Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2930
Then the year 158 AH began
ذِكْرُ خِلَافَةِ الْمَهْدِيِّ وَالْبَيْعَةِ لَهُ ذِكْرُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: خَرَجْتُ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ حَاجًّا، فَاجْتَمَعْتُ بِالْمَنْصُورِ بِذَاتِ عِرْقٍ، فَكُنْتُ أُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ كُلَّمَا رَكِبَ، وَقَدْ أَشَفَى عَلَى الْمَوْتِ، فَلَمَّا صَارَ بِبِئْرِ مَيْمُونٍ وَنَزَلَ بِهِ، وَدَخَلْنَا مَكَّةَ، فَقَضَيْتُ عُمْرَتِي، وَكُنْتُ أَخْتَلِفُ إِلَى الْمَنْصُورِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الَّتِي مَاتَ فِيهَا، وَلَمْ نَعْلَمْ، صَلَّيْتُ الصُّبْحَ بِمَكَّةَ، وَرَكِبْتُ أَنَا وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَوْنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، وَكَانَ مِنْ مَشَايِخِ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَسَادَتِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا صِرْنَا بِالْأَبْطَحِ لَقِينَا الْعَبَّاسَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُحَمَّدَ بْنَ سُلَيْمَانَ فِي خَيْلٍ إِلَى مَكَّةَ، فَسَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا وَمَضَيْنَا، فَقُلْتُ لِمُحَمَّدٍ: أَحْسَبُ الرَّجُلَ قَدْ مَاتَ، فَكَانَ كَذَلِكَ. ثُمَّ أَتَيْنَا الْعَسْكَرَ، فَإِذَا مُوسَى بْنُ الْمَهْدِيِّ قَدْ صَدَرَ عِنْدَ عَمُودِ السُّرَادِقِ، وَالْقَاسِمُ بْنُ الْمَنْصُورِ فِي نَاحِيَةٍ مِنَ السُّرَادِقِ، وَقَدْ كَانَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ يَسِيرُ بَيْنَ الْمَنْصُورِ وَبَيْنَ صَاحِبِ الشُّرْطَةِ، وَرَفَعَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ الْقِصَصَ، فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ الْمَنْصُورَ قَدْ مَاتَ. وَأَقْبَلَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ الْعُلْوِيُّ، وَجَاءَ النَّاسُ حَتَّى مَلَئُوا السُّرَادِقَ، وَسَمِعَنَا هَمْسًا مِنْ بُكَاءٍ، وَخَرَجَ أَبُو الْعَنْبَرِ، خَادِمُ الْمَنْصُورِ، مُشَقَّقَ الْأَقْبِيَةِ، وَعَلَى رَأْسِهِ التُّرَابُ، وَصَاحَ: وَاأَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَاهُ ! فَمَا بَقِيَ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا قَامَ، ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمُوا لِيَدْخُلُوا عَلَيْهِ، فَمَنَعَهُمُ الْخَدَمُ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَيَّاشٍ الْمَنْتُوفُ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ ! أَمَا شَهِدْتُمْ مَوْتَ خَلِيفَةٍ قَطُّ ؟ اجْلِسُوا، فَجَلَسُوا، وَقَامَ الْقَاسِمُ فَشَقَّ ثِيَابَهُ، وَوَضَعَ التُّرَابَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ، وَمُوسَى عَلَى حَالِهِ. ثُمَّ خَرَجَ الرَّبِيعُ وَفِي يَدِهِ قِرْطَاسٌ، فَفَتَحَهُ، فَقَرَأَهُ، فَإِذَا فِيهِ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمَنْصُورِ، أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِلَى مَنْ خَلَّفَ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، وَشِيعَتِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ خُرَاسَانَ، وَعَامَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، ثُمَّ بَكَى، وَبَكَى النَّاسُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: قَدْ أَمْكَنَكُمُ الْبُكَاءُ، فَأَنْصِتُوا، رَحِمَكُمُ اللَّهُ. ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنِّي كَتَبْتُ كِتَابِي هَذَا، وَأَنَا حَيٌّ فِي آخِرِ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الدُّنْيَا، وَأَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الْآخِرَةِ، أَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَمُ السَّلَامَ، وَأَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ أَنْ لَا يَفْتِنَكُمْ بَعْدِي وَلَا يُلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا، وَلَا يُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ. ثُمَّ أَخَذَ فِي وَصِيَّتِهِمْ بِالْمَهْدِيِّ، وَإِذْكَارِهِمُ الْبَيْعَةَ لَهُ، وَحَثِّهِمْ عَلَى الْوَفَاءِ بِعَهْدِهِ، ثُمَّ تَنَاوَلَ يَدَ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ وَقَالَ: قُمْ فَبَايِعْ ! فَقَامَ إِلَى مُوسَى فَبَايَعَهُ، ثُمَّ بَايَعَهُ النَّاسُ الْأَوَّلُ فَالْأَوَّلُ، ثُمَّ أَدْخَلَ بَنُو هَاشِمٍ عَلَى الْمَنْصُورِ وَهُوَ فِي أَكْفَانِهِ، مَكْشُوفَ الرَّأْسِ، فَحَمَلْنَاهُ، حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا بِهِ مَكَّةَ ثَلَاثَ أَمْيَالٍ، فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ وَالرِّيحُ تُحَرِّكُ شَعْرَ صُدْغَيْهِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ وَفَّرَ شَعَرَهُ لِلْحَلْقِ، وَقَدْ نَصَلَ خِضَابُهُ، حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا بِهِ حُفْرَتَهُ. وَكَانَ أَوَّلُ شَيْءٍ ارْتَفَعَ بِهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عِيسَى بْنِ مَاهَانَ أَنَّ عِيسَى بْنَ مُوسَى أَبَى الْبَيْعَةَ، فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عِيسَى بْنِ مَاهَانَ: وَاللَّهِ لَتُبَايِعَنَّ أَوْ لَأَضْرِبَنَّ عُنُقَكَ ! فَبَايَعَ. ثُمَّ وَجَّهَ مُوسَى بْنَ الْمَهْدِيِّ وَالرَّبِيعَ إِلَى الْمَهْدِيِّ بِخَبَرِ وَفَاةِ الْمَنْصُورِ، وَبِالْبَيْعَةِ لَهُ مَعَ مَنَارَةَ مَوْلَى الْمَنْصُورِ، وَبَعَثَا أَيْضًا بِالْقَضِيبِ، وَبُرْدَةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَبِخَاتَمِ الْخِلَافَةِ، وَخَرَجُوا مِنْ مَكَّةَ، فَقَدِمَ الْخَبَرُ عَلَى الْمَهْدِيِّ مَعَ مَنَارَةَ، مُنْتَصَفَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، فَبَايَعَهُ أَهْلُ بَغْدَاذَ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ الرَّبِيعَ كَتَمَ مَوْتَ الْمَنْصُورِ، وَأَلْبَسَهُ، وَسَنَّدَهُ، وَجَعَلَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ كَلَّةً خَفِيفَةً يُرَى شَخْصُهُ مِنْهَا، وَلَا يُفْهَمُ أَمْرُهُ، وَأَدْنَى أَهْلَهُ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ قَرَّبَ مِنْهُ الرَّبِيعَ كَأَنَّهُ يُخَاطِبُهُ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ عَنْهُ بِتَجْدِيدِ الْبَيْعَةِ لِلْمَهْدِيِّ، فَبَايَعُوا، ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَهُمْ، وَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ بَاكِيًا مُشَقَّقَ الْجَيْبِ، لَاطِمًا رَأْسَهُ. فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ الْمَهْدِيَّ أَنْكَرَهُ عَلَى الرَّبِيعِ، وَقَالَ: أَمَا مَنَعَتْكَ جَلَالَةُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْ فَعَلْتَ بِهِ مَا فَعَلْتَ ؟ وَقِيلَ ضَرَبَهُ، وَلَمْ يُضْحِ ضَرْبَهُ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the succession of al-Mahdī and the pledge of allegiance to him Mention of ʿAlī b. Muḥammad al-Nawfalī, from his father, who said: I set out from al-Baṣrah on pilgrimage and met al-Manṣūr at Dhāt ʿIrq. I would greet him every time he mounted, and he was on the verge of death. When he reached Biʾr Maymūn and alighted there, and we entered Makkah, I completed my ʿumrah and kept going to al-Manṣūr. On the night in which he died, while we did not know, I prayed the dawn prayer in Makkah and rode out with Muḥammad b. ʿAwn b. ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Ḥārith, who was one of the elders and chiefs of Banū Hāshim. When we reached al-Abṭaḥ, we met al-ʿAbbās b. Muḥammad and Muḥammad b. Sulaymān with horses heading to Makkah. We greeted them and went on. I said to Muḥammad: I think the man has died, and so it was. Then we came to the camp, and there was Mūsā b. al-Mahdī coming out near the pole of the pavilion, while al-Qāsim b. al-Manṣūr was in one part of the pavilion. He had previously walked between al-Manṣūr and the chief of police, and people had raised their petitions to him. When I saw him, I knew that al-Manṣūr had died. Al-Ḥasan b. Zayd al-ʿAlawī came forward, and the people came until they filled the pavilion. We heard a murmur of weeping. Abū al-ʿAnbar, al-Manṣūr's servant, came out with his robes torn and dust on his head, crying: Wā amīr al-muʾminīnāh! There was no one left but that he stood up. Then they advanced to enter upon him, but the servants prevented them. Ibn ʿAyyāsh al-Mantūf said: Glory be to God! Have you never witnessed the death of a caliph? Sit down. So they sat. Al-Qāsim stood, tore his clothes, and put dust on his head, while Mūsā remained as he was. Then al-Rabīʿ came out with a sheet of paper in his hand, opened it, and read it. It contained: In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. From ʿAbd Allāh al-Manṣūr, Commander of the Faithful, to those whom he leaves behind of Banū Hāshim and his partisans among the people of Khurāsān and the common Muslims. Then he wept, and the people wept. Then he said: Weeping is permitted to you, so be silent, may God have mercy on you. Then he read: To proceed: I have written this letter of mine while I am alive, on the last day of the days of this world and the first day of the days of the Hereafter. I greet you with peace, and I ask God not to afflict you after me, nor to clothe you in factions, nor to make some of you taste the might of others. Then he proceeded to charge them regarding al-Mahdī, reminding them of the pledge of allegiance to him and urging them to fulfill his covenant. Then he took the hand of al-Ḥasan b. Zayd and said: Rise and pledge allegiance. So he rose to Mūsā and pledged allegiance to him. Then the people pledged allegiance, one after another. Then Banū Hāshim were brought in to al-Manṣūr while he was in his shrouds, his head uncovered. We carried him until we brought him three miles from Makkah. It is as if I see him, with the wind moving the hair of his temples, because he had let his hair grow long for shaving, and his dye had faded, until we brought him to his grave. The first thing that ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā b. Māhān raised was that ʿĪsā b. Mūsā refused the pledge of allegiance. ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā b. Māhān said: By God, you will pledge allegiance or I will strike your neck! So he pledged allegiance. Then Mūsā b. al-Mahdī and al-Rabīʿ sent to al-Mahdī the news of al-Manṣūr's death and the pledge of allegiance to him, together with Manārah, al-Manṣūr's client. They also sent the staff, the cloak of the Prophet ﷺ, and the seal of the caliphate, and they left Makkah. The news reached al-Mahdī with Manārah in the middle of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, and the people of Baghdādh pledged allegiance to him. It was said: Al-Rabīʿ concealed al-Manṣūr's death; he clothed him, propped him up, and placed over his face a thin veil through which his figure could be seen but his condition was not understood. He brought his family near him. Then he brought al-Rabīʿ close as if speaking to him, then returned to them and ordered them on his behalf to renew the pledge of allegiance to al-Mahdī, so they pledged allegiance. Then he sent them out, and he came out to them weeping, with his collar torn, striking his head. When that reached al-Mahdī, he disapproved of it regarding al-Rabīʿ and said: Did not the majesty of the Commander of the Faithful prevent you from doing to him what you did? It was said he beat him, but his beating was not effective.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.