Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2223
The Year 62 AH
وِلَايَةِ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ نَافِعٍ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ ثَانِيَةً وَمَا افْتَتَحَهُ فِيهَا وَقَتْلِهِ قَدْ ذَكَرْنَا عَزْلَ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ وَعَوْدَهُ إِلَى الشَّامِ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ وَعَدَهُ بِإِعَادَتِهِ إِلَى إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، وَتُوُفِّي مُعَاوِيَةُ وَعُقْبَةُ فِي الشَّامِ، فَاسْتَعْمَلَهُ يَزِيدُ عَلَى إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ فِي سنة اثنتين وستين وَأَرْسَلَهُ إِلَيْهَا، فَوَصَلَ إِلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ مُجِدًّا، وَقَبَضَ أَبَا الْمُهَاجِرِ أَمِيرَهَا وَأَوْثَقَهُ فِي الْحَدِيدِ وَتَرَكَ بِالْقَيْرَوَانِ جُنْدًا مَعَ الذَّرَارِيِّ وَالْأَمْوَالِ وَاسْتَخْلَفَ بِهَا زُهَيْرَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ الْبَلَوِيَّ، وَأَحْضَرَ أَوْلَادَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنِّي قَدْ بِعْتُ نَفْسِي مِنَ اللَّهِ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَلَا أَزَالُ أُجَاهِدُ مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ. وَأَوْصَى بِمَا يُفْعَلُ بَعْدَهُ. ثُمَّ سَارَ فِي عَسْكَرٍ عَظِيمٍ حَتَّى دَخَلَ مَدِينَةَ بَاغَايَةَ، وَقَدِ اجْتَمَعَ بِهَا خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الرُّومِ، فَقَاتَلُوهُ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا وَانْهَزَمُوا عَنْهُ وَقَتَلَ فِيهِمْ قَتْلًا ذَرِيعًا وَغَنِمَ مِنْهُمْ غَنَائِمَ كَثِيرَةً، وَدَخَلَ الْمُنْهَزِمُونَ الْمَدِينَةَ وَحَاصَرَهُمْ عُقْبَةُ. ثُمَّ كَرِهَ الْمُقَامَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَسَارَ إِلَى بِلَادِ الزَّابِ، وَهِيَ بِلَادٌ وَاسِعَةٌ فِيهَا عِدَّةُ مُدُنٍ وَقُرًى كَثِيرَةٌ، فَقَصَدَ مَدِينَتَهَا الْعُظْمَى وَاسْمُهَا أَرَبَةُ، فَامْتَنَعَ بِهَا مَنْ هُنَاكَ مِنَ الرُّومِ وَالنَّصَارَى، وَهَرَبَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى الْجِبَالِ، فَاقْتَتَلَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَمَنْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ مِنَ النَّصَارَى عِدَّةَ دَفَعَاتٍ ثُمَّ انْهَزَمَ النَّصَارَى وَقُتِلَ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ فُرْسَانِهِمْ، ( وَرَحَلَ إِلَى تَاهَرْتَ ). فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ الرُّومَ خَبَرُهُ اسْتَعَانُوا بِالْبَرْبَرِ فَأَجَابُوهُمْ وَنَصَرُوهُمْ، فَاجْتَمَعُوا فِي جَمْعٍ كَثِيرٍ وَالْتَقَوْا وَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، وَاشْتَدَّ الْأَمْرُ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ لِكَثْرَةِ الْعَدُوِّ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى نَصَرَهُمْ فَانْهَزَمَتِ الرُّومُ وَالْبَرْبَرُ وَأَخَذَهُمُ السَّيْفُ وَكَثُرَ فِيهِمُ الْقَتْلُ وَغَنِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَسِلَاحَهُمْ. ثُمَّ سَارَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ عَلَى طَنْجَةَ فَلَقِيَهُ بِطْرِيقٌ مِنَ الرُّومِ اسْمُهُ يَلْيَانُ فَأَهْدَى لَهُ هَدِيَّةً حَسَنَةً وَنَزَلَ عَلَى حُكْمِهِ، ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْأَنْدَلُسِ فَعَظُمَ الْأَمْرُ عَلَيْهِ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْبَرْبَرِ، فَقَالَ: هُمْ كَثِيرُونَ لَا يَعْلَمُ عَدَدَهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَهُمْ بِالسُّوسِ الْأَدْنَى، وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوا فِي النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَلَهُمْ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ. فَسَارَ عُقْبَةُ إِلَيْهِمْ نَحْوَ السُّوسِ الْأَدْنَى، وَهِيَ مَغْرِبُ طَنْجَةَ، فَانْتَهَى إِلَى أَوَائِلِ الْبَرْبَرِ، فَلَقَوْهُ فِي جَمْعٍ كَثِيرٍ، فَقَتَلَ فِيهِمْ قَتْلًا ذَرِيعًا وَبَعَثَ خَيْلَهُ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ هَرَبُوا إِلَيْهِ، وَسَارَ هُوَ حَتَّى وَصَلَ إِلَى السُّوسِ الْأَقْصَى، وَقَدِ اجْتَمَعَ لَهُ الْبَرْبَرُ فِي عَالَمٍ لَا يُحْصَى، فَلَقِيَهُمْ وَقَاتَلَهُمْ وَهَزَمَهُمْ، وَقَتَلَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِيهِمْ حَتَّى مَلُّوا وَغَنِمُوا مِنْهُمْ وَسَبَوْا سَبْيًا كَثِيرًا، وَسَارَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مَالِيَانَ وَرَأَى الْبَحْرَ الْمُحِيطَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَبِّ لَوْلَا هَذَا الْبَحْرُ لَمَضَيْتُ فِي الْبِلَادِ مُجَاهِدًا فِي سَبِيلِكَ. ثُمَّ عَادَ فَنَفَرَ الرُّومُ وَالْبَرْبَرُ عَنْ طَرِيقِهِ خَوْفًا مِنْهُ، وَاجْتَازَ بِمَكَانٍ يُعْرَفُ الْيَوْمَ بِمَاءِ الْفَرَسِ فَنَزَلَهُ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بِهِ مَاءٌ، فَلَحِقَ النَّاسَ عَطَشٌ كَثِيرٌ أَشْرَفُوا [ مِنْهُ ] عَلَى الْهَلَاكِ، فَصَلَّى عُقْبَةُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَدَعَا ( فَبَحَثَ فَرَسٌ لَهُ الْأَرْضَ بِيَدَيْهِ فَكَشَفَ لَهُ عَنْ صَفَاةٍ ) فَانْفَجَرَ الْمَاءُ، فَنَادَى عُقْبَةُ فِي النَّاسِ فَحَفَرُوا أَحْسَاءَ كَثِيرَةً وَشَرِبُوا، فَسُمِّيَ مَاءَ الْفَرَسِ. فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلَى مَدِينَةِ طُبْنَةَ، وَبَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَيْرَوَانِ ثَمَانِيَةُ أَيَّامٍ، أَمَرَ أَصْحَابَهُ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمُوا فَوْجًا فَوْجًا ثِقَةً مِنْهُ بِمَا نَالَ مِنَ الْعَدُوِّ، وَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُبْقِ أَحَدًا يَخْشَاهُ، وَسَارَ إِلَى تَهُوذَةَ لِيَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا فِي نَفَرٍ يَسِيرٍ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ الرُّومُ فِي قِلَّةٍ طَمِعُوا فِيهِ فَأَغْلَقُوا بَابَ الْحِصْنِ وَشَتَمُوهُ وَقَاتَلُوهُ وَهُوَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ فَلَمْ يَقْبَلُوا مِنْهُ.
Translation
✧ The second governorship of ʿUqbah b. Nāfiʿ over Ifrīqiyah, what he conquered there, and his death We have already mentioned the dismissal of ʿUqbah from Ifrīqiyah and his return to Syria. When he reached Muʿāwiyah, he promised to restore him to Ifrīqiyah. Muʿāwiyah died while ʿUqbah was in Syria, and Yazīd appointed him over Ifrīqiyah in the year sixty-two and sent him there. He arrived at al-Qayrawān with diligence, seized its governor Abū al-Muhājir, bound him in iron, and left in al-Qayrawān a garrison with the women, children, and wealth. He appointed Zuhayr b. Qays al-Balawī as his deputy there. He summoned his sons and said to them, 'I have sold myself to Allah, Mighty and Glorious, and I will not cease striving against those who disbelieve in Allah.' And he gave instructions regarding what should be done after him. Then he marched with a great army until he entered the city of Bāghāyah, where a large number of Romans had gathered. They fought him fiercely and were defeated by him. He inflicted a heavy slaughter upon them and gained abundant spoils from them. The defeated entered the city, and ʿUqbah besieged them. Then he disliked remaining against them, so he marched to the land of al-Zāb, a vast land containing several cities and many villages. He aimed for its greatest city, whose name was Arabah. The Romans and Christians there fortified themselves, and some of them fled to the mountains. The Muslims and the Christians in the city fought several engagements; then the Christians were defeated and many of their horsemen were killed. (Then he departed to Tāhart.) When news of him reached the Romans, they sought help from the Berbers, who responded and aided them. They gathered in a great host, met, and fought fiercely. The situation became severe for the Muslims due to the enemy's numbers. Then Allah, Exalted, granted them victory, and the Romans and Berbers were defeated. The sword fell upon them, killing increased among them, and the Muslims seized their wealth and weapons. Then he marched until he halted at Tangier, where a Roman patrician named Yulyān met him and gave him a fine gift and submitted to his judgment. Then he asked him about al-Andalus, and the matter seemed grave to him. He asked him about the Berbers, and he said, 'They are numerous; no one knows their number except Allah. They are in the nearer Sūs, and they are infidels who have not entered Christianity. They have great might.' So ʿUqbah marched toward them in the direction of the nearer Sūs, which is west of Tangier. He reached the first of the Berbers, and they met him in a great host. He inflicted a heavy slaughter upon them and sent his cavalry to every place to which they fled. He himself marched until he reached the farthest Sūs. The Berbers had gathered against him in an innumerable multitude. He met them, fought them, and routed them. The Muslims killed among them until they grew weary, took spoils from them, and captured many captives. He marched until he reached Māliyān and saw the encompassing sea. Then he said, 'O Lord, were it not for this sea, I would advance through the lands striving in Your cause.' Then he returned. The Romans and Berbers fled from his path out of fear of him. He passed by a place known today as Māʾ al-Faras (the water of the horse), and he halted there. There was no water in it, and the people suffered great thirst and were on the brink of perishing. ʿUqbah prayed two rakʿahs and supplicated. (Then a horse of his scraped the ground with its forelegs and uncovered a rock,) and water burst forth. ʿUqbah called out to the people, and they dug many wells and drank. Thus it was named Māʾ al-Faras. When he reached the city of Ṭubnah, between which and al-Qayrawān there are eight days, he ordered his companions to advance in successive groups, trusting in what he had achieved against the enemy and that no one remained whom he feared. He marched to Tahūdhah to look at it with a small band of men. When the Romans saw him in such small numbers, they coveted him, so they shut the gate of the fortress, reviled him, and fought him while he called them to Islam, but they did not accept from him.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.