Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3077
The year 193 AH
ابْتِدَاءِ الِاخْتِلَافِ بَيْنَ الْأَمِينِ وَالْمَأْمُونِ وَفِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ ابْتَدَأَ الِاخْتِلَافُ بَيْنَ الْأَمِينِ وَالْمَأْمُونِ ابْنَيِ الرَّشِيدِ. وَكَانَ السَّبَبُ فِي ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الرَّشِيدَ لَمَّا كَانَ قَدْ وَصَلَ إِلَى أَوَّلِ بِلَادِ خُرَاسَانَ وَأَخَذَ الْبَيْعَةَ لِلْمَأْمُونِ عَلَى جَمِيعِ مَنْ فِي عَسْكَرِهِ مِنَ الْقُوَّادِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، وَأَقَرَّ لَهُ بِجَمِيعِ مَا مَعَهُ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَغَيْرِهَا، عَلَى مَا سَبَقَ ذِكْرُهُ - عَظُمَ عَلَى الْأَمِينِ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ بَلَغَهُ شِدَّةُ مَرَضِ الرَّشِيدِ، فَأَرْسَلَ بَكْرَ بْنَ الْمُعْتَمِرِ، وَكَتَبَ مَعَهُ كُتُبًا، وَجَعَلَهَا فِي قَوَائِمِ صَنَادِيقِ الْمَطْبَخِ، وَكَانَتْ مَنْقُورَةً، وَأَلْبَسَهَا جُلُودَ الْبَقَرِ، وَقَالَ: لَا تُظْهِرَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَا غَيْرَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَلَوْ قُتِلْتَ، فَإِذَا مَاتَ فَادْفَعْ إِلَى كُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ مِنْهُمْ مَا مَعَكَ. فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ بَكْرُ بْنُ الْمُعْتَمِرِ طُوسَ بَلَغَ هَارُونَ قُدُومُهُ، فَدَعَا بِهِ، وَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ سَبَبِ قُدُومِهِ، فَقَالَ: بَعَثَنِي الْأَمِينُ لِآتِيَهُ بِخَبَرِكَ. قَالَ: فَهَلْ مَعَكَ كِتَابٌ ؟ قَالَ: لَا. فَأَمَرَ بِمَا مَعَهُ فَفُتِّشَ، فَلَمْ يُصِيبُوا شَيْئًا، فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَضُرِبَ، فَلَمْ يُقِرَّ بِشَيْءٍ، فَحَبَسَهُ وَقَيَّدَهُ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ الْفَضْلَ بْنَ الرَّبِيعِ بِتَقْرِيرِهِ، فَإِنْ أَقَرَّ وَإِلَّا ضَرَبَ عُنُقَهُ، فَقَرَّرَهُ فَلَمْ يُقِرَّ بِشَيْءٍ، ثُمَّ غُشِيَ عَلَى الرَّشِيدِ، فَصَاحَ النِّسَاءُ، فَأَمْسَكَ الْفَضْلُ عَنْ قَتْلِهِ، وَحَضَرَ عِنْدَ الرَّشِيدِ، فَأَفَاقَ وَهُوَ ضَعِيفٌ قَدْ شُغِلَ عَنْ بَكْرٍ وَغَيْرِهِ ثُمَّ مَاتَ. وَكَانَ بَكْرٌ قَدْ كَتَبَ إِلَى الْفَضْلِ يَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ لَا يُعَجِّلَ فِي أَمْرِهِ بِشَيْءٍ، فَإِنَّ عِنْدَهُ أَشْيَاءَ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى عَمَلِهَا، فَأَحْضَرَهُ الْفَضْلُ، وَأَعْلَمَهُ بِمَوْتِ الرَّشِيدِ، وَسَأَلَهُ عَمَّا عِنْدَهُ، فَخَافَ أَنْ يَكُونُ الرَّشِيدُ حَيًّا، فَلَمَّا تَيَقَّنَ مَوْتَهُ أَخْرَجَ الْكُتُبَ الَّتِي مَعَهُ، وَهِيَ كِتَابٌ إِلَى أَخِيهِ الْمَأْمُونِ يَأْمُرُهُ بِتَرْكِ الْجَزَعِ، وَأَخْذِ الْبَيْعَةِ عَلَى النَّاسِ لَهُمَا وَلِأَخِيهِمَا الْمُؤْتَمَنِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنِ الْمَأْمُونُ حَاضِرًا، كَانَ بِمَرْوَ، وَكِتَابٌ إِلَى أَخِيهِ صَالِحٍ يَأْمُرُهُ بِتَسْيِيرِ الْعَسْكَرِ وَاسْتِصْحَابِ مَا فِيهِ، وَأَنْ يَتَصَرَّفَ هُوَ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ بِرَأْيِ الْفَضْلِ، وَكِتَابٌ إِلَى الْفَضْلِ يَأْمُرُهُ بِالْحِفْظِ وَالِاحْتِيَاطِ عَلَى مَا مَعَهُ مِنَ الْحُرَمِ وَالْأَمْوَالِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَأَقَرَّ كُلَّ مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَمَلٌ عَلَى عَمَلِهِ، كَصَاحِبِ الشُّرْطَةِ وَالْحَرَسِ وَالْحِجَابَةِ. فَلَمَّا قَرَءُوا الْكُتُبَ تَشَاوَرُوا هُمْ وَالْقُوَّادُ فِي اللِّحَاقِ بِالْأَمِينِ، فَقَالَ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ: لَا أَدَعُ مُلْكًا حَاضِرًا لِآخَرَ مَا أَدْرِي مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ. وَأَمَرَ النَّاسَ بِالرَّحِيلِ، فَرَحَلُوا مَحَبَّةً مِنْهُمْ لِأَهْلِهِمْ وَوَطَنِهِمْ، وَتَرَكُوا الْعُهُودَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ أُخِذَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ لِلْمَأْمُونِ. فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ الْمَأْمُونَ ذَلِكَ جَمَعَ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ قُوَّادِ أَبِيهِ، وَهُمْ: عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، وَيَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، وَشَبِيبُ بْنُ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ قَحْطَبَةَ، وَالْعَلَاءُ مَوْلَى هَارُونَ، وَهُوَ عَلَى حِجَابَتِهِ، وَالْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ بْنِ زُهَيْرٍ، وَهُوَ عَلَى شُرْطَتِهِ، وَأَيُّوبُ بْنُ أَبِي سَمِيرٍ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كِتَابَتِهِ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، وَذُو الرِّيَاسَتَيْنِ، وَهُوَ أَعْظَمُهُمْ عِنْدَهُ قَدْرًا، وَأَخَصُّهُمْ بِهِ، وَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ، فَأَشَارُوا أَنْ يَلْحَقَهُمْ فِي أَلْفَيْ فَارِسٍ جَرِيدَةً، فَيَرُدَّهُمْ، فَخَلَا بِهِ ذُو الرِّيَاسَتَيْنِ وَقَالَ: إِنْ فَعَلْتَ مَا أَشَارَ بِهِ هَؤُلَاءِ جَعَلُوكَ هَدِيَّةً إِلَى أَخِيكَ، وَلَكِنَّ الرَّأْيَ أَنْ تَكْتُبَ إِلَيْهِمْ كِتَابًا وَتُوَجِّهَ رَسُولًا يُذَكِّرُهُمُ الْبَيْعَةَ، وَيَسْأَلُهُمُ الْوَفَاءَ، وَيُحَذِّرُهُمُ الْحِنْثَ وَمَا فِيهِ دُنْيَا وَآخِرَةٌ. فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، وَوَجَّهَ سَهْلَ بْنَ صَاعِدٍ، وَنَوْفَلًا الْخَادِمَ، وَمَعَهُمَا كِتَابٌ، فَلَحِقَا الْجُنْدَ وَالْفَضْلَ بِنَيْسَابُورَ، فَأَوْصَلَا إِلَى الْفَضْلِ كِتَابَهُ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا أَنَا وَاحِدٌ مِنَ الْجُنْدِ. وَشَدَّ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ جَبَلَةَ الْأَنْبَارِيُّ عَلَى سَهْلٍ بِالرُّمْحِ لِيَطْعَنَهُ، فَأَمَرَّهُ عَلَى جَنْبِهِ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: قُلْ لِصَاحِبِكَ: لَوْ كُنْتَ حَاضِرًا لَوَضَعْتُهُ فِي فِيكَ. وَسَبَّ الْمَأْمُونَ. فَرَجَعَا إِلَيْهِ بِالْخَبَرِ، فَقَالَ ذُو الرِّيَاسَتَيْنِ: أَعْدَاءٌ اسْتَرَحْتَ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَكِنِ افْهَمْ عَنِّي؛ إِنَّ هَذِهِ الدَّوْلَةَ لَمْ تَكُنْ قَطُّ أَعَزَّ مِنْهَا أَيَّامَ الْمَنْصُورِ، فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْهِ الْمُقَنَّعُ وَهُوَ يَدَّعِي الرُّبُوبِيَّةَ، وَقِيلَ طَلَبَ بِدَمِ أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ، فَضَعْضَعَ الْعَسْكَرَ بِخُرُوجِهِ بِخُرَاسَانَ، وَخَرَجَ بَعْدَهُ يُوسُفُ الْبَرْمِ، وَهُوَ عِنْدَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَافِرٌ، فَتَضَعْضَعُوا أَيْضًا لَهُ، فَأَخْبِرْنِي أَنْتَ، أَيُّهَا الْأَمِيرُ، كَيْفَ رَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ عِنْدَمَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِمْ خَبَرُ رَافِعٍ ؟ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُهُمُ اضْطَرَبُوا اضْطِرَابًا شَدِيدًا. قَالَ: فَكَيْفَ بِكَ وَأَنْتَ نَازِلٌ فِي أَخْوَالِكَ وَبَيْعَتُكَ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ، كَيْفَ يَكُونُ اضْطِرَابُ أَهْلِ بَغْدَاذَ ؟ اصْبِرْ، وَأَنَا أَضْمَنُ لَكَ الْخِلَافَةَ. قَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ: قَدْ فَعَلْتُ، وَجَعَلْتُ الْأَمْرَ إِلَيْكَ، فَقُمْ بِهِ. قَالَ ذُو الرِّيَاسَتَيْنِ: وَاللَّهِ لَأَصْدُقَنَّكَ، إِنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَالِكٍ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْقُوَّادِ إِنْ قَامُوا لَكَ بِالْأَمْرِ كَانُوا أَنْفَعَ لَكَ مِنِّي بِرِيَاسَتِهِمُ الْمَشْهُورَةِ، وَبِمَا عِنْدَهُمْ مِنَ الْقُوَّةِ عَلَى الْحَرْبِ، فَمَنْ قَامَ بِالْأَمْرِ كُنْتُ خَادِمًا لَهُ، حَتَّى تَبْلُغَ أَمَلَكَ وَتَرَى رَأْيَكَ. وَقَامَ ذُو الرِّيَاسَتَيْنِ وَأَتَاهُمْ فِي مَنَازِلِهِمْ، وَذَكَّرَهُمْ مَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْوَفَاءِ، قَالَ: فَكَأَنِّي جِئْتُهُمْ بِجِيفَةٍ عَلَى طَبَقٍ. فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: هَذَا لَا يَحِلُّ، اخْرُجْ ! وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: مَنِ الَّذِي يَدْخُلُ بَيْنَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَخِيهِ ؟ فَجِئْتُ وَأَخْبَرْتُهُ، فَقَالَ: قُمْ بِالْأَمْرِ ! قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ: قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ، وَسَمِعْتَ الْأَحَادِيثَ، وَتَفَقَّهْتَ فِي الدِّينِ، فَأَرَى أَنْ تَبْعَثَ إِلَى مَنْ بِحَضْرَتِكَ مِنَ الْفُقَهَاءِ، فَتَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْحَقِّ وَالْعَمَلِ بِهِ وَإِحْيَاءِ السُّنَّةِ، وَتَقْعُدَ عَلَى الصُّوفِ، وَتَرُدَّ الْمَظَالِمَ. فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ جَمِيعَهُ، وَأَكْرَمَهُ الْقُوَّادُ وَالْمُلُوكُ وَأَبْنَاءُ الْمُلُوكِ، وَكَانَ يَقُولُ لِلتَّمِيمِيِّ: نُقِيمُكَ مَقَامَ مُوسَى بْنِ كَعْبٍ، وَلِلرِّبْعِيِّ: نُقِيمُكَ مَقَامَ أَبِي دَاوُدَ، وَخَالِدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَلِلِيمَانِيِّ: نُقِيمُكَ مَقَامَ قَحْطَبَةَ، وَمَالِكِ بْنِ الْهَيْثَمِ. وَكُلُّ هَؤُلَاءِ نُقَبَاءُ الدَّوْلَةِ الْعَبَّاسِيَّةِ، وَوَضَعَ عَنْ خُرَاسَانَ رُبْعَ الْخَرَاجِ، فَحَسُنَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ أَهْلِهَا، وَقَالُوا: ابْنُ أُخْتِنَا، وَابْنُ عَمِّ نَبِيِّنَا. وَأَمَّا الْأَمِينُ، فَلَمَّا سَكَنَ النَّاسُ بِبَغْدَاذَ أَمَرَ بِبِنَاءِ مَيْدَانٍ حَوْلَ قَصْرِ الْمَنْصُورِ بَعْدَ بَيْعَتِهِ بِيَوْمٍ، [ لِلصَّوَالِجَةِ وَاللَّعِبِ ]، فَقَالَ شَاعِرُهُمْ: بَنَى أَمِينُ اللَّهِ مَيْدَانَا وَصَيَّرَ السَّاحَةَ بُسْتَانَا وَكَانَتِ الْغِزْلَانُ فِيهِ بَانَا يُهْدَى إِلَيْهِ فِيهِ غِزْلَانَا وَأَقَامَ الْمَأْمُونُ يَتَوَلَّى مَا كَانَ بِيَدِهِ مِنْ خُرَاسَانَ وَالرَّيِّ، وَأَهْدَى إِلَى الْأَمِينِ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ وَعَظَّمَهُ.
Translation
✧ In this year, discord began between al-Amīn and al-Maʾmūn, the two sons of al-Rashīd. The reason for that was that when al-Rashīd reached the first lands of Khurāsān and took the oath of allegiance for al-Maʾmūn from all the commanders and others in his army, and confirmed for him all the wealth and other things with him, as previously mentioned, this weighed heavily on al-Amīn. Then news reached him of al-Rashīd's severe illness, so he sent Bakr b. al-Muʿtamir, and wrote letters with him, placing them in the legs of kitchen chests, which were hollowed out, and covered them with ox hides. He said: 'Do not reveal this to the Commander of the Faithful or anyone else, even if you are killed. When he dies, give each person what you have for him.' When Bakr b. al-Muʿtamir arrived at Ṭūs, Hārūn learned of his arrival, summoned him, and asked him the reason for his coming. He said: 'Al-Amīn sent me to bring him news of you.' He said: 'Do you have a letter with you?' He said: 'No.' He ordered that what he had be searched, but they found nothing. He ordered that he be beaten, but he did not confess anything. He imprisoned him and put him in fetters. Then he ordered al-Faḍl b. al-Rabīʿ to interrogate him; if he confessed, fine, otherwise strike his neck. He interrogated him, but he did not confess anything. Then al-Rashīd lost consciousness, and the women cried out. Al-Faḍl refrained from killing him and attended to al-Rashīd. He regained consciousness, weak and distracted from Bakr and others, and then died. Bakr had written to al-Faḍl asking him not to hasten anything in his matter, for he had things he needed to do. Al-Faḍl brought him, informed him of al-Rashīd's death, and asked him what he had. He feared that al-Rashīd might still be alive, but when he was certain of his death, he brought out the letters he had: a letter to his brother al-Maʾmūn commanding him to refrain from excessive grief and to take the oath of allegiance from the people for both of them and for their brother al-Muʾtaman — al-Maʾmūn was not present; he was in Marw — and a letter to his brother Ṣāliḥ commanding him to send off the army and take with him all that was in it, and that he and those with him should act according to the judgment of al-Faḍl, and a letter to al-Faḍl commanding him to guard and take precautions over what he had with him of the women, wealth, and other things. He confirmed everyone who had an office in his office, such as the chief of the shurṭah, the guard, and the chamberlain. When they read the letters, they and the commanders consulted together about joining al-Amīn. Al-Faḍl b. al-Rabīʿ said: 'I will not give up a present sovereignty for another whose affair I do not know what it will be.' He ordered the people to depart, and they departed out of love for their families and homeland, abandoning the covenants that had been taken from them for al-Maʾmūn. When al-Maʾmūn learned of that, he gathered the commanders of his father who were with him: ʿAbd Allāh b. Mālik, Yaḥyā b. Muʿādh, Shabīb b. Ḥumayd b. Qaḥṭabah, al-ʿAlāʾ the mawlā of Hārūn, who was his chamberlain, al-ʿAbbās b. al-Musayyab b. Zuhayr, who was in charge of his shurṭah, Ayyūb b. Abī Samīr, who was his secretary, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAbd al-Malik b. Ṣāliḥ, and Dhū al-Riyāsatayn, who was the greatest of them in his estimation and the closest to him. He consulted them, and they advised that he pursue them with two thousand cavalry, light and unencumbered, and bring them back. Dhū al-Riyāsatayn took him aside and said: 'If you do what these advise, they will make you a gift to your brother. The right course is to write them a letter and send a messenger to remind them of the oath of allegiance, ask them to fulfill it, and warn them of breaking it and what it entails in this world and the Hereafter.' He did that, and sent Sahl b. Ṣāʿid and Nawfal the servant, with a letter. They caught up with the army and al-Faḍl at Naysābūr and delivered his letter to al-Faḍl. He said: 'I am only one of the soldiers.' ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Jabalah al-Anbārī thrust at Sahl with a spear to stab him, but it passed by his side, and he said to him: 'Tell your master: if you were present, I would put it in your mouth.' And he reviled al-Maʾmūn. They returned to him with the news. Dhū al-Riyāsatayn said: 'Enemies from whom you have gotten relief. But understand from me: this dynasty has never been mightier than it was in the days of al-Manṣūr, yet al-Muqannaʿ rose against him claiming divinity — it is said he sought blood for Abū Muslim — and the army was shaken by his rising in Khurāsān. After him, Yūsuf al-Barm rose, and he is considered an infidel by the Muslims, and they were also shaken by him. Tell me, O Commander, how did you see the people when the news of Rāfiʿ reached them?' He said: 'I saw them thrown into severe turmoil.' He said: 'How will it be with you, when you are settled among your maternal uncles and your oath of allegiance is on their necks? How great will be the turmoil of the people of Baghdād? Be patient, and I guarantee you the caliphate.' Al-Maʾmūn said: 'I have done so, and I entrust the matter to you, so undertake it.' Dhū al-Riyāsatayn said: 'By God, I will tell you the truth. If ʿAbd Allāh b. Mālik and the commanders with him stand with you in the affair, they will be more useful to you than I, by their well-known leadership and their strength in war. Whoever stands with the affair, I will be his servant, until you attain your hope and see your judgment realized.' Dhū al-Riyāsatayn arose and went to them in their dwellings, reminding them of the fidelity incumbent upon them. He said: 'It was as if I brought them a carcass on a platter.' Some of them said: 'This is not lawful. Get out!' Others said: 'Who would intervene between the Commander of the Faithful and his brother?' I came and informed him, and he said: 'Undertake the affair!' He said: I said to him: 'You have read the Qurʾān, heard the ḥadīths, and gained understanding in religion. I think you should send to the jurists who are in your presence, call them to the truth and acting upon it and reviving the Sunnah, sit on wool, and restore rights to those wronged.' He did all of that, and was honored by the commanders, kings, and sons of kings. He would say to the Tamīmī: 'We will set you in the place of Mūsā b. Kaʿb,' and to the Rabīʿī: 'We will set you in the place of Abū Dāwūd and Khālid b. Ibrāhīm,' and to the Yamānī: 'We will set you in the place of Qaḥṭabah and Mālik b. al-Haytham.' All of these were nuqabāʾ of the Abbasid dynasty. He reduced a quarter of the land tax from Khurāsān, and that was well received by its people, and they said: 'Son of our sister, and cousin of our Prophet.' As for al-Amīn, when the people settled in Baghdād, he ordered the construction of a maydān around the palace of al-Manṣūr one day after his oath of allegiance, [for polo players and games]. Their poet said: The Amīn of God built our maydān, And made the open space a garden, Wherein the gazelles previously dwelt, Gazelles are brought to him there as gifts. Al-Maʾmūn continued to administer what was in his hands of Khurāsān and al-Rayy, sent gifts to al-Amīn, wrote to him, and honored him.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.