Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2427
The Year 99
خِلَافَةُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ ؓ قَدْ تَقَدَّمَ أَنَّهُ بُويِعَ لَهُ بِالْخِلَافَةِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ لِعَشْرٍ مَضَيْنَ وَقِيلَ: بَقِينَ مِنْ صَفَرٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ أَعْنِي سَنَةَ تِسْعٍ وَتِسْعِينَ يَوْمَ مَاتَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ عَنْ عَهْدٍ مِنْهُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ عِلْمٍ مِنْ عُمَرَ كَمَا قَدَّمْنَا وَقَدْ ظَهَرَتْ عَلَيْهِ مَخَايِلُ الْوَرَعِ وَالدِّينِ وَالتَّقَشُّفِ وَالصِّيَانَةِ وَالنَّزَاهَةِ مِنْ أَوَّلِ حَرَكَةٍ بَدَتْ مِنْهُ; حَيْثُ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ رُكُوبِ مَرَاكِبِ الْخِلَافَةِ، وَهِيَ الْخُيُولُ الْحِسَانُ الْجِيَادُ الْمُعَدَّةُ لَهَا وَالِاجْتِزَاءُ بِمَرْكُوبِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَرْكَبُهُ، وَسُكْنَى مَنْزِلِهِ رَغْبَةً عَنْ مَنْزِلِ الْخِلَافَةِ. ثُمَّ أَنْشَدَ يَقُولُ: وَلَوْلَا التُّقَى ثُمَّ النُّهَى خَشْيَةَ الرَّدَى لَعَاصَيْتُ فِي حُبِّ الْهَوَى كُلَّ زَاجِرِ قَضَى مَا قَضَى فِيمَا مَضَى ثُمَّ لَا تُرَى لَهُ صَبْوَةٌ أُخْرَى اللَّيَالِي الْغَوَابِرِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ خَطَبَ فَقَالَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنِّي قَدِ ابْتُلِيتُ بِهَذَا الْأَمْرِ مِنْ غَيْرِ رَأْيٍ كَانَ مِنِّي فِيهِ، وَلَا مَشُورَةٍ. وَإِنِّي قَدْ خَلَعْتُ مَا فِي أَعْنَاقِكُمْ مِنْ بَيْعَتِي فَاخْتَارُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ، فَصَاحَ النَّاسُ صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً: قَدِ اخْتَرْنَاكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَضِينَا بِكَ فَلِي أَمْرَنَا بِالْيُمْنِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ. فَقَالَ: أُوصِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ، فَإِنَّ تَقْوَى اللَّهِ خَلَفٌ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَيْسَ مِنْ تَقْوَى اللَّهِ خَلَفٌ، فَاعْمَلُوا لِآخِرَتِكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ عَمِلَ لِآخِرَتِهِ كَفَاهُ اللَّهُ أَمْرَ دُنْيَاهُ، وَأَصْلِحُوا سَرَائِرَكُمْ يُصْلِحُ الْكَرِيمُ عَلَانِيَتَكُمْ، وَأَكْثِرُوا ذِكْرَ الْمَوْتِ وَأَحْسِنُوا الِاسْتِعْدَادَ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِكُمْ، وَإِنَّ امْرَأً لَا يَذْكُرُ مِنْ آبَائِهِ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ آدَمَ أَبًا حَيًّا لَمُعْرَقٌ لَهُ فِي الْمَوْتِ. ثُمَّ نَزَلَ فَدَخَلَ فَأَمَرَ بِالسُّتُورِ فَهُتِكَتْ، وَالثِّيَابِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ تُبْسَطُ لِلْخُلَفَاءِ فَحُمِلَتْ وَأَمَرَ بِبَيْعِهَا وَإِدْخَالِ ثَمَنِهَا فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ وَرَدِّ الْمَظَالِمِ. وعَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، قَالَ: لَمَّا بَلَغَ الْخَوَارِجَ سِيرَةُ عُمَرَ وَمَا رَدَّ مِنَ الْمَظَالِمِ قَالُوا: مَا يَنْبَغِي لَنَا أَنْ نُقَاتِلَ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ. وَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: إِنَّكَ قَدْ أَزْرَيْتَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْخُلَفَاءِ، وَعِبْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَسِرْتَ بِغَيْرِ سِيرَتِهِمْ بُغْضًا لَهُمْ وَسَبًّا لِمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنْ أَوْلَادِهِمْ، قَطَعْتَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ إِذْ عَمَدْتَ إِلَى أَمْوَالِ قُرَيْشٍ وَمَوَارِيثِهِمْ، فَأَدْخَلْتَهَا فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ جَوْرًا وَعُدْوَانًا، وَلَنْ تُتْرَكَ عَلَى هَذَا، فَلَمَّا قَرَأَ كِتَابَهُ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ. مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عُمَرَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ، السَّلَامُ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّنِي بَلَغَنِي كِتَابُكَ وَسَأُجِيبُكَ بِنَحْوٍ مِنْهُ: أَمَّا أَوَّلُ شَأْنِكَ ابْنَ الْوَلِيدِ كَمَا زُعِمَ فَأُمُّكَ بُنَانَةُ أَمَةُ السُّكُونِ، كَانَتْ تَطُوفُ فِي سُوقِ حِمْصَ وَتَدْخُلُ فِي حَوَانِيتِهَا، ثُمَّ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا اشْتَرَاهَا ذُبْيَانُ مِنْ فَيْءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَأَهْدَاهَا لِأَبِيكَ، فَحَمَلَتْ بِكَ، فَبِئْسَ الْمَحْمُولُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلُودُ. ثُمَّ نَشَأْتَ فَكُنْتَ جَبَّارًا عَنِيدًا، أَتَزْعُمُ أَنِّي مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ لَمَّا حَرَمْتُكَ وَأَهْلَ بَيْتِكَ فَيْءَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِي فِيهِ حَقُّ الْقَرَابَةِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْأَرَامِلِ، وَإِنَّ أَظْلَمَ مِنِّي وَأَتْرَكَ لِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلَكَ صَبِيًّا سَفِيهًا عَلَى جُنْدِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ تَحْكُمُ فِيهِمْ بِرَأْيِكَ، وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ نِيَّةٌ إِلَّا حُبَّ الْوَالِدِ لِوَلَدِهِ، فَوَيْلٌ لَكَ وَوَيْلٌ لِأَبِيكَ، مَا أَكْثَرَ خُصَمَاءَكُمَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَكَيْفَ يَنْجُو أَبُوكَ مِنْ خُصَمَائِهِ. وَإِنَّ أَظْلَمَ مِنِّي وَأَتْرَكَ لِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلَ الْحَجَّاجَ بْنَ يُوسُفَ يَسْفِكُ الدَّمَ الْحَرَامَ، وَيَأْخُذُ الْمَالَ الْحَرَامَ. وَإِنَّ أَظْلَمَ مِنِّي وَأَتْرَكَ لِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلَ قُرَّةَ بْنَ شَرِيكٍ أَعْرَابِيًّا جَافِيًا عَلَى مِصْرَ أَذِنَ لَهُ فِي الْمَعَازِفِ وَاللَّهْوِ وَالشُّرْبِ. وَإِنَّ أَظْلَمَ مِنِّي وَأَتْرَكَ لِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ مَنْ جَعَلَ لِعَالِيَةِ الْبَرْبَرِيَّةِ سَهْمًا فِي خُمْسِ فَيْءِ الْعَرَبِ فَرُوَيْدًا يَا ابْنَ بُنَانَةَ، فَلَوِ الْتَفَّتْ حَلَقَتَا الْبِطَانِ وَرُدَّ الْفَيْءُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ لَتَفَرَّغْتُ لَكَ وَلِأَهْلِ بَيْتِكَ فَوَضَعْتُهُمْ عَلَى الْمَحَجَّةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ، فَطَالَمَا تَرَكْتُمُ الْحَقَّ وَأَخَذْتُمْ فِي بُنَيَّاتِ الطَّرِيقِ، وَمِنْ وَرَاءِ هَذَا مَا أَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ رَأَيْتُهُ بَيْعَ رَقَبَتِكَ وَقَسْمَ ثَمَنِكَ بَيْنَ الْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْأَرَامِلِ فَإِنَّ لِكُلٍّ فِيكَ حَقًّا، وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَلَا يَنَالُ سَلَامُ اللَّهِ الظَّالِمِينَ. بَلَدٍ. وَبَلَغَ عَبْدَ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ، وَكَانَ غَائِبًا، عَنْ مَوْتِ سُلَيْمَانَ، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِبَيْعَةِ عُمَرَ، فَعَقَدَ لِوَاءً وَدَعَا إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، فَبَلَغَهُ بَيْعَةُ عُمَرَ بِعَهْدِ سُلَيْمَانَ، وَأَقْبَلَ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ بَايَعْتَ مَنْ قِبَلَكَ وَأَرَدْتَ دُخُولَ دِمَشْقَ ! فَقَالَ: قَدْ كَانَ ذَاكَ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَهِدَ لِأَحَدٍ، فَخِفْتُ عَلَى الْأَمْوَالِ أَنْ تُنْهَبَ. فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: لَوْ بَايَعْتَ وَقُمْتَ بِالْأَمْرِ لَمْ أُنَازِعْكَ فِيهِ وَلَقَعَدْتُ فِي بَيْتِي. فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ: مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّهُ وَلِيَ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ غَيْرُكَ، وَبَايَعَهُ، وَكَانَ يُرْجَى لِسُلَيْمَانَ بِتَوْلِيَتِهِ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ وَتَرْكِ وَلَدِهِ. فَلَمَّا اسْتَقَرَّتِ الْبَيْعَةُ لِعُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ: إِنْ أَرَدْتِ صُحْبَتِي فَرُدِّي مَا مَعَكِ مِنْ مَالٍ وَحُلِيٍّ وَجَوْهَرٍ إِلَى بَيْتِ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَهُمْ، فَإِنِّي لَا أَجْتَمِعُ أَنَا وَأَنْتِ وَهُوَ فِي بَيْتٍ وَاحِدٍ. فَرَدَّتْهُ جَمِيعَهُ. فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ عُمَرُ وَوَلِيَ أَخُوهَا يَزِيدُ رَدَّهُ عَلَيْهَا، وَقَالَ: أَنَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ عُمَرَ ظَلَمَكِ. قَالَتْ: كَلَّا وَاللَّهِ. وَامْتَنَعَتْ مِنْ أَخْذِهِ، وَقَالَتْ: مَا كُنْتُ أُطِيعُهُ حَيًّا وَأَعْصِيهِ مَيِّتًا. فَأَخَذَهُ يَزِيدُ وَفَرَّقَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ. وَكَانَ مِمَّا بَادَرَ إِلَيْهِ عُمَرُ عقب توليه الخلافة أَنْ بَعَثَ إِلَى مَسْلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَهُمْ بِأَرْضِ الرُّومِ مُحَاصِرُو الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ وَقَدِ اشْتَدَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحَالُ وَضَاقَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَجَالُ; لِأَنَّهُمْ عَسْكَرٌ كَثِيرٌ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِمْ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالرُّجُوعِ إِلَى الشَّامِ إِلَى مَنَازِلِهِمْ، وَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِطَعَامٍ كَثِيرٍ وَخُيُولٍ كَثِيرَةٍ عِتَاقٍ يُقَالُ: خَمْسُمِائَةِ فَرَسٍ. فَفَرِحَ النَّاسُ بِذَلِكَ.
Translation
✧ The Caliphate of ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ؓ It has already been mentioned that allegiance was sworn to him as caliph on Friday, when ten days had passed—and it is said: when ten days remained—of Ṣafar of this year, that is, the year ninety-nine, on the day that Sulaymān b. ʿAbd al-Malik died, by virtue of a covenant from him to ʿUmar, without ʿUmar’s knowledge, as we have already stated. The signs of scrupulousness, religion, asceticism, continence, and uprightness appeared in him from the first action he performed, when he turned away from riding the mounts of the caliphate—namely, the fine, swift horses prepared for it—and contented himself with his own mount that he used to ride, and with dwelling in his own house, out of aversion to the caliphal residence. Then he recited, saying: Were it not for piety and then reason, in fear of ruin, I would have disobeyed every restrainer in the love of passion. He decreed what He decreed in what has passed; then no further youthful inclination will be seen in him during the remaining nights. Then he said: If God wills. Then he delivered a sermon and said: O people, I have been afflicted with this matter without any opinion of mine in it and without consultation. I hereby renounce what is upon your necks of allegiance to me, so choose for yourselves. The people cried out with one voice: We have chosen you, O Commander of the Faithful, and are pleased with you; may our affair be one of good fortune and blessing. He said: I enjoin you to fear God, for fear of God is a substitute for everything, and nothing substitutes for fear of God. Work for your Hereafter, for whoever works for his Hereafter, God suffices him in the affair of his worldly life. Set right your inner selves, and the Generous One will set right your outward selves. Remember death often and prepare well for it before it descends upon you. Indeed, a man who cannot recall among his forefathers, between himself and Adam, a single living father is surely deeply rooted in death. Then he descended and entered. He ordered the curtains, and they were torn down, and the garments that had been spread for the caliphs were carried away. He ordered them to be sold and their price deposited in the treasury, and the return of wrongly seized properties. From ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, who said: When the Khawārij learned of ʿUmar’s conduct and what he had restored of the wrongly seized properties, they said: It is not fitting for us to fight this man. That reached ʿUmar b. al-Walīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik, so he wrote to him: You have disparaged the caliphs before you, criticized them, and adopted a course other than theirs, out of hatred for them and insult to their descendants after them. You have severed what God commanded to be joined, when you deliberately took the wealth of Quraysh and their inheritances and deposited them in the treasury, wrongly and aggressively, and you will not be left in this state. When he read his letter, ʿUmar wrote to him: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From ʿAbd Allāh ʿUmar, Commander of the Faithful, to ʿUmar b. al-Walīd. Peace be upon the messengers, and praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. Now then: Your letter has reached me, and I shall answer you in like manner. As for your first affair, O Ibn al-Walīd, as it is claimed: your mother Bunānah was a slave woman of al-Sakūn. She used to go about the market of Ḥimṣ and enter its shops. Then God knows best how Dhubyān purchased her from the fayʾ of the Muslims and gifted her to your father, and she conceived you. How evil the one carried, and how evil the one born. Then you grew up and became a tyrannical obstinate man. You claim that I am among the wrongdoers because I deprived you and your household of the fayʾ of God, mighty and glorious, in which lies the right of kinsfolk, the needy, and widows. Yet more wrongful than I, and more neglectful of God’s covenant, is he who appointed you—a foolish boy—over the army of the Muslims, so that you judge among them by your own opinion, and he had no intention in that except the love of a father for his son. Woe to you, and woe to your father! How numerous will be your adversaries on the Day of Resurrection, and how will your father escape his adversaries? And more wrongful than I, and more neglectful of God’s covenant, is he who appointed al-Ḥajjāj b. Yūsuf, who shed forbidden blood and took forbidden wealth. And more wrongful than I, and more neglectful of God’s covenant, is he who appointed Qurrah b. Sharīk, a coarse Bedouin, over Egypt, permitting him musical instruments, diversion, and drinking. And more wrongful than I, and more neglectful of God’s covenant, is he who assigned to ʿĀliyah the Berber woman a share in the fifth of the fayʾ of the Arabs. So slow down, O son of Bunānah! If the two rings of the girth were ever joined together and the fayʾ were returned to its people, I would devote myself to you and your household and place you on the clear highway. For how long have you abandoned the truth and taken to the byways? And beyond this is what I hope I have seen: the selling of your neck and the division of your price among the orphans, the needy, and the widows, for each of them has a right in you. Peace be upon us; the peace of God does not reach the wrongdoers. A town. News reached ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. al-Walīd—who was absent—of the death of Sulaymān, and he did not know of the allegiance to ʿUmar. So he tied a banner and summoned to himself. Then the allegiance to ʿUmar by Sulaymān’s covenant reached him, and he came forward until he entered upon him. ʿUmar said to him: I have heard that you received allegiance from those with you and intended to enter Damascus! He said: That was so, because I heard that Sulaymān had not covenanted to anyone, and I feared for the wealth lest it be plundered. ʿUmar said: If you had received allegiance and undertaken the affair, I would not have disputed it with you and would have sat in my house. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz said: I would not love that anyone other than you should assume this affair, and he swore allegiance to him. It was hoped for Sulaymān because of his appointment of ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz and his passing over his own son. When the allegiance to ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz became settled, he said to his wife Fāṭimah bt. ʿAbd al-Malik: If you desire my companionship, return what you have of wealth, jewelry, and gems to the treasury of the Muslims, for it belongs to them; I will not be joined with you and it in a single house. So she returned all of it. When ʿUmar died and her brother Yazīd assumed authority, he returned it to her and said: I know that ʿUmar wronged you. She said: No, by God. And she refused to take it, saying: I would not obey him while alive and disobey him when dead. So Yazīd took it and distributed it among his family. Among the things ʿUmar hastened to do after assuming the caliphate was to send to Maslamah b. ʿAbd al-Malik and those Muslims with him—they were in the land of the Byzantines besieging Constantinople, and their situation had become severe and their scope had narrowed, because they were a large army. He wrote to them ordering them to return to Syria to their homes, and sent them abundant food and many excellent horses, said to be five hundred horses. The people rejoiced at that.
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