Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3042
The year 187 AH
وَفِي سنة سبع وثمانين ومائة نَقَضَتِ الرُّومُ الصُّلْحَ الَّذِي كَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الَّذِي كَانَ عَقَدَهُ الرَّشِيدُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ رِينَى مَلِكَةِ الرُّومِ الْمُلَقَّبَةِ أُغُسْطَةُ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الرُّومَ عَزَلُوهَا عَنْهُمْ، وَمَلَّكُوا عَلَيْهِمُ النَّقْفُورَ، وَكَانَ شُجَاعًا، يُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُلَالَةِ آلِ جَفْنَةَ، وَإِنَّهُ قَبْلَ الْمُلْكِ كَانَ يَلِي دِيوَانَ الْخَرَاجِ، وَمَلَّكُوا نَقْفُورَ هَذَا عَلَيْهِمْ، فَخَلَعُوا رِينَى وَسَمَلُوا عَيْنَيْهَا، فَكَتَبَ إِلَى الرَّشِيدِ: مِنْ نَقْفُورَ مَلِكِ الرُّومِ إِلَى هَارُونَ مَلِكِ الْعَرَبِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ الْمَلِكَةَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ قَبِلُ أَقَامَتْكَ مُقَامِ الرُّخِّ، وَأَقَامَتْ نَفْسَهَا مُقَامِ الْبَيْدَقِ، فَحَمَلَتْ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهَا مَا كُنْتَ حَقِيقًا بِحَمْلِ أَمْثَالِهِ إِلَيْهَا، وَلَكِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ ضَعْفِ النِّسَاءِ وَحُمْقِهِنَّ، فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ كِتَابِي هَذَا فَارْدُدْ مَا حَصَلَ لَكَ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهَا، وَافْتَدِ نَفْسَكَ، وَإِلَّا فَالسَّيْفُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ. فَلَمَّا قَرَأَ الرَّشِيدُ الْكِتَابَ اسْتَفَزَّهُ الْغَضَبُ، حَتَّى لَمْ يُمْكِنْ أَحَدًا أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهِ دُونَ أَنْ يُخَاطِبَهُ، وَتَفَرَّقَ جُلَسَاؤُهُ خَوْفًا مِنْهُ، وَاسْتَدْعَى بِدَوَاةٍ وَكَتَبَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْكِتَابِ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، مِنْ هَارُونَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِلَى نَقْفُورَ كَلْبِ الرُّومِ، قَدْ قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَكَ يَا ابْنَ الْكَافِرَةِ، وَالْجَوَابُ مَا تَرَاهُ دُونَ مَا تَسْمَعُهُ، وَالسَّلَامُ. ثُمَّ سَارَ مِنْ يَوْمِهِ حَتَّى نَزَلَ عَلَى هِرَقْلَةَ فَفَتَحَ وَغَنِمَ وَأَحْرَقَ وَخَرَّبَ، فَسَأَلَهُ نِقْفُورُ الْمُصَالَحَةَ عَلَى خَرَاجٍ يَحْمِلُهُ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ، فَأَجَابَهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ. فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مِنْ غَزْوَتِهِ وَصَارَ بِالرَّقَّةِ نَقَضَ نِقْفُورُ الْعَهْدَ، وَكَانَ الْبَرْدُ شَدِيدًا، فَأَمِنَ رَجْعَةَ الرَّشِيدِ إِلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَ الْخَبَرُ بِنَقْضِهِ مَا جَسَرَ أَحَدٌ عَلَى إِخْبَارِ الرَّشِيدِ، خَوْفًا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنَ الْعَوْدِ فِي مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ الْبَرْدِ، وَإِشْفَاقًا مِنَ الرَّشِيدِ، فَاحْتِيلَ لَهُ بِشَاعِرٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ جُنْدِهِ، وَهُوَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، وَقِيلَ هُوَ الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ التَّمِيمِيُّ، فَقَالَ أَبْيَاتًا، مِنْهَا: نَقَضَ الَّذِي أَعْطَيْتَهُ نِقْفُورُ فَعَلَيْهِ دَائِرَةُ الْبَوَارِ تَدُورُ أَبْشِرْ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَإِنَّهُ فَتْحٌ أَتَاكَ بِهِ الْإِلَهُ كَبِيرُ فَتْحٌ يَزِيدُ عَلَى الْفُتُوحِ يَؤُمُّنَا بِالنَّصْرِ فِيهِ لِوَاؤُكَ الْمَنْصُورُ فِي أَبْيَاتٍ غَيْرِهَا. فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الرَّشِيدُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ: أَوَقَدْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ نِقْفُورُ ؟ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ الْوُزَرَاءَ قَدِ احْتَالُوا لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَرَجَعَ إِلَى بِلَادِ الرُّومِ فِي ( أَشَدِّ زَمَانٍ وَأَعْظَمِ كُلْفَةٍ، حَتَّى بَلَغَ بِلَادَهُمْ )، فَأَقَامَ بِهَا حَتَّى شَفَى وَاشْتَفَى وَبَلَغَ مَا أَرَادَ. وَقِيلَ: كَانَ فِعْلُ نِقْفُورَ وَهَذِهِ الْأَبْيَاتُ سَبَبًا لِسَيْرِ الرَّشِيدِ وَفَتْحِ هِرَقْلَةَ. وَفِي ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ أَبُو الْعَتَاهِيَةِ: أَلَا بَادَتْ هِرَقْلَةُ بِالْخَرَابِ مِنَ الْمَلِكِ الْمُوَفَّقِ لِلصَّوَابِ غَدَا هَارُونُ يَرْعَدُ بِالْمَنَايَا وَيَبْرُقُ بِالْمُذَكِّرَةِ الْقَضَّابِ وَرَايَاتٍ يَحِلُّ النَّصْرُ فِيهَا تَمُرُّ كَأَنَّهَا قِطَعُ السَّحَابِ
Translation
✧ In the year one hundred and eighty-seven AH, the Byzantines broke the peace treaty that had existed between them and the Muslims, which al-Rashīd had concluded between himself and Rīnī, queen of the Byzantines, titled Augusta. That was because the Byzantines deposed her and made Naqfūr king over them. He was brave, and it is said that he was of the lineage of the house of Jafna, and that before kingship he had administered the bureau of the land tax. They made this Naqfūr king over them, deposed Rīnī, and put out her eyes. He wrote to al-Rashīd: "From Naqfūr, king of the Byzantines, to Hārūn, king of the Arabs. Now then, the queen who was before set you in the place of the rook and set herself in the place of the pawn, and carried to you of her wealth what you were more worthy to carry the like of to her. But that was from the weakness and folly of women. When you have read this letter of mine, return what has come to you of her wealth and ransom yourself; otherwise the sword is between us and you." When al-Rashīd read the letter, anger agitated him so much that no one could look at him without addressing him. His companions dispersed in fear of him. He called for an inkwell and wrote on the back of the letter: "In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From Hārūn, Commander of the Believers, to Naqfūr, dog of the Byzantines. I have read your letter, O son of an infidel woman. The answer is what you will see, not what you will hear. Peace." Then he marched that very day until he encamped at Hiraqla, and he conquered, took booty, burned, and laid waste. Naqfūr asked him for a truce on condition of a tribute he would carry every year, and he agreed to that. When he returned from his campaign and was at al-Raqqa, Naqfūr broke the pact. The cold was severe, so he felt safe from al-Rashīd's returning to him. When the news of his breaking the pact came, no one dared to inform al-Rashīd, fearing for themselves from returning in such cold and out of dread of al-Rashīd. So a poet of his army was employed as a stratagem, namely Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh b. Yūsuf—or it was said he was al-Ḥajjāj b. Yūsuf al-Tamīmī. He recited verses, among them: Naqfūr has broken what you granted him, so upon him the circle of destruction turns. Rejoice, O Commander of the Believers, for it is a conquest God has brought you, great. A conquest surpassing all conquests; your victorious banner leads us to victory in it. And other verses besides. When al-Rashīd heard that, he said: "Has Naqfūr done that?" And he knew that the viziers had employed a stratagem with him on that matter. So he returned to the land of the Byzantines in the bitterest season and greatest hardship, until he reached their land. He remained there until he healed and was satisfied and attained what he wanted. It was said: Naqfūr's action and these verses were the cause of al-Rashīd's marching and the conquest of Hiraqla. Regarding that, Abū al-ʿAtāhiya says: Indeed Hiraqla has perished in ruin from the king guided to what is right. Hārūn went forth thundering with death and flashing with the remembered sharp swords, and banners in which victory dwells, passing as if they were patches of cloud.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.