Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3000
The year 178 AH
وفي سَنَةُ ثَمَانٍ وَسَبْعِينَ وَمِائَةٍ سَارَ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ يَحْيَى إِلَى خُرَاسَانَ، فَأَحْسَنَ السِّيرَةَ بِهَا، وَبَنَى فِيهَا الرُّبُطَ وَالْمَسَاجِدَ، وَغَزَا مَا وَرَاءَ النَّهْرِ، وَاتَّخَذَ بِهَا جُنْدًا مِنَ الْعَجَمِ سَمَّاهُمُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّةَ، وَجَعَلَ وَلَاءَهُمْ لَهُمْ وَكَانُوا نَحْوًا مِنْ خَمْسِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ، وَبَعَثَ مِنْهُمْ نَحْوًا مِنْ عِشْرِينَ أَلْفًا إِلَى بَغْدَادَ فَكَانُوا يُعْرَفُونَ بِهَا بِالْكُرُنْبِيَّةِ. وَفِي ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ مَرْوَانُ بْنُ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ: مَا الْفَضْلُ إِلَّا شِهَابٌ لَا أُفُولَ لَهُ عِنْدَ الْحُرُوبِ إِذَا مَا تَأْفُلُ الشُّهُبُ حَامٍ عَلَى مُلْكِ قَوْمٍ عَزَّ سَهْمُهُمُ مِنَ الْوِرَاثَةِ فِي أَيْدِيهِمُ سَبَبُ أَمْسَتْ يَدٌ لِبَنِي سَاقِي الْحَجِيجِ بِهَا كَتَائِبُ مَا لَهَا فِي غَيْرِهِمْ أَرَبُ كَتَائِبُ لِبَنِي الْعَبَّاسِ قَدْ عَرَفَتْ مَا أَلَّفَ الْفَضْلُ مِنْهَا الْعُجْمُ وَالْعَرَبُ أَثْبَتَّ خَمْسَ مِئِينٍ فِي عِدَادِهِمْ مِنَ الْأُلُوفِ الَّتِي أَحْصَتْ لَهَا الْكُتُبُ يُقَارِعُونَ عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينُ هُمُ أَوْلَى بِأَحْمَدَ فِي الْفُرْقَانِ إِنْ نُسِبُوا إِنَّ الْجَوَادَ ابْنَ يَحْيَى الْفَضْلَ لَا وَرِقٌ يَبْقَى عَلَى جُودِ كَفَّيْهِ وَلَا ذَهَبُ مَا مَرَّ يَوْمٌ لَهُ مُذْ شَدَّ مِئْزَرَهُ إِلَّا تَمَوَّلَ أَقْوَامٌ بِمَا يَهَبُ كَمْ غَايَةٍ فِي النَّدَى وَالْبَأْسِ أَحْرَزَهَا لِلطَّالِبِينَ مَدَاهَا دُونَهَا تَعَبُ يُعْطِي اللُّهَى حِينَ لَا يُعْطِي الْجَوَادُ وَلَا يَنْبُو إِذَا سُلَّتِ الْهِنْدِيَّةُ الْقُضُبُ وَلَا الرِّضَا وَالرِّضَا لِلَّهِ غَايَتُهُ إِلَى سِوَى الْحَقِّ يَدْعُوهُ وَلَا الْغَضَبُ قَدْ فَاضَ عَرْفُكَ حَتَّى مَا يُعَادِلُهُ غَيْثٌ مُغِيثٌ وَلَا بَحْرٌ لَهُ حَدَبُ وَكَانَ قَدْ أَنْشَدَهُ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِهِ إِلَى خُرَاسَانَ: أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ الْجُودَ مِنْ لَدْنِ آدَمَ تَحَدَّرَ حَتَّى صَارَ فِي رَاحَةِ الْفَضْلِ إِذَا مَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ رَاحَتْ سَمَاؤُهُ فَيَا لَكَ مِنْ هَطِلٍ وَيَا لَكَ مِنْ وَبْلِ إِذَا أُمَّ طِفْلٍ رَاعَهَا جُوعُ طِفْلِهَا دَعَتْهُ بِإِسْمِ الْفَضْلِ فَاسْتَطْعَمَ الطِّفْلُ لِيَحْيَى بِكَ الْإِسْلَامُ إِنَّكَ عِزُّهُ وَإِنَّكَ مِنْ قَوْمٍ صَغِيرُهُمْ كَهْلُ قَالَ: فَأَمَرَ لَهُ بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ. ذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرِ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ. وَقَالَ سَلْمٌ الْخَاسِرُ فِيهِمْ أَيْضًا: وَكَيْفَ تَخَافُ مِنْ بُؤْسٍ بِدَارٍ تَكَنَّفَهَا الْبَرَامِكَةُ الْبُحُورُ وَقَوْمٌ مِنْهُمُ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ يَحْيَى نَفِيرٌ مَا يُوَازِنُهُ نَفِيرُ لَهُ يَوْمَانِ يَوْمُ نَدًى وَبَأْسٍ كَأَنَّ الدَّهْرَ بَيْنَهُمَا أَسِيرُ إِذَا مَا الْبَرْمَكِيُّ غَدَا ابْنَ عَشْرٍ فَهِمَّتُهُ أَمِيرٌ أَوْ وَزِيرُ وَقَدِ اتَّفَقَ لِلْفَضْلِ بْنِ يَحْيَى فِي هَذِهِ السَّفْرَةِ إِلَى خُرَاسَانَ أَشْيَاءُ غَرِيبَةٌ، وَفَتَحَ بِلَادًا كَثِيرَةً، مِنْهَا كَابُلُ وَمَا وَرَاءَ النَّهْرِ، وَقَهَرَ مَلِكَ التُّرْكِ هُنَاكَ وَكَانَ مُمْتَنِعًا، وَأَطْلَقَ أَمْوَالًا كَثِيرَةً جِدًّا، ثُمَّ قَفَلَ رَاجِعًا إِلَى بَغْدَادَ، فَلَمَّا اقْتَرَبَ مِنْهَا خَرَجَ الرَّشِيدُ وَوُجُوهُ النَّاسِ إِلَيْهِ، وَقَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ الشُّعَرَاءُ وَالْخُطَبَاءُ وَأَكَابِرُ النَّاسِ، فَجَعَلَ يُطْلِقُ الْأَلْفَ أَلْفٍ، وَالْخَمْسَمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ وَنَحْوَهَا، فَصَرَفَ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا كَثِيرًا جِدًّا لَا يُمْكِنُ حَصْرُهُ إِلَّا بِكُلْفَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، وَقَدْ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ بَعْضُ الشُّعَرَاءِ، وَالْبِدَرُ مَوْضُوعَةٌ مَخْتُومَةٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، وَهِيَ تُفَرَّقُ عَلَى النَّاسِ، فَقَالَ: كَفَى اللَّهُ بِالْفَضْلِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ خَالِدٍ وَجُودِ يَدَيْهِ بُخْلَ كُلِّ بَخِيلِ فَأَمَرَ لَهُ بِمَالٍ جَزِيلٍ.
Translation
✧ In the year one hundred and seventy-eight AH, al-Faḍl b. Yaḥyā traveled to Khurasan, where he conducted affairs excellently, built way stations and mosques, raided beyond the river, and raised there an army of non-Arabs whom he called al-ʿAbbāsiyya, making their allegiance to them. They numbered about five hundred thousand. He sent about twenty thousand of them to Baghdad, where they became known as al-Kurunbiyya. Concerning that, Marwān b. Abī Ḥafṣa said: Al-Faḍl is but a shooting star that never sets When at war, when the stars do set. A protector of the dominion of a people whose arrows prevail— From inheritance in their hands is a firm rope. A hand for the sons of the waterer of the pilgrims has come to hold Battalions that have no desire for anyone else. Battalions for the sons of al-ʿAbbās that have come to know What al-Faḍl has composed of them—non-Arabs and Arabs. You have affirmed five hundred in their number Of the thousands that the books have counted for them. They fight on behalf of the people who are Most entitled to Aḥmad in the Furqān, if lineage is traced. Indeed, the generous one, Ibn Yaḥyā al-Faḍl—neither silver Nor gold remains upon the generosity of his two palms. No day has passed for him since he tied his waist-wrapper Except that people grew wealthy by what he gives. How many a goal in generosity and courage has he attained, Whose utmost for those who seek it is beyond, and weariness lies short of it. He gives largesse when the generous one does not give, and He does not falter when the Indian polished swords are drawn. Neither contentment—contentment whose goal is for God— Nor anger calls him to anything but the truth. Your fragrance has overflowed so that no equal can match it— No succoring rain, nor any sea with swells. He had also recited to him before his departure to Khurasan: Do you not see that generosity, from the time of Adam, Has descended until it came to rest in the palm of al-Faḍl? When Abū al-ʿAbbās's sky pours down, What a downpour is yours, and what a heavy rain! When the mother of a child is startled by her child's hunger, She calls upon him by the name of al-Faḍl, and the child asks for food. May Islam live through you, for you are its might, And you are of a people whose young are elders. He said: So he ordered for him one hundred thousand dirhams. All of that was mentioned by Abū Jaʿfar b. Jarīr. Salm al-Khāsir also said about them: How can you fear poverty in a land Surrounded by the Barmakids, the seas? And a people among whom is al-Faḍl b. Yaḥyā— A champion whom no champion can match. He has two days: a day of generosity and a day of courage, As if time were a captive between them. When a Barmakid reaches ten years of age, His ambition is to be an emir or a vizier. During this journey to Khurasan, strange things befell al-Faḍl b. Yaḥyā. He conquered many lands, including Kabul and what lies beyond the river, and subdued the king of the Turks there, who had been resisting. He distributed very large sums of money. Then he returned to Baghdad. When he approached it, al-Rashīd and the notables of the people went out to meet him, and poets, orators, and the great men of the people presented themselves before him. He began to give away one million, five hundred thousand, and the like, so he disbursed a great deal of wealth that cannot be counted except with great effort. One of the poets entered upon him while sealed money bags were placed before him and being distributed among the people, and he said: God has sufficed, through al-Faḍl b. Yaḥyā b. Khālid And the generosity of his two hands, against the stinginess of every miser. So he ordered for him abundant wealth.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.