Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2449
The Year 101
خِلَافَةِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ وَيُكَنَّى أَبَا خَالِدٍ، وَأُمُّهُ عَاتِكَةُ بِنْتُ يَزِيدَ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، بُويِعَ لَهُ بِعَهْدٍ مِنْ أَخِيهِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ أَنْ يَكُونَ وَلِيَّ الْعَهْدِ مِنْ بَعْدِ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ عُمَرُ فِي رَجَبٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ أَعْنِي سَنَةَ إِحْدَى وَمِائَةٍ بَايَعَهُ النَّاسُ الْبَيْعَةَ الْعَامَّةَ، وَعُمْرُهُ إِذْ ذَاكَ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ سَنَةً. وَلَمَّا احْتُضِرَ عُمَرُ، قِيلَ لَهُ: اكْتُبْ إِلَى يَزِيدَ فَأَوْصِهِ بِالْأُمَّةِ، قَالَ: بِمَاذَا أُوصِيهِ ؟ إِنَّهُ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ، ثُمَّ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَاتَّقِ يَا يَزِيدُ الصَّرْعَةَ بَعْدَ الْغَفْلَةِ، حِينَ لَا تُقَالُ الْعَثْرَةُ، وَلَا تَقْدِرُ عَلَى الرَّجْعَةِ، إِنَّكَ تَتْرُكُ مَا تَتْرُكُ لِمَنْ لَا يَحْمَدُكَ، وَتَصِيرُ إِلَى مَنْ لَا يَعْذُرُكَ، وَالسَّلَامُ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: (كَتَبَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ إِلَى وَلِيِّ الْعَهْدِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ إِلَى يَزِيدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ، سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ؛ فَإِنِّي أَحْمَدُ إِلَيْكَ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ. أَمَّا بَعْدُ: فَإِنِّي كَتَبْتُ وَأَنَا دَنِفٌ مِنْ وَجَعِي، وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنِّي مَسْئُولٌ عَمَّا وُلِّيتُ، يُحَاسِبُنِي عَلَيْهِ مَلِيكُ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَلَسْتُ أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أُخْفِيَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ عَمَلِي شَيْئًا، فَإِنْ يَرْضَ عَنِّي... فَقَدْ أَفْلَحْتُ وَنَجَوْتُ مِنَ الْهَوَانِ الطَّوِيلِ، وَإِنْ سَخِطَ عَلَيَّ... فَيَا وَيْحَ نَفْسِي إِلَامَ أَصِيرُ؟! أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ أَنْ يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ النَّارِ بِرَحْمَتِهِ، وَأَنَّ يَمُنَّ عَلَيَّ بِرِضْوَانِهِ وَالْجَنَّةِ، فَعَلَيْكَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ، الرَّعِيَّةَ الرَّعِيَّةَ، فَإِنَّكَ لَنْ تَبْقَى بَعْدِي إِلَّا قَلِيلًا وَالسَّلَامُ). وعَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْفِهْرِيِّ، قَالَ: لَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، قَالَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ: مَا جَعَلَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ لِرَبِّهِ أَرْجَى مِنِّي، فَتَنَسَّكَ وَأَقَامَ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا لَا تَفُوتُهُ صَلَاةٌ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ، فَقَدِمَ الْأَحْوَصُ فَأَرْسَلَتْ لَهُ حُبَابَةُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِي وَلَا لَكَ عِنْدَهُ شَيْءٌ مَا دَامَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْحَالِ فَقُلْ أَبْيَاتًا أُغَنِّيهَا لَهُ عَسَى أَنْ يَتْرُكَ مَا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ النُّسُكِ، فَقَالَ الْأَحْوَصُ: أَلَا لَا تَلُمْهُ الْيَوْمَ أَنْ يَتَبَلَّدَا فَقَدْ غُلِبَ الْمَحْزُونُ أَنْ يَتَجَلَّدَا إِذَا كُنْتَ عَزِيفًا عَنِ اللَّهْوِ وَالصَّبَا فَكُنْ حَجَرًا مِنْ يَابِسِ الصَّخْرِ جَلْمَدَا فَمَا الْعَيْشُ إِلَّا مَا يَلَذُّ وَيُشْتَهَى وَإِنْ لَامَ فِيهِ ذُو الشَّنَانِ وَفَنَّدَا فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ يَزِيدُ لِلْجُمْعَةِ عَرَضَتْ لَهُ حُبَابَةُ عَلَى طَرِيقِهِ فَحَرَّكَتِ الْعُودَ وَغَنَّتِ الْبَيْتَ الْأَوَّلَ فَسَبَّحَ، فَلَمَّا غَنَّتِ الْبَيْتَ الثَّانِي قَالَ: مَهْ مَهْ وَيْحَكِ لَا تَفْعَلِي، فَلَمَّا غَنَّتِ الثَّالِثَ نَفَضَ عِمَامَتَهُ، وَقَالَ: مُرُوا صَاحِبَ الشُّرْطَةِ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ، وَجَلَسَ مَعَهَا، وَدَعَى بِالشَّرَابِ وَسَأَلَهَا عَنْ قَائِلِ الشِّعْرِ، فَقَالَتِ: الْأَحْوَصُ، فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَأُدْخِلَ فَأَجَازَهُ وَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِ وَأَنْشَدَهُ مَدِيحَهُ. وَعَمَدَ يَزِيدُ إِلَى كُلِّ مَا صَنَعَهُ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ مِمَّا لَمْ يُوَافِقْ هَوَاهُ، فَرَدَّهُ، وَلَمْ يَخَفْ شَنَاعَةً عَاجِلَةً، وَلَا إِثْمًا عَاجِلًا، فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ يُوسُفَ أَخَا الْحَجَّاجِ بْنِ يُوسُفَ كَانَ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ، فَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ خَرَاجًا مُجَدَّدًا، فَلَمَّا وَلِيَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ كَتَبَ إِلَى عَامِلِهِ بِأَمْرِهِ بِالِاقْتِصَارِ عَلَى الْعُشْرِ وَنِصْفِ الْعُشْرِ، وَتَرْكِ مَا جَدَّدَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، وَقَالَ: لَأَنْ يَأْتِيَنِي مِنَ الْيَمَنِ حِصَّةُ ذُرَةٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ تَقْرِيرِ هَذِهِ الْوَضِيعَةِ، فَلَمَّا وَلِيَ يَزِيدُ بَعْدَ عُمَرَ أَمَرَ بَرَدِهَا، وَقَالَ لِعَامِلِهِ: خُذْهَا مِنْهُمْ وَلَوْ صَارُوا حَرَضًا، وَالسَّلَامُ.
Translation
✧ The Caliphate of Yazīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik, whose kunya was Abū Khālid. His mother was ʿĀtikah bt. Yazīd b. Muʿāwiyah. Allegiance was pledged to him by a covenant from his brother Sulaymān b. ʿAbd al-Malik that he would be the heir apparent after ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz. When ʿUmar died in Rajab of this year—that is, the year 101—the people gave him the general pledge of allegiance, and his age at that time was twenty-nine years. When ʿUmar was on his deathbed, it was said to him, “Write to Yazīd and enjoin him to care for the community.” He said, “With what should I enjoin him? He is of the sons of ʿAbd al-Malik.” Then he wrote to him: “To proceed: Fear, O Yazīd, the sudden fall after heedlessness, when a slip will not be pardoned and you will not be able to return. You will leave what you leave to one who will not praise you, and you will come to One who will not excuse you. Peace.” Qatādah said: ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz wrote to the heir apparent after him: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From the servant of God, ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, to Yazīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik. Peace be upon you. I praise God to you, besides whom there is no god. To proceed: I write while I am afflicted by my illness, and I know that I am accountable for what I have been entrusted with; the King of this world and the Hereafter will call me to account for it, and I cannot hide any of my deeds from Him. If He is pleased with me... then I have succeeded and been saved from long-lasting disgrace. But if He is displeased with me... then woe to my soul—to what shall I come?! I ask God, besides whom there is no god, to protect me from the Fire through His mercy, and to bestow upon me His good pleasure and the Garden. So upon you is the fear of God—the flock, the flock! For you will remain after me only a little while. Peace. From ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿAmr al-Fihrī, who said: When ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz died, Yazīd b. ʿAbd al-Malik said, “ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz has not made himself more hopeful of his Lord than I am.” So he became devout and remained for forty days, never missing a prayer in congregation. Then al-Aḥwaṣ arrived, and Ḥabābah sent to him, saying, “Neither I nor you have any standing with him as long as he is in this state. Compose some verses for me to sing to him, that perhaps he will abandon this devoutness he is upon.” Al-Aḥwaṣ said: Alas, do not blame him today for becoming bewildered, For the sorrowful one has been overcome from showing fortitude. If you turn away from diversion and youthful passion, Then be a stone of dry rock, hard and solid. Life is nothing but what gives pleasure and is desired, Even if one who bears hatred blames and finds fault with it. When Yazīd went out for the Friday prayer, Ḥabābah appeared before him on his path, plucked the lute, and sang the first verse. He glorified God. When she sang the second verse, he said, “Enough, enough! Woe to you, do not do that.” When she sang the third, he shook off his turban and said, “Tell the chief of police to lead the people in prayer.” Then he sat with her, called for wine, and asked her about the composer of the poetry. She said, “Al-Aḥwaṣ.” So he ordered that he be brought in, rewarded him, treated him kindly, and recited his panegyric to him. Yazīd then turned to everything ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz had done that did not suit his own inclination and reversed it, fearing neither immediate disgrace nor imminent sin. Among that was that Muḥammad b. Yūsuf, the brother of al-Ḥajjāj b. Yūsuf, had been governor of Yemen and had imposed on them a newly instituted land tax. When ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz took office, he wrote to his agent ordering him to restrict himself to the tithe and the half-tithe, and to abandon what Muḥammad b. Yūsuf had introduced. He said, “For a share of sorghum to come to me from Yemen is dearer to me than confirming this reduced levy.” When Yazīd took office after ʿUmar, he ordered that it be restored, and said to his agent, “Take it from them even if they become utterly frail. Peace.”
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.