Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1879
The caliphate of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb
وِلَايَةِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ غَزْوَانَ الْبَصْرَةَ قِيلَ: فِي سَّنَةِ أربع عشرة من الهجرة بَعَثَ عُمَرُ عُتْبَةَ بْنَ غَزْوَانَ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ، وَكَانَ بِهَا قُطْبَةُ بْنُ قَتَادَةَ السَّدُوسِيُّ يُغِيرُ بِتِلْكَ النَّاحِيَةِ، كَمَا كَانَ يُغِيرُ الْمُثَنَّى بِنَاحِيَةِ الْحِيرَةِ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَرَ يُعْلِمُهُ مَكَانَهُ، وَأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ مَعَهُ عَدَدٌ يَسِيرٌ ظَفِرَ بِمَنْ كَانَ قِبَلَهُ مِنَ الْعَجَمِ، فَنَفَاهُمْ عَنْ بِلَادِهِمْ. فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ عُمَرُ يَأْمُرُهُ بِالْمُقَامِ وَالْحَذَرِ، وَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْهِ شُرَيْحَ بْنَ عَامِرٍ أَحَدَ بَنِي سَعْدِ بْنِ بَكْرٍ، فَأَقْبَلَ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ، وَتَرَكَ بِهَا قُطْبَةَ، وَمَضَى إِلَى الْأَهْوَازِ، حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى دَارِسَ، وَفِيهَا مَسْلَحَةُ الْأَعَاجِمِ، فَقَتَلُوهُ، فَبَعَثَ عُمَرُ عُتْبَةَ بْنَ غَزْوَانَ، [ وَ ] قَالَ لَهُ حِينَ وَجَّهَهُ: يَا عُتْبَةُ، إِنِّي قَدِ اسْتَعْمَلْتُكَ عَلَى أَرْضِ الْهِنْدِ، وَهِيَ حَوْمَةٌ مِنْ حَوْمَةِ الْعَدُوِّ، وَأَرْجُو أَنْ يَكْفِيَكَ اللَّهُ مَا حَوْلَهَا، وَيُعِينَكَ عَلَيْهَا، -وَكَانَتِ الْبَصْرَةُ تُدْعَى أَرْضَ الْهِنْدِ، فِيهَا حِجَارَةٌ بِيضٌ خَشِنَةٌ- وَقَدْ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ أَنْ يُمِدَّكَ بِعَرْفَجَةَ بْنِ هَرْثَمَةَ، وَهُوَ ذُو مُجَاهَدَةٍ وَمُكَايَدَةٍ لِلْعَدُوِّ، فَإِذَا قَدِمَ عَلَيْكَ فَاسْتَشِرْهُ، وَادْعُ إِلَى اللَّهِ، فَمَنْ أَجَابَكَ فَاقْبَلْ مِنْهُ، وَمَنْ أَبَى فَالْجِزْيَةُ وَإِلَّا فَالسَّيْفُ، وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ فِيمَا وُلِّيتَ، وَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُنَازِعَكَ نَفْسُكَ إِلَى كِبْرٍ مِمَّا يُفْسِدُ عَلَيْكَ إِخْوَتَكَ، وَقَدْ صَحِبْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعُزِّزْتَ بِهِ بَعْدَ الذِّلَّةِ، وَقُوِّيتَ بِهِ بَعْدَ الضَّعْفِ، حَتَّى صِرْتَ أَمِيرًا مُسَلَّطًا وَمَلِكًا مُطَاعًا، تَقُولُ فَيُسْمَعُ مِنْكَ، وَتَأْمُرُ فَيُطَاعُ أَمْرُكَ، فَيَا لَهَا نِعْمَةٌ ! إِنْ لَمْ تَرْفَعْكَ فَوْقَ قَدْرِكَ وَتَبْطَرْكَ عَلَى مَنْ دُونَكَ، وَاحْتَفِظْ مِنَ النِّعْمَةِ احْتِفَاظَكَ مِنَ الْمَعْصِيَةِ، وَلَهِيَ أَخْوَفُهُمَا عِنْدِي عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَسْتَدْرِجَكَ وَتَخْدَعَكَ، فَتَسْقُطَ سَقْطَةً تَصِيرُ بِهَا إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ، أُعِيذُكَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَفْسِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ. إِنَّ النَّاسَ أَسْرَعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ حِينَ رُفِعَتْ لَهُمُ الدُّنْيَا فَأَرَادُوهَا، فَأَرِدِ اللَّهَ وَلَا تُرِدِ الدُّنْيَا، وَاتَّقِ مَصَارِعَ الظَّالِمِينَ. انْطَلِقْ أَنْتَ وَمَنْ مَعَكَ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنْتُمْ فِي أَقْصَى الْعَرَبِ وَأَدْنَى أَرْضِ الْعَجَمِ فَأَقِيمُوا. فَسَارَ عُتْبَةُ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ، حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا بِالْمِرْبَدِ تَقَدَّمُوا حَتَّى بَلَغُوا حِيَالَ الْجِسْرِ الصَّغِيرِ فَنَزَلُوا. فَبَلَغَ صَاحِبَ الْفُرَاتِ خَبَرُهُمْ، فَأَقْبَلَ فِي أَرْبَعَةِ آلَافٍ فَالْتَقَوْا، فَقَاتَلَهُمْ عُتْبَةُ بَعْدَ الزَّوَالِ، وَكَانَ فِي خَمْسِمِائَةٍ، فَقَتَلَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَلَمْ يُبْقِ إِلَّا صَاحِبَ الْفُرَاتِ فَأَخَذَهُ أَسِيرًا، ثُمَّ خَطَبَ عُتْبَةُ أَصْحَابَهُ وَقَالَ: إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا قَدْ تَصَرَّمَتْ وَوَلَّتْ حَذَّاءَ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهَا إِلَّا صُبَابَةٌ كَصُبَابَةِ الْإِنَاءِ، أَلَا وَإِنَّكُمْ مُنْتَقِلُونَ مِنْهَا إِلَى دَارِ الْقَرَارِ، فَانْتَقِلُوا بِخَيْرِ مَا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ، وَقَدْ ذُكِرَ لِي: لَوْ أَنَّ صَخْرَةً أُلْقِيَتْ مِنْ شَفِيرِ جَهَنَّمَ لَهَوَتْ سَبْعِينَ خَرِيفًا، وَلَتُمْلَأَنَّهُ ; أَوَعَجِبْتُمْ ! وَلَقَدْ ذُكِرَ لِي أَنَّ مَا بَيْنَ مِصْرَاعَيْنِ مِنْ مَصَارِيعِ الْجَنَّةِ مَسِيرَةَ أَرْبَعِينَ خَرِيفًا، وَلَيَأْتِيَنَّ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمٌ وَهُوَ كَظِيظٌ، [ بِزِحَامٍ ]، وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي وَأَنَا سَابِعُ سَبْعَةٍ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، مَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا وَرَقُ السَّمُرِ حَتَّى تَقَرَّحَتْ أَشْدَاقُنَا، وَالْتَقَطْتُ بُرْدَةً فَشَقَقْتُهَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ سَعْدٍ، فَمَا مِنَّا [ مِنْ ] أُولَئِكَ السَّبْعَةِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا وَهُوَ أَمِيرُ مِصْرٍ مِنَ الْأَمْصَارِ، وَسَيُجَرِّبُونَ النَّاسَ بَعْدَنَا. وَكَانَ نُزُولُهُ الْبَصْرَةَ فِي رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ أَوِ الْآخِرِ سَنَةَ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ الْبَصْرَةَ مُصِّرَتْ سَنَةَ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ بَعْدَ جَلُولَاءَ وَتَكْرِيتَ، أَرْسَلَهُ سَعْدٌ إِلَيْهَا بِأَمْرِ عُمَرَ. وَإِنَّ عُتْبَةَ لَمَّا نَزَلَ الْبَصْرَةَ أَقَامَ نَحْوَ شَهْرٍ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الْأُبُلَّةِ، وَكَانَ بِهَا خَمْسُمِائَةِ أُسْوَارٍ يَحْمُونَهَا، وَكَانَتْ مَرْفَأَ السُّفُنِ مِنَ الصِّينِ، فَقَاتَلَهُمْ عُتْبَةُ فَهَزَمَهُمْ حَتَّى دَخَلُوا الْمَدِينَةَ، وَرَجَعَ عُتْبَةُ إِلَى عَسْكَرِهِ، وَأَلْقَى اللَّهُ الرُّعْبَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْفُرْسِ، فَخَرَجُوا عَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَحَمَلُوا مَا خَفَّ وَعَبَرُوا الْمَاءَ، وَأَخْلَوُا الْمَدِينَةَ، وَدَخَلَهَا الْمُسْلِمُونَ، فَأَصَابُوا مَتَاعًا وَسِلَاحًا وَسَبْيًا فَاقْتَسَمُوهُ، وَأَخْرَجَ الْخُمُسَ مِنْهُ، وَكَانَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ ثَلَاثَمِائَةٍ. وَكَانَ فَتْحُهَا فِي رَجَبٍ أَوْ فِي شَعْبَانَ. ثُمَّ نَزَلَ مَوْضِعَ الرِّزْقِ، وَخَطَّ مَوْضِعَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَبَنَاهُ بِالْقَصَبِ. وَكَانَ أَوَّلُ مَوْلُودٍ بِهَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ، فَلَمَّا وُلِدَ ذَبَحَ أَبُوهُ جَزُورًا، فَكَفَتْهُمْ لِقِلَّةِ النَّاسِ. وَجَمَعَ لَهُمْ أَهْلُ دَسْتُمِيسَانَ، فَلَقِيَهُمْ عُتْبَةُ فَهَزَمَهُمْ وَأَخَذَ مَرْزُبَانَهَا أَسِيرًا، وَأَخَذَ قَتَادَةُ مِنْطَقَتَهُ، فَبَعَثَ بِهَا مَعَ أَنَسِ بْنِ حَجْنَةَ إِلَى عُمَرَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ: كَيْفَ النَّاسُ ؟ فَقَالَ: انْثَالَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الدُّنْيَا، فَهُمْ يَهِيلُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ. فَرَغِبَ النَّاسُ فِي الْبَصْرَةِ فَأَتَوْهَا. وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عُتْبَةُ مُجَاشِعَ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ عَلَى جَمَاعَةٍ وَسَيَّرَهُمْ إِلَى الْفُرَاتِ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ شُعْبَةَ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى أَنْ يَقْدَمَ مُجَاشِعُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، فَإِذَا قَدِمَ فَهُوَ الْأَمِيرُ، وَسَارَ عُتْبَةُ إِلَى عُمَرَ. فَظَفِرَ مُجَاشِعٌ بِأَهْلِ الْفُرَاتِ وَجَمَعَ الْفَلِيكَانُ، عَظِيمٌ مِنَ الْفُرْسِ، لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ شُعْبَةَ فَلَقِيَهُمْ بِالْمَرْغَابِ فَاقْتَتَلُوا. فَقَالَ نِسَاءُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ: لَوْ لَحِقْنَا بِهِمْ فَكُنَّا مَعَهُمْ، فَاتَّخَذْنَ مِنْ خُمُرِهِنَّ رَايَاتٍ وَسِرْنَ إِلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ. فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُشْرِكُونَ الرَّايَاتِ ظَنُّوا أَنَّ مَدَدًا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ قَدْ أَقْبَلَ، فَانْهَزَمُوا وَظَفِرَ بِهِمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ. وَكُتِبَ إِلَى عُمَرَ بِالْفَتْحِ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ لِعُتْبَةَ: مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلْتَ عَلَى الْبَصْرَةِ ؟ فَقَالَ: مُجَاشِعَ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ. قَالَ: أَتَسْتَعْمِلُ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْوَبَرِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْمَدَرِ ؟ وَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُغِيرَةِ، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ إِلَى عَمَلِهِ، فَمَاتَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ، وَقِيلَ فِي مَوْتِهِ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، وَكَانَ مِنْ سَبْيِ مَيْسَانَ يَسَارُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيُّ، وَأَرْطَبَانُ جَدُّ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَوْنِ بْنِ أَرْطَبَانَ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ إِمَارَةَ عُتْبَةَ الْبَصْرَةَ كَانَتْ سَنَةَ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ، وَقِيلَ: سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ، وَالْأَوَّلُ أَصَحُّ، فَكَانَتْ إِمَارَتُهُ عَلَيْهَا سِتَّةَ أَشْهُرٍ. وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عُمَرُ عَلَى الْبَصْرَةِ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ شُعْبَةَ، فَبَقِيَ سَنَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رُمِيَ بِمَا رُمِيَ، وَاسْتَعْمَلَ أَبَا مُوسَى، وَقِيلَ: اسْتَعْمَلَ بَعْدَ عُتْبَةَ أَبَا مُوسَى وَبَعْدَهُ الْمُغِيرَةَ.
Translation
✧ The governorship of ʿUtbah b. Ghazwān over al-Baṣrah It is said: In the year fourteen of the emigration, ʿUmar sent ʿUtbah b. Ghazwān to al-Baṣrah. Quṭbah b. Qatādah al-Sadūsī was there, raiding in that region just as al-Muthannā was raiding in the region of al-Ḥīrah. He wrote to ʿUmar informing him of his position, and that if he had even a small force with him he would overcome the Persians who were before him and expel them from their lands. ʿUmar wrote to him commanding him to remain and be cautious, and he sent to him Shurayḥ b. ʿĀmir, one of the Banū Saʿd b. Bakr. He set out for al-Baṣrah, left Quṭbah there, and went on to al-Ahwāz until he reached Dāris, where there was a Persian outpost. They killed him. So ʿUmar sent ʿUtbah b. Ghazwān and said to him when he dispatched him: O ʿUtbah, I have appointed you over the land of al-Hind, which is a frontier of the enemy. I hope that Allah will suffice you against what surrounds it and aid you in it—al-Baṣrah was called the land of al-Hind; in it are white, rough stones—and I have written to al-ʿAlāʾ b. al-Ḥaḍramī that he should reinforce you with ʿArfajah b. Harthamah, who is endowed with struggle and stratagem against the enemy. When he comes to you, consult him. Call to Allah: whoever responds to you, accept from him; whoever refuses, then the jizyah, otherwise the sword. Fear Allah in what you have been entrusted with, and beware lest your soul entice you to pride, which corrupts your brethren. You were a companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and through him you were strengthened after humiliation and empowered after weakness, until you became a commanding emir and an obeyed king: you speak and are heard, you command and your command is obeyed. What a blessing! If it does not raise you above your proper measure or make you insolent toward those below you. Guard the blessing as you would guard against sin—indeed, of the two I fear more for you that it may lure you gradually and deceive you, so that you fall a fall by which you go to Hell. I seek refuge with Allah for you and myself from that. People hastened to Allah when the world was raised up for them and they desired it; so desire Allah and do not desire the world, and beware the downfall of the wrongdoers. Depart, you and those with you, until when you are at the farthest limit of the Arabs and the nearest land of the Persians, then halt. ʿUtbah and those with him marched until when they were at al-Mirbad they advanced until they reached opposite the small bridge and encamped. The commander of al-Furāt learned of them and came with four thousand, and they met. ʿUtbah fought them after midday, and he was with five hundred, and he killed them all, leaving none except the commander of al-Furāt, whom he took captive. Then ʿUtbah addressed his companions and said: The world has come to an end and turned away swiftly; nothing remains of it except a remnant like the dregs in a vessel. Verily, you are moving from it to the abode of permanence, so move with the best of what is in your presence. It has been mentioned to me that if a rock were thrown from the edge of Hell it would fall for seventy autumns, and yet it shall surely be filled. Are you astonished? It has been mentioned to me that the distance between two leaves of the gates of Paradise is a journey of forty autumns, and a day will come upon it when it is crowded with throngs. I have seen myself as the seventh of seven with the Prophet ﷺ, when we had no food except acacia leaves, until the corners of our mouths broke out in sores. I found a cloak and tore it between myself and Saʿd. There is none of those seven among us but is an emir of a city among the cities, and they will test people after us. His arrival at al-Baṣrah was in Rabīʿ al-Awwal or Rabīʿ al-Ākhir, year fourteen. It is also said: al-Baṣrah was founded as a city in year sixteen, after Jalūlāʾ and Takrīt, when Saʿd sent him there by command of ʿUmar. When ʿUtbah encamped at al-Baṣrah he stayed about a month. Then the people of al-Ubullah came out against him, and there were five hundred cavalry protecting it, and it was the anchorage of ships from China. ʿUtbah fought them and routed them until they entered the city, and ʿUtbah returned to his camp. Allah cast terror into the hearts of the Persians, so they went out of the city, carrying what was light, crossed the water, and abandoned the city. The Muslims entered it and seized goods, weapons, and captives, and divided them, taking out the fifth. The Muslims numbered three hundred. Its conquest was in Rajab or Shaʿbān. Then he encamped at the place of the stipend, marked out the site of the mosque, and built it with reeds. The first child born there was ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakrah. When he was born his father slaughtered a camel, and it sufficed them because of the small number of people. The people of Dastumaysān gathered against them, and ʿUtbah met them, routed them, and took its marzubān captive. Qatādah took his belt and sent it with Anas b. Ḥajnah to ʿUmar. ʿUmar said to him: How are the people? He said: The world has poured out upon them, and they heap up gold and silver. So people desired al-Baṣrah and came to it. ʿUtbah appointed Mujāshiʿ b. Masʿūd over a group and sent them to al-Furāt. He appointed al-Mughīrah b. Shuʿbah as his deputy over prayer until Mujāshiʿ b. Masʿūd arrived; when he arrived, he was to be the commander. ʿUtbah then departed to ʿUmar. Mujāshiʿ overcame the people of al-Furāt, and al-Falīkān, a great man of the Persians, gathered forces against the Muslims. Al-Mughīrah b. Shuʿbah went out to meet them at al-Marghāb, and they fought. The Muslim women said: If only we could join them and be with them. So they made banners from their head-coverings and marched to the Muslims. When the polytheists saw the banners they thought that reinforcements for the Muslims had arrived, so they fled, and the Muslims prevailed over them. News of the victory was written to ʿUmar. ʿUmar said to ʿUtbah: Whom did you appoint over al-Baṣrah? He said: Mujāshiʿ b. Masʿūd. He said: Do you appoint a man of the desert folk over the settled folk? And he informed him of what al-Mughīrah had done, and commanded him to return to his post, but he died on the way. Other accounts are told about his death. Among the captives of Maysān were Yasār, Abū al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, and Arṭabān, the grandfather of ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAwn b. Arṭabān. It is said: ʿUtbah's governorship of al-Baṣrah was in year fifteen; and it is said: year sixteen; but the first is more correct. His governorship over it lasted six months. ʿUmar appointed al-Mughīrah b. Shuʿbah over al-Baṣrah, and he remained two years, then he was accused of what he was accused of, and he appointed Abū Mūsā. It is said: after ʿUtbah he appointed Abū Mūsā, and after him al-Mughīrah.
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