Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2407
The Year 96
تَرْجَمَةُ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بَانِي جَامِعِ دِمَشْقَ، وَذِكْرُ وَفَاتِهِ فِي هَذَا الْعَامِ هُوَ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْعاصِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ شَمْسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ، أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الْأُمَوِيُّ، بُويِعَ لَهُ بِالْخِلَافَةِ بَعْدَ أَبِيهِ بِعَهْدٍ مِنْهُ فِي شَوَّالٍ سَنَةَ سِتٍّ وَثَمَانِينَ، وَكَانَ أَكْبَرَ وَلَدِهِ وَالْوَلِيَّ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ، وَأُمُّهُ وَلَّادَةُ بِنْتُ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ جُزِيِّ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ زُهَيْرٍ الْعَبْسِيِّ. وَكَانَ مَوْلِدُهُ سَنَةَ خَمْسِينَ، وَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ يُتْرِفَانِهِ، فَشَبَّ بِلَا أَدَبٍ، وَكَانَ لَا يُحْسِنُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ، وَكَانَ طَوِيلًا أَسْمَرَ، بِهِ أَثَرُ جُدَرِيٍّ، أَفْطَسَ الْأَنْفِ سَائِلَهُ، وَكَانَ إِذَا مَشَى يَتَوَكَّفُ فِي الْمِشْيَةِ أَيْ يَتَبَخْتَرُ وَكَانَ جَمِيلًا، وَقِيلَ: بَلْ كَانَ دَمِيمًا، قَدْ شَابَ فِي مُقَدَّمِ لِحْيَتِهِ، وَقَدْ رَأَى سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ وَسَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ; لَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ سَأَلَهُ مَاذَا سَمِعَ فِي أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةَ؟ وَسَمِعَ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيِّبِ، وَحَكَى عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ. وَقَدْ رُوِيَ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الْمَلِكِ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْهَدَ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَوَقَّفَ; لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُحْسِنُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ، فَجَمَعَ الْوَلِيدُ جَمَاعَةً مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّحْوِ عِنْدَهُ فَأَقَامُوا سَنَةً، وَقِيلَ: سِتَّةَ أَشْهُرٍ. فَخَرَجَ يَوْمَ خَرَجَ أَجْهَلَ مِمَّا كَانَ، فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ: قَدْ أُجْهِدَ وَأُعْذِرَ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ أَبَاهُ عَبْدَ الْمَلِكِ أَوْصَاهُ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: لَا أَلْفَيَنَّكَ إِذَا مِتُّ، تَجْلِسُ تَعْصِرُ عَيْنَيْكَ، وَتَحِنُّ حَنِينَ الْأَمَةِ، وَلَكِنْ شَمِّرْ وَائْتَزِرْ وَدَلِّنِي فِي حُفْرَتِي وَخَلِّنِي وَشَأْنِي، وَادْعُ النَّاسَ إِلَى الْبَيْعَةِ; فَمَنْ قَالَ بِرَأْسِهِ هَكَذَا فَقُلْ بِسَيْفِكَ هَكَذَا. وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ: وَفِي سَنَةِ ثَمَانٍ وَسَبْعَيْنِ غَزَا الْوَلِيدُ بِلَادَ الرُّومِ، وَفِيهَا حَجَّ بِالنَّاسِ أَيْضًا. وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ: غَزَا فِي الَّتِي قَبْلَهَا، وَفِي الَّتِي بَعْدَهَا بِلَادَ مَلَطْيَةَ وَغَيْرَهَا. وَكَانَ نَقْشُ خَاتَمِهِ: أُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ مُخْلِصًا. وَقِيلَ: كَانَ نَقْشُهُ: يَا وَلِيدُ إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ. وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّ آخِرَ مَا تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. وَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْلَةَ: قَالَ لِي الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ يَوْمًا: فِي كَمْ تَخْتِمُ الْقُرْآنَ؟ قُلْتُ: فِي كَذَا وَكَذَا. فَقَالَ: أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى شُغْلِهِ يَخْتِمُهُ فِي كُلِّ ثَلَاثٍ. وَقِيلَ: فِي كُلِّ سَبْعٍ. قَالَ: وَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ سَبْعَ عَشْرَةَ خَتْمَةً. قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: الْوَلِيدُ ! وَأَيْنَ مِثْلُهُ؟ بَنَى مَسْجِدَ دِمَشْقَ وَكَانَ يُعْطِينِي قِصَاعَ الْفِضَّةِ، فَأُقَسِّمُهَا عَلَى قُرَّاءِ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ. بعض من أخبار الوليد بن عبد الملك وَرَوَى ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ بِإِسْنَادٍ رِجَالُهُ كُلُّهُمْ ثِقَاتٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: خَرَجَ الْوَلِيدُ يَوْمًا مِنَ الْبَابِ الْأَصْغَرِ، فَرَأَى رَجُلًا عِنْدَ الْمِئْذَنَةِ الشَّرْقِيَّةِ يَأْكُلُ شَيْئًا، فَأَتَاهُ فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ يَأْكُلُ خُبْزًا وَتُرَابًا، فَقَالَ لَهُ: مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى هَذَا؟ قَالَ: الْقُنُوعُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَذَهَبَ إِلَى مَجْلِسِهِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَدْعَى بِهِ، فَقَالَ: إِنْ لَكَ لَشَأْنًا، فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِهِ وَإِلَّا ضَرَبْتُ الَّذِي فِيهِ عَيْنَاكَ. فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، كُنْتُ رَجُلًا جَمَّالًا، فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَسِيرُ مِنْ مَرْجِ الصُّفَّرِ قَاصِدًا إِلَى الْكُسْوَةِ إِذْ زَرَتَنِي الْبَوْلُ، فَعَدَلْتُ إِلَى خَرِبَةٍ لِأَبُولَ، فَإِذَا سَرَبٌ فَحَفَرْتُهُ فَإِذَا مَالٌ صَبِيبٌ، فَمَلَأْتُ مِنْهُ غَرَائِرِي، ثُمَّ انْطَلَقْتُ أَقُودُ بِرَوَاحِلِي، وَإِذَا بِمِخْلَاةٍ مَعِي فِيهَا طَعَامٌ فَأَلْقَيْتُهُ مِنْهَا، وَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي سَآتِي الْكُسْوَةَ، وَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى الْخَرِبَةِ، لِأَمْلَأَ تِلْكَ الْمِخْلَاةَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْمَالِ، فَلَمْ أَهْتَدِ إِلَى الْمَكَانِ بَعْدَ الْجَهْدِ فِي الطَّلَبِ، فَلَمَّا أَيِسْتُ رَجَعْتُ إِلَى الرَّوَاحِلِ فَلَمْ أَجِدْهَا وَلَمْ أَجِدِ الطَّعَامَ، فَآلَيْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي أَنِّي لَا آكُلُ إِلَّا خُبْزًا وَتُرَابًا. قَالَ: فَهَلْ لَكَ عِيَالٌ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَفَرَضَ لَهُ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ. قَالَ ابْنُ جَابِرٍ: وَبَلَغَنَا أَنَّ تِلْكَ الرَّوَاحِلَ سَارَتْ حَتَّى أَتَتْ بَيْتَ الْمَالِ، فَتَسَلَّمَهَا خَازِنُهُ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ. وَقَالَ نُمَيْرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السَّمْعَانِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: قَالَ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ: لَوْلَا أَنَّ اللَّهَ ذَكَرَ قَوْمَ لُوطٍ فِي الْقُرْآنِ مَا ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ أَحَدًا يَفْعَلُ هَذَا. قَالُوا: وَكَانَ الْوَلِيدُ لَحَّانًا. كَمَا جَاءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ أَنَّ الْوَلِيدَ خَطَبَ يَوْمًا، فَقَرَأَ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ: يَا لَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ الْقَاضِيَةَ [ الْحَاقَّةِ: 27 ] فَضَمَّ التَّاءَ مِنْ لَيْتَهَا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ يَا لَيْتَهَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْكَ وَأَرَاحَنَا اللَّهُ مِنْكَ. وَكَانَ يَقُولُ: يَا أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ. وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ فِي «تَفْسِيرِهِ» عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، أَنَّ الْوَلِيدَ قَالَ لَهُ: أَيُحَاسَبُ الْخَلِيفَةُ؟ قَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ؛ أَأَنْتَ أَكْرَمُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَمْ دَاوُدُ؟ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمَعَ لَهُ النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْخِلَافَةَ، ثُمَّ تَوَعَّدَهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ فَقَالَ: { يَا دَاوُدُ } الْآيَةَ. لَكِنَّهُ أَقَامَ الْجِهَادَ فِي أَيَّامِهِ، وَفُتِحَتْ فِي خِلَافَتِهِ فُتُوحَاتٌ عَظِيمَةٌ، وَكَانَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ يَخْتِنُ الْأَيْتَامَ، وَيُرَتِّبُ لَهُمُ الْمُؤَدِّبِينَ، وَيُرَتِّبُ لِلزَّمْنَى مَنْ يَخْدِمُهُمْ، وَلِلْأَضِرَّاءِ مَنْ يَقُودُهُمْ، وَعَمَّرَ الْمَسْجِدَ النَّبَوِيَّ وَوَسَّعَهُ، وَرَزَقَ الْفُقَهَاءَ وَالْفُقَرَاءَ وَالضُّعَفَاءَ، وَحَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُؤَالَ النَّاسِ، وَفَرَضَ لَهُمْ مَا يَكْفِيهِمْ، وَضَبَطَ الْأُمُورَ أَتَمَّ ضَبْطٍ. وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ يَوْمًا لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ: إِنَّكَ لَرَجُلٌ لَوْلَا أَنَّكَ تَلْحَنُ. فَقَالَ: وَهَذَا ابْنُكَ الْوَلِيدُ يَلْحَنُ. فَقَالَ: لَكِنَّ ابْنِي سُلَيْمَانَ لَا يَلْحَنُ. فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: وَأَخِي أَبُو فُلَانٍ لَا يَلْحَنُ. قَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ بسنده عن ابْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَدَائِنِيَّ قَالَ: كَانَ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ أَفْضَلَ خَلَائِفِهِمْ، بَنَى الْمَسَاجِدَ بِدِمَشْقَ، وَوَضَعَ الْمَنَارَ، وَأَعْطَى النَّاسَ وَأَعْطَى الْمَجْذُومِينَ، وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: لَا تَسْأَلُوا النَّاسَ، وَأَعْطَى كُلَّ مُقْعَدٍ خَادِمًا، وَكُلَّ ضَرِيرٍ قَائِدًا، وَفَتَحَ فِي وِلَايَتِهِ فُتُوحَاتٍ كَثِيرَةً عِظَامًا، فَفَتَحَ الْهِنْدَ وَالسِّنْدَ وَالْأَنْدَلُسَ، وَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ. قَالَ: وَكَانَ مَعَ هَذَا يَمُرُّ بِالْبَقَّالِ فَيَأْخُذُ حُزْمَةَ الْبَقْلِ بِيَدِهِ، وَيَقُولُ: بِكَمْ تَبِيعُ هَذِهِ؟ فَيَقُولُ: بِفَلْسٍ. فَيَقُولُ: زِدْ فِيهَا فَإِنَّكَ تَرْبَحُ. وَذَكَرُوا أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَبَرُّ حَمَلَةَ الْقُرْآنِ وَيُكْرِمُهُمْ، وَيَقْضِي عَنْهُمْ دُيُونَهُمْ. قَالُوا: وَكَانَتْ هِمَّةُ الْوَلِيدِ فِي الْبِنَاءِ وَكَانَ النَّاسُ كَذَلِكَ; يَلْقَى الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ، فَيَقُولُ: مَاذَا بَنَيْتَ ؟ مَاذَا عَمَرْتَ ؟ وَكَانَتْ هِمَّةُ أَخِيهِ سُلَيْمَانَ فِي النِّسَاءِ، فَكَانَ النَّاسُ كَذَلِكَ; يَلْقَى الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ، فَيَقُولُ: كَمْ تَزَوَّجْتَ؟ مَاذَا عِنْدَكَ مِنَ السَّرَارِيِّ؟ وَكَانَتْ هِمَّةُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ فِي قِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ وَالْعِبَادَةِ، فَكَانَ النَّاسُ كَذَلِكَ; يَلْقَى الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ فَيَقُولُ: كَمْ وِرْدُكَ؟ كَمْ تَقْرَأُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ؟ مَاذَا صَلَّيْتَ الْبَارِحَةَ؟. وَقَالَ الْوَاقِدِيُّ: كَانَ الْوَلِيدُ جَبَّارًا ذَا سَطْوَةٍ شَدِيدَةٍ لَا يَتَوَقَّفُ إِذَا غَضِبَ، لَجُوجًا، كَثِيرَ الْأَكْلِ وَالْجِمَاعِ، مِطْلَاقًا، يُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَ ثَلَاثًا وَسِتِّينَ امْرَأَةً غَيْرَ الْإِمَاءِ. قُلْتُ: وَقَدْ يُرَادُ بِهَذَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْفَاسِقُ لَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بَانِي الْجَامِعِ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. قُلْتُ: بَنَى الْوَلِيدُ الْجَامِعَ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنَا، فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا نَظِيرٌ، وَبَنَى صَخْرَةَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ عَقَدَ عَلَيْهَا الْقُبَّةَ، وَبَنَى مَسْجِدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، وَوَسَّعَهُ، حَتَّى دَخَلَتِ الْحُجْرَةُ الَّتِي فِيهَا الْقَبْرُ فِيهِ، وَلَهُ آثَارٌ حِسَانٌ كَثِيرَةٌ جِدًّا، ثُمَّ كَانَتْ وَفَاتُهُ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ لِلنِّصْفِ مِنْ جُمَادَى الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ. قَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ وَهَذَا قَوْلُ جَمِيعِ أَهْلِ السِّيَرِ. وَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْفَلَّاسُ وَجَمَاعَةٌ: كَانَتْ وَفَاتُهُ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ لِلنِّصْفِ مِنْ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ مِنْ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ عَنْ سِتٍّ - وَقِيلَ: ثَلَاثٍ، وَقِيلَ: تِسْعٍ، وَقِيلَ: أَرْبَعٍ - وَأَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً. وَكَانَتْ وَفَاتُهُ بِدَيْرِ مُرَّانَ، فَحُمِلَ عَلَى أَعْنَاقِ الرِّجَالِ حَتَّى دُفِنَ بِمَقَابِرِ بَابِ الصَّغِيرِ، وَقِيلَ: بِمَقَابِرِ بَابِ الْفَرَادِيسِ. حَكَاهُ ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ. وَكَانَ الَّذِي صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ; لِأَنَّ أَخَاهُ سُلَيْمَانَ كَانَ بِالْقُدْسِ الشَّرِيفِ، وَقِيلَ: صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ ابْنُهُ عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، وَقِيلَ: بَلْ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ أَخُوهُ سُلَيْمَانُ. وَالصَّحِيحُ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَهُ إِلَى قَبْرِهِ، وَقَالَ حِينَ أَنْزَلَهُ: لَتَنْزِلَنَّهُ غَيْرَ مُوَسَّدٍ وَلَا مُمَهَّدٍ، قَدْ خَلَّفْتَ الْأَسْبَابَ، وَفَارَقْتَ الْأَحْبَابَ، وَسَكَنْتَ التُّرَابَ، وَوَاجَهْتَ الْحِسَابَ، فَقِيرًا إِلَى مَا تُقْدِمُ عَلَيْهِ، غَنِيًّا عَمَّا تُخَلِّفُ. وَجَاءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا وَضَعَ الْوَلِيدَ فِي لَحْدِهِ ارْتَكَضَ فِي أَكْفَانِهِ، وَجُمِعَتْ رِجْلَاهُ إِلَى عُنُقِهِ. وَكَانَتْ خِلَافَتُهُ تِسْعَ سِنِينَ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَشْهُرٍ عَلَى الْمَشْهُورِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. قَالَ الذَّهَبِيُّ: (عَاشَ الْجِهَادُ فِي أَيَّامِهِ، وَفُتِحَتْ فِيهَا الْفُتُوحَاتُ الْعَظِيمَةُ كَأَيَّامِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ). أولاد الوليد بن عبد الملك قَالَ الْمَدَائِنِيُّ: وَكَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْوَلَ?ِ تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ وَلَدًا ذَكَرًا; وَهُمْ عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ، وَالْعَبَّاسُ، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ، وَتَمَّامٌ، وَخَالِدٌ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَمُبَشِّرٌ، وَمَسْرُورٌ، وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ، وَصَدَقَةُ، وَمَنْصُورٌ، وَمَرْوَانُ، وَعَنْبَسَةُ، وَعُمَرُ، وَرَوْحٌ، وَبِشْرٌ، وَيَزِيدُ، وَيَحْيَى، فَأُمُّ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ وَمُحَمَّدٍ; أُمُّ الْبَنِينَ بِنْتُ عَمِّهِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ، وَأُمُّ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ فَزَارِيَّةٌ، وَسَائِرُهُمْ مِنْ أُمَّهَاتِ أَوْلَادٍ شَتَّى. رثاء جرير للوليد بن عبد الملك قَالَ الْمَدَائِنِيُّ: وَقَدْ رَثَاهُ جَرِيرٌ فَقَالَ: يَا عَيْنُ جُودِي بِدَمْعٍ هَاجَهُ الذِّكَرُ فَمَا لِدَمْعِكِ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ مُدَّخَرُ إِنَّ الْخَلِيفَةَ قَدْ وَارَتْ شَمَائِلَهُ غَبْرَاءُ مُلْحَدَةٌ فِي جَوْلِهَا زَوَرُ أَضْحَى بَنُوهُ وَقَدْ جَلَّتْ مُصِيبَتُهُمْ مِثْلَ النُّجُومِ هَوَى مِنْ بَيْنِهَا الْقَمَرُ كَانُوا جَمِيعًا فَلَمْ يَدْفَعْ مَنِيَّتَهُ عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ وَلَا رَوْحٌ وَلَا عُمْرَ
Translation
✧ The biography of al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik, the builder of the mosque of Damascus, and the account of his death in this year He is al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwān b. al-Ḥakam b. Abī al-ʿĀṣ b. Umayya b. ʿAbd Shams b. ʿAbd Manāf, Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Umawī. Allegiance was sworn to him for the caliphate after his father, by a covenant from him, in Shawwāl of the year eighty-six, and he was his eldest son and his heir after him. His mother was Wallāda bt. al-ʿAbbās b. Juzayy b. al-Ḥārith b. Zuhayr al-ʿAbsī. He was born in the year fifty, and his parents indulged him, so he grew up without discipline. He did not speak Arabic well. He was tall and dark-skinned, with traces of smallpox, snub-nosed with a dripping nose. When he walked, he swayed in his gait, that is, he strutted, and he was handsome. It was said: rather, he was ugly, with white hair at the front of his beard. He saw Sahl b. Saʿd and heard Anas b. Mālik; when he came to him, he asked him what he had heard about the signs of the Hour. He also heard Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib, and he related from al-Zuhrī and others. It has been related that ʿAbd al-Malik intended to designate him but then hesitated because he did not speak Arabic well. So al-Walīd gathered a group of grammarians at his place, and they stayed for a year, or it was said, six months. He came out on the day he emerged more ignorant than he had been. ʿAbd al-Malik said: "He has exerted himself, and the excuse has been made." It was said: His father ʿAbd al-Malik gave him instructions at his death, saying to him: "I will surely not find you, when I die, sitting and wringing your eyes, wailing like a slave girl. Rather, gird yourself, wrap your lower garment, lower me into my grave, leave me to my affair, and summon the people to the oath of allegiance. Whoever nods his head thus, then say with your sword thus." Al-Layth said: In the year eighty-seven, al-Walīd raided the land of the Romans, and in that year he also led the people in the ḥajj. Others said: He raided in the year before it, and in the year after it, the land of Malaṭya and elsewhere. The inscription on his seal was: "I believe in God with sincerity." It was said: His inscription was: "O Walīd, you are mortal." It is said that the last words he spoke were: "Glory be to God, praise be to God, there is no god but God." Ibrāhīm b. Abī ʿAbla said: Al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik said to me one day: "In how many days do you complete the Qurʾān?" I said: "In such and such." He said: "The Commander of the Faithful, despite his occupations, completes it every three days." It was said: every seven days. He said: "He used to read seventeen completions in the month of Ramaḍān." Ibrāhīm, may God have mercy on him, said: "Al-Walīd! Where is his like? He built the mosque of Damascus, and he used to give me silver bowls, which I distributed to the Qurʾān reciters of Jerusalem." Some reports about al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik. Ibn ʿAsākir related with a chain whose men are all trustworthy, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Yazīd b. Jābir, from his father, who said: Al-Walīd came out one day from the Lesser Gate and saw a man by the eastern minaret eating something. He went to him and stood over him, and behold, he was eating bread and earth. He said to him: "What made you do this?" He said: "Contentment, O Commander of the Faithful." He went to his assembly, then summoned him and said: "You have some matter; tell me about it, or I will strike what contains your eyes." He said: "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful. I was a camel driver. While I was traveling from Marj al-Ṣuffar heading to al-Kiswa, I needed to urinate, so I turned aside to a ruin to urinate. There I found a burrow, so I dug it, and behold, abundant money. I filled my sacks from it, then went off leading my camels. I had a nosebag with me containing food, so I emptied it and said: 'I will come to al-Kiswa and return to the ruin to fill that nosebag with that money.' But I could not find the place again despite great effort. When I despaired, I returned to the camels, but I did not find them, nor the food. So I swore to myself that I would eat nothing but bread and earth." He said: "Do you have a family?" He said: "Yes." So he assigned him a stipend from the treasury. Ibn Jābir said: We were told that those camels went on until they came to the treasury, and his treasurer received them and placed them in the treasury. Numayr b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Samʿānī, from his father, said: Al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik said: "Had God not mentioned the people of Lot in the Qurʾān, I would not have thought that anyone would do this." They said: Al-Walīd made grammatical errors. As has been reported from more than one source, al-Walīd once gave a sermon and recited in his sermon: "Yā laytahā kānat al-qāḍiyah" (Q 69:27), but he put a ḍammah on the tāʾ of laytahā. ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz said: "Would that it had come upon you, and God had relieved us of you." He used to say: "Yā ahlu al-Madīnah." Ibn Abī Ḥātim reported in his Tafsīr from Ibrāhīm Abū Zurʿa that al-Walīd said to him: "Will the caliph be called to account?" He said: "O Commander of the Faithful, are you nobler before God than David? God combined prophethood and caliphate for him, then threatened him in His Book, saying: 'O David' (to the end of the verse)." Nevertheless, he carried out jihād during his days, and great conquests were achieved in his caliphate. Along with that, he circumcised orphans, appointed tutors for them, appointed servants for the chronically ill, and guides for the blind. He built and expanded the Prophet's Mosque, provided for jurists, the poor, and the weak, forbade them from begging, and assigned them what sufficed them. He managed affairs with the utmost precision. ʿAbd al-Malik once said to a man of Quraysh: "You are a man, were it not that you make grammatical errors." He said: "And this son of yours, al-Walīd, makes grammatical errors." He said: "But my son Sulaymān does not." The man said: "And my brother Abū Fulān does not." Ibn Jarīr said with his chain from Ibn Muḥammad al-Madāʾinī: Al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik was considered by the people of Syria the best of their caliphs. He built mosques in Damascus, erected minarets, gave to the people, and gave to lepers, saying to them: "Do not beg from people." He gave every cripple a servant and every blind person a guide. During his reign many great conquests were achieved: India, Sind, al-Andalus, and others. He said: Along with this, he would pass by a greengrocer, take a bundle of vegetables in his hand, and say: "For how much do you sell this?" He would say: "For a fils." He would say: "Increase its price, for you will profit." They mentioned that he was kind to those who carried the Qurʾān, honored them, and paid their debts. They said: Al-Walīd's concern was building, and the people were likewise; a man would meet a man and say: "What have you built? What have you constructed?" His brother Sulaymān's concern was women, and the people were likewise; a man would meet a man and say: "How many times have you married? How many concubines do you have?" ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz's concern was reading the Qurʾān, prayer, and worship, and the people were likewise; a man would meet a man and say: "How much of your daily portion do you read? How much do you recite each day? What did you pray last night?" Al-Wāqidī said: Al-Walīd was a tyrant with severe power, who did not hesitate when angered, obstinate, a great eater and womanizer, and divorced often. It is said that he married sixty-three women, not counting female slaves. I say: This may refer to al-Walīd b. Yazīd the dissolute, not al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik, the builder of the mosque. And God knows best. I say: Al-Walīd built the mosque in the manner we have described, and it had no equal in the world. He built the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, erecting the dome over it. He built and expanded the Mosque of the Prophet ﷺ, until the chamber containing the grave was included in it. He has many excellent monuments. Then his death occurred on Saturday, the middle of Jumādā al-Ākhira of this year. Ibn Jarīr said: This is the statement of all the historians. ʿAmr b. ʿAlī al-Fallās and a group said: His death was on Saturday, the middle of Rabīʿ al-Awwal of this year, at the age of forty-six, or it was said forty-three, or forty-nine, or forty-four. His death was at Dayr Murrān, and he was carried on the shoulders of men until he was buried in the cemetery of Bāb al-Ṣaghīr, or it was said, in the cemetery of Bāb al-Farādīs. This is what Ibn ʿAsākir reported. The one who prayed over him was ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, because his brother Sulaymān was in Jerusalem. It was said: His son ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz prayed over him. It was said: Rather, his brother Sulaymān prayed over him. The correct view is ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, and God knows best. It was he who lowered him into his grave, and when he lowered him he said: "You will surely descend into it unbedded and unpillowed. You have left behind the ties, parted from loved ones, dwelled in the dust, and faced the reckoning, poor in what you go to, rich in what you leave behind." It has been reported from more than one source, from ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, that he reported that when al-Walīd was placed in his niche, he thrashed in his shrouds, and his legs were drawn up to his neck. His caliphate lasted nine years and eight months, according to the well-known view, and God knows best. Al-Dhahabī said: "Jihād flourished during his days, and great conquests were achieved, as in the days of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb." The children of al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik. Al-Madāʾinī said: He had nineteen sons: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, Muḥammad, al-ʿAbbās, Ibrāhīm, Tammām, Khālid, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, Mubashshir, Masrūr, Abū ʿUbayda, Ṣadaqa, Manṣūr, Marwān, ʿAnbasa, ʿUmar, Rawḥ, Bishr, Yazīd, and Yaḥyā. The mother of ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz and Muḥammad was Umm al-Banīn bt. his paternal uncle ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Marwān. The mother of Abū ʿUbayda was a Fazārī woman, and the rest were from various slave mothers. Jarīr's elegy for al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik. Al-Madāʾinī said: Jarīr elegized him, saying: O eye, shed tears stirred by remembrance; no tears are stored for you after today. The caliph's noble qualities are now wrapped in a dusty, curved grave. His sons have become, their loss made manifest, like stars from which the moon has fallen. They were together, but his death was not warded off by ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, nor Rawḥ, nor ʿUmar.
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