Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3229
The Year 210 AH
ذِكْرُ مَسِيرِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ طَاهِرٍ إِلَى مِصْرَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ سَارَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ طَاهِرٍ ( إِلَى مِصْرَ، وَافْتَتَحَهَا )، وَاسْتَأْمَنَ إِلَيْهِ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ. وَكَانَ سَبَبَ مَسِيرِهِ أَنَّ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ قَدْ كَانَ تَغَلَّبَ عَلَى مِصْرَ، وَخَلَعَ الطَّاعَةَ، وَخَرَجَ جَمْعٌ مِنَ الْأَنْدَلُسِ فَتَغَلَّبُوا عَلَى الْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ، وَاشْتَغَلَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ طَاهِرٍ عَنْهُمْ بِمُحَارَبَةِ نَصْرِ بْنِ شَبَثٍ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْهُ سَارَ نَحْوَ مِصْرَ، فَلَمَّا قَرُبَ مِنْهَا عَلَى مَرْحَلَةٍ قَدَّمَ قَائِدًا مِنْ قُوَّادِهِ إِلَيْهَا لِيَنْظُرَ مَوْضِعًا يُعَسْكِرُ فِيهِ. وَكَانَ ابْنُ السَّرِيِّ قَدْ خَنْدَقَ عَلَى مِصْرَ خَنْدَقًا، فَاتَّصَلَ الْخَبَرُ بِهِ مِنْ وُصُولِ الْقَائِدِ إِلَى مَا قَرُبَ مِنْهُ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ، فَالْتَقَى هُوَ وَالْقَائِدُ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، وَكَانَ الْقَائِدُ فِي قِلَّةٍ، فَجَالَ أَصْحَابُهُ، وَسَيَّرَ بَرِيدًا إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ طَاهِرٍ بِخَبَرِهِ، فَحَمَلَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ الرِّجَالَ عَلَى الْبِغَالِ، وَجَنَّبُوا الْخَيْلَ، وَأَسْرَعُوا السَّيْرَ، فَلَحِقُوا بِالْقَائِدِ وَهُوَ يُقَاتِلُ ابْنَ السَّرِيِّ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ابْنُ السَّرِيِّ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَصْبِرْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ، وَانْهَزَمَ عَنْهُمْ، وَتَسَاقَطَ أَكْثَرُ أَصْحَابِهِ فِي الْخَنْدَقِ، فَمَنْ هَلَكَ مِنْهُمْ بِسُقُوطِ بَعْضِهِمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ كَانَ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّنْ قَتَلَهُ الْجُنْدُ بِالسَّيْفِ. وَدَخَلَ ابْنُ السَّرِيِّ مِصْرَ، وَأَغْلَقَ الْبَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ، وَحَاصَرَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، فَلَمْ يَعُدِ ابْنُ السَّرِيِّ يَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ، وَأَنْفَذَ إِلَيْهِ أَلْفَ وَصَيْفٍ وَوَصِيفَةٍ، مَعَ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ أَلْفُ دِينَارٍ، فَسَيَّرَهُمْ لَيْلًا، فَرَدَّهُمُ ابْنُ طَاهِرٍ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: لَوْ قَبِلْتُ هَدِيَّتَكَ نَهَارًا لَقَبِلْتُهَا لَيْلًا بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُمْ بِجُنُودٍ لَا قِبَلَ لَهُمْ بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُمْ مِنْهَا أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ. قَالَ: فَحِينَئِذٍ طَلَبَ الْأَمَانَ. وَقِيلَ: كَانَ سَنَةَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ. وَذَكَرَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ عَنْ أَبِي السَّمْرَاءِ قَالَ: خَرَجْنَا مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ طَاهِرٍ إِلَى مِصْرَ، حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بَيْنَ الرَّمْلَةِ وَدِمَشْقَ إِذْ نَحْنُ بِأَعْرَابِيٍّ قَدِ اعْتَرَضَ، فَإِذَا شَيْخٌ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ لَهُ، فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْنَا، فَرَدَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامَ، قَالَ: وَكُنْتُ أَنَا وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّافِقِيُّ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ أَبِي رِبْعِيٍّ، وَنَحْنُ نُسَايِرُ الْأَمِيرَ، وَكُنَّا أَفْرَهَ مِنْهُ دَابَّةً، وَأَجُودَ كُسْوَةً، قَالَ: فَجَعَلَ الْأَعْرَابِيُّ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى وُجُوهِنَا، قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ: يَا شَيْخُ، قَدْ أَلْحَحْتَ فِي النَّظَرِ، أَعَرَفْتَ شَيْئًا أَنْكَرْتَهُ ؟ قَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ، مَا عَرَفْتُكُمْ قَبْلَ يَوْمِي هَذَا، وَلَكِنِّي رَجُلٌ حَسَنُ الْفِرَاسَةِ فِي النَّاسِ. قَالَ: فَأَشَرْتُ إِلَى إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ أَبِي رِبْعِيٍّ، وَقُلْتُ: مَا تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا ؟ فَقَالَ: أَرَى كَاتِبًا دَاهِي الْكِتَابَةِ بَيِّنٌ عَلَيْهِ، وَتَأْدِيبُ الْعِرَاقِ مُنِيرُ لَهُ حَرَكَاتٌ قَدْ يُشَاهِدْنَ أَنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِتَقْسِيطِ الْخَرَاجِ بَصِيرُ وَنَظَرَ إِلَى إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّافِقِيِّ فَقَالَ: وَمُظْهِرُ نُسْكٍ مَا عَلَيْهِ ضَمِيرُهُ يُحِبُّ الْهَدَايَا، بِالرِّجَالِ مَكُورُ إِخَالُ بِهِ جُبْنًا وَبُخْلًا وَشِيمَةً تُخْبِرُ عَنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَوَزِيرُ ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ وَقَالَ: وَهَذَا نَدِيمٌ لِلْأَمِيرِ وَمُؤْنِسٌ يَكُونُ لَهُ بِالْقُرْبِ مِنْهُ سُرُورُ وَأَحْسَبُهُ لِلشِّعْرِ وَالْعِلْمِ رَاوِيًا فَبَعْضُ نَدِيمٍ مَرَّةً وَسَمِيرُ ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَى الْأَمِيرِ وَقَالَ: وَهَذَا الْأَمِيرُ الْمُرْتَجَى سَيْبُ كَفِّهِ فَمَا إِنْ لَهُ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ نَظِيرُ عَلَيْهِ رِدَاءٌ مِنْ جَمَالٍ وَهَيْبَةٍ وَوَجْهٌ بِإِدْرَاكِ النَّجَاحِ بَشِيرُ لَقَدْ عَظُمَ الْإِسْلَامُ مِنْهُ بِذِي يَدٍ فَقَدْ عَاشَ مَعْرُوفٌ وَمَاتَ نَكِيرُ أَلَا إِنَّمَا عَبْدُ الْإِلَهِ ابْنُ طَاهِرٍ لَنَا وَالِدٌ بَرٌّ بِنَا، وَأَمِيرُ قَالَ: فَوَقَعَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَحْسَنَ مَوْقِعٍ، وَأَعْجَبَهُ، وَأَمَرَ لِلشَّيْخِ بِخَمْسِمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَصْحَبَهُ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the march of ʿAbd Allāh b. Ṭāhir to Miṣr In this year ʿAbd Allāh b. Ṭāhir marched to Miṣr and conquered it, and ʿUbayd Allāh b. al-Sarī sought amnesty from him. The reason for his march was that ʿUbayd Allāh had taken control of Miṣr, renounced obedience, and a group from al-Andalus had come out and taken control of Alexandria. ʿAbd Allāh b. Ṭāhir was occupied with fighting Naṣr b. Shabath, so when he finished with him, he marched toward Miṣr. When he drew near it, at one stage away, he sent ahead one of his commanders to look for a place to encamp. Ibn al-Sarī had dug a trench around Miṣr. News reached him that the commander had arrived near it, so he went out to meet him with his companions. He and the commander met and fought a fierce battle. The commander was few in number, so his companions wheeled about, and he dispatched a messenger to ʿAbd Allāh b. Ṭāhir with news of his situation. ʿAbd Allāh loaded the men on mules, led the horses, and hastened the march. They caught up with the commander while he was fighting Ibn al-Sarī. When Ibn al-Sarī saw that, he could not hold his ground before them and fled from them, and most of his companions fell into the trench. Those of them who perished by falling one upon another were more than those whom the troops killed with the sword. Ibn al-Sarī entered Miṣr and shut the gate upon himself and his companions. ʿAbd Allāh besieged him, and Ibn al-Sarī no longer came out to him. He sent to him a thousand slave boys and slave girls, each of them with a thousand dinars, and he dispatched them at night. Ibn Ṭāhir returned them and wrote to him: “Had I accepted your gift by day, I would have accepted it by night. Nay, you rejoice in your gift. Return to them, for we shall surely come to them with forces they have no power to withstand, and we shall surely drive them out from it abased and utterly humiliated.” He said: Then and there he sought amnesty. It is said: It was in the year 211. Aḥmad b. Ḥafṣ mentioned from Abū al-Samrāʾ, who said: We went out with ʿAbd Allāh b. Ṭāhir to Miṣr, until when we were between al-Ramlah and Damascus, behold, a bedouin intercepted us—an old man on a camel of his. He greeted us, and we returned the greeting. He said: I, Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm al-Rāfiqī, and Isḥāq b. Abī Ribʿī were riding alongside the amir, and we were better mounted and better dressed than him. He said: The bedouin began looking at our faces. He said: I said, “Old man, you have persisted in staring. Do you recognize something you disapprove of?” He said, “No, by God, I have not known you before this day, but I am a man of good physiognomy among people.” He said: I pointed to Isḥāq b. Abī Ribʿī and said, “What do you say about this one?” He said: I see a writer, shrewd in writing, it is plain upon him, and the refinement of Iraq is radiant. He has movements that testify that he is knowing in the apportioning of the land tax, discerning. Then he looked at Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm al-Rāfiqī and said: A displayer of piety whose inner self is not upon it, he loves gifts, a deceiver of men. I perceive in him cowardice and stinginess, and a disposition that tells of him that he is a wezir. Then he looked at me and said: This one is a boon companion of the amir and a familiar, he will have joy in being near him. And I reckon him a narrator of poetry and learning, a part-time companion and a nightly converser. Then he looked at the amir and said: This is the amir whose hand’s bounty is hoped for, for he has no equal among the worlds. Upon him is a cloak of beauty and awe, and a face that gives good tidings of attaining success. Islam has become mighty through him, with a hand such that good has lived and evil has died. Behold, ʿAbd al-Ilāh b. Ṭāhir is only a father, kindly to us, and an amir. He said: That made the best impression on ʿAbd Allāh and pleased him, and he ordered five hundred dinars for the old man and told him to accompany him.
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No grade is recorded for this wording.