Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1869
The caliphate of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb
فَتَحِ دِمَشْقَ . وَلَمَّا هَزَمَ اللَّهُ أَهْلَ الْيَرْمُوكِ اسْتَخْلَفَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ عَلَى الْيَرْمُوكِ بَشِيرَ بْنَ كَعْبٍ الْحِمْيَرِيَّ، وَسَارَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ بِالصُّفَّرِ وَهُوَ عَازِمٌ عَلَى حِصَارِ دِمَشْقَ إِذْ أَتَاهُ الْخَبَرُ بِقُدُومِ مَدَدٍ لَهُمْ مِنْ حِمْصَ، وَجَاءَهُ الْخَبَرُ بِأَنَّهُ قَدِ اجْتَمَعَ طَائِفَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ مِنَ الرُّومِ بِفِحْلٍ مِنْ أَرْضِ فِلَسْطِينَ، وَهُوَ لَا يَدْرِي بِأَيِّ الْأَمْرَيْنِ يَبْدَأُ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَرَ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَجَاءَ الْجَوَابُ أَنِ ابْدَأْ بِدِمَشْقَ فَإِنَّهَا حِصْنُ الشَّامِ وَبَيْتُ مَمْلَكَتِهِمْ، فَانْهَدْ لَهَا وَاشْغَلُوا عَنْكُمْ أَهْلَ فِحْلٍ بِخُيُولٍ تَكُونُ تِلْقَاءَهُمْ، فَإِنْ فَتَحَهَا اللَّهُ قَبْلَ دِمَشْقَ فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي نُحِبُّ، وَإِنْ فُتِحَتْ دِمَشْقُ قَبْلَهَا فَسِرْ أَنْتَ وَمَنْ مَعَكَ وَاسْتَخْلِفْ عَلَى دِمَشْقَ، فَإِذَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فِحْلًا فَسِرْ أَنْتَ وَخَالِدٌ إِلَى حِمْصَ وَاتْرُكْ عَمْرًا وَشُرَحْبِيلَ عَلَى الْأُرْدُنِّ وَفِلَسْطِينَ. قَالَ: فَسَرَّحَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ إِلَى فِحْلٍ عَشَرَةَ أُمَرَاءَ، مَعَ كُلِّ أَمِيرٍ خَمْسَةُ أُمَرَاءَ، وَعَلَى الْجَمِيعِ عُمَارَةُ بْنُ مَخْشِيٍّ، صَحَابِيٌّ، فَسَارُوا مِنْ مَرْجِ الصُّفَّرِ إِلَى فِحْلٍ، فَوَجَدُوا الرُّومَ هُنَالِكَ قَرِيبًا مِنْ ثَمَانِينَ أَلْفًا، وَقَدْ أَرْسَلُوا الْمِيَاهَ حَوْلَهُمْ حَتَّى أَرْدَغَتِ الْأَرْضُ، فَسَمَّوْا ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعَ الرَّدْغَةَ، وَفَتَحَهَا اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَكَانَتْ أَوَّلَ حِصْنٍ فُتِحَ قَبِلَ دِمَشْقَ، وَبَعَثَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ جَيْشًا يَكُونُ بَيْنَ دِمَشْقَ وَبَيْنَ فِلَسْطِينَ، وَبَعَثَ ذَا الْكَلَاعِ فِي جَيْشٍ يَكُونُ بَيْنَ دِمَشْقَ وَبَيْنَ حِمْصَ ; لِيَرُدَّ مَنْ يَرِدُ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْمَدَدِ مِنْ جِهَةِ هِرَقْلَ، ثُمَّ سَارَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مِنْ مَرْجِ الصُّفَّرِ قَاصِدًا دِمَشْقَ، وَقَدْ جَعَلَ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ فِي الْقَلْبِ، وَرَكِبَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ وَعَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ فِي الْمُجَنِّبَتَيْنِ، وَعَلَى الْخَيْلِ عِيَاضُ بْنُ غَنْمٍ،، وَعَلَى الرَّجَّالَةِ شُرَحْبِيلُ ابْنُ حَسَنَةَ، فَقَدِمُوا دِمَشْقَ وَعَلَيْهَا نِسْطَاسُ بْنُ نَسْطُورَسَ، فَنَزَلَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ عَلَى الْبَابِ الشَّرْقِيِّ وَإِلَيْهِ بَابُ كَيْسَانَ أَيْضًا، وَنَزَلَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ عَلَى بَابِ الْجَابِيَةِ الْكَبِيرِ، وَنَزَلَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَلَى بَابِ الْجَابِيَةِ الصَّغِيرِ، وَنَزَلَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ وَشُرَحْبِيلُ ابْنُ حَسَنَةَ عَلَى بَقِيَّةِ أَبْوَابِ الْبَلَدِ، وَنَصَبُوا الْمَجَانِيقَ وَالدَّبَّابَاتِ وَقَدْ أَرْصَدَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ عَلَى جَيْشٍ بِبَرْزَةَ يَكُونُونَ رِدْءًا لَهُ، وَكَذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ حِمْصَ، وَحَاصَرُوهَا حِصَارًا شَدِيدًا سَبْعِينَ لَيْلَةً، وَقِيلَ: أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ. وَقِيلَ: سِتَّةَ أَشْهُرٍ. وَقِيلَ: أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا. فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَأَهْلُ دِمَشْقَ مُمْتَنِعُونَ مِنْهُمْ غَايَةَ الِامْتِنَاعِ، وَيُرْسِلُونَ إِلَى مَلِكِهِمْ هِرَقْلَ وَهُوَ مُقِيمٌ بِحِمْصَ يَطْلُبُونَ مِنْهُ الْمَدَدَ، فَلَا يُمْكِنُ وُصُولُ الْمَدَدِ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ ذِي الْكَلَاعِ الَّذِي قَدْ أَرْصَدَهُ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ، ؓ بَيْنَ دِمَشْقَ وَبَيْنَ حِمْصَ - عَنْ دِمَشْقَ لَيْلَةً - فَلَمَّا أَيْقَنَ أَهْلُ دِمَشْقَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَصِلُ إِلَيْهِمْ مَدَدٌ أَبْلَسُوا وَفَشِلُوا وَضَعُفُوا، وَقَوِيَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَاشْتَدَّ حِصَارُهُمْ، وَجَاءَ فَصْلُ الشِّتَاءِ وَاشْتَدَّ الْبَرْدُ وَعَسُرَ الْحَالُ وَعَسُرَ الْقِتَالُ، فَقَدَّرَ اللَّهُ الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِي، ذُو الْعِزَّةِ وَالْجَلَالِ، أَنْ وُلِدَ لِبِطْرِيقِ دِمَشْقَ مَوْلُودٌ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيَالِي، فَصَنَعَ لَهُمْ طَعَامًا وَسَقَاهُمْ بَعْدَهُ شَرَابًا، وَبَاتُوا عِنْدَهُ فِي وَلِيمَتِهِ قَدْ أَكَلُوا وَشَرِبُوا وَتَعِبُوا، فَنَامُوا عَنْ مَوَاقِفِهِمْ، وَاشْتَغَلُوا عَنْ أَمَاكِنِهِمْ، وَفَطِنَ لِذَلِكَ أَمِيرُ الْحَرْبِ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يَنَامُ، وَلَا يَتْرُكُ أَحَدًا يَنَامُ، بَلْ مُرَاصِدٌ لَهُمْ لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا، وَلَهُ عُيُونٌ وَقُصَّادٌ يَرْفَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَحْوَالَ الْمُقَاتِلَةِ صَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً، فَلَمَّا رَأَى خَمْدَةَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَا يُقَاتِلُ عَلَى السُّورِ أَحَدٌ، كَانَ قَدْ أَعَدَّ سَلَالِيمَ مِنْ حِبَالٍ، فَجَاءَ هُوَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ مِنَ الصَّنَادِيدِ الْأَبْطَالِ، مِثْلَ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَمَذْعُورِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ، وَقَدْ أَحْضَرَ جَيْشَهُ عِنْدَ الْبَابِ، وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ تَكْبِيرَنَا فَوْقَ السُّورِ فَارْقَوْا إِلَيْنَا. ثُمَّ نَهَدَ هُوَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ فَقَطَعُوا الْخَنْدَقَ سِبَاحَةً بِقِرَبٍ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ، ثُمَّ نَصَبُوا تِلْكَ السَّلَالِمَ وَأَثْبَتُوا أَعَالِيهَا بِالشُّرُفَاتِ، وَأَكَّدُوا أَسَافِلَهَا خَارِجَ الْخَنْدَقِ، وَصَعِدُوا فِيهَا، فَلَمَّا اسْتَوَوْا عَلَى السُّورِ رَفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَهُمْ بِالتَّكْبِيرِ، وَجَاءَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فَصَعِدُوا فِي تِلْكَ السَّلَالِمِ وَانْحَدَرَ خَالِدٌ وَأَصْحَابُهُ الشُّجْعَانُ مِنَ السُّورِ إِلَى الْبَوَّابِينَ فَقَتَلُوهُمْ، وَقَطَعَ خَالِدٌ وَأَصْحَابُهُ أَغَالِيقَ الْبَابِ بِالسُّيُوفِ وَفَتَحُوا الْبَابَ، فَدَخَلَ الْجَيْشُ الْخَالِدِيُّ مِنَ الْبَابِ الشَّرْقِيِّ، وَلَمَّا سَمِعَ أَهْلُ الْبَلَدِ التَّكْبِيرَ ثَارُوا، وَذَهَبَ كُلُّ فَرِيقٍ إِلَى أَمَاكِنِهِمْ مِنَ السُّورِ، لَا يَدْرُونَ مَا الْخَبَرُ، فَجَعَلَ كُلَّمَا قَدِمَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْبَابِ الشَّرْقِيِّ قَتَلَهُ أَصْحَابُ خَالِدٍ
Translation
✧ The conquest of Damascus. When God defeated the people of al-Yarmūk, Abū ʿUbaydah appointed Bashīr b. Kaʿb al-Ḥimyarī as his deputy over al-Yarmūk and marched until he encamped at al-Ṣuffar, determined to lay siege to Damascus, when news reached him of the arrival of reinforcements for them from Ḥimṣ, and news also came to him that a large party of the Byzantines had gathered at Fiḥl in the land of Palestine. He did not know which of the two matters to begin with, so he wrote to ʿUmar about that. The reply came: “Begin with Damascus, for it is the fortress of Syria and the seat of their kingdom. Advance against it, and keep the people of Fiḥl occupied away from you with cavalry that will be facing them. If God opens it before Damascus, that is what we desire; but if Damascus is opened before it, then march you and those with you, appoint a deputy over Damascus, and when God grants you victory over Fiḥl, march you and Khālid to Ḥimṣ, and leave ʿAmr and Shuraḥbīl over the Jordan and Palestine.” He said: So Abū ʿUbaydah sent ten commanders to Fiḥl, with five commanders under each commander, and over them all ʿUmārah b. Makhshī, a Companion. They marched from Marj al-Ṣuffar to Fiḥl and found the Byzantines there, close to eighty thousand, and they had released the waters around them until the ground became muddy, so they called that place al-Radghah. God granted it to the Muslims, and it was the first fortress to be opened before Damascus. Abū ʿUbaydah sent an army to be between Damascus and Palestine, and he sent Dhū al-Kalāʿ with an army to be between Damascus and Ḥimṣ, to repel any reinforcements that might come to them from the direction of Heraclius. Then Abū ʿUbaydah marched from Marj al-Ṣuffar heading for Damascus. He placed Khālid b. al-Walīd in the center, Abū ʿUbaydah and ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ rode on the two wings, ʿIyāḍ b. Ghanm was over the cavalry, and Shuraḥbīl b. Ḥasanah over the infantry. They arrived at Damascus, over which was Nisṭās b. Nasṭūras. Khālid b. al-Walīd encamped at the Eastern Gate, and to him also belonged the Gate of Kaysān. Abū ʿUbaydah encamped at the great Jābiyah Gate, Yazīd b. Abī Sufyān encamped at the small Jābiyah Gate, and ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ and Shuraḥbīl b. Ḥasanah encamped at the remaining gates of the city. They set up mangonels and siege towers. Abū ʿUbaydah had stationed Abū al-Dardāʾ over an army at Barzah to be a support for him, and likewise the one between him and Ḥimṣ. They besieged it with a severe siege for seventy nights. It is said: four months. It is said: six months. It is said: fourteen months. God knows best. The people of Damascus resisted them with the utmost resistance, and they sent to their king Heraclius, who was staying in Ḥimṣ, seeking reinforcements from him, but reinforcements could not reach them because of Dhū al-Kalāʿ, whom Abū ʿUbaydah ؓ had stationed between Damascus and Ḥimṣ, one night’s distance from Damascus. When the people of Damascus became certain that no reinforcements would reach them, they despaired, lost heart, and weakened, while the Muslims grew stronger and their siege intensified. The winter season came, the cold became severe, the situation became difficult, and fighting became hard. Then God, the Great, the Most High, Possessor of might and majesty, decreed that a son was born to the patrician of Damascus in those nights. He prepared food for them and gave them drink after it, and they spent the night at his banquet having eaten, drunk, and become weary, so they slept away from their posts and neglected their positions. The commander of war, Khālid b. al-Walīd, noticed that, for he did not sleep, nor did he let anyone sleep; rather, he was watching them night and day, and he had spies and informants who reported to him the conditions of the fighters morning and evening. When he saw the stillness of that night and that no one was fighting on the wall, he had prepared ladders of ropes, and he and his companions, the mighty heroes, such as al-Qaʿqāʿ b. ʿAmr and Madhʿūr b. ʿAdī, came. He had brought his army to the gate and said to them: “When you hear our takbīr above the wall, climb up to us.” Then he and his companions advanced, crossed the moat by swimming with water skins around their necks, set up those ladders, secured their tops to the battlements, and fastened their bottoms outside the moat. They climbed up, and when they stood on the wall, they raised their voices with the takbīr. The Muslims came and climbed those ladders. Khālid and his brave companions descended from the wall to the gatekeepers and killed them. Khālid and his companions cut the locks of the gate with their swords and opened the gate, and the Khālidite army entered through the Eastern Gate. When the people of the city heard the takbīr, they were alarmed, and each group went to their positions on the wall, not knowing what the news was. Every time someone from the Eastern Gate came, Khālid’s companions killed him.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.