Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3164
The Year 202 AH
ذِكْرُ مَسِيرِ الْمَأْمُونِ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ وَقَتْلِ ذِي الرِّيَاسَتَيْنِ وَفِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ سَارَ الْمَأْمُونُ مِنْ مَرْوَ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى خُرَاسَانَ غَسَّانَ بْنَ عُبَادَةَ. وَكَانَ سَبَبَ مَسِيرِهِ أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُوسَى الرِّضَى أَخْبَرَ الْمَأْمُونَ بِمَا النَّاسُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَالْقِتَالِ، مُذْ قُتِلَ الْأَمِينُ، وَبِمَا كَانَ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ يَسْتُرُ عَنْهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارٍ، وَأَنَّ أَهْلَ بَيْتِهِ وَالنَّاسَ قَدْ نَقَمُوا عَلَيْهِ أَشْيَاءَ، وَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: مَسْحُورٌ، مَجْنُونٌ، وَأَنَّهُمْ قَدْ بَايَعُوا إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ الْمَهْدِيِّ بِالْخِلَافَةِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَأْمُونُ: لَمْ يُبَايِعُوهُ بِالْخِلَافَةِ، وَإِنَّمَا صَيَّرُوهُ أَمِيرًا يَقُومُ بِأَمْرِهِمْ، عَلَى مَا أَخْبَرَهُ بِهِ الْفَضْلُ. فَأَعْلَمَهُ أَنَّ الْفَضْلَ قَدْ كَذِبَهُ، وَأَنَّ الْحَرْبَ قَائِمَةٌ بَيْنَ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَالنَّاسُ يَنْقِمُونَ عَلَيْكَ مَكَانَهُ، وَمَكَانَ أَخِيهِ الْفَضْلِ، وَمَكَانِي، وَمَكَانَ بَيْعَتِكَ لِي مِنْ بَعْدِكَ. فَقَالَ: وَمَنْ يَعْلَمُ هَذَا ؟ قَالَ: يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، وَعَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ وَغَيْرُهُمَا مِنْ وُجُوهِ الْعَسْكَرِ. فَأَمَرَ بِإِدْخَالِهِمْ، فَدَخَلُوا، فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَمَّا أَخْبَرَهُ بِهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُوسَى، وَلَمْ يُخْبِرُوهُ حَتَّى يَجْعَلَ لَهُمُ الْأَمَانَ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ أَنْ لَا يَعْرِضَ إِلَيْهِمْ. فَضَمِنَ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ، وَكَتَبَ لَهُمْ خَطَّهُ بِهِ، فَأَخْبَرُوهُ بِالْبَيْعَةِ لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْمَهْدِيِّ، وَأَنَّ أَهْلَ بَغْدَاذَ قَدْ سَمَّوْهُ الْخَلِيفَةَ السُّنِّيَّ، وَأَنَّهُمْ يَتَّهِمُونَ الْمَأْمُونَ بِالرَّفْضِ؛ لِمَكَانِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى مِنْهُ، وَأَعْلَمُوهُ بِمَا فِيهِ النَّاسُ، وَبِمَا مَوَّهَ عَلَيْهِ الْفَضْلُ مِنْ أَمْرِ هَرْثَمَةَ، وَأَنَّ هَرْثَمَةَ إِنَّمَا جَاءَهُ لِيَنْصَحَهُ، فَقَتَلَهُ الْفَضْلُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَتَدَارَكْ أَمْرَهُ خَرَجَتِ الْخِلَافَةُ مِنْ يَدِهِ، وَأَنَّ طَاهِرَ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ قَدْ أَبْلَى فِي طَاعَتِهِ مَا يَعْلَمُهُ، فَأُخْرِجَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ، وَجُعِلَ فِي زَاوِيَةٍ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ بِالرَّقَّةِ، لَا يُسْتَعَانُ بِهِ فِي شَيْءٍ، حَتَّى ضَعُفَ أَمْرُهُ، وَشَغَبَ عَلَيْهِ جُنْدُهُ، وَأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ بِبَغْدَاذَ لَضَبَطَ الْمُلْكَ، وَأَنَّ الدُّنْيَا قَدْ تَفَتَّقَتْ مِنْ أَقْطَارِهَا، وَسَأَلُوا الْمَأْمُونَ الْخُرُوجَ إِلَى بَغْدَاذَ، فَإِنَّ أَهْلَهَا لَوْ رَأَوْكَ لَأَطَاعُوكَ. فَلَمَّا تَحَقَّقَ ذَلِكَ أَمَرَ بِالرَّحِيلِ، فَعَلِمَ الْفَضْلُ بِالْحَالِ، فَبَغَتَهُمْ حَتَّى ضَرَبَ بَعْضَهُمْ، وَحَبَسَ بَعْضَهُمْ، وَنَتَفَ لِحَى بَعْضِهِمْ، فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُوسَى لِلْمَأْمُونِ فِي أَمْرِهِمْ، فَقَالَ: أَنَا أَدْرِي. ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلَ، فَلَمَّا أَتَى سَرْخَسَ وَثَبَ قَوْمٌ بِالْفَضْلِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ، فَقَتَلُوهُ فِي الْحَمَّامِ، وَكَانَ قَتْلُهُ لِلَيْلَتَيْنِ خَلَتَا مِنْ شَعْبَانَ، وَكَانَ الَّذِينَ قَتَلُوهُ أَرْبَعَةَ نَفَرٍ، أَحَدُهُمْ غَالِبٌ الْمَسْعُودِيُّ الْأَسْوَدُ، وَقُسْطَنْطِينُ الرُّومِيُّ، وَفَرَجٌ الدَّيْلَمِيُّ، وَمُوَفَّقٌ الصَّقْلَبِيُّ، وَكَانَ عُمْرُهُ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً، وَهَرَبُوا، فَجَعَلَ الْمَأْمُونُ لِمَنْ جَاءَ بِهِمْ عَشَرَةَ آلَافِ دِينَارٍ، فَجَاءَ بِهِمُ الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْهَيْثَمِ الدِّينَوَرِيُّ، فَقَالُوا لِلْمَأْمُونِ: أَنْتَ أَمَرْتَنَا بِقَتْلِهِ. فَأَمَرَ بِهِمْ فَضُرِبَتْ رِقَابُهُمْ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ الْمَأْمُونَ لَمَّا سَأَلَهُمْ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ابْنَ أُخْتِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ وَضَعَهُمْ عَلَيْهِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ، فَقَتَلَهُمْ، ثُمَّ أَحْضَرَ عَبْدَ الْعَزِيزِ بْنَ عِمْرَانَ، وَعَلِيًّا ( وَمُوسَى )، وَخَلْقًا، فَسَأَلَهُمْ، فَأَنْكَرُوا أَنْ يَكُونُوا عَلِمُوا بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ مِنْهُمْ، وَقَتَلَهُمْ، وَبَعَثَ بِرُءُوسِهِمْ إِلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ، وَأَعْلَمَهُ مَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمُصِيبَةِ بِقَتْلِ الْفَضْلِ، وَأَنَّهُ قَدْ صَيَّرَهُ مَكَانَهُ، فَوَصَلَهُ الْخَبَرُ فِي رَمَضَانَ. وَرَحَلَ الْمَأْمُونُ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ، فَكَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمَهْدِيِّ، وَعِيسَى، وَغَيْرُهُمَا بِالْمَدَائِنِ، وَكَانَ أَبُو الْبَطِّ وَسَعِيدٌ بِالنِّيلِ يُرَاوِحُونَ الْقِتَالَ وَيُغَادُونَهُ، وَكَانَ الْمُطَّلِبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَدْ عَادَ مِنَ الْمَدَائِنِ، فَاعْتَلَّ بِأَنَّهُ مَرِيضٌ، فَأَتَى بَغْدَاذَ وَجَعَلَ يَدْعُو فِي السِّرِّ إِلَى الْمَأْمُونِ، عَلَى أَنَّ مَنْصُورَ بْنَ الْمَهْدِيِّ ( خَلِيفَةُ الْمَأْمُونِ، وَيَخْلَعُونَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، فَأَجَابَهُ مَنْصُورُ بْنُ الْمَهْدِيِّ )، وَخُزَيْمَةُ بْنُ خَازِمٍ، وَغَيْرُهُمَا مِنَ الْقُوَّادِ، وَكَتَبَ الْمُطَّلِبُ إِلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ هِشَامٍ وَحُمَيْدٍ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَا، فَيَنْزِلَ حُمَيْدٌ نَهْرَ صَرْصَرٍ، وَيَنْزِلَ عَلِيٌّ النَّهْرَوَانَ. فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمَهْدِيِّ بِذَلِكَ عَادَ عَنِ الْمَدَائِنِ نَحْوَ بَغْدَاذَ، فَنَزَلَ زَنْدَوَرْدَ مُنْتَصَفَ صَفَرٍ، وَبَعَثَ إِلَى الْمُطَّلِبِ وَمَنْصُورٍ وَخُزَيْمَةَ يَدْعُوهُمْ، فَاعْتَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ بَعَثَ عِيسَى إِلَيْهِمْ، فَأَمَّا مَنْصُورٌ وَخُزَيْمَةُ فَأَعْطَوْا بِأَيْدِيهِمَا، وَأَمَّا الْمُطَّلِبُ فَمَنَعَهُ مَوَالِيهِ وَأَصْحَابُهُ، فَنَادَى مُنَادِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ: مَنْ أَرَادَ النَّهْبَ فَلْيَأْتِ دَارَ الْمُطَّلِبِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ وَقْتُ الظُّهْرِ وَصَلُوا إِلَى دَارِهِ فَنَهَبُوهَا، وَنَهَبُوا دُورَ أَهْلِهِ، وَلَمْ يَظْفَرُوا بِهِ، وَذَلِكَ لِثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ بَقِيَتْ مِنْ صَفَرٍ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ حُمَيْدًا وَعَلِيَّ بْنَ هِشَامٍ الْخَبَرُ أَخَذَ حُمَيْدٌ الْمَدَائِنَ وَنَزَلَهَا، وَقَطَعَ الْجِسْرَ، وَأَقَامُوا بِهَا، وَنَدِمَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ حَيْثُ صَنَعَ بِالْمُطَّلِبِ مَا صَنَعَ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَظْفَرْ بِهِ.
Translation
✧ Account of al-Maʾmūn's march to Iraq and the killing of Dhū al-Riyāsatayn In this year, al-Maʾmūn marched from Marw to Iraq, and he appointed Ghassān b. ʿUbādah as his deputy over Khurasan. The reason for his march was that ʿAlī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā informed al-Maʾmūn of the discord and fighting among the people since al-Amīn was killed, and of the reports that al-Faḍl b. Sahl had been concealing from him, and that the members of his house and the people had come to resent him for certain things, and that they were saying: he is bewitched, he is mad, and that they had given the oath of allegiance to Ibrāhīm b. al-Mahdī as caliph. Al-Maʾmūn said to him: They have not given him the oath as caliph; rather, they made him a commander who undertakes their affairs, according to what al-Faḍl had informed him. So ʿAlī b. Mūsā informed him that al-Faḍl had lied to him, and that war was ongoing between al-Ḥasan b. Sahl and Ibrāhīm, and that the people resented you because of his position, and the position of his brother al-Faḍl, and my position, and the position of your pledge to me after you. He said: And who knows this? He said: Yaḥyā b. Muʿādh, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. ʿImrān, and others among the notables of the army. So he ordered that they be brought in, and they entered. He asked them about what ʿAlī b. Mūsā had told him, but they did not inform him until he granted them protection from al-Faḍl, that he would not harm them. He guaranteed that for them and wrote his own handwriting to that effect. Then they informed him of the oath of allegiance to Ibrāhīm b. al-Mahdī, and that the people of Baghdād had named him the Sunnī caliph, and that they accused al-Maʾmūn of Shīʿism because of ʿAlī b. Mūsā's standing with him. They also informed him of the people's condition and of how al-Faḍl had deceived him regarding the affair of Harthamah, and that Harthamah had only come to him to give him sincere counsel, but al-Faḍl killed him. They said that if he did not take his matter in hand, the caliphate would slip from his grasp, and that Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn had shown in his obedience what he knows, yet he was removed from all authority and placed in a corner of the land at al-Raqqah, not being sought for help in anything, until his situation weakened and his troops mutinied against him. They said that if he were in Baghdād, he would have kept the kingdom under control, and that the world had been rent from its corners. They asked al-Maʾmūn to go out to Baghdād, for if its people saw you, they would obey you. When that became certain to him, he ordered departure. Al-Faḍl learned of the situation and fell upon them suddenly, striking some of them, imprisoning others, and plucking out the beards of others. ʿAlī b. Mūsā spoke to al-Maʾmūn about their affair, and he said: I know. Then he departed. When he reached Sarkhas, a group fell upon al-Faḍl b. Sahl and killed him in the bathhouse. His killing was on the night of the second of Shaʿbān. Those who killed him were four men: one of them was Ghālib al-Masʿūdī al-Aswad, Qusṭanṭīn al-Rūmī, Faraj al-Daylamī, and Muwaffaq al-Ṣaqlabī. His age was sixty years. They fled, and al-Maʾmūn set a reward of ten thousand dinars for anyone who brought them. Al-ʿAbbās b. al-Haytham al-Dīnawarī brought them. They said to al-Maʾmūn: You commanded us to kill him. So he ordered them and their necks were struck. It was said: When al-Maʾmūn questioned them, some of them said that ʿAlī b. Abī Saʿīd, the nephew of al-Faḍl b. Sahl, had set them upon him, while others denied that. So he killed them. Then he summoned ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. ʿImrān and ʿAlī (and Mūsā) and a host of others, and he questioned them. They denied having any knowledge of that, but he did not accept it from them and killed them. He sent their heads to al-Ḥasan b. Sahl and informed him of the calamity that had befallen him by the killing of al-Faḍl, and that he had placed him in his position. The news reached him in Ramaḍān. Al-Maʾmūn then resumed his journey to Iraq. Ibrāhīm b. al-Mahdī and ʿĪsā and others were at al-Madāʾin, while Abū al-Baṭṭ and Saʿīd were at al-Nīl, alternating fighting and engaging in it morning and evening. Al-Muṭṭalib b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Mālik had returned from al-Madāʾin, pleading illness, and came to Baghdād, where he began secretly calling people to al-Maʾmūn, on the condition that Manṣūr b. al-Mahdī (would be al-Maʾmūn's deputy, and they would depose Ibrāhīm. Manṣūr b. al-Mahdī) responded to him, as did Khuzaymah b. Khāzim and other commanders. Al-Muṭṭalib wrote to ʿAlī b. Hishām and Ḥumayd, ordering them to advance: Ḥumayd was to encamp at Nahr Ṣarṣar, and ʿAlī at al-Nahrawān. When Ibrāhīm b. al-Mahdī learned of that, he returned from al-Madāʾin toward Baghdād and encamped at Zandawrad in mid-Ṣafar. He sent to al-Muṭṭalib, Manṣūr, and Khuzaymah, summoning them, but they made excuses to him. When he saw that, he sent ʿĪsā to them. As for Manṣūr and Khuzaymah, they submitted. As for al-Muṭṭalib, his clients and companions protected him. Then Ibrāhīm's crier proclaimed: Whoever wishes to plunder, let him come to al-Muṭṭalib's house. When it was noon, they reached his house and plundered it and the houses of his family, but they did not seize him. That was on the thirteenth remaining of Ṣafar. When the news reached Ḥumayd and ʿAlī b. Hishām, Ḥumayd took al-Madāʾin and encamped there, cutting the bridge, and they remained there. Ibrāhīm regretted what he had done to al-Muṭṭalib, and then did not seize him.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.