Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2101
The caliphate of Muʿāwiyah b. Abī Sufyān
وِلَايَةِ بُسْرٍ عَلَى الْبَصْرَةِ وَلِي بُسْرُ بْنُ أَبِي أَرْطَاةَ الْبَصْرَةَ. وَكَانَ السَّبَبُ فِي ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْحَسَنَ لَمَّا صَالَحَ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَوَّلَ سَنَةِ إِحْدَى وَأَرْبَعِينَ وَثَبَ حُمْرَانُ بْنُ أَبَانٍ عَلَى الْبَصْرَةِ فَأَخَذَهَا وَغَلَبَ عَلَيْهَا، فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ مُعَاوِيَةُ بُسْرَ بْنَ أَبِي أَرْطَاةَ وَأَمَرَهُ بِقَتْلِ بَنِي زِيَادِ بْنِ أَبِيهِ، وَكَانَ زِيَادٌ عَلَى فَارِسَ قَدْ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَيْهَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ بُسْرٌ الْبَصْرَةَ خَطَبَ عَلَى مِنْبَرِهَا وَشَتَمَ عَلِيًّا ثُمَّ قَالَ: نَشَدْتُ اللَّهَ رَجُلًا يَعْلَمُ أَنِّي صَادِقٌ إِلَّا صَدَّقَنِي أَوْ كَاذِبٌ إِلَّا كَذَّبَنِي. فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرَةَ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا لَا نَعْلَمُكَ إِلَّا كَاذِبًا. قَالَ: فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَخُنِقَ. فَقَامَ أَبُو لُؤْلُؤَةَ الضَّبِّيُّ فَرَمَى بِنَفْسِهِ عَلَيْهِ فَمَنَعَهُ. وَأَقْطَعَهُ أَبُو بَكْرَةَ مِائَةَ جَرِيبٍ، وَقِيلَ لِأَبِي بَكْرَةَ: مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ؟ فَقَالَ: يُنَاشِدُنَا بِاللَّهِ ثُمَّ لَا نُصَدِّقُهُ ؟. فَأَقَامَ بُسْرٌ بِالْبَصْرَةِ سِتَّةَ أَشْهُرٍ. وَأَرْسَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى زِيَادٍ: إِنَّ فِي يَدِكَ مَالًا مِنْ مَالِ اللَّهِ فَأَدِّ مَا عِنْدَكَ مِنْهُ. فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ زِيَادٌ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْقَ عِنْدِي شَيْءٌ، وَلَقَدْ صَرَفْتُ مَا كَانَ عِنْدِي فِي وَجْهِهِ، وَاسْتَوْدَعْتُ بَعْضَهُ لِنَازِلَةٍ إِنْ نَزَلَتْ، وَحَمَلْتُ مَا فَضَلَ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ. فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ مُعَاوِيَةُ: أَنْ أَقْبِلْ نَنْظُرْ فِيمَا وُلِيتَ، فَإِنِ اسْتَقَامَ بَيْنَنَا أَمْرٌ وَإِلَّا رَجَعْتَ إِلَى مَأْمَنِكَ. فَامْتَنَعَ، فَأَخَذَ بُسْرٌ أَوْلَادَ زِيَادٍ الْأَكَابِرَ، مِنْهُمْ: عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ وَعُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ وَعَبَّادٌ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى زِيَادٍ: لَتَقْدَمَنَّ عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَوْ لَأَقْتُلَنَّ بَنِيكَ. فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ زِيَادٌ: لَسْتُ بَارِحًا مِنْ مَكَانِي حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ صَاحِبِكَ، وَإِنْ قَتَلْتَ وَلَدِي فَالْمَصِيرُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمِنْ وَرَائِنَا الْحِسَابُ، وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ. فَأَرَادَ بُسْرٌ قَتْلَهُمْ فَأَتَاهُ أَبُو بَكْرَةَ فَقَالَ: قَدْ أَخَذْتَ وَلَدَ أَخِي بِلَا ذَنْبٍ، وَقَدْ صَالَحَ الْحَسَنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَ أَصْحَابَ عَلِيٌّ حَيْثُ كَانُوا، فَلَيْسَ [ لَكَ ] عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا عَلَى أَبِيهِمْ سَبِيلٌ. وَأَجِّلْهُ أَيَّامًا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ بِكِتَابِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَرَكِبَ أَبُو بَكْرَةَ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَهُوَ بِالْكُوفَةِ فَلَمَّا أَتَاهُ قَالَ لَهُ: يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَمْ يُعْطُوكَ بَيْعَتَهُمْ عَلَى قَتْلِ الْأَطْفَالِ ! قَالَ: وَمَا ذَاكَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرَةَ ؟ قَالَ: بُسْرٌ يُرِيدُ قَتْلَ بَنِي أَخِي زِيَادٍ. فَكَتَبَ لَهُ بِتَخْلِيَتِهِمْ. وَقَدْ قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ لَأَبَى بَكْرَةَ: هَلْ مِنْ عَهِدٍ تَعْهَدُهُ إِلَيْنَا ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، أَعْهَدُ إِلَيْكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ لِنَفْسِكَ وَرَعِيَّتِكَ وَتَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا، فَإِنَّكَ قَدْ تَقَلَّدْتَ عَظِيمًا، خِلَافَةُ اللَّهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ، فَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ، فَإِنَّ لَكَ غَايَةً لَا تَعْدُوهَا، وَمِنْ وَرَائِكَ طَالِبٌ حَثِيثٌ، وَأَوْشَكَ أَنْ تَبْلُغَ الْمَدَى، فَيَلْحَقَ الطَّالِبُ، فَتَصِيرَ إِلَى مِنْ يَسْأَلُكُ عَمَّا كُنْتَ فِيهِ، وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنْكَ، وَإِنَّمَا هِيَ مُحَاسَبَةٌ وَتَوْقِيفٌ، فَلَا تُؤْثِرَنَّ عَلَى رِضَا اللَّهِ شَيْئًا. فَأَخَذَ كِتَابَهُ إِلَى بُسْرٌ بِالْكَفِّ عَنْ أَوْلَادِ زِيَادٍ، وَعَادَ فَوَصَلَ الْبَصْرَةَ يَوْمَ الْمِيعَادِ وَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ بُسْرٌ أَوْلَادَ زِيَادٍ مَعَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ يَنْتَظِرُ بِهِمُ الْغُرُوبَ لِيَقْتُلَهُمْ، وَاجْتَمَعَ النَّاسُ لِذَلِكَ وَهُمْ يَنْتَظِرُونَ أَبَا بَكْرَةَ إِذْ رَفَعَ لَهُمْ عَلَى نَجِيبٍ أَوْ بِرْذَوْنٍ يَكِدُّهُ، فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ وَنَزَلَ عَنْهُ وَأَلَاحَ بِثَوْبِهِ وَكَبَّرَ وَكَبَّرَ النَّاسُ مَعَهُ، فَأَقْبَلَ يَسْعَى عَلَى رِجْلَيْهِ فَأَدْرَكَ بُسْرًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْتُلَهُمْ، فَدَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ كِتَابَ مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَأَطْلَقَهُمْ. وَقَدْ كَانَ مُعَاوِيَةُ كَتَبَ إِلَى زِيَادٍ حِينَ قُتِلَ عَلِيٌّ يَتَهَدَّدُهُ، فَقَامَ خَطِيبًا فَقَالَ: الْعَجَبُ مِنِ ابْنِ آكِلَةِ الْأَكْبَادِ، وَكَهْفِ النِّفَاقِ، وَرَئِيسِ الْأَحْزَابِ يَتَهَدَّدُنِي، وَبَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ ( ابْنَا ) عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَالْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ، فِي سَبْعِينَ أَلْفًا وَاضِعِي سُيُوفِهِمْ عَلَى عَوَاتِقِهِمْ ! أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ خَلَصَ إِلَيَّ لَيَجِدَنِّي أَحْمَزَ ضَرَّابًا بِالسَّيْفِ. فَلَمَّا صَالَحَ الْحَسَنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَقَدِمَ مُعَاوِيَةُ الْكُوفَةَ تَحَصَّنَ زِيَادٌ فِي الْقَلْعَةِ الَّتِي يُقَالُ لَهَا قَلْعَةُ زِيَادٍ. ( قَوْلُ مَنْ قَالَ هَذَا: إِنَّ زِيَادًا عَنَى ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، وَهْمٌ لِأَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَارَقَ عَلِيًّا فِي حَيَاتِهِ ). وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَرْسَلَ هَذَا إِلَى زِيَادٍ فِي حَيَاةِ عَلِيٍّ، فَقَالَ زِيَادٌ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةَ وَعَنَى بِهَا عَلِيًّا. وَكَتَبَ زِيَادٌ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ يُخْبِرُهُ بِمَا كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ مُعَاوِيَةُ، فَأَجَابَهُ بِمَا هُوَ مَشْهُورٌ.
Translation
✧ The governorship of Busr over al-Baṣrah Busr b. Abī Arṭāh governed al-Baṣrah. The reason for that was that when al-Ḥasan made peace with Muʿāwiyah in the first year, forty-one, Ḥumrān b. Abān leapt upon al-Baṣrah, seized it, and gained mastery over it. So Muʿāwiyah sent Busr b. Abī Arṭāh to him and commanded him to kill the sons of Ziyād b. Abīhi. Ziyād was over Fāris, having been sent there by ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib. When Busr arrived at al-Baṣrah, he preached from its pulpit and reviled ʿAlī, then said: "I adjure by God a man who knows that I am truthful to declare me truthful, or that I am lying to declare me lying." Abū Bakrah said: "O God, we know you only as a liar." He said: So he ordered that he be strangled. Abū Luʾluʾah al-Ḍabbī stood up, threw himself upon him, and prevented him. And Abū Bakrah granted him one hundred jarībs. It was said to Abū Bakrah: "What made you do that?" He said: "He adjures us by God, and then we should not declare him truthful?" Busr remained in al-Baṣrah for six months. Muʿāwiyah sent to Ziyād: "There is property from the property of God in your hand, so deliver what you have of it." Ziyād wrote to him: "Nothing remains with me. I have spent what was with me in its proper course, entrusted some of it for a calamity if one should befall, and carried what remained to the Commander of the Faithful, may God's mercy be upon him." Muʿāwiyah wrote to him: "Come forward so that we may examine what you have governed. If a matter is settled between us, good; otherwise return to your place of safety." He refused. Busr seized the elder sons of Ziyād, among them ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, ʿUbayd Allāh, and ʿAbbād, and wrote to Ziyād: "You will come to the Commander of the Faithful, or I shall kill your sons." Ziyād wrote to him: "I will not leave my place until God judges between me and your companion. If you kill my children, the return is to God, and beyond us lies the reckoning. And those who have wronged will come to know by what a perishing they will perish." Busr wanted to kill them, but Abū Bakrah came to him and said: "You have taken the children of my brother without any crime. Al-Ḥasan made peace with Muʿāwiyah on the basis of security for the companions of ʿAlī wherever they were. Therefore you have no way against them or their father. Grant him some days until the letter of Muʿāwiyah reaches him." Abū Bakrah rode to Muʿāwiyah, who was in al-Kūfah. When he came to him, he said to him: "O Muʿāwiyah, the people did not give you their allegiance on the basis of killing children!" He said: "And what is that, O Abū Bakrah?" He said: "Busr wants to kill the sons of my brother Ziyād." So he wrote to him to release them. Muʿāwiyah said to Abū Bakrah: "Is there any covenant you would entrust to us?" He said: "Yes. I entrust to you, O Commander of the Faithful, that you look after yourself and your subjects and do righteous deeds, for you have undertaken something mighty: the vicegerency of God over His creation. So fear God. You have a limit you cannot pass, and behind you is an urgent seeker. You are near to reaching the end, and the seeker will catch up. Then you will return to One who will ask you about what you were engaged in, and He knows it better than you. It is only an accounting and a standing [for judgment]. So do not prefer anything over the pleasure of God." He took his letter to Busr to refrain from the sons of Ziyād. He returned and reached al-Baṣrah on the appointed day. Busr had brought out the sons of Ziyād at sunrise, waiting with them for sunset to kill them. The people gathered for that, waiting for Abū Bakrah, when he appeared to them on a noble camel or a hackney that he was urging on. He stopped at him, dismounted, waved his garment, and said "God is greatest," and the people said "God is greatest" with him. He came running on foot and reached Busr before he could kill them, handed him the letter of Muʿāwiyah, and he released them. Muʿāwiyah had written to Ziyād when ʿAlī was killed, threatening him. Ziyād stood as a preacher and said: "How strange from the son of the eater of livers, the cave of hypocrisy, and the chief of the confederates! He threatens me, while between me and him are the two paternal cousins of the Messenger of God ﷺ—meaning Ibn ʿAbbās and al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī—with seventy thousand men, their swords placed upon their shoulders! By God, if he should reach me, he will find me a fierce striker with the sword." When al-Ḥasan made peace with Muʿāwiyah and Muʿāwiyah came to al-Kūfah, Ziyād fortified himself in the fortress called the Fortress of Ziyād. (The saying of one who says that Ziyād meant Ibn ʿAbbās is a delusion, because Ibn ʿAbbās parted from ʿAlī during his lifetime.) It is said that Muʿāwiyah sent this to Ziyād during the lifetime of ʿAlī, and Ziyād said this statement, meaning ʿAlī by it. Ziyād wrote to ʿAlī informing him of what Muʿāwiyah had written to him, and he answered him with what is well known.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.