Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2190
The caliphate of Muʿāwiyah b. Abī Sufyān
عَزْلِ ابْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْبَصْرَةِ وَعَوْدِهِ إِلَيْهَا وَفِي سنة تسع وخمسين وَفَدَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ فِي أَشْرَافِ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ فَعَزَلَهُ عَنْهَا ثُمَّ رَدَّهُ عَلَيْهَا وَجَدَّدَ لَهُ الْوِلَايَةَ وَسَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ زِيَادٍ وَفَدَ فِي أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: ائْذَنْ لِوَفْدِكَ عَلَى مَنَازِلِهِمْ وَشَرَفِهِمْ، فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ، وَدَخَلَ الْأَحْنَفُ فِي آخِرِهِمْ، وَكَانَ سَيِّئَ الْمَنْزِلَةِ مِنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ رَحَّبَ بِهِ وَأَجْلَسَهُ مَعَهُ عَلَى سَرِيرِهِ، ثُمَّ تَكَلَّمَ الْقَوْمُ فَأَحْسَنُوا الثَّنَاءَ عَلَى عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، وَالْأَحْنَفُ سَاكِتٌ، فَقَالَ: مَا لَكَ يَا أَبَا بَحْرٍ لَا تَتَكَلَّمُ ؟ قَالَ: إِنْ تَكَلَّمْتُ خَالَفْتُ الْقَوْمَ، فَقَالَ: انْهَضُوا فَقَدْ عَزَلْتُهُ عَنْكُمْ فَاطْلُبُوا وَالِيًا تَرْضَوْنَهُ، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ مُعَاوِيَةُ بَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ، فَقَالَ: مَنِ اخْتَرْتُمْ ؟ فَاخْتَلَفَتْ كَلِمَتُهُمْ وَسَمَّى كُلُّ فَرِيقٍ مِنْهُمْ رَجُلًا وَالْأَحْنَفُ سَاكِتٌ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ: مَا لَكَ لَا تَتَكَلَّمُ ؟ قَالَ: إِنَّ وَلَّيْتَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِكَ لَمْ نَعْدِلْ بِعُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا، وَإِنْ وَلَّيْتَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَانْظُرْ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: فَإِنِّي قَدْ أَعَدْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ، ثُمَّ وَصَّاهُ بِالْأَحْنَفِ وَقَبَّحَ رَأْيَهُ فِي مُبَاعَدَتِهِ. فَلَمَّا هَاجَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ لَمْ يَفِ لِعُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ غَيْرُ الْأَحْنَفِ.
Translation
✧ The dismissal of Ibn Ziyād from al-Baṣrah and his return to it. In the year fifty-nine, ʿUbayd Allāh b. Ziyād came as a delegate to Muʿāwiyah among the nobles of the people of al-Baṣrah, and he dismissed him from it. Then he restored him to it and renewed the governorship for him. The reason for that is that ʿUbayd Allāh b. Ziyād came as a delegate among the people of al-ʿIrāq to Muʿāwiyah, and he said to him: 'Permit your delegation according to their stations and their nobility.' So he permitted them, and al-Aḥnaf entered last of them, and he was of bad standing with ʿUbayd Allāh. When Muʿāwiyah looked, he welcomed him and seated him with him on his couch. Then the people spoke and praised ʿUbayd Allāh well, while al-Aḥnaf remained silent. He said: 'What is the matter with you, O Abū Baḥr, that you do not speak?' He said: 'If I speak, I shall contradict the people.' He said: 'Arise, for I have dismissed him from you, so seek a governor whom you approve.' Then after some days Muʿāwiyah sent to them and said: 'Whom have you chosen?' Their words differed, and each group among them named a man, while al-Aḥnaf remained silent. Muʿāwiyah said to him: 'What is the matter with you that you do not speak?' He said: 'If you appoint over us someone from your own house, we shall not consider anyone equal to ʿUbayd Allāh; and if you appoint over us someone other than them, then look into that.' Muʿāwiyah said: 'I have restored him to you.' Then he enjoined him concerning al-Aḥnaf and declared his opinion ugly in his keeping aloof from him. When the strife arose, no one remained loyal to ʿUbayd Allāh except al-Aḥnaf.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.