Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1888
The caliphate of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb
وَقْعَةُ أَجْنَادِينَ . سَارَ عمرو بن العاص بِجَيْشِهِ وَعَلَى مَيْمَنَتِهِ ابْنُهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، وَعَلَى مَيْسَرَتِهِ جُنَادَةُ بْنُ تَمِيمٍ الْمَالِكِيُّ ; مِنْ بَنِي مَالِكِ بْنِ كِنَانَةَ، وَمَعَهُ شُرَحْبِيلُ ابْنُ حَسَنَةَ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى الْأُرْدُنِّ أَبَا الْأَعْوَرِ السَّلَمِيَّ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلَى الرَّمْلَةِ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا جَمْعًا مِنَ الرُّومِ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَرْطَبُونُ، وَكَانَ أَدْهَى الرُّومِ وَأَبْعَدَهَا غَوْرًا، وَأَنْكَاهَا فِعْلًا، وَقَدْ كَانَ وَضَعَ بِالرَّمْلَةِ جُنْدًا عَظِيمًا وَبِإِيلِيَاءَ جُنْدًا عَظِيمًا، فَكَتَبَ عَمْرٌو إِلَى عُمَرَ بِالْخَبَرِ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ كِتَابُ عَمْرٍو قَالَ: قَدْ رَمَيْنَا أَرْطَبُونَ الرُّومِ بِأَرْطَبُونِ الْعَرَبِ، فَانْظُرُوا عَمَّا تَنْفَرِجُ. وَكَانَ مُعَاوِيَةُ قَدْ شَغَلَ أَهْلَ قَيْسَارِيَّةَ عَنْ عَمْرٍو وَبَعَثَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنَ حَكِيمٍ الْفَرَّاسِيَّ، وَمَسْرُوقَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ الْعَكِّيَّ عَلَى قِتَالِ أَهْلِ إِيلِيَاءَ، وَأَبَا أَيُّوبٍ الْمَالِكِيَّ إِلَى الرَّمْلَةِ وَعَلَيْهَا التَّذَارِقُ، فَكَانُوا بِإِزَائِهِمْ ; لِيَشْغَلُوهُمْ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ وَجَيْشِهِ، وَجَعَلَ عَمْرٌو كُلَّمَا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْدَادٌ مِنْ جِهَةِ عُمَرَ يَبْعَثُ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةً إِلَى هَؤُلَاءِ وَطَائِفَةً إِلَى هَؤُلَاءِ، وَأَقَامَ عَمْرٌو عَلَى أَجْنَادِينَ لَا يَقْدِرُ مِنَ الْأَرْطَبُونِ عَلَى سَقْطَةٍ وَلَا تَشْفِيهِ الرُّسُلُ، فَوَلِيَهُ بِنَفْسِهِ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ كَأَنَّهُ رَسُولٌ، فَأَبْلَغَهُ مَا يُرِيدُ وَسَمِعَ كَلَامَهُ وَتَأَمَّلَ حُصُونَهُ حَتَّى عَرَفَ مَا أَرَادَ، وَقَالَ الْأَرْطَبُونُ فِي نَفْسِهِ: وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَا لَعَمْرٌو، أَوْ إِنَّهُ الَّذِي يَأْخُذُ عَمْرٌو بِرَأْيِهِ، وَمَا كُنْتُ لِأُصِيبَ الْقَوْمَ بِأَمْرٍ هُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ قَتْلِهِ. فَدَعَا حَرَسِيًّا فَسَارَّهُ فَأَمَرَهُ بِقَتْلِهِ. فَقَالَ: اذْهَبْ فَقُمْ فِي مَكَانِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَإِذَا مَرَّ بِكَ فَاقْتُلْهُ. فَفَطِنَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، فَقَالَ لِلْأَرْطَبُونِ: أَيُّهَا الْأَمِيرُ، إِنِّي قَدْ سَمِعْتُ كَلَامَكَ وَسَمِعْتَ كَلَامِي، وَإِنِّي وَاحِدٌ مِنْ عَشَرَةٍ بَعَثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ; لِنَكُونَ مَعَ هَذَا الْوَالِي؛ لِنَشْهَدَ أُمُورَهُ، وَقَدْ أَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ آتِيَكَ بِهِمْ ; لِيَسْمَعُوا كَلَامَكَ، وَيَرَوْا مَا رَأَيْتُ. فَقَالَ الْأَرْطَبُونُ: نَعَمْ، فَاذْهَبْ فَائْتِنِي بِهِمْ. وَدَعَا رَجُلًا فَسَارَّهُ فَقَالَ: اذْهَبْ إِلَى فُلَانٍ فَرُدَّهُ. وَقَامَ عَمْرٌو فَذَهَبَ إِلَى جَيْشِهِ، ثُمَّ تَحَقَّقَ الْأَرْطَبُونُ أَنَّهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ. فَقَالَ: خَدَعَنِي الرَّجُلُ، هَذَا وَاللَّهِ أَدْهَى الْعَرَبِ. وَبَلَغَتْ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ: غَلَبَهُ عَمْرٌو، لِلَّهِ دَرُّ عَمْرٍو. ثُمَّ نَاهَضَهُ عَمْرٌو، فَاقْتَتَلُوا بِأَجْنَادِينَ قِتَالًا عَظِيمًا كَقِتَالِ الْيَرْمُوكِ حَتَّى كَثُرَتِ الْقَتْلَى بَيْنَهُمْ، ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعَتْ بَقِيَّةُ الْجُيُوشِ إِلَى عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، وَذَلِكَ حِينَ أَعْيَاهُمْ صَاحِبُ إِيلِيَاءَ وَتَحَصَّنَ مِنْهُمْ بِالْبَلَدِ، وَكَثُرَ جَيْشُهُ، فَكَتَبَ أَرْطَبُونُ إِلَى عَمْرٍو بِأَنَّكَ صَدِيقِي وَنَظِيرِي، أَنْتَ فِي قَوْمِكَ مِثْلِي فِي قَوْمِي، وَاللَّهِ لَا تَفْتَحُ مِنْ فِلَسْطِينَ شَيْئًا بَعْدَ أَجْنَادِينَ، فَارْجِعْ وَلَا تُغَرَّ ; فَتَلْقَى مِثْلَ مَا لَقِيَ الَّذِي قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْهَزِيمَةِ. فَدَعَا عَمْرٌو رَجُلًا يَتَكَلَّمُ بِالرُّومِيَّةِ فَبَعَثَهُ إِلَى أَرْطَبُونَ وَقَالَ: اسْمَعْ مَا يَقُولُ لَكَ، ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ فَأَخْبِرْنِي. وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ مَعَهُ: جَاءَنِي كِتَابُكَ وَأَنْتَ نَظِيرِي وَمِثْلِي فِي قَوْمِكَ، لَوْ أَخْطَأَتْكَ خَصْلَةٌ تَجَاهَلْتَ فَضِيلَتِي، وَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنِّي صَاحِبُ فَتْحِ هَذِهِ الْبِلَادِ، وَاقْرَأْ كِتَابِي هَذَا بِمَحْضَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ وَوُزَرَائِكَ. فَلَمَّا وَصَلَهُ الْكِتَابُ جَمَعَ وُزَرَاءَهُ، وَقَرَأَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْكِتَابَ، فَقَالُوا لِلْأَرْطَبُونِ: مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِصَاحِبِ فَتْحِ هَذِهِ الْبِلَادِ ؟ فَقَالَ: صَاحِبُهَا رَجُلٌ اسْمُهُ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْرُفٍ. فَرَجَعَ الرَّسُولُ إِلَى عَمْرٍو فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا قَالَ، فَكَتَبَ عَمْرٌو إِلَى عُمَرَ يَسْتَمِدُّهُ وَيَقُولُ لَهُ: إِنِّي أُعَالِجُ حَرْبًا كَئُودًا صَدُومًا، وَبِلَادًا ادُّخِرَتْ لَكَ، فَرَأْيَكَ. فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ الْكِتَابُ إِلَى عُمَرَ عِلْمَ أَنَّ عَمْرًا لَمْ يَقُلْ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا لِأَمْرٍ عَلِمَهُ، فَعَزَمَ عُمَرُ عَلَى الدُّخُولِ إِلَى الشَّامِ لِفَتْحِ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ. قَالَ سَيْفُ بْنُ عُمَرَ عَنْ شُيُوخِهِ: وَقَدْ دَخَلَ عُمَرُ الشَّامَ أَرْبَعَ مَرَّاتٍ ; الْأُولَى كَانَ رَاكِبًا فَرَسًا حِينَ فَتَحَ بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ، وَالثَّانِيَةَ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ، وَالثَّالِثَةَ وَصَلَ إِلَى سَرْعٍ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ لِأَجْلِ مَا وَقَعَ بِالشَّامِ مِنَ الْوَبَاءِ، وَالرَّابِعَةَ دَخَلَهَا عَلَى حِمَارٍ. هَكَذَا نَقَلَهُ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ عَنْهُ.
Translation
✧ The Battle of Ajnādayn. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ marched with his army, his son ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr commanding his right wing, and Junādah b. Tamīm al-Mālikī of the Banū Mālik b. Kinānah commanding his left wing, and with him was Shuraḥbīl b. Ḥasanah. He appointed Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī as his deputy over Jordan. When he reached al-Ramlah, he found there a force of the Byzantines under al-Arṭabūn, who was the most cunning of the Byzantines, the most far-sighted, and the most effective in action. He had stationed a great army at al-Ramlah and a great army at Aelia. ʿAmr wrote to ʿUmar with the news. When ʿAmr's letter reached him, he said: "We have cast the Arṭabūn of the Byzantines against the Arṭabūn of the Arabs; see how it will turn out." Muʿāwiyah had kept the people of Caesarea occupied away from ʿAmr. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ sent ʿAlqamah b. Ḥakīm al-Farrāsī and Masrūq b. so-and-so al-ʿAkkī to fight the people of Aelia, and Abū Ayyūb al-Mālikī to al-Ramlah, where al-Tadhāriq was in command. They remained facing them, to keep them occupied away from ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ and his army. Whenever reinforcements came to ʿAmr from ʿUmar, he would send one party to these and one party to those. ʿAmr remained at Ajnādayn, unable to catch al-Arṭabūn in any lapse, and messengers did not satisfy him. So he undertook it himself and entered upon him as if he were an envoy. He delivered what he wanted, heard his words, and examined his fortifications until he knew what he wanted. Al-Arṭabūn said to himself: "By God, this is ʿAmr, or it is the one whose counsel ʿAmr follows. I could not strike the people with anything greater than killing him." He summoned a guard and whispered to him, ordering him to kill him. He said: "Go and stand in such-and-such a place, and when he passes by you, kill him." ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ perceived it and said to al-Arṭabūn: "O commander, I have heard your words and you have heard mine. I am one of ten whom ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb sent to be with this governor, to witness his affairs. I would like to bring them to you, so that they may hear your words and see what I have seen." Al-Arṭabūn said: "Yes, go and bring them to me." He summoned a man and whispered to him, saying: "Go to so-and-so and turn him back." ʿAmr rose and went to his army. Then al-Arṭabūn became certain that he was ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ and said: "The man deceived me. By God, this is the most cunning of the Arabs." This reached ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, and he said: "ʿAmr outwitted him. May God reward ʿAmr well." Then ʿAmr advanced against him, and they fought at Ajnādayn a great battle like the Battle of al-Yarmūk, until the slain were many among them. Then the remnants of the armies gathered to ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ, at the time when the commander of Aelia had exhausted them and fortified himself against them in the city, and his army had become numerous. Arṭabūn wrote to ʿAmr: "You are my friend and my counterpart; you are among your people as I am among mine. By God, you will not conquer anything of Palestine after Ajnādayn. Turn back and do not be deceived, lest you meet the like of the defeat that those before you met." ʿAmr summoned a man who spoke Greek and sent him to Arṭabūn, saying: "Listen to what he says to you, then return and inform me." He wrote to him with him: "Your letter has reached me. You are my counterpart and like me among your people. If you overlooked a single trait, you have ignored my merit. You know that I am the one destined to conquer these lands. Read this letter of mine in the presence of your companions and your ministers." When the letter reached him, he gathered his ministers and read the letter to them. They said to al-Arṭabūn: "How do you know that he is not the one destined to conquer these lands?" He said: "Its conqueror is a man whose name has three letters." The messenger returned to ʿAmr and told him what he had said. ʿAmr wrote to ʿUmar seeking reinforcements, saying to him: "I am engaged in a war that is arduous and stubborn, and lands that have been stored up for you; so consider." When the letter reached ʿUmar, he knew that ʿAmr had not said that except for something he had come to know. So ʿUmar resolved to enter Syria to conquer Jerusalem. Sayf b. ʿUmar said, on the authority of his shaykhs: ʿUmar entered Syria four times. The first time he was riding a horse, when he conquered Jerusalem; the second time on a camel; the third time he reached Sargh, then returned because of the plague that had struck Syria; and the fourth time he entered it on a donkey. This is how Ibn Jarīr transmitted it from him.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.