Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3432
The Year 256 AH
خِلَافَةِ الْمُعْتَمِدِ عَلَى اللَّهِ [256 - 279 ] وَاسْمُهُ: أَحْمَدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ [عَلَى اللَّهِ] بْنِ الْمُعْتَصِمِ بْنِ الرَّشِيدِ، وَيُكَنَّى أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ. وُلِدَ بِسَامُرَّاءَ سَنَةَ تِسْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ [فِي أَوَّلِهَا]، وَأُمُّهُ أُمُّ وَلَدٍ رُومِيَّةٌ، يُقَالُ لَهَا: فِتْيَانُ، وَكَانَ أَسْمَرَ رَقِيقَ اللَّوْنِ أَعْيَنَ خَفِيفًا، لَطِيفَ اللِّحْيَةِ، جَمِيلًا، بُويِعَ يَوْمَ الثُّلَاثَاءِ لِأَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً بَقِيَتْ مِنْ رَجَبٍ سنة ست وخمسين ومائتين. وذلك لَمَّا أُخِذَ الْمُهْتَدِي بِاللَّهِ وَحُبِسَ أُحْضِرَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ، وَهُوَ الْمَعْرُوفُ بِابْنِ فِتْيَانٍ، وَكَانَ مَحْبُوسًا بِالْجَوْسَقِ، فَبَايَعَهُ النَّاسُ، فَبَايَعَهُ الْأَتْرَاكُ، وَكَتَبُوا بِذَلِكَ إِلَى مُوسَى بْنِ بُغَا وَهُوَ بِخَانِقِينَ، فَحَضَرَ إِلَى سَامَرَّا فَبَايَعَهُ، وَلُقِّبَ الْمُعْتَمِدَ عَلَى اللَّهِ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْمُهْتَدِيَ مَاتَ ثَانِيَ يَوْمِ بَيْعَةِ الْمُعْتَمِدِ، وَسَكَنَ النَّاسُ. وَاسْتَوْزَرَ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ يَحْيَى بْنِ خَاقَانَ. وَلِلْمُعْتَمِدِ أَشْعَارٌ حِسَانٌ مِنْهَا قَوْلُهُ: طَالَ وَاللَّهِ عَذَابِي وَاهْتِمَامِي وَاكْتِئَابِي بِغَزَالٍ مِنْ بَنِي الْأَصْفَرِ لَا يُغْنِيهِ مَا بِي أَنَا مُغْرًى بِهَوَاهُ وَهُوَ مُغْرًى بِعَذَابِي فَإِذَا مَا قُلْتُ صِلْنِي كَانَ لَا مِنْهُ جَوَابِي وَلَهُ: عَجَّلَ الْحُبُّ بِفَرْقِهِ فَبِقَلْبِي مِنْهُ حُرْقَهْ مَا لَكَ بِالْحُبِّ رَقِيٌّ وَأَنَا أَمْلِكُ رِقَّهْ إِنَّمَا يَسْتَرْوِحُ الصَّبُّ إِذَا أَظْهَرَ عِشْقَهْ وَمِنْ شَعْرِ الْمُعْتَمِدِ لَمَّا حُجِرَ عَلَيْهِ: أَصْبَحْتُ لَا أَمْلِكُ دَفْعًا لِمَا أُسَامُ مِنْ خَسْفٍ وَمِنْ ذِلَّةْ تَمْضِي أُمُورُ النَّاسِ دُونِي وَلَا يُشْعِرُنِي فِي ذِكْرِهَا قِلَّةْ إِذَا اشْتَهَيْتُ الشَّيْءَ وَلَّوْا بِهِ عَنِّي، وَقَالُوا: هَهُنَا عِلَّةْ ذِكْرُ طَرَفٍ مِنْ سِيرَتِهِ ذِكْرُ طَرَفٍ مِنْ سِيرَتِهِ وعن إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ الْعَسْكَرِيُّ قَالَ: كُنَّا عِنْدَ الْمُعْتَمِدِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِسَامُرَّاءَ فِي رَمَضَانَ، فَلَمَّا أَمْسَيْنَا دَعَا بِتَمْرٍ فَأَفْطَرَ عَلَى تَمْرَةٍ، ثُمَّ نَاوَلَ مَنْ حَضَرَ تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً، ثُمَّ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي بسنده عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: كَانَ يُفْطِرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَتَمَرَاتٍ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ تَمَرَاتٍ حَسَا حَسَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي بسنده عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ الصَّائِمَ يَزِيغُ بَصَرُهُ، فَإِذَا أَفْطَرَ عَلَى الْحَلَاوَةِ رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ. وعن أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَمْدَانَ قَالَ: انْصَرَفَ جُلَسَاءُ الْمُعْتَمِدِ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَيْلَةً عَنْهُ، وَانْصَرَفْتُ إِلَى حُجْرَةٍ مَرْسُومَةٍ لِي فِي الدَّارِ أَخْتَصُّ بِهَا، فَلَمَّا انْتَصَفَ اللَّيْلُ وَأَنَا نَائِمٌ إِذَا أَنَا بِالْخَدَمِ يَدُقُّونَ بَابَ حُجْرَتِي وَيُوقِظُونَنِي بِشِدَّةٍ، فَانْزَعَجْتُ فَقَالُوا: أَجِبْ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَأَجَبْتُ وَأَنَا مَذْعُورٌ، وَقُلْتُ: إِنَّا لِلَّهِ بَلَاءٌ تَجَدَّدَ، فَلَمَّا صِرْتُ بِحَضْرَتِهِ قَائِمًا لَمْ يَسْتَجْلِسْنِي وَقَالَ: يَا غُلَامَ صَاحِبِ الشُّرْطَةِ، السَّاعَةَ قُمْتُ فَزِعًا. فَحَضَرَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: فِي حَبْسِكَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ الْجَمَّالُ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: أَحْضِرْهُ. فَحَضَرَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُعْتَمِدُ: بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ تُعْرَفُ؟ قَالَ: أَنَا فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ الْجَمَّالُ. قَالَ: مُنْذُ كَمْ حُبِسْتَ؟ قَالَ: مُنْذُ كَذَا وَكَذَا. قَالَ: فِي أَيِّ شَيْءٍ؟ قَالَ: مَظْلُومٌ. قَالَ: فَاشْرَحْ لِي قِصَّتَكَ. قَالَ: أَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَبَلِ، وَكَانَ يَتَقَلَّدُنَا فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ إِلَى الْأَمِيرِ، فَاسْتُدْعِيَ إِلَى الْحَضْرَةِ يُسَخِّرُ جِمَالِي، فَتَظَلَّمْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَنْفَعْ، فَخَرَجْتُ أَمْشِي وَرَاءَ الْجِمَالِ إِلَى أَنْ قَرُبْنَا مِنْ حُلْوَانَ، فَسَلَّ الْأَكْرَادُ مِنْهَا جَمَلًا مُحَمَّلًا، فَضَرَبَنِي مَقَارِعَ كَثِيرَةً وَقَيَّدَنِي، فَقُلْتُ: مَا ذَنْبِي؟ قَالَ: أَنْتَ سَرَقْتَ جَمَلَكَ وَأَخَذْتَ مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ. فَقُلْتُ: غِلْمَانُكَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ الْأَكْرَادَ سَلُّوهُ، فَقَالَ: الْأَكْرَادُ مَا جَاءُوا إِلَّا بِمُوَاطَأَتِكَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ [بِي] فَحُمِلْتُ عَلَى بَعْضِ الْجِمَالِ مُقَيَّدًا، فَلَمَّا وَرَدْتُ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ طَرَحَنِي فِي الْحَبْسِ، وَمَلَكَ الْجِمَالَ، فَقَالَ: يَا فُلَانُ، فَحَضَرَ بَعْضُ الْخَدَمِ، فَقَالَ: امْضِ السَّاعَةَ إِلَى الْأَمِيرِ فُلَانٍ وَاقْعُدْ عَلَى دِمَاغِهِ، وَلَا تَبْرَحْ أَوْ يَرُدُّ جِمَالَ هَذَا عَلَيْهِ، أَوْ قِيمَتَهَا عَلَى مَا يَقُولُهُ الْجَمَّالُ، وَادْفَعْ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ لِلْخَادِمِ: ادْفَعْ إِلَى هَذَا الْجَمَّالِ كَذَا وَكَذَا دِينَارًا أَوْ كُسْوَةً، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْحَمَّامَ، وَأَطْعِمْهُ وَاسْقِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِصَاحِبِ الشُّرْطَةِ: لَا تَعْرِضْ لَهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: فِي حَبْسِكَ فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ الْحَدَّادُ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: هَاتِهِ. فَأَحْضَرَهُ، فَقَالَ: مَا قِصَّتُكَ؟ قَالَ: أَنَا رَجُلٌ حُبِسْتُ ظُلْمًا مُنْذُ كَذَا وَكَذَا سَنَةً. قَال: وَمَا كَانَ سَبَبُ حَبْسِكَ؟ فَقَصَّ قِصَّةً طَوِيلَةً. فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبِ الشُّرْطَةِ: خَلِّ عَنْهُ، وَقَالَ لِلْخَادِمِ: خُذْهُ فَغَيِّرْ مِنْ حَالِهِ، وَأَطْعِمْهُ وَاسْقِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْحَمَّامَ وَاكْسُهُ، وَادْفَعْ إِلَيْهِ كَذَا وَكَذَا دِينَارًا. وَقَالَ لِلشُّرْطِيِّ: انْصَرِفْ، ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ وَقَالَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَفَّقَنِي لِهَذَا الْفِعْلِ يَا ابْنَ حَمْدَانَ. فَقُلْتُ: كَيْفَ تَكَلَّفَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ النَّظَرَ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ بِنَفْسِهِ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْوَقْتِ، وَانْزَعَجَ مِنْ نَوْمِهِ؟ فَقَالَ: وَيْحَكَ! جَاءَنِي رَجُلٌ السَّاعَةَ فِي النَّوْمِ صِفَتُهُ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ، فَقَالَ: فِي حَبْسِكَ رَجُلَانِ مَظْلُومَانِ يُقَالُ لِأَحَدِهِمَا فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ الْجَمَّالُ، وَالْآخَرُ فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ الْحَدَّادُ، فَأَطْلِقْهُمَا وَأَنْصِفْهُمَا مِنْ خُصُومِهِمَا، وَأَحْسِنْ إِلَيْهِمَا. فَانْتَبَهْتُ مَذْعُورًا، وَلَعَنْتُ إِبْلِيسَ، وَصَلَّيْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَتَحَوَّلْتُ إِلَى الْجَانِبِ الْآخَرِ وَقُمْتُ فَرَأَيْتُ الشَّخْصَ بِعَيْنِهِ، فَقَالَ لِي: وَيْلَكَ! آمُرُكَ أَنْ تُطْلِقَ رَجُلَيْنِ مَحْبُوسَيْنِ مَظْلُومَيْنِ مِنْ حَبْسِكَ قَدْ طَالَ حَبْسُهُمَا، وَأَنْ تُنْصِفَهُمَا مِنْ خُصُومِهِمَا وَلَا تَفْعَلَ، وَتَرْجِعَ إِلَى نَوْمِكَ؟ [لَقَدْ] هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَفْعَلَ بِكَ. قَالَ: وَكَادَ يَمُدُّ يَدَهُ إِلَيَّ. فَقُلْتُ: يَا هَذَا، ارْفُقْ بِي وَقُلْ لِي مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ قَالَ: [أَنَا] مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ [قَالَ:] فَكَأَنِّي [قَدْ] قَبَّلْتُ يَدَهُ، وَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا عَرَفْتُكَ. وَلَوْ كُنْتُ عَرَفْتُكَ مَا تَجَاسَرْتُ عَلَى مُخَالَفَتِكَ. قَالَ: فَقُمْ فَعَجِّلْ فِي أَمْرِهِمَا السَّاعَةَ كَمَا أَمَرْتُكَ. فَانْتَبَهْتُ فَاسْتَدْعَيْتُكَ لِتُشَاهِدَ مَا يَجْرِي، وَطَلَبْتُ صَاحِبَ الشُّرْطَةِ، فَجَرَى مَا رَأَيْتَ. فَدَعَوْتُ لَهُ وَعَظَّمْتُ فِي نَفْسِهِ مَا جَرَى، وَقُلْتُ: هَذِهِ عِنَايَةٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَمِنَّةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ، فَلْيَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ. فَقَالَ: امْضِ فَقَدْ أَزْعَجْتُكَ. فَمَضَيْتُ إِلَى حُجْرَتِي. وَمِنْ قَوْلِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُعْتَزِّ فِي الْمُعْتَمَدِ يَمْدَحُهُ: يَا خَيْرَ مَنْ تُزْجَى الْمَطِيُّ لَهُ وَيُمِرُّ حَبْلَ الْعَهْدِ مَوْثِقُهُ أَضْحَى عِنَانُ الْمُلْكِ مُقْتَسِرًا بِيَدَيْكَ تَحْبِسُهُ وَتُطْلِقُهُ فَاحْكُمْ لَكَ الدُّنْيَا وَسَاكِنَهَا مَا صَابَ سَهْمٌ أَنْتَ مُوفِقُهُ
Translation
✧ The Caliphate of al-Muʿtamid ʿalā Allāh [256–279] His name was Aḥmad b. Jaʿfar al-Mutawakkil [ʿalā Allāh] b. al-Muʿtaṣim b. al-Rashīd, and his kunya was Abū al-ʿAbbās. He was born in Sāmarrāʾ in the year 229 [at its beginning]. His mother was an umm walad of Byzantine origin called Fityān. He was brown-skinned, of delicate complexion, with large eyes, slight of build, with a sparse beard, and handsome. He was given the oath of allegiance on Tuesday, fourteen nights remaining in Rajab of the year 256. That was when al-Muhtadī bi-llāh was seized and imprisoned; Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad b. al-Mutawakkil was brought forward—he was known as Ibn Fityān—and he had been imprisoned in al-Jawsaq. The people gave him the oath of allegiance; the Turks gave him the oath of allegiance and wrote of that to Mūsā b. Bughā while he was at Khāniqīn. He came to Sāmarrāʾ and gave him the oath of allegiance, and he was given the title al-Muʿtamid ʿalā Allāh. Then al-Muhtadī died on the second day of the oath of allegiance to al-Muʿtamid, and the people became calm. He appointed ʿUbayd Allāh b. Yaḥyā b. Khāqān as his vizier. Al-Muʿtamid had fine poems, among them his saying: Long, by God, has been my torment, my concern, and my sorrow for a gazelle of the Banū al-Aṣfar, whom what is in me does not suffice. I am passionately devoted to his love, and he is passionately devoted to my torment. So whenever I say, “Join me,” his only answer to me is no. And he also had: Love hastened with its separation, so in my heart from it there is a burning. You have no charm for love, while I possess its docility. The passionate lover finds relief only when he shows his love. And from al-Muʿtamid's poetry when he was confined: I have come to possess no power to ward off the humiliation and abasement I am subjected to. People's affairs proceed without me, and no smallness in their mention of me alerts me. When I desire something, they turn it away from me and say, “Here there is an ailment.” A mention of part of his conduct. A mention of part of his conduct. On the authority of Ismāʿīl b. ʿUbayd Allāh al-ʿAskarī, who said: We were with al-Muʿtamid, Commander of the Faithful, in Sāmarrāʾ in Ramaḍān. When evening fell, he called for dates and broke his fast on a single date, then he handed each of those present a date one by one. Then he said: My father narrated to me with his chain of transmission from Anas, from the Prophet ﷺ: He used to break his fast before praying on fresh dates; if he found none, then on dried dates; and if he found no dried dates, he sipped a few sips of water. Then he said: I heard my father with his chain of transmission from Wahb b. Munabbih, who said: The fasting person's sight strays; when he breaks his fast on something sweet, his sight returns to him. On the authority of Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥamdān, who said: Al-Muʿtamid ʿalā Allāh's companions left him one night, and I left for a chamber designated for me in the palace, which I had to myself. When midnight came, while I was sleeping, there were the servants knocking on the door of my chamber and waking me with force. I was startled, and they said, “Answer the Commander of the Faithful.” So I answered, terrified, and I said: “To God we belong; a calamity has newly occurred.” When I stood in his presence, he did not seat me, and he said: “O boy, call the chief of the police.” The moment I stood up was one of alarm. He came, and he said to him: “Is there in your prison a man called so-and-so b. so-and-so the camel-driver?” He said to him: “Yes.” He said: “Bring him.” He came. Al-Muʿtamid said to him: “By what are you known?” He said: “I am so-and-so b. so-and-so the camel-driver.” He said: “How long have you been imprisoned?” He said: “Since such-and-such.” He said: “For what?” He said: “I am wronged.” He said: “Explain your story to me.” He said: “I am a man from the people of the mountain. So-and-so b. so-and-so was collecting us to the emir. He was summoned to the court to requisition my camels. I complained to him, but it did no good. I went out walking behind the camels until we approached Ḥulwān. The Kurds plundered one of the loaded camels from among them. He struck me many blows and put me in chains. I said: ‘What is my crime?’ He said: ‘You stole your camel and took what was on it.’ I said: ‘Your servants know that the Kurds plundered it.’ He said: ‘The Kurds did not come except with your collusion.’ Then he ordered me to be carried on one of the camels in chains. When I reached this town, he threw me in prison and took possession of the camels.” He said: “O so-and-so.” One of the servants came. He said: “Go now to the emir so-and-so and sit on his head, and do not leave until he returns this man's camels to him, or their value according to what the camel-driver says, and hand that over to him.” He said to the servant: “Give this camel-driver such-and-such dinars or clothing, take him to the bath, feed him, and give him drink.” Then he said to the chief of the police: “Do not obstruct him.” Then he said to him: “Is so-and-so b. so-and-so the ironsmith in your prison?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Bring him.” He brought him. He said: “What is your story?” He said: “I am a man who has been imprisoned unjustly for such-and-such years.” He said: “What was the cause of your imprisonment?” He told a long story. He said to the chief of the police: “Release him.” And he said to the servant: “Take him, change his condition, feed him, give him drink, take him to the bath, clothe him, and give him such-and-such dinars.” He said to the police officer: “Leave.” Then he raised his head and said: “Praise be to God who granted me success in this deed, O Ibn Ḥamdān.” I said: “How did the Commander of the Faithful take it upon himself to look into this matter personally at such a time, and was disturbed from his sleep?” He said: “Woe to you! A man came to me just now in my sleep, his description such-and-such, and he said: ‘In your prison are two wronged men, one of them called so-and-so b. so-and-so the camel-driver, the other so-and-so b. so-and-so the ironsmith. Release them, give them justice from their adversaries, and treat them well.’ I woke up terrified, cursed Iblīs, prayed upon the Messenger of God ﷺ, turned to the other side, and got up, and I saw the figure himself with my own eyes. He said to me: ‘Woe to you! I command you to release two imprisoned, wronged men from your prison whose imprisonment has been long, to give them justice from their adversaries, and you do not do it, and you return to your sleep? I was on the point of doing something to you.’ He said: He almost stretched out his hand to me. I said: ‘O you, be gentle with me and tell me who you are.’ He said: ‘I am Muḥammad, the Messenger of God.’ It was as if I kissed his hand, and I said: ‘O Messenger of God, I did not know you. Had I known you, I would not have dared to oppose you.’ He said: ‘Get up and hurry in their matter now as I commanded you.’ I woke up and summoned you to witness what happens. I sought the chief of the police, and what you saw took place.” So I prayed for him and magnified in his soul what had happened, and I said: “This is a solicitude from the Messenger of God ﷺ, O Commander of the Faithful, and a favor from God upon him. Let him thank God.” He said: “Go, for I have disturbed you.” So I went to my chamber. And from the saying of ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Muʿtazz about al-Muʿtamid, praising him: O best of those for whom riding camels are urged on, and whose binding of the covenant's rope is made firm, The reins of kingship have become seized by your two hands; you hold them back and you release them. So rule the world and its inhabitants for yourself: whatever arrow you aim, you are the one who makes it hit.
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