Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2528
The Year 112
وَقْعَةِ الْجُنَيْدِ بِالشِّعْبِ وفِي سنة اثنتى عشرة ومائة خَرَجَ الْجُنَيْدُ غَازِيًا يُرِيدُ طَخَارِسْتَانَ، فَوَجَّهَ عُمَارَةَ بْنَ حُرَيْمٍ إِلَى طَخَارِسْتَانَ فِي ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ أَلْفًا، وَوَجَّهَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ بَسَّامٍ اللَّيْثِيَّ فِي عَشَرَةِ آلَافٍ إِلَى وَجْهٍ آخَرَ، وَجَاشَتِ التُّرْكُ فَأَتَوْا سَمَرْقَنْدَ وَعَلَيْهَا سَوْرَةُ بْنُ الْحُرِّ، فَكَتَبَ سَوْرَةُ إِلَى الْجُنَيْدِ: إِنَّ خَاقَانَ جَاشَ التُّرْكَ، فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَمْ أُطِقْ [ أَنْ ] أَمْنَعَ حَائِطَ سَمَرْقَنْدَ، فَالْغَوْثَ الْغَوْثَ ! فَأَمَرَ الْجُنَيْدُ النَّاسَ بِعُبُورِ النَّهْرِ، فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُجَشِّرُ بْنُ مُزَاحِمٍ السُّلَمِيُّ وَابْنُ بِسْطَامٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُمَا وَقَالُوا: إِنَّ التُّرْكَ لَيْسُوا كَغَيْرِهِمْ لَا يَلْقَوْنَكَ صَفًّا وَلَا زَحْفًا وَقَدْ فَرَّقْتَ جُنْدَكَ، فَمُسْلِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بِالْبَيْرُوذِ، وَالْبَخْتَرِيُّ بِهَرَاةَ، وَعُمَارَةُ بْنُ حُرَيْمٍ غَائِبٌ بِطَخَارِسْتَانَ، وَصَاحِبُ خُرَاسَانَ لَا يَعْبُرُ النَّهْرَ فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفًا، فَاكْتُبْ إِلَى عُمَارَةَ فَلْيَأْتِكَ وَأَمْهِلْ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ. قَالَ: فَكَيْفَ بِسَوْرَةَ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ؟ لَوْ لَمْ أَكُنْ إِلَّا فِي بَنِي مُرَّةَ أَوْ مَنْ طَلَعَ مَعِي مِنَ الشَّامِ لَعَبَرْتُ، وَقَالَ شِعْرًا: أَلَيْسَ أَحَقُّ النَّاسِ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ الْوَغَى وَأَنْ يَقْتُلَ الْأَبْطَالَ ضَخْمًا عَلَى ضَخْمِ وَقَالَ: مَا عِلَّتِي مَا عِلَّتِي مَا عِلَّتِي إِنْ لَمْ أُقَتِّلْهُمْ فَجُزُّوا لُمَّتِي وَعَبَرَ الْجُنَيْدُ فَنَزَلَ كَشَّ وَتَأَهَّبَ لِلْمَسِيرِ، وَبَلَغَ التُّرْكَ فَعَوَّرُوا الْآبَارَ الَّتِي فِي طَرِيقِ كَشٍّ، فَقَالَ الْجُنَيْدُ: أَيُّ طَرِيقٍ إِلَى سَمَرْقَنْدَ أَصْلَحُ ؟ فَقَالُوا: طَرِيقُ الْمُحْتَرِقَةِ. فَقَالَ الْمُجَشِّرُ: الْقَتْلُ بِالسَّيْفِ أَصْلَحُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ بِالنَّارِ، طَرِيقُ الْمُحْتَرِقَةِ كَثِيرُ الشَّجَرِ وَالْحَشِيشِ وَلَمْ يُزْرَعْ مُنْذُ سِنِينَ، فَإِنْ لَقِينَا خَاقَانَ أَحْرَقَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ فَقَتَلَنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالدُّخَانِ، وَلَكِنْ خُذْ طَرِيقَ الْعَقَبَةِ فَهُوَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَوَاءٌ. فَأَخَذَ الْجُنَيْدُ طَرِيقَ الْعَقَبَةِ فَارْتَقَى فِي الْجَبَلِ، فَأَخَذَ الْمُجَشِّرُ بِعِنَانِ دَابَّتِهِ وَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ يُقَالُ إِنَّ رَجُلًا مُتْرَفًا مِنْ قَيْسٍ يَهْلِكُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ جُنْدٌ مِنْ جُنُودِ خُرَاسَانَ وَقَدْ خِفْنَا أَنْ تَكُونَهُ. قَالَ: لِيُفْرِخْ رَوْعُكَ. قَالَ: أَمَّا مَا كَانَ بَيْنَنَا مِثْلُكَ فَلَا. فَبَاتَ فِي أَصْلِ الْعَقَبَةِ، ثُمَّ سَارَ بِالنَّاسِ حَتَّى صَارَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ سَمَرْقَنْدَ أَرْبَعَةُ فَرَاسِخَ وَدَخَلَ الشِّعْبَ، فَصَبَّحَهُ خَاقَانُ فِي جَمْعٍ عَظِيمٍ، وَزَحَفَ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الصُّغْدِ وَفَرْغَانَةَ وَالشَّاشِ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنَ التُّرْكِ، فَحَمَلَ خَاقَانُ عَلَى الْمُقَدِّمَةِ، وَعَلَيْهَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الشِّخِّيرِ، فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى الْعَسْكَرِ وَالتُّرْكُ تَتْبَعُهُمْ وَجَاءُوهُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ، فَجَعَلَ الْجُنَيْدُ تَمِيمًا وَالْأَزْدَ فِي الْمَيْمَنَةِ، وَرَبِيعَةَ فِي الْمَيْسَرَةِ مِمَّا يَلِي الْجَبَلَ، وَعَلَى مُجَفَّفَةِ خَيْلِ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ زُهَيْرِ بْنِ حَيَّانَ، وَعَلَى الْمُجَرَّدَةِ عَمْرَو بْنَ جِرْقَاشٍ الْمِنْقَرِيَّ، وَعَلَى جَمَاعَةِ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ عَامِرَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ الْحِمَّانِيَّ، وَعَلَى الْأَزْدِ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ بِسْطَامِ بْنِ مَسْعُودِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، وَعَلَى الْمُجَفَّفَةِ وَالْمُجَرَّدَةِ فُضَيْلَ بْنَ هَنَّادٍ وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ حَوْذَانَ. فَالْتَقَوْا، وَقَصَدَ الْعَدُوُّ الْمَيْمَنَةَ لِضِيقِ الْمَيْسَرَةِ، فَتَرَجَّلَ حَسَّانُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زُهَيْرٍ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ أَبِيهِ، فَأَمَرَهُ أَبُوهُ بِالرُّكُوبِ، فَرَكِبَ، وَأَحَاطَ الْعَدُوَّ بِالْمَيْمَنَةِ، فَأَمَدَّهُمُ الْجُنَيْدُ بِنَصْرِ بْنِ سَيَّارٍ، فَشَدَّ هُوَ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ عَلَى الْعَدُوِّ فَكَشَفُوهُمْ، ثُمَّ كَرُّوا عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَتَلُوا عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ زُهَيْرٍ وَابْنَ جِرْقَاشَ وَالْفُضَيْلَ بْنَ هَنَّادٍ، وَجَالَتِ الْمَيْمَنَةُ وَالْجُنَيْدُ وَاقِفٌ فِي الْقَلْبِ، فَأَقْبَلَ إِلَى الْمَيْمَنَةِ وَوَقَفَ تَحْتَ رَايَةِ الْأَزْدِ، وَكَانَ قَدْ جَفَاهُمْ، فَقَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُ الرَّايَةِ: مَا هَلَكْنَا لِتُكْرِمَنَا، وَلَكِنَّكَ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهُ لَا يُوصَلُ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنَّا رَجُلٌ حَيٌّ، فَإِنْ ظَفِرْنَا كَانَ لَكَ، وَإِنْ هَلَكْنَا لَمْ تَبْكِ عَلَيْنَا. وَتَقَدَّمَ فَقُتِلَ، وَأَخَذَ الرَّايَةَ ابْنُ مُجَّاعَةَ فَقُتِلَ، وَتَدَاوَلَهَا ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلًا فَقُتِلُوا، وَقُتِلَ يَوْمَئِذٍ مِنَ الْأَزْدِ ثَمَانُونَ رَجُلًا. وَصَبَرَ النَّاسُ يُقَاتِلُونَ حَتَّى أُعْيُوا، فَكَانَتِ السُّيُوفُ لَا تَقْطَعُ شَيْئًا، فَقَطَعَ عَبِيدُهُمُ الْخَشَبَ يُقَاتِلُونَ بِهِ حَتَّى مَلَّ الْفَرِيقَانِ، فَكَانَتِ الْمُعَانَقَةُ ثُمَّ تَحَاجَزُوا. وَقُتِلَ مِنَ الْأَزْدِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بِسْطَامٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حَوْذَانَ، وَالْحَسَنُ بْنُ شَيْخٍ، وَالْفُضَيْلُ صَاحِبُ الْخَيْلِ، وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْحِدَّانِيُّ، وَكَانَ قَدْ حَجَّ فَأَنْفَقَ فِي حَجَّتِهِ ثَمَانِينَ وَمِائَةَ أَلْفٍ، وَقَالَ لِأُمِّهِ: ادْعِي اللَّهَ أَنْ يَرْزُقَنِي الشَّهَادَةَ، فَدَعَتْ لَهُ وَغُشِيَ عَلَيْهَا، فَاسْتُشْهِدَ بَعْدَ مَقْدِمِهِ مِنَ الْحَجِّ بِثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا، وَقُتِلَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ، وَكَانَ قَدْ دَخَلَ عَلَى امْرَأَتِهِ وَالنَّاسُ يَقْتَتِلُونَ فَقَالَ لَهَا: كَيْفَ أَنْتِ إِذَا أُتِيتِ بِأَبِي ضَمْرَةَ فِي لِبْدٍ مُضَرَّجًا بِالدَّمِ ؟ فَشَقَّتْ جَيْبَهَا وَدَعَتْ بِالْوَيْلِ، فَقَالَ لَهَا: حَسْبُكِ، لَوْ أَعْوَلَتْ عَلَيَّ كُلُّ أُنْثَى لَعَصَيْتُهَا شَوْقًا إِلَى ( الْحُورِ الْعِينِ ! فَرَجَعَ وَقَاتَلَ حَتَّى اسْتُشْهِدَ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ. فَبَيْنَا النَّاسُ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ ) رَهَجٌ وَطَلَعَتْ فُرْسَانٌ، فَنَادَى مُنَادِي الْجُنَيْدِ: الْأَرْضَ الْأَرْضَ ! فَتَرَجَّلَ وَتَرَجَّلَ النَّاسُ، ثُمَّ نَادَى: لِيُخَنْدِقْ كُلُّ قَائِدٍ عَلَى حِيَالِهِ، فَخَنْدَقُوا وَتَحَاجَزُوا، وَقَدْ أُصِيبَ مِنَ الْأَزْدِ مِائَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ رَجُلًا. وَكَانَ قِتَالُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْجُمْعَةِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ السَّبْتِ قَصَدَهُمْ خَاقَانُ وَقْتَ الظُّهْرِ فَلَمْ يَرَ مَوْضِعًا لِلْقِتَالِ أَسْهَلَ مِنْ مَوْضِعِ بَكْرِ بْنِ وَائِلٍ، وَعَلَيْهِمْ زِيَادُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، فَقَصَدَهُمْ، فَلَمَّا قَرُبُوا حَمَلَتْ بَكْرٌ عَلَيْهِمْ فَأَفْرَجُوا لَهُمْ، فَسَجَدَ الْجُنَيْدُ وَاشْتَدَّ الْقِتَالُ بَيْنَهُمْ.
Translation
✧ The Battle of al-Junayd at the Mountain Pass In the year one hundred and twelve, al-Junayd set out on a raid intending to go to Ṭukhāristān. He dispatched ʿUmārah b. Ḥuraym to Ṭukhāristān with eighteen thousand, and he dispatched Ibrāhīm b. Bassām al-Laythī with ten thousand to another direction. The Turks surged and came to Samarqand, where Sawrah b. al-Ḥurr was in charge. Sawrah wrote to al-Junayd: "The Khāqān has stirred up the Turks, and I went out against them but was unable to defend the wall of Samarqand. Help, help!" Al-Junayd ordered the people to cross the river. Al-Mujashshir b. Muzāḥim al-Sulamī, Ibn Bisṭām al-Azdī, and others stood up to him and said: "The Turks are not like others. They will not meet you in ranks or in a massed advance, and you have divided your army. Muslim b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān is at al-Bayrūdh, al-Bakhtarī is at Herat, ʿUmārah b. Ḥuraym is absent in Ṭukhāristān, and the governor of Khurāsān does not cross the river with fewer than fifty thousand. So write to ʿUmārah to come to you, and wait, and do not be hasty." He said: "Then what about Sawrah and the Muslims with him? Even if I had only the Banū Murrah or those who came out with me from Syria, I would cross." And he recited poetry: Is it not most fitting that a man witness the battle And slay the heroes, huge against huge? And he said: What is my illness, what is my illness, what is my illness If I do not kill them, then shave my forelock! Al-Junayd crossed and encamped at Kashsh and prepared to march. The Turks learned of this and ruined the wells along the road to Kashsh. Al-Junayd said: "Which road to Samarqand is best?" They said: "The road of al-Muḥtariqah (the Burning)." Al-Mujashshir said: "Death by the sword is better than death by fire. The road of al-Muḥtariqah has many trees and brush and has not been cultivated for years. If we meet the Khāqān, he will burn all of that and kill us with fire and smoke. But take the mountain-pass road, for it is equal between us and them." So al-Junayd took the mountain-pass road and ascended into the mountain. Al-Mujashshir took hold of his mount's bridle and said: "It used to be said that a pampered man from Qays would cause the destruction of an army of the armies of Khurāsān at his hands, and we fear that you may be he." He said: "Let your fear subside." He said: "As for one like you being among us, no." He spent the night at the foot of the pass, then marched with the people until there were four parasangs between him and Samarqand, and he entered the mountain pass. The Khāqān attacked him in the morning with a great host, and the people of al-Ṣughd, Farghānah, al-Shāsh, and a group of Turks advanced against him. The Khāqān charged the vanguard, which was under ʿUthmān b. ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Shikhkhīr, and they fell back to the camp with the Turks pursuing them and coming at them from every direction. Al-Junayd placed Tamīm and al-Azd on the right wing, and Rabīʿah on the left wing next to the mountain. Over the armored cavalry of the Banū Tamīm was ʿUbayd Allāh b. Zuhayr b. Ḥayyān; over the light cavalry was ʿAmr b. Jirqāsh al-Minqarī; over the main body of the Banū Tamīm was ʿĀmir b. Mālik al-Ḥimmānī; over al-Azd was ʿAbd Allāh b. Bisṭām b. Masʿūd b. ʿAmr; and over the armored and light cavalry were Fuḍayl b. Hannād and ʿAbd Allāh b. Ḥawdhān. They met, and the enemy made for the right wing because the left wing was in a narrow position. Ḥassān b. ʿUbayd Allāh b. Zuhayr dismounted in front of his father, but his father ordered him to remount, so he remounted. The enemy surrounded the right wing, and al-Junayd reinforced them with Naṣr b. Sayyār. He and those with him charged the enemy and drove them off, but then the enemy turned back on them and killed ʿUbayd Allāh b. Zuhayr, Ibn Jirqāsh, and al-Fuḍayl b. Hannād. The right wing wavered while al-Junayd stood in the center. He went over to the right wing and stood under the banner of al-Azd, having previously treated them harshly. The banner-bearer said to him: "We have not perished for you to honor us. But you know that no one can reach you while a single man of us is alive. If we prevail, it will be for you; and if we perish, you will not weep for us." He advanced and was killed. Ibn Mujāʿah took the banner and was killed. Eighteen men took it in turn and were killed. On that day eighty men of al-Azd were killed. The people held firm and fought until they were exhausted, and the swords could no longer cut anything. Their servants cut wood and fought with it until both sides grew weary, and then they grappled with one another, and then they drew apart. Among those killed from al-Azd were ʿAbd Allāh b. Bisṭām, Muḥammad b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Ḥawdhān, al-Ḥasan b. Shaykh, al-Fuḍayl the cavalry commander, and Yazīd b. al-Faḍl al-Ḥiddānī. He had performed the pilgrimage and spent one hundred and eighty thousand on his pilgrimage. He said to his mother: "Pray to God to grant me martyrdom." She prayed for him and fainted, and he was martyred thirteen days after returning from the pilgrimage. Al-Naḍr b. Rāshid al-ʿAbdī was killed. He had gone in to his wife while the people were fighting and said to her: "How will you be when Abū Ḍamrah is brought to you on a felt cloth, stained with blood?" She tore her garment and cried out in woe. He said to her: "Enough. If every female wailed for me, I would disobey them out of longing for the wide-eyed maidens of Paradise!" He went back and fought until he was martyred, may God have mercy on him. While the people were in that state, a cloud of dust appeared and horsemen emerged. Al-Junayd's crier called out: "To the ground, to the ground!" So he dismounted and the people dismounted. Then he called out: "Let each commander dig a trench on his own position." So they dug trenches and drew apart. One hundred and ninety men of al-Azd had been killed. Their fighting was on Friday. On Saturday, the Khāqān came against them at noon and saw no place for fighting easier than the position of Bakr b. Wāʾil, who were under Ziyād b. al-Ḥārith. He made for them, and when they drew near, Bakr charged them and they opened a gap for them. Al-Junayd prostrated himself, and the fighting between them intensified.
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