Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2127
The caliphate of Muʿāwiyah b. Abī Sufyān
وِلَايَةِ زِيَادِ بْنِ أَبِيهِ الْبَصْرَةَ وَوَلَّى زِيَادًا، فَقَدِمَ زِيَادٌ الْكُوفَةَ وَعَلَيْهَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ شُعْبَةَ، فَأَقَامَ بِهَا لِيَأْتِيَهُ رَسُولُ مُعَاوِيَةَ بِوِلَايَةِ الْبَصْرَةِ، فَظَنَّ الْمُغِيرَةُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ جَاءَ عَلَى إِمْرَةِ الْكُوفَةِ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ وَائِلَ بْنَ حُجْرٍ لِيَعْلَمَ لَهُ خَبَرَهُ، فَاجْتَمَعَ بِهِ فَلَمْ يَقْدِرْ مِنْهُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ، فَجَاءَ الْبَرِيدُ إِلَى زِيَادٍ أَنَّ يَسِيرَ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ وَاسْتَعْمَلَهُ عَلَى خُرَاسَانَ وَسِجِسْتَانَ، ثُمَّ جَمَعَ لَهُ الْهِنْدَ وَالْبَحْرَيْنَ وَعُمَانَ. وَدَخَلَ زِيَادٌ الْبَصْرَةَ فِي مُسْتَهَلِّ جُمَادَى الْأُولَى فَخَطَبَهُمْ خُطْبَتَهُ الْبَتْرَاءَ، لَمْ يَحْمَدِ اللَّهَ فِيهَا، وَقِيلَ: بَلْ حَمِدَ اللَّهَ فَقَالَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى إِفْضَالِهِ وَإِحْسَانِهِ، وَنَسْأَلُهُ مَزِيدًا مِنْ نِعَمِهِ، اللَّهُمَّ كَمَا زِدْتَنَا نِعَمًا فَأَلْهِمْنَا شُكْرًا عَلَى نِعَمِكَ عَلَيْنَا ! أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ الْجَهَالَةَ الْجَهْلَاءَ وَالضَّلَالَةَ الْعَمْيَاءَ، وَالْفُجْرَ الْمُوقِدَ لِأَهْلِهِ النَّارَ، الْبَاقِي عَلَيْهِمْ سَعِيرُهَا، مَا يَأْتِي سُفَهَاؤُكُمْ وَيَشْتَمِلُ عَلَيْهِ حُلَمَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الْعِظَامِ، فَيَنْبُتُ فِيهَا الصَّغِيرُ وَلَا يَتَحَاشَى عَنْهَا الْكَبِيرُ، كَأَنْ لَمْ تَسْمَعُوا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، وَلَمْ تَقْرَءُوا كِتَابَ اللَّهِ، وَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا مَا أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ مِنَ الثَّوَابِ الْكَرِيمِ لِأَهْلِ طَاعَتِهِ، وَالْعَذَابِ الْأَلِيمِ لِأَهْلِ مَعْصِيَتِهِ فِي الزَّمَنِ السَّرْمَدِ الَّذِي لَا يَزُولُ، أَتَكُونُونَ كَمَنْ طَرَفَتْ عَيْنَهُ الدُّنْيَا، وَسَدَّتْ مَسَامِعَهُ الشَّهَوَاتُ، وَاخْتَارَ الْفَانِيَةَ عَلَى الْبَاقِيَةِ، وَلَا تَذْكُرُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَحْدَثْتُمْ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ الْحَدَثَ الَّذِي لَمْ تُسْبَقُوا إِلَيْهِ، هَذِهِ الْمَوَاخِيرُ الْمَنْصُوبَةُ وَالضَّعِيفَةُ الْمَسْلُوبَةُ فِي النَّهَارِ الْمُبْصِرِ، وَالْعَدَدُ غَيْرُ قَلِيلٍ، أَلَمْ تَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ نُهَاةٌ تَمْنَعُ الْغُوَاةَ عَنْ دَلَجِ اللَّيْلِ وَغَارَةِ النَّهَارِ ؟ قَرَّبْتُمُ الْقَرَابَةَ وَبَاعَدْتُمُ ( الدِّينَ تَعْتَذِرُونَ ) بِغَيْرِ الْعُذْرِ، وَتَعْطِفُونَ عَلَى الْمُخْتَلِسِ، كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْكُمْ يَذُبُّ عَنْ سَفِيهِهِ، صَنِيعُ مَنْ لَا يَخَافُ عَاقِبَةً، وَلَا يَخْشَى مَعَادًا ! مَا أَنْتُمْ بِالْحُلَمَاءِ، وَلَقَدِ اتَّبَعْتُمُ السُّفَهَاءَ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهِمْ مَا تَرَوْنَ مِنْ قِيَامِكُمْ دُونَهُمْ حَتَّى انْتَهَكُوا حُرُمَ الْإِسْلَامِ ثُمَّ أَطْرَقُوا وَرَاءَكُمْ كُنُوسًا فِي مَكَانِسِ الرِّيَبِ، حَرَامٌ عَلِيَّ الطَّعَامُ وَالشَّرَابُ حَتَّى أُسَوِّيَهَا بِالْأَرْضِ هَدْمًا وَإِحْرَاقًا ! إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ آخِرَ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ لَا يَصْلُحُ إِلَّا بِمَا صَلَحَ بِهِ أَوَّلُهُ، لِينٌ فِي غَيْرِ ضَعْفٍ، وَشِدَّةٌ فِي غَيْرِ ( جَبْرِيَّةٍ ) وَعُنْفٍ، وَإِنِّي لَأُقْسِمُ بِاللَّهِ لَآخُذَنَّ الْوَلِيَّ بِالْوَلِيِّ، وَالْمُقِيمَ بِالظَّاعِنِ، وَالْمُقْبِلَ بِالْمُدْبِرِ، وَالصَّحِيحَ مِنْكُمْ بِالسَّقِيمِ، حَتَّى يَلْقَى الرَّجُلُ مِنْكُمْ أَخَاهُ فَيَقُولُ: انْجُ سَعْدُ فَقَدْ هَلَكَ سَعِيدٌ، أَوْ تَسْتَقِيمُ لِي قَنَاتُكُمْ، إِنَّ كِذْبَةَ الْمِنْبَرِ بَلْقَاءُ مَشْهُورَةٌ، فَإِذَا تَعَلَّقْتُمْ عَلِيَّ بِكِذْبَةٍ فَقَدْ حَلَّتْ لَكُمْ مَعْصِيَتِي، مَنْ بُيِّتَ مِنْكُمْ فَأَنَا ضَامِنٌ لِمَا ذَهَبَ لَهُ، إِيَّايَ وَدَلَجَ اللَّيْلِ، فَإِنِّي لَا أَوُتَى بِمُدْلِجٍ إِلَّا سَفَكْتُ دَمَهُ، وَقَدْ أَجَّلْتُكُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ بِقَدْرِ مَا يَأْتِي الْخَبَرُ الْكُوفَةَ وَيَرْجِعُ إِلَيْكُمْ، وَإِيَّايَ وَدَعْوَى الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَإِنِّي لَا أَجِدُ أَحَدًا دَعَا بِهَا إِلَّا قَطَعْتُ لِسَانَهُ. وَقَدْ أَحْدَثْتُمْ أَحْدَاثًا لَمْ تَكُنْ، وَقَدْ أَحْدَثْنَا لِكُلِّ ذَنْبٍ عُقُوبَةً، فَمَنْ غَرَّقَ قَوْمًا غَرَّقْنَاهُ، وَمَنْ حَرَّقَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ حَرَّقْنَاهُ، وَمَنْ نَقَبَ بَيْتًا نَقَبْتُ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ، وَمَنْ نَبَشَ قَبْرًا دَفَنْتُهُ فِيهِ حَيًّا، فَكُفُّوا عَنِّي أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَلْسِنَتَكُمْ أَكْفُفْ عَنْكُمْ لِسَانِي وَيَدِي، وَإِيَّايَ لَا يَظْهَرُ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْكُمْ خِلَافُ مَا عَلَيْهِ عَامَّتُكُمْ إِلَّا ضَرَبْتُ عُنُقَهُ، وَقَدْ كَانَتْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَقْوَامٍ إِحَنٌ فَجَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ دُبُرَ أُذُنِي وَتَحْتَ قَدَمِي، فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مُحْسِنًا فَلْيَزْدَدْ إِحْسَانًا، وَمَنْ كَانَ مُسِيئًا فَلْيَنْزِعْ عَنْ إِسَاءَتِهِ. إِنِّي لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ قَدْ قَتَلَهُ السُّلُّ مِنْ بُغْضِي لَمْ أَكْشِفْ لَهُ قِنَاعًا، وَلَمْ أَهْتِكْ لَهُ سِتْرًا حَتَّى يُبْدِيَ لِي صَفْحَتَهُ، فَإِذَا فَعَلَ لَمْ أُنَاظِرْهُ، فَاسْتَأْنِفُوا أُمُورَكُمْ، وَأَعِينُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ، فَرُبَّ مُبْتَئِسٍ بِقُدُومِنَا سَيُسَرُّ، وَمَسْرُورٍ بِقُدُومِنَا سَيَبْتَئِسُ. أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا أَصْبَحْنَا لَكُمْ سَاسَةً، وَعَنْكُمْ ذَادَةً، نَسُوسُكُمْ بِسُلْطَانِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَعْطَانَا، وَنَذُودُ عَنْكُمْ بِفَيْءِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي خَوَّلَنَا، فَلَنَا عَلَيْكُمُ السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ فِيمَا أَحْبَبْنَا، وَلَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا الْعَدْلُ فِيمَا وَلِينَا، فَاسْتَوْجِبُوا عَدْلَنَا وَفَيْئَنَا بِمُنَاصَحَتِكُمْ، وَاعْلَمُوا أَنِّي مَهْمَا قَصَّرْتُ عَنْهُ فَإِنِّي لَا أُقَصِّرُ عَنْ ثَلَاثٍ: لَسْتُ مُحْتَجِبًا عَنْ طَالِبِ حَاجَةٍ مِنْكُمْ وَلَوْ أَتَانِي طَارِقًا بِلَيْلٍ، وَلَا حَابِسًا رِزْقًا وَلَا عَطَاءً عَنْ إِبَّانِهِ، وَلَا مُجَمِّرًا لَكُمْ بَعْثًا، فَادْعُوا اللَّهَ بِالصَّلَاحِ لِأَئِمَّتِكُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ سَاسَتُكُمُ الْمُؤَدِّبُونَ، وَكَهْفِكُمُ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تَأْوُونَ، وَمَتَى تَصْلُحُوا يَصْلُحُوا، وَلَا تُشْرِبُوا قُلُوبَكُمْ بُغْضَهُمْ فَيَشْتَدَّ لِذَلِكَ غَيْظُكُمْ، وَيَطُولَ لَهُ حُزْنُكُمْ، وَلَا تُدْرِكُوا حَاجَتَكُمْ، مَعَ أَنَّهُ لَوِ اسْتُجِيبَ لَكُمْ لَكَانَ شَرًّا لَكُمْ، أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُعِينَ كُلًّا عَلَى كُلٍّ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُنَفِّذُ فِيكُمُ الْأَمْرَ فَأَنْفِذُوهُ عَلَى أَذْلَالِهِ، وَإِنَّ لِي فِيكُمْ لَصَرْعَى كَثِيرَةً، فَلْيَحْذَرْ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ صَرْعَايَ. فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْأَهْتَمِ فَقَالَ: أَشْهَدُ أَيُّهَا الْأَمِيرُ أَنَّكَ أُوتِيتَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ. فَقَالَ: كَذَبْتَ، ذَاكَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدُ ! فَقَالَ الْأَحْنَفُ: قَدْ قُلْتَ فَأَحْسَنْتَ أَيُّهَا الْأَمِيرُ، وَالثَّنَاءُ بَعْدَ الْبَلَاءِ، وَالْحَمْدُ بَعْدَ الْعَطَاءِ، وَإِنَّا لَنْ نُثْنِيَ حَتَّى نَبْتَلِيَ. فَقَالَ زِيَادٌ: صَدَقْتَ. فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو بِلَالٍ مِرْدَاسُ بْنُ أُدَيَّةَ، وَهُوَ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ، وَقَالَ: أَنْبَأَ اللَّهُ بِغَيْرِ مَا قُلْتَ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّى أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَى. فَأَوْعَدَنَا اللَّهُ خَيْرًا مِمَّا أَوْعَدْتَنِي يَا زِيَادُ. فَقَالَ زِيَادٌ: إِنَّا لَا نَجِدُ إِلَى مَا تُرِيدُ أَنْتَ وَأَصْحَابُكَ سَبِيلًا حَتَّى نَخُوضَ إِلَيْهَا الدِّمَاءَ. وَاسْتَعْمَلَ زِيَادٌ عَلَى شُرْطَتِهِ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ حِصْنٍ، وَأَجَّلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ الْخَبَرُ الْكُوفَةَ وَعَادَ إِلَيْهِ وُصُولُ الْخَبَرِ، فَكَانَ يُؤَخِّرُ الْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي فَيَأْمُرُ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَقْرَأَ سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ أَوْ مِثْلَهَا يُرَتِّلُ الْقُرْآنَ، فَإِذَا فَرَغَ أَمْهَلَ بِقَدْرِ مَا يَرَى أَنَّ إِنْسَانًا يَبْلُغُ أَقْصَى الْبَقَرَةِ، ثُمَّ يَأْمُرُ صَاحِبَ شُرْطَتِهِ بِالْخُرُوجِ، فَيَخْرُجُ فَلَا يَرَى إِنْسَانًا إِلَّا قَتَلَهُ، فَأَخَذَ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ أَعْرَابِيًّا فَأَتَى بِهِ زِيَادًا فَقَالَ: هَلْ سَمِعْتَ النِّدَاءَ ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ قَدِمْتُ بِحَلُوبَةٍ لِي وَغَشِيَنِي اللَّيْلُ فَاضْطَرَرْتُهَا إِلَى مَوْضِعٍ وَأَقَمْتُ لِأُصْبِحَ وَلَا عِلْمَ لِي بِمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْأَمِيرِ. فَقَالَ: أَظُنُّكَ وَاللَّهِ صَادِقًا وَلَكِنْ فِي قَتْلِكَ صَلَاحُ الْأُمَّةِ. ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهِ فَضُرِبَتْ عُنُقُهُ. وَكَانَ زِيَادٌ أَوَّلَ مَنْ شَدَّدَ أَمْرَ السُّلْطَانِ، وَأَكَّدَ الْمُلْكَ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ، وَجَرَّدَ سَيْفَهُ، وَأَخَذَ بِالظِّنَّةِ، وَعَاقَبَ عَلَى الشُّبْهَةِ، وَخَافَهُ النَّاسُ خَوْفًا شَدِيدًا حَتَّى أَمِنَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا، وَحَتَّى كَانَ الشَّيْءُ يُسْقِطُ مِنْ يَدِ الرَّجُلِ أَوِ الْمَرْأَةِ فَلَا يَعْرِضُ لَهُ أَحَدٌ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ صَاحِبُهُ فَيَأْخُذَهُ، وَلَا يُغْلِقُ أَحَدٌ بَابَهُ. ( وَأَدَرَّ الْعَطَاءَ )، وَبَنَى مَدِينَةَ الرِّزْقِ، وَجَعَلَ الشُّرَطَ أَرْبَعَةَ آلَافٍ، وَقِيلَ لَهُ: إِنَّ السَّبِيلَ مَخُوفَةٌ. فَقَالَ: لَا أُعَانِي شَيْئًا وَرَاءَ الْمِصْرِ حَتَّى أُصْلِحَ الْمِصْرَ، فَإِنْ غَلَبَنِي فَغَيْرُهُ أَشَدُّ غَلَبَةً مِنْهُ. فَلَمَّا ضَبَطَ الْمِصْرَ وَأَصْلَحَهُ تَكَلَّفَ مَا وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَأَحْكَمَهُ. عُمَّالِ زِيَادٍ اسْتَعَانَ زِيَادٌ بِعِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِنْهُمْ: عِمْرَانُ بْنُ حُصَيْنٍ الْخُزَاعِيُّ وَلَّاهُ قَضَاءَ الْبَصْرَةِ، وَأَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سَمُرَةَ، وَسَمُرَةُ بْنُ جُنْدَبٍ. فَأَمَّا عِمْرَانُ فَاسْتَعْفَى مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ فَأَعْفَاهُ. وَاسْتَقْضَى عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ فَضَالَةَ اللَّيْثِيَّ، ثُمَّ أَخَاهُ عَاصِمًا، ثُمَّ زُرَارَةَ بْنَ أَوْفَى، وَكَانَتْ أُخْتُهُ عِنْدَ زِيَادٍ. وَقِيلَ إِنَّ زِيَادًا أَوَّلُ مَنْ سَيَّرَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِالْحِرَابِ وَالْعَمَدِ، وَاتَّخَذَ الْحَرَسَ رَابِطَةً خَمْسَمِائَةٍ لَا يُفَارِقُونَ الْمَسْجِدَ. وَجَعَلَ خُرَاسَانَ أَرْبَاعًا، وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَى مَرْوَ أُمَيْرَ بْنَ أَحْمَرَ، وَعَلَى نَيْسَابُورَ خُلَيْدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَنَفِيَّ، وَعَلَى مَرْوِ الرُّوذِ وَالْفَارِيَابِ وَالطَّالَقَانِ قَيْسَ بْنَ الْهَيْثَمِ، وَعَلَى هَرَاةَ وَبَاذَغِيسَ [ وَقَادِسَ ] وَبُوشَنْجَ نَافِعَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ الطَّاحِيَّ، ثُمَّ عَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ فَعَزَلَهُ. وَسَبَبُ تَغَيُّرِهِ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّ نَافِعًا بَعْثَ بِخُوَانَ بَاذْزَهْرَ إِلَى زِيَادٍ قَوَائِمُهُ مِنْهُ، فَأَخَذَ نَافِعٌ مِنْهَا قَائِمَةً وَعَمَلَ مَكَانَهَا قَائِمَةً مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَبَعَثَ الْخُوَانَ مَعَ غُلَامٍ لَهُ اسْمُهُ زَيْدٌ، وَكَانَ يَلِي أُمُورَ نَافِعٍ كُلَّهَا، فَسَعَى زَيْدٌ بِنَافِعٍ إِلَى زِيَادٍ وَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ خَانَكَ وَأَخَذَ قَائِمَةَ الْخُوَانِ. فَعَزَلَهُ زِيَادٌ وَحَبَسَهُ وَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ كِتَابًا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ، وَقِيلَ: بِثَمَانِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ، فَشَفَعَ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ مِنْ وُجُوهِ الْأَزْدِ فَأَطْلَقَهُ. وَاسْتَعْمَلَ الْحَكَمَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو الْغِفَارِيَّ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ، وَكَانَ زِيَادٌ قَالَ لِحَاجِبِهِ: ادْعُ لِيَ الْحَكَمَ، يُرِيدُ الْحَكَمَ بْنَ أَبِي الْعَاصِ الثَّقَفِيَّ، لِيُوَلِّيَهُ خُرَاسَانَ، فَخَرَجَ حَاجِبُهُ فَرَأَى الْحَكَمَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو الْغِفَارِيَّ فَاسْتَدْعَاهُ، فَحِينَ رَآهُ زِيَادٌ قَالَ لَهُ: مَا أَرَدْتُكَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَرَادَكَ ! فَوَلَّاهُ خُرَاسَانَ وَجَعَلَ مَعَهُ رِجَالًا عَلَى جِبَايَةِ الْخَرَاجِ، مِنْهُمْ: أَسْلَمُ بْنُ زُرْعَةَ الْكِلَابِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ، وَغَزَا الْحَكَمُ طَخَارُسْتَانَ، فَغَنِمَ غَنَائِمَ كَثِيرَةً، ثُمَّ مَاتَ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ أَنَسَ بْنَ أَبِي أُنَاسِ بْنِ زُنَيْمٍ، فَعَزَلَهُ زِيَادٌ وَكَتَبَ إِلَى خُلَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَنَفِيِّ بِوِلَايَةِ خُرَاسَانَ، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ الرَّبِيعَ بْنَ زِيَادٍ الْحَارِثِيَّ فِي خَمْسِينَ أَلْفًا مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ وَالْكُوفَةِ.
Translation
✧ The appointment of Ziyād b. Abīhi over al-Baṣrah And he appointed Ziyād. Ziyād came to al-Kūfah, where al-Mughīrah b. Shuʿbah was governor, and stayed there until Muʿāwiyah's messenger came to him with the governorship of al-Baṣrah. Al-Mughīrah thought that he had come for the command of al-Kūfah, so he sent Wāʾil b. Ḥujr to him to learn his news. He met with him but could get nothing from him. Then the courier came to Ziyād that he should proceed to al-Baṣrah, and he appointed him over Khurāsān and Sijistān. Then he combined for him al-Hind, al-Baḥrayn, and ʿUmān. Ziyād entered al-Baṣrah at the beginning of Jumādā al-Ūlā and delivered his Batrāʾ sermon, in which he did not praise God. It is said: rather, he praised God and said: Praise be to God for His grace and His goodness, and we ask Him for more of His blessings. O God, just as You have increased us in blessings, inspire us with gratitude for Your blessings upon us! Now then, ignorance, the most ignorant, and misguidance, the blind, and the wickedness that kindles for its people the Fire, whose blaze remains upon them—what your fools bring and your forbearing ones embrace of great matters! In them the young grow up and the old do not shrink from them. It is as if you have not heard God's Prophet, and have not recited God's Book, and do not know what God has prepared of generous reward for the people of obedience to Him, and painful punishment for the people of disobedience to Him in the everlasting time that does not cease. Will you be like one whose eye the world has dazzled, whose ears desires have stopped, and who has chosen the perishable over the everlasting, and do you not remember that you have introduced into Islam an innovation that you were not preceded in? These brothels set up and the weak woman robbed in broad daylight, and the number is not small. Were there not among you forbidders to prevent the misguided from the night travel and the daytime raid? You have brought near kinship and distanced religion, excusing yourselves without excuse, and you incline toward the thief. Every one of you defends his fool, the deed of one who does not fear an outcome and does not dread a return! You are not the forbearing; indeed, you have followed the fools. Their condition has not ceased, as you see from your standing with them, until they violated the sanctities of Islam, and then they slunk away behind you, hiding in dens of doubt. Food and drink are forbidden to me until I level them to the ground by demolition and burning! I have seen that the latter part of this affair will not be set right except by what set right its first part: gentleness without weakness, and severity without compulsion or violence. By God, I swear I will seize the near for the near, the resident for the departing, the advancing for the retreating, and the healthy among you for the sick, until a man among you meets his brother and says: Save yourself, Saʿd, for Saʿīd has perished; or until your spears straighten for me. The lie from the pulpit is a white, notorious one, so if you seize upon me a lie, then disobedience to me becomes lawful to you. Whoever among you is attacked at night, I am guarantor for what he has lost. Beware of the night travel, for I will not be brought anyone who travels by night except that I shed his blood. I have given you respite in that for as long as it takes news to reach al-Kūfah and return to you. Beware of the claim of the Jāhiliyyah, for I will not find anyone who calls by it except that I cut out his tongue. You have brought about new things that did not exist, and we have brought about for every sin a punishment. Whoever drowns a people, we drown him. Whoever burns a people, we burn him. Whoever breaks into a house, I bore into his heart. Whoever digs up a grave, I bury him in it alive. So withhold from me your hands and your tongues, and I will withhold from you my tongue and my hand. Beware: let no one among you show opposition to what your generality is upon, except that I strike his neck. There were resentments between me and some people, and I have put that behind my ear and under my foot. Whoever among you is good, let him increase in goodness, and whoever is bad, let him desist from his evil. If I knew that one of you had been killed by consumption out of hatred for me, I would not uncover a veil for him, nor tear a screen for him, until he shows me his face. If he does, I will not grant him respite. So begin your affairs anew, and help yourselves, for perhaps one distressed by our coming will be glad, and one glad at our coming will be distressed. O people, we have become for you governors and defenders on your behalf. We govern you with the authority of God which He has given us, and we defend you with the spoil of God which He has granted us. To us from you is hearing and obedience in what we love, and to you from us is justice in what we oversee. So deserve our justice and our spoil by your sincerity. And know that whatever I fall short in, I will not fall short in three things: I will not hide myself from any seeker of need among you, even if he comes to me knocking at night; I will not withhold provision or stipend beyond its time; and I will not detain your expedition. So call upon God for the righteousness of your imams, for they are your governors and discipliners, and your refuge to which you resort. When you are righteous, they are righteous. Do not fill your hearts with hatred of them, lest your rage intensify and your grief lengthen, and you will not attain your need; besides, if it were answered for you, it would be evil for you. I ask God to help each against each. When you see me carrying out an order among you, carry it out in its humility. I have many victims among you; let every man beware of being one of my victims. Then ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Ahtam stood up to him and said: I bear witness, O governor, that you have been given wisdom and decisive speech. He said: You lie. That is God's Prophet Dāwūd! Al-Aḥnaf said: You have spoken well, O governor, and praise comes after trial, and thanks after giving. We will not praise until we test. Ziyād said: You have spoken truth. Then Abū Bilāl Mirdās b. Udayyah stood up to him—he was one of the Khawārij—and said: God has informed otherwise than what you said. God Almighty said: And Abraham who fulfilled: that no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another, and that man shall have only what he strives for. So God has promised us better than what you promised me, O Ziyād. Ziyād said: We find no way to what you and your companions want except by wading through blood to it. Ziyād appointed ʿAbd Allāh b. Ḥiṣn over his police, and gave the people a deadline until the news reached al-Kūfah and its arrival returned to him. He would delay the latter ʿIshāʾ prayer, then pray, then order a man to recite Sūrat al-Baqarah or its like, reciting the Qurʾān slowly. When he finished, he would give as much time as he thought a person could reach the farthest part of al-Baqarah, then order his chief of police to go out. He would go out and see no one except that he killed him. One night he seized a bedouin and brought him to Ziyād. He said: Did you hear the call? He said: No, by God, I came with a milch camel of mine and night overtook me, so I forced it to a place and stayed until morning, and I had no knowledge of what the governor had done. He said: I think, by God, you are truthful, but in killing you is the welfare of the community. Then he ordered him, and his neck was struck. Ziyād was the first to tighten the matter of the sultan, to consolidate the kingdom for Muʿāwiyah, to bare his sword, to act on suspicion, and to punish on doubt. The people feared him with intense fear, until some of them felt safe from others, and until a thing would fall from a man's or woman's hand and no one would touch it until its owner came and took it, and no one would lock his door. He made the stipend flow, built the city of al-Rizq, and made the police four thousand. It was said to him: The road is dangerous. He said: I will not undertake anything beyond the garrison city until I set right the garrison city; if it overcomes me, then anything else is stronger in overcoming than it. When he had controlled the garrison city and set it right, he undertook what was beyond that and made it firm. Ziyād's governors Ziyād sought help from a number of the Prophet's companions ﷺ, among them: ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn al-Khuzāʿī, whom he appointed judge of al-Baṣrah; Anas b. Mālik; ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Samurah; and Samurah b. Jundab. As for ʿImrān, he asked to be excused from the judgeship, and he excused him. He appointed as judge ʿAbd Allāh b. Faḍālah al-Laythī, then his brother ʿĀṣim, then Zurārah b. Awfā, whose sister was married to Ziyād. It is said that Ziyād was the first to have spears and staffs carried before him, and to take a guard of five hundred as a garrison who did not leave the mosque. He divided Khurāsān into quarters, and appointed over Marw Umayr b. Aḥmar, over Naysābūr Khulayd b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥanafī, over Marw al-Rūdh, al-Fāryāb, and al-Ṭālaqān Qays b. al-Haytham, and over Harāt, Bādhaghīs [and Qādis] and Būshanj Nāfiʿ b. Khālid al-Ṭāḥī. Then he became angry with him and dismissed him. The reason for his change toward him was that Nāfiʿ sent to Ziyād a table of bādhzahr whose legs were from it. Nāfiʿ took one leg from it and made in its place a leg of gold, and sent the table with a servant of his named Zayd, who managed all of Nāfiʿ's affairs. Zayd denounced Nāfiʿ to Ziyād and said: He betrayed you and took one leg of the table. So Ziyād dismissed him and imprisoned him, and wrote against him a document for one hundred thousand, or it is said for eight hundred thousand. Men of the chiefs of al-Azd interceded for him, and he released him. He appointed al-Ḥakam b. ʿAmr al-Ghifārī, who had companionship. Ziyād had said to his chamberlain: Call al-Ḥakam for me, meaning al-Ḥakam b. Abī al-ʿĀṣ al-Thaqafī, to appoint him over Khurāsān. His chamberlain went out and saw al-Ḥakam b. ʿAmr al-Ghifārī and summoned him. When Ziyād saw him, he said to him: I did not mean you, but God meant you! So he appointed him over Khurāsān and placed with him men for collecting the land tax, among them Aslam b. Zurʿah al-Kilābī and others. Al-Ḥakam raided Ṭukhāristān and gained much booty, then died, and appointed as his successor Anas b. Abī Unās b. Zunaym. Ziyād dismissed him and wrote to Khulayd b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥanafī with the governorship of Khurāsān. Then he sent al-Rabīʿ b. Ziyād al-Ḥārithī with fifty thousand from al-Baṣrah and al-Kūfah.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.