Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2282
The Year 68 AH
حُرُوبِ الْخَوَارِجِ بِفَارِسَ وَالْعِرَاقِ فِي سنة ثمان وستين اسْتَعْمَلَ مُصْعَبٌ عُمَرَ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَعْمَرٍ عَلَى فَارِسَ، وَوَلَّاهُ حَرْبَ الْأَزَارِقَةِ، وَكَانَ الْمُهَلَّبُ عَلَى حَرْبِهِمْ أَيَّامَ مُصْعَبٍ الْأُولَى، وَأَيَّامَ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ. فَلَمَّا عَادَ مُصْعَبٌ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُوَلِّيَ الْمُهَلَّبَ بِلَادَ الْمَوْصِلِ وَالْجَزِيرَةِ وَأَرْمِينِيَّةَ ; لِيَكُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ بِفَارِسَ فِي الْقُدُومِ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَدِمَ وَاسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى عَمَلِهِ ابْنَهُ الْمُغِيرَةَ، وَوَصَّاهُ بِالِاحْتِيَاطِ، وَقَدِمَ الْبَصْرَةَ، فَعَزَلَهُ مُصْعَبٌ عَنْ حَرْبِ الْخَوَارِجِ وَبِلَادِ فَارِسَ، وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَيْهِمَا عُمَرَ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَعْمَرٍ. فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الْخَوَارِجُ بِهِ قَالَ قَطَرِيُّ بْنُ الْفُجَاءَةِ: قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ شُجَاعٌ، وَهُوَ شُجَاعٌ وَبَطَلٌ، جَاءَ يُقَاتِلُ لِدِينِهِ وَمُلْكِهِ بِطَبِيعَةٍ لَمْ أَرَ مِثْلَهَا لِأَحَدٍ، مَا حَضَرَ حَرْبًا إِلَّا كَانَ أَوَّلَ فَارِسٍ يَقْتُلُ قِرْنَهُ. وَكَانَ الْخَوَارِجُ قَدِ اسْتَعْمَلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بَعْدَ قَتْلِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمَاحُوزِ الزُّبَيْرَ بْنَ الْمَاحُوزِ، عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَسِتِّينَ، فَجَاءَتِ الْخَوَارِجُ إِلَى إِصْطَخْرَ، فَقَدَّمَ إِلَيْهِمْ عُمَرُ ابْنَهُ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ فِي خَيْلٍ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا فَقُتِلَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، وَأَرَادَ الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْمَاحُوزِ قِتَالَ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ لَهُ قَطَرِيٌّ: إِنَّ عُمَرَ مَأْثُورٌ فَلَا نُقَاتِلُهُ. فَأَبَى فَقَاتَلَهُ، فَقُتِلَ مِنْ فُرْسَانِ الْخَوَارِجِ تِسْعُونَ رَجُلًا، وَطَعَنَ عُمَرُ صَالِحَ بْنَ مُخَارِقٍ، فَشَتَرَ عَيْنَهُ، وَضَرَبَ قَطَرِيًّا عَلَى جَبِينِهِ فَفَلَقَهُ، وَانْهَزَمَتِ الْخَوَارِجُ وَسَارُوا إِلَى سَابُورَ، فَعَادَ عُمَرُ وَلَقِيَهُمْ بِهَا وَمَعَهُ مُجَّاعَةُ بْنُ سِعْرٍ، فَقَتَلَ مُجَّاعَةُ بِعَمُودٍ كَانَ مَعَهُ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلًا مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ، وَكَادَ عُمَرُ يَهْلِكُ فِي هَذِهِ الْوَقْعَةِ، فَدَافَعَ عَنْهُ مُجَّاعَةُ، فَوَهَبَ لَهُ عُمَرُ تِسْعَمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَقِيلَ فِي ذَلِكَ: قَدْ ذُدْتُ عَادِيَةَ الْكَتِيبَةِ عَنْ فَتًى قَدْ كَادَ يُتْرَكُ لَحْمُهُ أَقْطَاعَا وَظَهَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَسَارُوا وَقَطَعُوا قَنْطَرَةً بَيْنَهُمَا لِيَمْتَنِعَ مِنْ طَلَبِهِمْ، وَقَصَدُوا نَحْوَ أَصْبَهَانَ، فَأَقَامُوا عِنْدَهَا حَتَّى قَوَوْا وَاسْتَعَدُّوا، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلُوا حَتَّى مَرُّوا بِفَارِسَ وَبِهَا عُمَرُ، فَقَطَعُوهَا فِي غَيْرِ الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي هُمْ بِهِ، أَخَذُوا عَلَى سَابُورَ، ثُمَّ عَلَى أَرَّجَانَ، حَتَّى أَتَوُا الْأَهْوَازَ. فَقَالَ مُصْعَبٌ: الْعَجَبُ لِعُمَرَ ! قَطَعَ الْعَدُوُّ الَّذِي هُوَ بِصَدَدِ مُحَارَبَتِهِ أَرْضَ فَارِسَ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلْهُمْ، وَلَوْ قَاتَلَهُمْ وَفَرَّ كَانَ أَعْذَرَ لَهُ. وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: يَا ابْنَ مَعْمَرٍ مَا أَنْصَفْتَنِي، تَجْبِي الْفَيْءَ وَتَحِيدُ عَنِ الْعَدُوِّ، فَاكْفِنِي أَمْرَهُمْ. فَسَارَ عُمَرُ مِنْ فَارِسَ فِي أَثَرِهِمْ مُجِدًّا يَرْجُو أَنْ يَلْحَقَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوا الْعِرَاقَ، وَخَرَجَ مُصْعَبٌ فَعَسْكَرَ عِنْدَ الْجِسْرِ الْأَكْبَرِ، وَعَسْكَرَ النَّاسُ مَعَهُ، وَبَلَغَ الْخَوَارِجَ وَهُمْ بِالْأَهْوَازِ إِقْبَالُ عُمَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَأَنَّ مُصْعَبًا قَدْ خَرَجَ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالَ لَهُمُ الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْمَاحُوزِ: مِنْ سُوءِ الرَّأْيِ وُقُوعُكُمْ بَيْنَ هَاتَيْنِ الشَّوْكَتَيْنِ، انْهَضُوا بِنَا إِلَى عَدُوِّنَا نَلْقَهُمْ مِنْ وَجْهٍ وَاحِدٍ. فَسَارَ بِهِمْ فَقَطَعَ بِهِمْ أَرْضَ جُوخَى وَالنَّهْرَوَانَاتِ، فَأَتَى الْمَدَائِنَ وَبِهَا كَرْدَمُ بْنُ مَرْثَدٍ الْقُرَادِيُّ، فَشَنُّوا الْغَارَةَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْمَدَائِنِ يَقْتُلُونَ الرِّجَالَ وَالنِّسَاءَ وَالْوِلْدَانَ، وَيَشُقُّونَ أَجْوَافَ الْحُبَالَى. فَهَرَبَ كَرْدَمُ، وَأَقْبَلُوا إِلَى سَابَاطَ، وَوَضَعُوا السَّيْفَ فِي النَّاسِ يَقْتُلُونَ، وَأَرْسَلُوا جَمَاعَةً إِلَى الْكَرْخِ، فَلَقُوا أَبَا بَكْرِ بْنَ مِخْنَفٍ، فَقَاتَلَهُمْ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، فَقُتِلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَانْهَزَمَ أَصْحَابُهُ، وَأَفْسَدَ الْخَوَارِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ. فَأَتَى أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ أَمِيرَهُمْ، وَهُوَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ، وَلَقَبُهُ الْقُبَاعُ، فَصَاحُوا بِهِ وَقَالُوا: اخْرُجْ فَإِنَّ الْعَدُوَّ قَدْ أَظَلَّ عَلَيْنَا لَيْسَتْ لَهُ بَقِيَّةٌ. فَخَرَجَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ النُّخَيْلَةَ فَأَقَامَ أَيَّامًا، فَوَثَبَ إِلَيْهِ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْأَشْتَرِ، فَحَثَّهُ عَلَى الْمَسِيرِ، فَسَارَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ دَيْرَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، فَأَقَامَ بِهِ حَتَّى دَخَلَ إِلَيْهِ شَبَثُ بْنُ رِبْعِيٍّ، فَأَمَرَهُ بِالْمَسِيرِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى النَّاسُ بُطْءَ مَسِيرِهِ رَجَزُوا بِهِ فَقَالُوا: سَارَ بِنَا الْقُبَاعُ سَيْرًا نُكْرَا يَسِيرُ يَوْمًا وَيُقِيمُ شَهْرَا فَسَارَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْمَكَانِ، فَكَانَ كُلَّمَا نَزَلَ مَنْزِلًا أَقَامَ بِهِ حَتَّى يَصِيحَ بِهِ النَّاسُ، فَبَلَغَ الْفُرَاتَ فِي بِضْعَةِ عَشْرَ يَوْمًا، فَأَتَاهَا وَقَدِ انْتَهَى إِلَيْهَا الْخَوَارِجُ، فَقَطَعُوا الْجِسْرَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ وَأَخَذُوا رَجُلًا اسْمُهُ سِمَاكُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ وَمَعَهُ بِنْتٌ لَهُ، فَأَخَذُوهَا لِيَقْتُلُوهَا، فَقَالَتْ لَهُمْ: يَا أَهْلَ الْإِسْلَامِ ! إِنَّ أَبِي مُصَابٌ فَلَا تَقْتُلُوهُ، وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَجَارِيَةٌ، وَاللَّهِ مَا أَتَيْتُ فَاحِشَةً قَطُّ، وَلَا آذَيْتُ جَارَةً لِي، وَلَا تَطَلَّعْتُ وَلَا تَشَرَّفْتُ قَطُّ. فَلَمَّا أَرَادُوا قَتْلَهَا سَقَطَتْ مَيِّتَةً، فَقَطَّعُوهَا بِأَسْيَافِهِمْ، وَبَقِيَ سِمَاكٌ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى أَشْرَفُوا عَلَى الصَّرَاةِ، فَاسْتَقْبَلَ أَهْلَ الْكُوفَةِ فَنَادَاهُمُ: اعْبُرُوا إِلَيْهِمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ قَلِيلٌ خَبِيثٌ. فَضَرَبُوا عُنُقَهُ وَصَلَبُوهُ. فَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْأَشْتَرِ لِلْحَارِثِ: انْدُبْ مَعِيَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى أَعْبُرَ إِلَى هَؤُلَاءِ الْكِلَابِ فَأَجِيئَكَ بِرُءُوسِهِمْ. فَقَالَ شَبَثٌ، وَأَسْمَاءُ بْنُ خَارِجَةَ، وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ وَغَيْرُهُمْ: أَصْلَحَ اللَّهُ الْأَمِيرَ، دَعْهُمْ فَلْيَذْهَبُوا. وَكَأَنَّهُمْ حَسَدُوا إِبْرَاهِيمَ. فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْخَوَارِجُ كَثْرَةَ النَّاسِ قَطَعُوا الْجِسْرَ، وَاغْتَنَمَ ذَلِكَ الْحَارِثُ فَتَحَبَّسَ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ لِلنَّاسِ فَقَالَ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ الْقِتَالِ الرَّمْيَةُ بِالنَّبْلِ وَإِشْرَاعُ الرِّمَاحِ وَالطَّعْنُ، ثُمَّ الطَّعْنُ شَزْرًا، ثُمَّ السَّلَّةُ آخِرُ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: قَدْ أَحْسَنَ الْأَمِيرُ الصِّفَةَ، وَلَكِنْ مَتَى نَصْنَعُ هَذَا وَهَذَا الْبَحْرُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ ؟ فَمُرْ بِهَذَا الْجِسْرِ فَلْيُعْقَدْ، ثُمَّ عَبِّرْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيُرِيكَ مَا تُحِبُّ. فَعَقَدَ الْجِسْرَ وَعَبَرَ النَّاسُ، فَطَارَدَ الْخَوَارِجَ حَتَّى أَتَوُا الْمَدَائِنَ، وَطَارَدَتْ بَعْضُ خَيْلِهِمْ عِنْدَ الْجِسْرِ طِرَادًا ضَعِيفًا فَرَجَعُوا، فَأَتْبَعَهُمُ الْحَارِثُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ مِخْنَفٍ فِي سِتَّةِ آلَافٍ لِيُخْرِجَهُمْ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْكُوفَةِ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: إِذَا وَقَعُوا فِي أَرْضِ الْبَصْرَةِ فَاتْرُكْهُمْ. فَسَارَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ يَتْبَعُهُمْ حَتَّى وَقَعُوا فِي أَرْضٍ أَصْبَهَانَ، فَرَجَعَ عَنْهُمْ وَلَمْ يُقَاتِلْهُمْ، وَقَصَدُوا الرَّيَّ وَعَلَيْهَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ رُوَيْمٍ الشَّيْبَانِيُّ، فَقَاتَلَهُمْ، فَأَعَانَ أَهْلُ الرَّيِّ الْخَوَارِجَ، فَقُتِلَ يَزِيدُ وَهَرَبَ ابْنُهُ حَوْشَبٌ، وَدَعَاهُ أَبُوهُ لِيَدْفَعَ عَنْهُ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: فَلَوْ كَانَ حُرًّا حَوْشَبٌ ذَا حَفِيظَةٍ رَأَى مَا رَأَى فِي الْمَوْتِ عِيسَى بْنُ مُصْعَبِ يَعْنِي أَنَّ عِيسَى بْنَ مُصْعَبٍ لَمْ يَفِرَّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، بَلْ قَاتَلَ عَنْهُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى قُتِلَ. وَقَالَ بِشْرُ بْنُ مَرْوَانَ يَوْمًا وَعِنْدَهُ حَوْشَبٌ هَذَا وَعِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ رِبْعِيٍّ: مَنْ يَدُلُّنِي عَلَى فَرَسٍ جَوَادٍ ؟ فَقَالَ عِكْرِمَةُ: فَرَسُ حَوْشَبٍ، فَإِنَّهُ نَجَا عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الرَّيِّ. وَقَالَ بِشْرٌ أَيْضًا يَوْمًا: مَنْ يَدُلُّنِي عَلَى بَغْلَةٍ قَوِيَّةِ الظَّهْرِ ؟ فَقَالَ حَوْشَبٌ: بَغْلَةُ وَاصِلِ بْنِ مُسَافِرٍ. كَانَ عِكْرِمَةُ يُتَّهَمُ بِامْرَأَةِ وَاصِلٍ، فَتَبَسَّمَ بِشْرٌ وَقَالَ: لَقَدِ انْتَصَفْتَ. وَلَمَّا فَرَغَ الْخَوَارِجُ مِنَ الرَّيِّ انْحَطُّوا إِلَى أَصْبَهَانَ، فَحَاصَرُوهَا وَبِهَا عَتَّابُ بْنُ وَرْقَاءَ، فَصَبَرَ لَهُمْ، وَكَانَ يُقَاتِلُهُمْ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ، وَيَرْمُونَ مِنَ السُّورِ بِالنَّبْلِ وَالْحِجَارَةِ. وَكَانَ مَعَ عَتَّابٍ رَجُلٌ مِنْ حَضْرَمَوْتَ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، فَكَانَ يَحْمِلُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَقُولُ: كَيْفَ تَرَوْنَ يَا كِلَابَ النَّارِ شَدَّ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ الْهَرَّارِ يُهِرُّكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ يَا ابْنَ أَبِي الْمَاحُوزِ وَالْأَشْرَارِ كَيْفَ تَرَى حَرْبِي عَلَى الْمِضْمَارِ فَلَمَّا طَالَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْخَوَارِجِ كَمُنَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، فَضَرَبَهُ بِالسَّيْفِ عَلَى حَبْلِ عَاتِقِهِ فَصَرَعَهُ، فَاحْتَمَلَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ وَدَاوُوهُ حَتَّى بَرِأَ، وَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَى عَادَتِهِ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْخَوَارِجَ أَقَامَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَشْهُرًا حَتَّى نَفِدَتْ أَطْعِمَتُهُمْ، وَاشْتَدَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحِصَارُ، وَأَصَابَهُمُ الْجُهْدُ الشَّدِيدُ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ عَتَّابٌ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ نَزَلَ بِكُمْ مِنَ الْجُهْدِ مَا تَرَوْنَ، وَمَا بَقِيَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَمُوتَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ، فَيَدْفِنَهُ أَخُوهُ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعَ، ثُمَّ يَمُوتُ هُوَ فَلَا يَجِدُ مَنْ يَدْفِنُهُ وَلَا يُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ، وَاللَّهِ مَا أَنْتُمْ بِالْقَلِيلِ، وَإِنَّكُمُ الْفُرْسَانُ الصُّلَحَاءُ، فَاخْرُجُوا بِنَا إِلَى هَؤُلَاءِ وَبِكُمْ قُوَّةٌ وَحَيَاةٌ، قَبْلَ أَنْ تَضْعُفُوا عَنِ الْحَرَكَةِ مِنَ الْجُهْدِ، فَوَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو إِنْ صَدَقْتُمُوهُمْ أَنْ تَظْفَرُوا بِهِمْ. فَأَجَابُوهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ.
Translation
✧ The wars of the Kharijites in Fars and Iraq In the year sixty-eight, Mus'ab appointed ʿUmar b. ʿUbayd Allah b. Maʿmar over Fars, and put him in charge of the war against the Azariqa. Al-Muhallab had been in charge of the war against them during Mus'ab's first period and during the period of Hamza b. ʿAbd Allah b. al-Zubayr. When Mus'ab returned, he wanted to appoint al-Muhallab over the lands of Mosul, the Jazira, and Armenia, so that he would be between him and ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwan. He wrote to him while he was in Fars to come to him, so he came and left his son al-Mughira as his deputy over his work, advising him to be cautious. He arrived in Basra, and Mus'ab removed him from the war against the Kharijites and the lands of Fars, and appointed over both of them ʿUmar b. ʿUbayd Allah b. Maʿmar. When the Kharijites heard of him, Qatari b. al-Fujaʾa said: "A brave man has come to you. He is brave and a hero. He has come to fight for his religion and his kingdom with a disposition the like of which I have not seen in anyone. He never attends a battle without being the first horseman to kill his opponent." The Kharijites had appointed over themselves, after the killing of ʿUbayd Allah b. al-Mahuz, al-Zubayr b. al-Mahuz, as we mentioned in the year sixty-five. The Kharijites came to Istakhr, and ʿUmar sent his son ʿUbayd Allah against them with cavalry. They fought, and ʿUbayd Allah b. ʿUmar was killed. Al-Zubayr b. al-Mahuz wanted to fight ʿUmar, but Qatari said to him: "ʿUmar is protected by his prestige, so let us not fight him." He refused and fought him, and ninety men of the Kharijite horsemen were killed. ʿUmar thrust at Salih b. Mukhariq and gouged out his eye, and he struck Qatari on the forehead and split it open. The Kharijites were defeated and marched to Sabur. ʿUmar returned and met them there, accompanied by Mujjaʿa b. Siʿr. Mujjaʿa, with a mace he had, killed fourteen men of the Kharijites. ʿUmar nearly perished in this battle, and Mujjaʿa defended him. ʿUmar gave him nine hundred thousand dirhams. About this it was said: I drove away the assault of the squadron from a young man whose flesh was almost left in pieces. He gained the upper hand over them, so they marched and cut a bridge between them to prevent pursuit, and they headed toward Isfahan. They stayed near it until they regained strength and prepared. Then they advanced until they passed by Fars, where ʿUmar was, and they crossed it in a place other than where he was. They took the road to Sabur, then to Arrajan, until they reached al-Ahwaz. Mus'ab said: "How strange is ʿUmar! The enemy he is engaged in fighting crossed the land of Fars and he did not fight them. Had he fought them and fled, he would have had a better excuse." He wrote to him: "O son of Maʿmar, you have not dealt fairly with me. You collect the fay' and avoid the enemy. Take care of their affair for me." ʿUmar marched from Fars in their pursuit, hastening, hoping to catch them before they entered Iraq. Mus'ab went out and camped at the Great Bridge, and the people camped with him. The Kharijites, while at al-Ahwaz, learned of ʿUmar's advance toward them and that Mus'ab had come out from Basra against them. Al-Zubayr b. al-Mahuz said to them: "It is poor judgment for you to fall between these two forces. Rise with us against our enemy so that we meet them from one direction." He marched with them and crossed the land of Jukha and the Nahrawans, then came to al-Mada'in, where Kardam b. Marthad al-Quradi was. They launched a raid on the people of al-Mada'in, killing men, women, and children, and splitting open the bellies of pregnant women. Kardam fled. They advanced to Sabat and put the people to the sword, killing them. They sent a group to al-Karkh, where they met Abu Bakr b. Mikhnaf. He fought them fiercely, and Abu Bakr was killed and his companions fled. The Kharijites spread corruption in the land. The people of Kufa went to their governor, al-Harith b. Abi Rabiʿa, whose nickname was al-Qubaʿ, and shouted at him, saying: "Go out! The enemy has overshadowed us, and there is no one else." He went out and camped at al-Nukhayla for some days. Ibrahim b. al-Ashtar pounced on him and urged him to march, so he marched until he camped at Dayr ʿAbd al-Rahman and stayed there. Then Shabath b. Ribʿi entered upon him and ordered him to march. When the people saw his slow progress, they lampooned him in verse, saying: Al-Qubaʿ led us in a strange march, marching one day and staying a month. He marched from that place, and whenever he halted at a place, he stayed until the people shouted at him. He reached the Euphrates in more than ten days. He came to it when the Kharijites had already reached it and cut the bridge between them and him. They seized a man named Simak b. Yazid, who had a daughter with him. They took her to kill her, and she said to them: "O people of Islam! My father is wounded, so do not kill him. As for me, I am a young girl, and by God I have never committed an indecency, nor harmed a neighbor of mine, nor ever looked out or flaunted myself." When they wanted to kill her, she fell down dead, and they cut her to pieces with their swords. Simak remained with them until they came in sight of al-Sarat, where he faced the people of Kufa and called out to them: "Cross over to them, for they are few and vile." They struck his neck and crucified him. Ibrahim b. al-Ashtar said to al-Harith: "Call the people with me so that I may cross over to these dogs and bring you their heads." Shabath, Asmaʾ b. Kharija, Yazid b. al-Harith, Muhammad b. ʿUmayr, and others said: "May God keep the emir upright, leave them and let them go." It was as if they envied Ibrahim. When the Kharijites saw the multitude of people, they cut the bridge, and al-Harith took advantage of that to hold back. Then he sat before the people and said: "Now then, the first part of fighting is the shot with arrows, the pointing of spears, and the thrust. Then the thrust sideways, then the drawing of swords at the end of all that." A man said to him: "The emir has described well, but when shall we do this while this river is between us and them? Order this bridge to be rebuilt, then cross us over to them, for God will show you what you love." He rebuilt the bridge and the people crossed. He pursued the Kharijites until they reached al-Mada'in. Part of his cavalry skirmished with them weakly at the bridge and returned. Al-Harith sent ʿAbd al-Rahman b. Mikhnaf after them with six thousand men to drive them out of the land of Kufa, and said to him: "When they enter the land of Basra, leave them." ʿAbd al-Rahman marched in pursuit until they entered the land of Isfahan, then he turned back without fighting them. They headed for al-Rayy, whose governor was Yazid b. al-Harith b. Ruwaym al-Shaybani. He fought them, but the people of al-Rayy aided the Kharijites, and Yazid was killed, while his son Hawshab fled. His father called to him to defend him, but he did not return. One of them said: If Hawshab had been a free man with zeal, he would have seen what ʿIsa b. Musʿab saw in death. Meaning that ʿIsa b. Musʿab did not flee from his father, but fought in his defense with him until he was killed. Bishr b. Marwan said one day, while this Hawshab and ʿIkrima b. Ribʿi were with him: "Who will point me to a swift horse?" ʿIkrima said: "Hawshab's horse, for he escaped on it on the day of al-Rayy." Bishr also said one day: "Who will point me to a mule with a strong back?" Hawshab said: "The mule of Wasil b. Musafir." ʿIkrima was suspected of involvement with Wasil's wife, so Bishr smiled and said: "You have taken your revenge." When the Kharijites finished with al-Rayy, they descended to Isfahan and besieged it, where ʿAttab b. Warqaʾ was. He held out against them, fighting them at the city gate, and they shot arrows and stones from the wall. With ʿAttab was a man from Hadramawt called Abu Hurayra, who charged at them saying: How do you see, O dogs of the fire, the charge of Abu Hurayra the snarler? He snarls at you by night and day, O son of Abu al-Mahuz and the wicked ones. How do you see my war in the arena? When this went on too long for the Kharijites, one of their men lay in ambush for him one day and struck him with a sword on the tendon of his shoulder, felling him. His companions carried him off and treated him until he recovered, and he went out against them as was his habit. Then the Kharijites besieged them for months until their food ran out and the siege intensified. Severe hardship befell them. ʿAttab said to them: "O people, the hardship you see has befallen you. Nothing remains but that one of you dies in his bed and his brother buries him if he can, then he too dies and finds no one to bury him or pray over him. By God, you are not few, and you are righteous horsemen. Come out with us against these people while you still have strength and life, before you become too weak to move from hardship. By God, I hope that if you stand firm against them, you will triumph over them." They agreed to that.
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