Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2224
The Year 62 AH
خُرُوجِ كُسَيْلَةَ بْنِ لَمْزَمَ الْبَرْبَرِيِّ عَلَى عُقْبَةَ هَذَا كُسَيْلَةُ بْنُ لَمْزَمَ الْبَرْبَرِيُّ كَانَ قَدْ أَسْلَمَ لَمَّا وَلِيَ أَبُو الْمُهَاجِرِ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ وَحَسُنَ إِسْلَامُهُ، وَهُوَ مِنْ أَكَابِرِ الْبَرْبَرِ وَأَبْعَدِهِمْ صَوْتًا، وَصَحِبَ أَبَا الْمُهَاجِرِ، فَلَمَّا وَلِيَ عُقْبَةُ عَرَّفَهُ أَبُو الْمُهَاجِرِ مَحَلَّ كُسَيْلَةَ وَأَمَرَهُ بِحِفْظِهِ فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ وَاسْتَخَفَّ بِهِ، وَأَتَى عُقْبَةُ بِغَنَمٍ فَأَمَرَ كُسَيْلَةَ بِذَبْحِهَا وَسَلْخِهَا مَعَ السَّلَّاخِينَ. فَقَالَ كُسَيْلَةُ: هَؤُلَاءِ فِتْيَانِي وَغِلْمَانِي يَكْفُونَنِي الْمُئُونَةَ. فَشَتَمَهُ وَأَمَرَهُ بِسَلْخِهَا، فَفَعَلَ، فَقَبَّحَ أَبُو الْمُهَاجِرِ هَذَا عِنْدَ عُقْبَةَ، فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَوْثِقِ الرَّجُلَ فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْهُ ! فَتَهَاوَنَ بِهِ عُقْبَةُ. فَأَضْمَرَ كُسَيْلَةُ الْغَدْرَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْآنُ وَرَأَى الرُّومُ قِلَّةَ مَنْ مَعَ عُقْبَةَ أَرْسَلُوا إِلَى كُسَيْلَةَ وَأَعْلَمُوهُ حَالَهُ، وَكَانَ فِي عَسْكَرِ عُقْبَةَ مُضْمِرًا لِلْغَدْرِ، وَقَدْ أَعْلَمَ الرُّومَ ذَلِكَ وَأَطْمَعَهُمْ. فَلَمَّا رَاسَلُوهُ أَظْهَرَ مَا كَانَ يُضْمِرُهُ وَجَمَعَ أَهْلَهُ وَبَنِي عَمِّهِ وَقَصَدَ عُقْبَةَ، فَقَالَ أَبُو الْمُهَاجِرِ: عَاجِلْهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْوَى جَمْعُهُ. وَكَانَ أَبُو الْمُهَاجِرِ مُوَثَّقًا فِي الْحَدِيدِ مَعَ عُقْبَةَ. فَزَحَفَ عُقْبَةُ إِلَى كُسَيْلَةَ، فَتَنَحَّى كُسَيْلَةُ عَنْ طَرِيقِهِ لِيَكْثُرَ جَمْعُهُ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَبُو الْمُهَاجِرِ ذَلِكَ تَمَثَّلَ بِقَوْلِ أَبِي مِحْجَنٍ الثَّقَفِيِّ: كَفَى حَزَنًا أَنْ تُمْرَغَ الْخَيْلُ بِالْقَنَا وَأُتْرَكَ مَشْدُودًا عَلَيَّ وَثَاقِيَا إِذَا قُمْتُ عَنَّانِي الْحَدِيدُ وَأُغْلِقَتْ مَصَارِعُ مَنْ دُونِي تُصِمُّ الْمُنَادِيَا فَبَلَغَ عُقْبَةُ ذَلِكَ فَأَطْلَقَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: الْحَقْ بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَقُمْ بِأَمْرِهِمْ وَأَنَا أَغْتَنِمُ الشَّهَادَةَ. فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ وَقَالَ: وَأَنَا أَيْضًا أُرِيدُ الشَّهَادَةَ. فَكَسَّرَ عُقْبَةُ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ أَجْفَانَ سُيُوفِهِمْ وَتَقَدَّمُوا إِلَى الْبَرْبَرِ وَقَاتَلُوهُمْ، فَقُتِلَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ جَمِيعُهُمْ لَمْ يُفْلِتْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ، وَأُسِرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَوْسٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ فِي نَفَرٍ يَسِيرٍ، فَخَلَّصَهُمْ صَاحِبُ قَفْصَةَ وَبَعَثَ بِهِمْ إِلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ. فَعَزَمَ زُهَيْرُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الْبَلَوِيُّ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ، فَخَالَفَهُ حَنَشٌ الصَّنْعَانِيُّ وَعَادَ إِلَى مِصْرَ، فَتَبِعَهُ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ، فَاضْطَرَّ زُهَيْرٌ إِلَى الْعَوْدِ مَعَهُمْ، فَسَارَ إِلَى بَرْقَةَ وَأَقَامَ بِهَا. وَأَمَّا كُسَيْلَةُ فَاجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعُ أَهْلِ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، وَقَصَدَ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، وَبِهَا أَصْحَابُ الْأَنْفَالِ وَالذَّرَارِيِّ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَطَلَبُوا الْأَمَانَ مِنْ كُسَيْلَةَ فَآمَنَهُمْ وَدَخَلَ الْقَيْرَوَانَ وَاسْتَوْلَى عَلَى إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ وَأَقَامَ بِهَا إِلَى أَنْ قَوِيَ أَمْرُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ فَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَى إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ زُهَيْرَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ الْبَلَوِيَّ، وَكَانَ مُقِيمًا بِبَرْقَةَ مُرَابِطًا.
Translation
✧ THE REVOLT OF KUSAYLAH B. LAMZAM THE BERBER AGAINST ʿUQBAH This is Kusaylah b. Lamzam the Berber. He had embraced Islam when Abū al-Muhājir governed Ifrīqiyyah, and his Islam was good. He was one of the leading Berbers and the one whose voice carried furthest among them, and he accompanied Abū al-Muhājir. When ʿUqbah was appointed governor, Abū al-Muhājir informed him of Kusaylah's standing and enjoined him to look after him, but he would not accept that and belittled him. ʿUqbah had some sheep brought and ordered Kusaylah to slaughter and flay them along with the flayers. Kusaylah said: 'These are my youths and my servants; they will suffice me for the task.' ʿUqbah reviled him and ordered him to flay them, so he did. Abū al-Muhājir condemned this before ʿUqbah, but he did not change. He said to him: 'Bind the man, for I fear him for you.' ʿUqbah, however, treated the matter lightly. Kusaylah concealed treachery within himself. At the present time, when the Byzantines saw how few men were with ʿUqbah, they sent word to Kusaylah informing him of his situation. He was in ʿUqbah's army concealing treachery, and he had already informed the Byzantines of this and made them covetous. When they corresponded with him, he revealed what he had been concealing, gathered his family and his paternal cousins, and made for ʿUqbah. Abū al-Muhājir said: 'Attack him quickly before his forces grow strong.' Abū al-Muhājir was then fettered in irons along with ʿUqbah. ʿUqbah marched against Kusaylah, but Kusaylah turned aside from his route so that his gathering might grow larger. When Abū al-Muhājir saw that, he recited the verse of Abū Miḥjan al-Thaqafī: Enough of grief it is that the horses are rolled in the dust by the spears, and I am left bound in my fetters. When I rise, the iron restrains me, and the gates are locked, so that the calls of those who would call out on my behalf fall on deaf ears. This reached ʿUqbah, so he released him. He said to him: 'Join the Muslims and take charge of their affairs, and I shall seek martyrdom.' He did not do so, but said: 'I too desire martyrdom.' ʿUqbah and the Muslims broke the scabbards of their swords and advanced against the Berbers and fought them. All of the Muslims were killed; not one of them escaped. Muḥammad b. Aws al-Anṣārī was taken captive along with a small group, and the lord of Qafṣah ransomed them and sent them to al-Qayrawān. Zuhayr b. Qays al-Balawī resolved to fight, but Ḥanash al-Ṣanʿānī opposed him and returned to Miṣr, and most of the people followed him. Zuhayr was compelled to return with them, so he marched to Barqah and remained there. As for Kusaylah, all the people of Ifrīqiyyah gathered to him, and he made for Ifrīqiyyah, where the Muslims' companions of the anfāl and their offspring were. They sought protection from Kusaylah, and he granted them protection. He entered al-Qayrawān, took control of Ifrīqiyyah, and remained there until the rule of ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwān became strong, and he appointed Zuhayr b. Qays al-Balawī over Ifrīqiyyah. He had been residing at Barqah as a garrison fighter.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.