Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3419
The Year 255 AH
خِلَافَةُ الْمُهْتَدِي بِاللَّهِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْوَاثِقِ هَارُونَ بْنِ الْمُعْتَصِمِ وَأُمُّهُ رُومِيَّةٌ، وَكَانَتْ تُسَمَّى قُرْبَ كَانَ أَسْمَرَ رَقِيقًا أَجْلَى، رَحْبَ الْوَجْهِ، حَسَنَ اللِّحْيَةِ، أَشْهَلَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ، عَظِيمَ الْبَطْنِ، عَرِيضَ الْمَنْكِبَيْنِ، قَصِيرًا، طَوِيلَ اللِّحْيَةِ، أَشْيَبَ. وُلِدَ فِي خِلَافَةِ جَدِّهِ سَنَةَ بِضْعَ عَشْرَةَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ. وَكَانَتْ بَيْعَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ لِلَّيْلَةِ بَقِيَتْ مِنْ رَجَبٍ مِنْ سنة خمس وخمسين ومائتين بَعْدَ خَلْعِ الْمُعْتَزِّ نَفْسَهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَإِشْهَادِهِ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِأَنَّهُ عَاجِزٌ عَنِ الْقِيَامِ بِأَمْرِ الْخِلَافَةِ، وَأَنَّهُ قَدْ رَغِبَ إِلَى مَنْ يَقُومُ بِأَعْبَائِهَا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْوَاثِقِ بِاللَّهِ. ثُمَّ مَدَّ يَدَهُ فَبَايَعَهُ قَبْلَ النَّاسِ كُلِّهِمْ، ثُمَّ بَايَعَهُ الْخَاصَّةُ ثُمَّ كَانَتْ بَيْعَةُ الْعَامَّةِ وَكُتِبَ عَلَى الْمُعْتَزِّ كِتَابٌ أُشْهِدَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ بِالْخَلْعِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْمُبَايَعَةِ لِلْمُهْتَدِي. وَدُعِيَ لِلْمُهْتَدِي يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ وَلَمْ يُدْعَ لَهُ بِبَغْدَادَ حَتَّى قُتِلَ الْمُعْتَزُّ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ لِيَوْمَيْنِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ. وَكَانَ الْمُهْتَدِي مِنْ أَحْسَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ مَذْهَبًا، وَأَجْمَلِهِمْ طَرِيقَةً، وَأَظْهَرِهِمْ وَرَعًا، وَأَكْثَرِهِمْ عِبَادَةً، وَأَسْنَدَ الْحَدِيثَ. فعن الْمُهْتَدِي بِاللَّهِ بسنده عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا لَنَا فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ ؟ قَالَ: "لِيَ النُّبُوَّةُ وَلَكُمُ الْخِلَافَةُ، بِكُمْ يُفْتَحُ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ، وَبِكُمْ يُخْتَمُ". قَالَ: وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لِلْعَبَّاسِ: "مَنْ أَحَبَّكَ نَالَتْهُ شَفَاعَتِي وَمَنْ أَبْغَضَكَ فَلَا نَالَتْهُ شَفَاعَتِي". طرف من سيرته وأحواله طَرَفٍ مِنْ سِيرَتِهِ [وَأَحْوَالِهِ فعن الْمُعَافَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي بَعْضُ الشُّيُوخِ -مِمَّنْ شَاهَدَ جَمَاعَةً مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَخَالَطَ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الرُّؤَسَاءِ- أَنَّ هَاشِمَ بْنَ الْقَاسِمِ الْهَاشِمِيَّ قَالَ: كُنْتُ جَالِسًا بِحَضْرَةِ الْمُهْتَدِي عَشِيَّةً مِنَ الْعَشَايَا، فَلَمَّا كَادَتِ الشَّمْسُ تَغْرُبُ وَثَبْتُ لِأَنْصَرِفَ، وَذَلِكَ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ، فَقَالَ لِي: اجْلِسْ. فَجَلَسْتُ فَأَذَّنَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ، وَأَقَامَ [فَتَقَدَّمَ] وَصَلَّى الْمُهْتَدِي بِنَا، ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَرَكَعْنَا. وَدَعَا بِالطَّعَامِ، فَأُحْضِرَ طَبَقُ خِلَافٍ، عَلَيْهِ رَغِيفٌ مِنَ الْخُبْزِ النَّقِيِّ، وَفِيهِ آنِيَةٌ فِي بَعْضِهَا مِلْحٌ، وَفِي بَعْضِهَا خَلٌّ، وَفِي بَعْضِهَا زَيْتٌ، فَدَعَانِي إِلَى الْأَكْلِ فَابْتَدَأْتُ آكُلُ مُعْذَرًا، ظَانًّا أَنَّهُ سَيُؤْتَى بِطَعَامٍ لَهُ نِيقَةٌ، وَفِيهِ سَعَةٌ. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ وَقَالَ: أَلَمْ تَكُنْ صَائِمًا؟ قُلْتُ: بَلَى. قَالَ: أَفْلَسْتَ عَازِمًا عَلَى صَوْمِ غَدٍ؟ قُلْتُ: كَيْفَ لَا وَهُوَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ؟ فَقَالَ: كُلْ وَاسْتَوْفِ غَدَاءَكَ، فَلَيْسَ هَا هُنَا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ غَيْرُ مَا تَرَى. فَعَجِبْتُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ: [وَاللَّهِ لَأُخَاطِبَنَّهُ فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى، فَقُلْتُ:] وَلِمَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَقَدْ أَسْبَغَ اللَّهُ نِعْمَتَهُ، وَبَسَطَ قُدْرَتَهُ وَرِزْقَهُ؟ فَقَالَ: [إِنَّ] الْأَمْرَ لَعَلَى مَا وَصَفْتَ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلَكِنِّي فَكَّرْتُ فِي أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ عُمْرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، وَكَانَ مِنَ التَّقَلُّلِ وَالتَّقَشُّفِ عَلَى مَا بَلَغَكَ، فَغِرْتُ عَلَى بَنِي هَاشِمٍ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ فِي خُلَفَائِهِمْ مِثْلُهُ، فَأَخَذْتُ نَفْسِي بِمَا رَأَيْتَ. وعن إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَرَفَةَ، وَذَكَرَ الْمُهْتَدِيَ فَقَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي بَعْضُ الْهَاشِمِيِّينَ أَنَّهُ وُجِدَ لَهُ سِفْطٌ فِيهِ جُبَّةُ صُوفٍ، وَكِسَاءٌ، وَبُرْنُسٌ كَانَ يَلْبَسُهُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَيُصَلِّي فِيهِ، وَيَقُولُ: أَمَا يَسْتَحِي بَنُو الْعَبَّاسِ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ فِيهِمْ مِثْلُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ؟! أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَدِ اطَّرَحَ الْمَلَاهِيَ، [وَحَرَّمَ] الْغِنَاءَ وَالشُّرْبَ، وَحَسَمَ أَصْحَابَ السُّلْطَانِ عَنِ الظُّلْمِ، وَكَانَ شَدِيدَ الْإِشْرَافِ عَلَى أَمْرِ الدَّوَاوِينِ وَالْخَرَاجِ، فَحَبَسَ نَفْسَهُ فِي الْحِسْبَانَاتِ لَا يَخْلُ بِالْجُلُوسِ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ [وَالْكُتَّابُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ]. وعن أَبُو بِشْرٍ الدُّولَابِيُّ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو مُوسَى الْعَبَّاسِيُّ قَالَ: لَمْ يَزَلِ الْمُهْتَدِي صَائِمًا مُنْذُ جَلَسَ لِلْخِلَافَةِ إِلَى أَنْ قُتِلَ. وعن مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْقَرَارِيطِيُّ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي عَمِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْإِسْكَافِيُّ قَالَ: حَضَرْتُ مَجْلِسَ الْمُهْتَدِي بِاللَّهِ، وَقَدْ جَلَسَ لِلْمَظَالِمِ، فَاسْتَعْدَاهُ رَجُلٌ عَلَى ابْنٍ لَهُ، فَأَمَرَ بِإِحْضَارِهِ، فَأُحْضِرَ وَأَقَامَهُ إِلَى جَنْبِ الرَّجُلِ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَمَّا ادَّعَاهُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَقَرَّ بِهِ، فَأَمَرَهُ بِالْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَقِّهِ، فَكَتَبَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ كِتَابًا، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ: وَاللَّهِ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا أَنْتَ إِلَّا كَمَا قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ: حَكَّمْتُمُوهُ فَقَضَى بَيْنَكُمُ أَبْلَجُ مِثْلُ الْقَمَرِ الزَّاهِرِ لَا يَقْبَلُ الرِّشْوَةَ فِي حُكْمِهِ وَلَا يُبَالِي غَبْنَ الْخَاسِرِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُهْتَدِي: أَمَّا أَنْتَ أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ فَجَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا، وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَمَا جَلَسْتُ هَذَا الْمَجْلِسَ حَتَّى قَرَأْتُ فِي الْمُصْحَفِ وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ [21: 47] فَمَا رَأَيْتُ بَاكِيًا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ بُكَائِهِ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ [تَعْظِيمُ الْمُهْتَدِي لِلْإِمَامِ أَحْمَدَ ] وَقَالَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ: (ذَاكَرْتُ الْمُهْتَدِيَ بِشَيْءٍ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: كَانَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ يَقُولُ بِهِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ كَانَ يُخَالِفُ - أُشِيرُ إِلَى مَنْ مَضَى مِنْ آبَائِهِ - فَقَالَ: رَحِمَ اللَّهُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ حَنْبَلٍ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ جَازَ لِي أَنْ أَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْ أَبِي... لَتَبَرَّأْتُ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي: تَكَلَّمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَقُلْ بِهِ فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْحَقِّ فَيَنْبُلُ فِي عَيْنِي ). وَاسْتَقَرَّتِ الْخِلَافَةُ لِلْمُهْتَدِي بِاللَّهِ وَكَانَ - وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ - خَلِيفَةً صَالِحًا. قَالَ يَوْمًا لِلْأُمَرَاءِ: إِنِّي لَيْسَتْ لِي أُمٌّ لَهَا مِنَ الْغَلَّاتِ مَا يُقَاوِمُ عَشَرَةَ آلَافِ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ، وَلَسْتُ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْقُوتَ فَقَطْ، وَلَا أُرِيدُ فَضْلًا عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِلَّا لِإِخْوَتِي فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْحَاجَةُ.
Translation
✧ The Caliphate of al-Muhtadī bi-Allāh Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad b. al-Wāthiq Hārūn b. al-Muʿtaṣim His mother was a Byzantine (Rūmiyya), and she was called Qurb. He was brown-skinned, slender, with a broad face, a handsome beard, bluish-grey eyes (ashhal al-ʿaynayn), a large belly, broad shoulders, short in stature, long-bearded, and grey-haired. He was born in the caliphate of his grandfather in the year two hundred and ten-something (AH). His oath of allegiance took place on Wednesday, one night remaining of Rajab, in the year two hundred and fifty-five AH, after al-Muʿtazz removed himself before him and gave testimony against himself that he was incapable of undertaking the matter of the caliphate, and that he desired to entrust its burdens to Muḥammad b. al-Wāthiq bi-Allāh. Then he extended his hand and pledged allegiance to him before all the people, then the elite pledged allegiance to him, then came the pledge of the common people. A document was written against al-Muʿtazz, witnessed by him, containing his abdication, his incapacity, and his allegiance to al-Muhtadī. Al-Muhtadī was proclaimed on Friday, the first day of Shaʿbān, but he was not proclaimed in Baghdad until al-Muʿtazz was killed on Saturday, two days into Shaʿbān. Al-Muhtadī was among the best of the caliphs in conduct, the most excellent in manner, the most manifest in piety, the most devoted in worship, and he transmitted hadith. It is reported from al-Muhtadī bi-Allāh, with his chain of transmission, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: Al-ʿAbbās said: "O Messenger of Allah, is there nothing for us in this matter?" He said: "To me belongs prophethood and to you belongs the caliphate. Through you this matter is opened, and through you it is sealed." He said: And the Prophet ﷺ said to al-ʿAbbās: "Whoever loves you, my intercession will reach him; and whoever hates you, my intercession will not reach him." A glimpse of his biography and circumstances A glimpse of his biography and circumstances It is reported from al-Muʿāfā b. Zakariyyā, who said: One of the elders—among those who had witnessed a group of the scholars and mixed with many of the leaders—told me that Hāshim b. al-Qāsim al-Hāshimī said: I was sitting in the presence of al-Muhtadī one evening, and when the sun was about to set I rose to leave, and that was in the month of Ramaḍān. He said to me: "Sit." So I sat. The muezzin gave the call to prayer and the iqāma, and he stepped forward and al-Muhtadī led us in prayer. Then he bowed and we bowed. He called for food, and a tray of palm leaves was brought, on it a loaf of fine bread, and on it vessels, in some of which was salt, in some vinegar, and in some oil. He invited me to eat, and I began to eat hesitantly, thinking that food of fine quality and abundance would be brought. He looked at me and said: "Were you not fasting?" I said: "Yes." He said: "Are you not resolved to fast tomorrow?" I said: "How could I not, when it is the month of Ramaḍān?" He said: "Eat and complete your meal, for there is no food here other than what you see." I was amazed at his words, then I said: "By Allah, I will address him on this matter." I said: "Why, O Commander of the Faithful, when Allah has bestowed His blessings abundantly, and extended His power and provision?" He said: "The matter is as you described, praise be to Allah, but I reflected that among the Banū Umayya there was ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, and he was, in frugality and austerity, as you have heard. I felt zeal for the Banū Hāshim that among their caliphs there should not be one like him, so I imposed upon myself what you see." It is reported from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. ʿArafa, who mentioned al-Muhtadī and said: One of the Hāshimites told me that a basket was found belonging to him, containing a woolen jubba, a cloak, and a burnous that he used to wear at night and pray in, and he used to say: "Are the Banū ʿAbbās not ashamed that there should not be among them one like ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz?!" Muḥammad b. Aḥmad informed us that he had cast aside amusements, forbidden singing and drinking, restrained the sultan's men from oppression, and was extremely vigilant over the affairs of the dīwāns and the land tax. He confined himself to the accounts, not failing to sit on Mondays and Thursdays with the scribes before him. It is reported from Abū Bishr al-Dūlābī, who said: Abū Mūsā al-ʿAbbāsī informed me, saying: Al-Muhtadī did not cease fasting from the time he assumed the caliphate until he was killed. It is reported from Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Qarārīṭī, who said: My uncle ʿAbd Allāh b. Ibrāhīm al-Iskāfī said to me: I attended the assembly of al-Muhtadī bi-Allāh when he sat for the redress of grievances. A man brought a complaint before him against a son of his, so he ordered the son to be brought, and he was brought and made to stand beside the man. He asked him about what he claimed against him, and he confessed. He ordered him to give him his due, and he wrote for him a document to that effect. When he finished, the man said to him: "By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, you are none other than what the poet said: You appointed him, and he judged among you, radiant like the shining moon; He accepts no bribe in his judgment, And he cares not for the loss of the loser." Al-Muhtadī said to him: "As for you, O man, may Allah reward you well. As for me, I did not sit in this assembly until I had recited in the Qurʾān: 'And We shall set up the balances of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul shall be wronged in anything. Even if it be the weight of a mustard seed, We shall bring it. And sufficient are We as reckoners' [Q 21:47]." I never saw anyone weep more than he wept that day. Al-Muhtadī's veneration of Imam Aḥmad Jaʿfar b. ʿAbd al-Wāḥid said: I discussed a matter with al-Muhtadī, and I said to him: "Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal held that view, but he differed from—" and I gestured toward his ancestors, "who had passed away." He said: "May Allah have mercy on Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal. By Allah, if it were permissible for me to disavow my father, I would disavow him." Then he said to me: "Speak the truth and uphold it, for a man who speaks the truth grows in my esteem." The caliphate was established for al-Muhtadī bi-Allāh, and he was—praise be to Allah—a righteous caliph. One day he said to the commanders: "I do not have a mother whose revenues amount to ten million dinars. I desire only my sustenance, and I desire nothing beyond that except for my brothers, for need has touched them."
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