أَبَا عُبَيْدٍ هَذَا، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ صَحَابِيًّا، فَقِيلَ لِعُمَرَ: هَلَّا أَمَرْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلًا مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا أُؤَمِّرُ أَوَّلَ مَنِ اسْتَجَابَ، إِنَّكُمْ إِنَّمَا سَبَقْتُمُ النَّاسَ بِنُصْرَةِ هَذَا الدِّينِ، وَإِنَّ هَذَا هُوَ الَّذِي اسْتَجَابَ قَبْلَكُمْ. ثُمَّ دَعَا أَبَا عُبَيْدٍ، وَسَعْدًا وَسَلِيطًا، وَقَالَ لَهُمَا: لَوْ سَبَقْتُمَاهُ لَوَلَيَّتُكُمَا، وَلَأَدْرَكْتُمَا بِهَا إِلَى مَا لَكُمَا مِنَ السَّابِقَةِ. ثُمَّ دَعَاهُ فَوَصَّاهُ فِي خَاصَّةِ نَفْسِهِ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَبِمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمَيْنِ خَيْرًا، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَشِيرَ أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَأَنْ يَسْتَشِيرَ سَلِيطَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ ; فَإِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ بَاشَرَ الْحُرُوبَ، فَسَارَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ إِلَى أَرْضِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَهُمْ سَبْعَةُ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ وَكَتَبَ عُمَرُ إِلَى أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ مَنْ كَانَ بِالْعِرَاقِ مِمَّنْ قَدِمَ مَعَ خَالِدٍ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ، فَجَهَّزَ عَشَرَةَ آلَافٍ، عَلَيْهِمْ هَاشِمُ بْنُ عُتْبَةَ، وَأَرْسَلَ عُمَرُ جَرِيرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبَجَلِيَّ فِي أَرْبَعَةِ آلَافٍ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ فَقَدِمَ الْكُوفَةَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مِنْهَا فَوَاقَعَ هِرَقْرَانَ الْمَدَارَ فَقَتَلَهُ وَانْهَزَمَ جَيْشُهُ، وَغَرِقَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ فِي دِجْلَةَ فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ النَّاسُ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ وَجَدُوا الْفُرْسَ مُضْطَرِبِينَ فِي مُلْكِهِمْ، وَآخِرُ مَا اسْتَقَرَّ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُهُمْ أَنْ مَلَّكُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بُورَانَ بِنْتَ كِسْرَى بَعْدَمَا قَتَلُوا الَّتِي كَانَتْ قَبْلَهَا آزَرْمِيدُخْتَ، وَفَوَّضَتْ بُورَانُ أَمْرَ الْمُلْكِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ: رُسْتُمُ بْنُ فَرُّخْزَاذَ. عَلَى أَنْ يَقُومَ بِأَمْرِ الْحَرْبِ، ثُمَّ يَصِيرُ الْمُلْكُ إِلَى آلِ كِسْرَى، فَقَبِلَ ذَلِكَ. وَكَانَ رُسْتُمُ هَذَا مُنَجِّمًا يَعْرِفُ النُّجُومَ وَعِلْمَهَا جَيِّدًا، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى هَذَا ؟ يَعْنُونَ وَأَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ لَا يَتِمُّ لَكَ، فَقَالَ: الطَّمَعُ وَحُبُّ الشَّرَفِ.
Translation
✧ News of al-Muthannā b. Ḥārithah and Abū ʿUbayd b. Masʿūd A section on what took place in the land of Iraq during this period of fighting. We have previously mentioned that when Khālid marched from Iraq with those who accompanied him to Syria—it is said he marched with nine thousand, and it is said with three thousand, and it is said with seven hundred, and it is said with fewer, but they were the champions of the army of Iraq—al-Muthannā remained with those who stayed behind. He considered their numbers too few and feared the might of the Persians, had they not been preoccupied with changing their kings and queens. Al-Muthannā thought the news of al-Ṣiddīq was slow in coming, so he traveled to Madinah and found al-Ṣiddīq in his final illness. He informed him of the situation in Iraq, and al-Ṣiddīq enjoined ʿUmar to call the people to fight the people of Iraq. When al-Ṣiddīq died and was buried on Tuesday night, ʿUmar arose in the morning and called the people, urging them to fight the people of Iraq, inciting them and enticing them with the reward for that, but no one stood up, because the people disliked fighting the Persians due to their great might and fierce fighting. Then he called them on the second and third days, but no one stood up. Al-Muthannā b. Ḥārithah spoke, and al-Muthannā b. Ḥārithah spoke, saying: O people, do not let this matter seem too great to you, for we have settled in the countryside of Persia, and we have overcome them in the best of the Sawād, and we have shared it with them and gained from them. And by it, God willing, what comes after it will be. He spoke well and told them of what God Almighty had opened at the hands of Khālid of most of the land of Iraq, and what they had there of wealth, possessions, goods, and provisions. But no one stood up on the third day. On the fourth day, the first of the Muslims to volunteer was Abū ʿUbaydah b. Masʿūd al-Thaqafī—he is the father of al-Mukhtār—and Saʿd b. ʿUbayd al-Anṣārī, and Salīṭ b. Qays, who was among those who witnessed Badr. Then the people followed one another in responding. ʿUmar commanded a group from the people of Madinah and appointed over the whole force this Abū ʿUbayd, who was not a Companion. It was said to ʿUmar: Why did you not appoint over them a man from among the Companions? He said: I appoint the first one who responded. You only preceded the people in supporting this religion, and this man responded before you. Then he summoned Abū ʿUbayd, Saʿd, and Salīṭ, and said to the two of them: If you had preceded him, I would have appointed you, and you would have attained by it what is due to you of precedence. Then he summoned him and enjoined him, in his own person, to fear God and to treat well the Muslims with him; and he commanded him to consult the Companions of the Messenger of God ﷺ, and to consult Salīṭ b. Qays, for he is a man who has experienced wars. The Muslims marched to the land of Iraq, and they were seven thousand men. ʿUmar wrote to Abū ʿUbaydah to send those who were in Iraq of those who had come with Khālid back to Iraq. He equipped ten thousand, over whom was Hāshim b. ʿUtbah. And ʿUmar sent Jarīr b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Bajalī with four thousand to Iraq. He arrived at al-Kūfah, then departed from it and engaged Harqarān al-Madār, killed him, and his army was routed, and most of them drowned in the Tigris. When the people reached Iraq, they found the Persians in confusion over their kingship. The last thing their affairs settled on was that they made Būrān bt. Kisrā their queen after they killed the one before her, Āzarmīdukht. Būrān delegated the matter of the kingdom for ten years to a man of theirs called Rustum b. Farrukhzād, on condition that he carry out the matter of war, then the kingdom would return to the house of Kisrā. He accepted that. This Rustum was an astrologer who knew the stars and their science well. It was said to him: What made you undertake this?—meaning, while you know that this matter will not be completed for you. He said: Greed and love of honor.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.