Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3368
The Year 247 AH
ذِكْرُ وِلَايَةِ خَفَاجَةَ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ صِقِلِّيَّةَ وَابْنِهِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَغَزَوَاتِهِمَا قَدْ ذَكَرْنَا سَنَةَ سِتٍّ وَثَلَاثِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ صِقِلِّيَّةَ الْعَبَّاسَ تُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ، فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ وَلَّى النَّاسُ عَلَيْهِمُ ابْنَهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الْعَبَّاسِ، وَكَتَبُوا إِلَى الْأَمِيرِ بِإِفْرِيقِيَّةَ بِذَلِكَ، وَأَخْرَجَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ السَّرَايَا، فَفَتَحَ قِلَاعًا ( مُتَعَدِّدَةً ) مِنْهَا: جَبَلُ أَبِي مَالِكٍ وَقَلْعَةُ الْأَرْمَنِيِّينَ وَقَلْعَةُ الْمَشَارِعَةِ، فَبَقِيَ كَذَلِكَ خَمْسَةَ أَشْهُرٍ. وَوَصَلَ مِنْ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ خَفَاجَةُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ أَمِيرًا عَلَى صِقِلِّيَّةَ، فَوَصَلَ فِي جُمَادَى الْأُولَى سَنَةَ ثَمَانٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ، فَأَوَّلُ سَرِيَّةٍ أَخْرَجَهَا سَرِيَّةٌ فِيهَا وَلَدُهُ مَحْمُودٌ، فَقَصَدَ سَرْقُوسَةَ فَغَنِمَ، وَخَرَّبَ وَأَحْرَقَ، وَخَرَجُوا إِلَيْهِ فَقَاتَلَهُمْ فَظَفِرَ، وَعَادَ، فَاسْتَأْمَنَ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ رَغُوسَ. ( وَقَدْ جَاءَ سَنَةَ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَخَمْسِينَ أَنَّ أَهْلَ رَغُوسَ اسْتَأْمَنُوا فِيهَا، عَلَى مَا نَذْكُرُهُ، وَلَا نَعْلَمُ أَهَذَا اخْتِلَافٌ مِنَ الْمُؤَرِّخِينَ، أَمْ هُمَا غَزَاتَانِ، وَيَكُونُ أَهْلُهَا قَدْ غَدَرُوا بَعْدَ هَذِهِ الدُّفْعَةِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ ). وَفِي سَنَةِ خَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ فُتِحَتْ مَدِينَةُ نُوطَسَ، وَسَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ بَعْضَ أَهْلِهَا أَخْبَرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِمَوْضِعٍ دَخَلُوا مِنْهُ إِلَى الْبَلَدِ فِي الْمُحَرَّمِ، فَغَنِمُوا مِنْهَا أَمْوَالًا جَلِيلَةً، ثُمَّ فَتَحُوا شَكْلَةَ بَعْدَ حِصَارٍ. وَفِي سَنَةِ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ سَارَ خَفَاجَةُ إِلَى سَرْقُوسَةَ، ثُمَّ إِلَى جَبَلِ النَّارِ، فَأَتَاهُ ( رُسُلُ ) أَهْلِ طَبَرْمِينَ يَطْلُبُونَ الْأَمَانَ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمُ امْرَأَتَهُ وَوَلَدَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، ( فَتَمَّ الْأَمْرُ )، ثُمَّ غَدَرُوا، فَأَرْسَلَ خَفَاجَةُ مُحَمَّدًا فِي جَيْشٍ إِلَيْهَا، فَفَتَحَهَا وَسَبَى أَهْلَهَا. ( وَفِيهَا أَيْضًا سَارَ خَفَاجَةُ إِلَى رَغُوسَ، فَطَلَبَ أَهْلُهَا الْأَمَانَ لِيُطْلِقَ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ، وَدَوَابِّهِمْ، وَيَغْنَمَ الْبَاقِيَ، فَفَعَلَ وَأَخَذَ جَمِيعَ مَا فِي الْحِصْنِ مِنْ مَالٍ، وَرَقِيقٍ، وَدَوَابَّ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَهَادَنَهُ أَهْلُ الْغَيْرَانِ وَغَيْرُهُمْ، وَافْتَتَحَ حُصُونًا كَثِيرَةً، ثُمَّ مَرِضَ، فَعَادَ إِلَى بَلَرْمَ. وَفِي سَنَةِ ثَلَاثٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ سَارَ خَفَاجَةُ مِنْ بَلَرْمَ إِلَى مَدِينَةِ سَرْقُوسَةَ وَقَطَانِيَّةَ، وَخَرَّبَ بِلَادَهَا، وَأَهْلَكَ زُرُوعَهَا، وَعَادَ وَسَارَتْ سَرَايَاهُ إِلَى أَرْضِ صِقِلِّيَّةَ، فَغَنِمُوا غَنَائِمَ كَثِيرَةً. وَفِي سَنَةِ أَرْبَعٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ سَارَ خَفَاجَةُ فِي الْعِشْرِينَ مِنْ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ، وَسَيَّرَ ابْنَهُ مُحَمَّدًا عَلَى الْحَرَّاقَاتِ، وَسَيَّرَ سَرِيَّةً إِلَى سَرْقُوسَةَ فَغَنِمُوا، وَأَتَاهُمُ الْخَبَرُ أَنَّ بِطْرِيقًا قَدْ سَارَ مِنَ الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ فِي جَمْعٍ كَثِيرٍ، فَوَصَلَ إِلَى صِقِلِّيَّةَ، فَلَقِيَهُ جَمْعٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا فَانْهَزَمَ الرُّومُ، وَقُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَغَنِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْهُمْ غَنَائِمَ كَثِيرَةً، وَرَحَلَ خَفَاجَةُ إِلَى سَرْقُوسَةَ، فَأَفْسَدَ زَرْعَهَا، وَغَنِمَ مِنْهَا، وَعَادَ إِلَى بَلَرْمَ، وَسَيَّرَ ابْنَهُ مُحَمَّدًا فِي الْبَحْرِ، مُسْتَهَلَّ رَجَبٍ، إِلَى مَدِينَةِ غَيْطَةٍ، فَحَصَرَهَا، وَبَثَّ الْعَسَاكِرَ فِي نَوَاحِيهَا، فَغَنِمَ وَشَحَنَ مَرَاكِبَهُ بِالْغَنَائِمِ، وَانْصَرَفَ إِلَى بَلَرْمَ فِي شَوَّالَ. وَفِي سَنَةِ خَمْسٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ سَيَّرَ خَفَاجَةُ ابْنَهُ مُحَمَّدًا إِلَى مَدِينَةِ طَبْرَمِينَ، وَهِيَ مِنْ أَحْسَنِ مُدُنِ صِقِلِّيَّةَ، فَسَارَ فِي صَفَرَ إِلَيْهَا، وَكَانَ قَدْ أَتَاهُمْ مَنْ وَعَدَهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُمْ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ طَرِيقٍ يَعْرِفُهُ، فَسَيَّرَهُ مَعَ وَلَدِهِ، فَلَمَّا قَرُبُوا مِنْهَا تَأَخَّرَ مُحَمَّدٌ، وَتَقَدَّمَ بَعْضُ عَسْكَرِهِ رَجَّالَةً مَعَ الدَّلِيلِ، فَأَدْخَلَهُمُ الْمَدِينَةَ، وَمَلَكُوا بَابَهَا وَسُورَهَا، وَشَرَعُوا فِي السَّبْيِ وَالْغَنَائِمِ، وَتَأَخَّرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَفَاجَةَ فِيمَنْ مَعَهُمْ مِنَ الْعَسْكَرِ عَنِ الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي وَعَدَهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَأْتِيهِمْ فِيهِ، فَلَمَّا تَأَخَّرَ عَنْهُمْ ظَنُّوا أَنَّ الْعَدُوَّ قَدْ أَوْقَعَ بِهِمْ فَمَنَعَهُمْ مِنَ السَّبْيِ، فَخَرَجُوا عَنْهَا مُنْهَزِمِينَ، وَوَصَلَ مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَى بَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْعَسْكَرِ، فَرَأَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ قَدْ خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا، فَعَادَ رَاجِعًا. وَفِيهَا فِي رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ خَرَجَ خَفَاجَةُ وَسَارَ إِلَى مَرَسَةَ، وَسَيَّرَ ابْنَهُ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ إِلَى سَرْقُوسَةَ، فَلَقِيَهُ الْعَدُوُّ فِي جَمْعٍ كَثِيرٍ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا، فَوَهَنَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ، وَقُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ، وَرَجَعُوا ( إِلَى خَفَاجَةَ )، فَسَارَ إِلَى سَرْقُوسَةَ، فَحَصَرَهَا، ( وَأَقَامَ عَلَيْهَا، وَضَيَّقَ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا، وَأَفْسَدَ بِلَادَهَا، وَأَهْلَكَ زَرْعَهُمْ، وَعَادَ عَنْهَا يُرِيدُ بَلَرْمَ، فَنَزَلَ بِوَادِي الطِّينِ وَسَارَ مِنْهُ لَيْلًا، فَاغْتَالَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ عَسْكَرِهِ، فَطَعَنَهُ طَعْنَةً فَقَتَلَهُ، وَذَلِكَ مُسْتَهَلَّ رَجَبٍ )، وَهَرَبَ الَّذِي قَتَلَهُ إِلَى سَرْقُوسَةَ، وَحُمِلَ خَفَاجَةُ إِلَى بَلَرْمَ، فَدُفِنَ بِهَا. وَوَلَّى النَّاسُ عَلَيْهِمُ ابْنَهُ مُحَمَّدًا وَكَتَبُوا بِذَلِكَ إِلَى الْأَمِيرِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ، أَمِيرِ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، فَأَقَرَّهُ عَلَى الْوِلَايَةِ، وَسَيَّرَ لَهُ الْعَهْدَ وَالْخِلَعَ. ذِكْرُ وِلَايَةِ ابْنِهِ مُحَمَّدٍ لَمَّا قُتِلَ خَفَاجَةُ اسْتَعْمَلَ النَّاسُ ابْنَهُ مُحَمَّدًا، وَأَقَرَّهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ ( بْنِ الْأَغْلَبِ )، صَاحِبُ الْقَيْرَوَانِ، عَلَى وِلَايَتِهِ، فَسَيَّرَ جَيْشًا فِي سَنَةِ سِتٍّ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ إِلَى مَالِطَةَ، وَكَانَ الرُّومُ يُحَاصِرُونَهَا، فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الرُّومُ بِمَسِيرِهِمْ رَحَلُوا عَنْهَا. ( وَفِي سَنَةِ سَبْعٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ ) فِي رَجَبٍ قُتِلَ الْأَمِيرُ مُحَمَّدٌ، قَتَلَهُ خَدَمُهُ الْخِصْيَانُ، وَهَرَبُوا، فَطَلَبَهُمُ النَّاسُ، فَأَدْرَكُوهُمْ، فَقَتَلُوهُمْ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the governorship of Khafājah b. Sufyān over Sicily, and of his son Muḥammad, and their military expeditions We have already mentioned in the year 236 that the governor of Sicily, al-ʿAbbās, died in the year 247. When he died, the people appointed his son ʿAbd Allāh b. al-ʿAbbās over themselves, and they wrote to the amir in Ifrīqiyah about that. ʿAbd Allāh dispatched raiding parties, and conquered several fortresses, among them Jabal Abī Mālik, Qalʿat al-Armaniyyīn, and Qalʿat al-Mashāriʿah. He remained thus for five months. Then Khafājah b. Sufyān arrived from Ifrīqiyah as governor of Sicily, reaching it in Jumādā al-Ūlā of the year 248. The first raiding party he dispatched included his son Maḥmūd. He headed for Sarqūsah (Syracuse), gained booty, destroyed and burned. They came out against him and he fought them and prevailed, then returned. The people of Raghūs then sought safe-conduct from him. (It is reported in the year 252 that the people of Raghūs sought safe-conduct then, as we shall mention. We do not know whether this is a discrepancy among historians, or whether they are two expeditions, and its people may have broken their covenant after this first occasion. And God knows best.) In the year 250, the city of Nūṭas was conquered. The reason for this is that some of its inhabitants informed the Muslims of a place through which they entered the town in Muḥarram, and they gained from it considerable wealth. Then they conquered Shaklah after a siege. In the year 252, Khafājah marched to Sarqūsah, then to Jabal al-Nār. Envoys of the people of Ṭabarmīn came to him seeking safe-conduct, so he sent his wife and son to them for that purpose, and the matter was concluded. Then they broke their pledge, so Khafājah sent Muḥammad with an army against it, and he conquered it and took its people captive. (In that same year, Khafājah also marched to Raghūs. Its people sought safe-conduct on condition that he release one of their men with their wealth and mounts, and he would take the rest as booty. He did so, and took all that was in the fortress of money, slaves, mounts, and other things. The people of al-Ghayrān and others made a truce with him, and he conquered many fortresses. Then he fell ill and returned to Balarm.) In the year 253, Khafājah marched from Balarm to the cities of Sarqūsah and Qaṭāniyah, devastated their lands, destroyed their crops, and returned. His raiding parties went out into the land of Sicily and gained abundant booty. In the year 254, Khafājah set out on the twentieth of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, and dispatched his son Muḥammad with the fireships. He sent a raiding party to Sarqūsah, and they gained booty. News reached them that a patrician had set out from Constantinople with a large force and arrived in Sicily. A group of Muslims met him, and they fought a fierce battle. The Byzantines were defeated, many of them were killed, and the Muslims gained abundant booty from them. Khafājah then departed for Sarqūsah, destroyed its crops, gained booty from it, and returned to Balarm. He sent his son Muḥammad by sea at the beginning of Rajab to the city of Ghayṭah. He besieged it, spread his troops through its environs, gained booty, loaded his ships with spoils, and departed for Balarm in Shawwāl. In the year 255, Khafājah sent his son Muḥammad to the city of Ṭabarmīn, which is one of the finest cities of Sicily. He marched to it in Ṣafar. Someone had come to them promising to lead them into it by a path he knew, so Khafājah sent him along with his son. When they drew near, Muḥammad held back, while some of his troops advanced on foot with the guide. He led them into the city, and they seized its gate and wall, and began taking captives and booty. But Muḥammad b. Khafājah delayed with the rest of the army beyond the time he had promised to join them. When he was delayed, they thought the enemy had fallen upon him and prevented them from taking captives, so they withdrew from the city in defeat. Muḥammad reached the city gate with those troops who were with him, saw that the Muslims had already come out, and turned back. In that year, in Rabīʿ al-Awwal, Khafājah set out and marched to Marsā, and sent his son with a large force to Sarqūsah. The enemy met him with a great host, and they fought. The Muslims wavered, some of them were killed, and they retreated to Khafājah. He then marched to Sarqūsah and besieged it, remained there, pressed its inhabitants hard, ravaged their lands, destroyed their crops, and then departed, intending Balarm. He encamped at Wādī al-Ṭīn and set out from there at night. A man from his own army ambushed him and stabbed him with a fatal blow, killing him, at the beginning of Rajab. The killer fled to Sarqūsah. Khafājah was carried to Balarm and buried there. The people then appointed his son Muḥammad over themselves, and wrote of that to the amir Muḥammad b. Aḥmad, the amir of Ifrīqiyah. He confirmed him in the governorship and sent him the deed of appointment and robes of honor. Mention of the governorship of his son Muḥammad When Khafājah was killed, the people appointed his son Muḥammad as governor, and Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. al-Aghlab, the ruler of al-Qayrawān, confirmed him in his office. In the year 256, he dispatched an army to Māliṭah, which the Byzantines were besieging. When the Byzantines heard of their advance, they withdrew from it. In the year 257, in Rajab, the amir Muḥammad was killed. His eunuch servants killed him and fled. The people pursued them, overtook them, and killed them.
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