Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3476
The Year 261 AH
وِلَايَةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ فِي سنة إحدى وستين ومائتين ( تُوُفِّيَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْأَغْلَبِ، صَاحِبُ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، سَادِسَ جُمَادَى الْأُولَى، وَكَانَتْ وِلَايَتُهُ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَخَمْسَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَسِتَّةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا. وَلَمَّا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ عَقَدَ لِابْنِهِ أَبِي عِقَالٍ الْعَهْدَ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ أَخَاهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِئَلَّا يُنَازِعَهُ، وَأَشْهَدَ عَلَيْهِ آلَ الْأَغْلَبِ وَمَشَايِخَ الْقَيْرَوَانِ، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَتَوَلَّى الْأَمَرَ إِلَى أَنْ يَكْبَرَ وَلَدُهُ، فَلَمَّا مَاتَ أَتَى أَهْلُ الْقَيْرَوَانِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَسَأَلُوهُ أَنْ يَتَوَلَّى أَمْرَهُمْ، لِحُسْنِ سِيرَتِهِ، وَعَدْلِهِ، فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ، ثُمَّ أَجَابَ، انْتَقَلَ إِلَى قَصْرِ الْإِمَارَةِ، وَبَاشَرَ الْأُمُورَ، وَقَامَ بِهَا قِيَامًا مَرْضِيًّا ). وَكَانَ عَادِلًا، حَازِمًا فِي ( أُمُورِهِ، أَمَّنَ ) الْبِلَادَ، وَقَتَلَ أَهْلَ الْبَغْيِ وَالْفَسَادِ، وَكَانَ يَجْلِسُ لِلْعَدْلِ فِي جَامِعِ الْقَيْرَوَانِ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ وَالِاثْنَيْنِ، يَسْمَعُ شَكْوَى الْخُصُومِ، وَيَصْبِرُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَيُنْصِفُ بَيْنَهُمْ. وَكَانَ الْقَوَافِلُ وَالتُّجَّارُ يَسِيرُونَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ آمِنِينَ. وَبَنَى الْحُصُونَ وَالْمَحَارِسَ عَلَى سَوَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ، حَتَّى كَانَ يُوقِدُ النَّارَ مِنْ سَبْتَةَ فَيَصِلُ الْخَبَرُ إِلَى الْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الْوَاحِدَةِ، وَبَنَى عَلَى سُوسَةَ سُورًا، وَعَزَمَ عَلَى الْحَجِّ، فَرَدَّ الْمَظَالِمَ، وَأَظْهَرَ الزُّهْدَ وَالنُّسُكَ، وَعَلِمَ أَنَّهُ إِنْ جَعَلَ طَرِيقَهُ إِلَى مَكَّةَ عَلَى مِصْرَ مَنَعَهُ صَاحِبُهَا ابْنُ طُولُونَ، فَتَجْرِي بَيْنَهُمَا حَرْبٌ، فَيُقْتَلُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ، فَجَعَلَ طَرِيقَةً عَلَى جَزِيرَةِ صِقِلِّيَّةَ لِيَجْمَعَ بَيْنَ الْحَجِّ وَالْجِهَادِ، وَيَفْتَحَ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ حُصُونِهَا، فَأَخْرَجَ جَمِيعَ مَا ادَّخَرَهُ مِنَ الْمَالِ وَالسِّلَاحِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَسَارَ إِلَى سُوسَةَ فَدَخَلَهَا وَعَلَيْهِ فَرْوٌ مُرَقَّعٌ فِي زِيِّ الزُّهَّادِ، أَوَّلَ سَنَةِ تِسْعٍ وَثَمَانِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ، وَسَارَ مِنْهَا، فِي الْأُسْطُولِ، إِلَى صِقِلِّيَةَ. وَسَارَ إِلَى مَدِينَةِ يَرْطِينْوَا فَمَلَكَهَا سَلْخَ رَجَبٍ، وَأَظْهَرَ الْعَدْلَ، وَأَحْسَنَ إِلَى الرَّعِيَّةِ، وَسَارَ إِلَى طَبَرْمِينَ، فَاسْتَعَدَّ أَهْلُهَا لِقِتَالِهِ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ خَرَجُوا إِلَيْهِ وَالْتَقَوْا، فَقَرَأَ الْقَارِئُ: ( إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا ) فَقَالَ الْأَمِيرُ اقْرَأْ: ( هَذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُوا فِي رَبِّهِمْ )، فَقَرَأَ فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَخْتَصِمُ أَنَا وَالْكُفَّارُ إِلَيْكَ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ ! وَحَمَلَ، وَمَعَهُ أَهْلُ الْبَصَائِرِ، فَهُزِمَ الْكُفَّارُ، وَقَتَلَهُمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ كَيْفَ شَاءُوا، وَدَخَلُوا مَعَهُمُ الْمَدِينَةَ عَنْوَةً، فَرَكِبَ بَعْضُ مَنْ بِهَا مِنَ الرُّومِ مَرَاكِبَ فَهَرَبُوا فِيهَا. وَالْتَجَأَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى الْحِصْنِ وَأَحَاطَ بِهِمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَقَاتَلُوهُمْ، فَاسْتَنْزَلُوهُمْ قَهْرًا، وَغَنِمُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ، وَسَبَوْا ذَرَارِيَهُمْ، وَذَلِكَ لِسَبْعٍ بَقِينَ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ، وَأَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الْمُقَاتِلَةِ، وَبَيْعِ السَّبْيِ وَالْغَنِيمَةِ. وَلَمَّا اتَّصَلَ الْخَبَرُ بِفَتْحِ طَبَرْمِينَ إِلَى مَلِكِ الرُّومِ عَظُمَ عَلَيْهِ، وَبَقِيَ سَبْعَةَ أَيَّامٍ لَا يَلْبَسُ التَّاجَ، وَقَالَ: لَا يَلْبَسُ التَّاجَ مَحْزُونٌ. وَتَحَرَّكَتِ الرُّومُ، وَعَزَمُوا عَلَى الْمَسِيرِ إِلَى صِقِلِّيَّةَ لِمَنْعِهَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَبَلَغَهُمْ أَنَّهُ سَائِرٌ إِلَى الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ، فَتَرَكَ الْمَلِكُ بِهَا عَسْكَرًا عَظِيمًا، وَسِيَّرَ جَيْشًا إِلَى صِقِلِّيَّةَ. ( وَأَمَّا الْأَمِيرُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا مَلَكَ طَبَرْمِينَ بَثَّ السَّرَايَا فِي مُدُنِ صِقِلِّيَّةَ ) الَّتِي بِيَدِ الرُّومِ، وَبَعَثَ سَرِيَّةً إِلَى مَيْقَشَ، وَسِرِيَّةً إِلَى دَمَنْشَ، فَوَجَدُوا أَهْلَهَا قَدْ أُجْلُوا عَنْهَا، فَغَنِمُوا مَا وَجَدُوا بِهَا. وَبَعَثَ طَائِفَةً إِلَى رَمْطَةَ، وَطَائِفَةً إِلَى الْيَاجِ، فَأَذْعَنَ الْقَوْمُ جَمِيعًا إِلَى أَدَاءِ الْجِزْيَةِ، فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُمْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ مِنْهُمْ غَيْرَ تَسْلِيمِ الْحُصُونِ، فَفَعَلُوا، فَهَدَمَهَا، وَسَارَ إِلَى كَسَنْتَةَ، فَجَاءَتْهُ الرُّسُلُ مِنْهَا يَطْلُبُونَ الْأَمَانَ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُمْ. وَكَانَ قَدِ ابْتَدَأَ بِهِ الْمَرَضُ، وَهُوَ عِلَّةُ الذَّرْبِ، فَنَزَلَتِ الْعَسَاكِرُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، فَلَمْ يَجِدُّوا فِي قِتَالِهَا لِغَيْبِهِ الْأَمِيرِ عَنْهُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ نَزَلَ مُنْفَرِدًا لِشِدَّةِ مَرَضِهِ، وَامْتَنَعَ مِنْهُ النَّوْمُ وَحَدَثَ بِهِ الْفَوَاقُ، وَتُوُفِّيَ لَيْلَةَ السَّبْتِ لِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً بَقِيَتْ مِنْ ذِي الْقِعْدَةِ سَنَةَ تِسْعٍ وَثَمَانِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ، فَاجْتَمَعَ أَهْلُ الرَّأْيِ مِنَ الْعَسْكَرِ أَنْ يُوَلُّوا أَمْرَهُمْ أَبَا مُضَرَ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ لِيَحْفَظَ الْعَسَاكِرَ، وَالْأَمْوَالَ، وَالْخَزَائِنَ، إِلَى أَنْ يَصِلَ إِلَى ابْنِهِ بِإِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، وَجَعَلُوا الْأَمِيرَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي تَابُوتٍ، وَحَمَلُوهُ إِلَى أَفْرِيقِيَّةَ وَدَفَنُوهُ بِالْقَيْرَوَانِ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ. وَكَانَتْ وِلَايَتُهُ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً وَكَانَ عَاقِلًا، حَسَنَ السِّيرَةِ، مُحِبًّا لِلْخَيْرِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ، تَصَدَّقَ بِجَمِيعِ مَا يَمْلِكُ، وَوَقَفَ أَمْلَاكَهُ جَمِيعَهَا ; وَكَانَ لَهُ فِطْنَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ بِإِظْهَارِ خَفَايَا الْعُمُلَاتِ، فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ تَاجِرًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقَيْرَوَانِ كَانَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ صَالِحَةٌ عَفِيفَةٌ، فَاتَّصَلَ خَبَرُهَا بِوَزِيرِ الْأَمِيرِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهَا، فَلَمْ تُجِبْهُ، فَاشْتَدَّ غَرَامُهُ بِهَا، وَشَكَا حَالَهُ إِلَى عَجُوزٍ كَانَتْ تَغْشَاهُ، وَكَانَتْ أَيْضًا لَهَا مِنَ الْأَمِيرِ ( مَنْزِلَةٌ، وَمِنْ وَالِدَتِهِ ) مَنْزِلَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ وَهِيَ مَوْصُوفَةٌ عِنْدَهُمْ بِالصَّلَاحِ، يَتَبَرَّكُونَ بِهَا، وَيَسْأَلُونَهَا الدُّعَاءَ، فَقَالَتْ لِلْوَزِيرِ: أَنَا أَتَلَطَّفُ بِهَا، وَأَجْمَعُ بَيْنَكُمَا. وَرَاحَتْ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَرْأَةِ، فَقَرَعَتِ الْبَابَ وَقَالَتْ: قَدْ أَصَابَ ثَوْبِي نَجَاسَةٌ أُرِيدُ تَطْهِيرَهَا ; فَخَرَجَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ وَلَقِيَتْهَا ( فَرَحَّبَتْ بِهَا ) وَأَدْخَلَتْهَا، وَطَهَّرَتْ ثَوْبَهَا، وَقَامَتِ الْعَجُوزُ تُصَلِّي، فَعَرَضَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ عَلَيْهَا الطَّعَامَ، فَقَالَتْ: إِنِّي صَائِمَةٌ، وَلَا بُدَّ مِنَ ?لتَّرَدُّدِ إِلَيْكِ ; ثُمَّ صَارَتْ تَغْشَاهَا، ثُمَّ قَالَتْ لَهَا: عِنْدِي يَتِيمَةٌ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَحْمِلَهَا إِلَى زَوْجِهَا، فَإِنْ خَفَّ عَلَيْكِ إِعَارَةُ حُلِيِّكِ أُجَمِّلُهَا بِهِ فَعَلْتُ. وَأَحْضَرَتْ جَمِيعَ حُلِيِّهَا وَسَلَّمَتْهُ إِلَيْهَا، فَأَخَذَتْهُ الْعَجُوزُ وَانْصَرَفَتْ، وَغَابَتْ أَيَّامًا، وَجَاءَتْ إِلَيْهَا، فَقَالَتْ لَهَا: أَيْنَ الْحُلِيُّ ؟ فَقَالَتْ: هُوَ عِنْدَ الْوَزِيرِ، عَبَرْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ مَعِي فَأَخَذَهُ مِنِّي، وَقَالَ لَا يُسَلِّمُهُ إِلَّا إِلَيْكِ. فَتَنَازَعَتَا، وَخَرَجَتِ الْعَجُوزُ، وَجَاءَ التَّاجِرُ زَوْجُ الْمَرْأَةِ، فَأَخْبَرَتْهُ الْخَبَرَ، فَحَضَرَ دَارَ الْأَمِيرِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَأَخْبَرَهُ بِالْخَبَرِ، فَدَخَلَ الْأَمِيرُ إِلَى وَالِدَتِهِ، وَسَأَلَهَا عَنِ الْعَجُوزِ، فَقَالَتْ: هِيَ تَدْعُو لَكَ ; فَأَمَرَ بِإِحْضَارِهَا لِيَتَبَرَّكَ بِهَا، فَأَحْضَرَتْهَا وَالِدَتُهُ، فَلَمَّا رَآهَا أَكْرَمَهَا وَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهَا، وَانْبَسَطَ مَعَهَا. ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أَخَذَ خَاتَمًا مِنْ إِصْبُعِهَا، وَجَعَلَ يُقَلِّبُهُ وَيَعْبَثُ بِهِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أَحْضَرَ خَصِيًّا لَهُ وَقَالَ لَهُ: انْطَلِقْ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْعَجُوزِ، وَقُلْ لِابْنَتِهَا تُسَلِّمُ الْحُقَّ الَّذِي فِيهِ الْحُلِيُّ، وَصِفَتُهُ كَذَا، وَهُوَ كَذَا كَذَا، وَهَذَا الْخَاتَمُ عَلَامَةٌ مِنْهَا. فَمَضَى الْخَادِمُ، وَأَحْضَرَ الْحُقَّ، فَقَالَ لِلْعَجُوزِ: مَا هَذَا ؟ فَلَمَّا رَأَتِ الْحُقَّ سُقِطَ فِي يَدِهَا، وَقَتَلَهَا، وَدَفَنَهَا فِي الدَّارِ، وَأَعْطَى الْحُقَّ لِصَاحِبِهِ، وَأَضَافَ إِلَيْهِ شَيْئًا آخَرَ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: أَمَّا الْوَزِيرُ فَإِنِ انْتَقَمْتُ مِنْهُ الْآنَ يَنْكَشِفُ الْأَمْرُ، وَلَكِنْ سَأَجْعَلُ لَهُ ذَنْبًا آخُذُهُ بِهِ، فَتَرَكَهُ مُدَّةً يَسِيرَةً، وَجَعَلَ لَهُ جُرْمًا أَخَذَهُ بِهِ فَقَتَلَهُ.
Translation
✧ The Governorship of Ibrāhīm b. Aḥmad over Ifrīqiyah In the year one and sixty and two hundred (261 AH), Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. al-Aghlab, ruler of Ifrīqiyah, died on the sixth of Jumādā al-Ūlā, and his governorship had lasted ten years, five months, and sixteen days. When death came to him, he concluded the covenant for his son Abū ʿIqāl, and appointed his brother Ibrāhīm as successor so that he would not contend with him, and he made the family of al-Aghlab and the elders of al-Qayrawān witnesses to this, and commanded him to take charge of the affair until his son came of age. When he died, the people of al-Qayrawān came to Ibrāhīm and asked him to take charge of their affairs because of his good conduct and justice, but he refused; then he accepted, moved to the palace of the emirate, took charge of affairs, and administered them in a praiseworthy manner. He was just and resolute in his affairs; he made the lands secure and killed the people of rebellion and corruption. He used to hold court for justice in the mosque of al-Qayrawān on Thursday and Monday, listening to the complaints of litigants, bearing with them patiently, and giving fair judgment among them. The caravans and merchants traveled the road in safety. He built fortresses and watchtowers along the seacoasts, so that a fire kindled in Sabtah would bring the news to Alexandria in a single night. He built a wall around Sūsah. He resolved to perform the pilgrimage, so he returned the properties he had unjustly taken, and displayed asceticism and devotion. He knew that if he took the road to Makkah via Egypt, its ruler Ibn Ṭūlūn would bar him, and war would break out between them, and Muslims would be killed; so he took a route by way of the island of Sicily, to combine the pilgrimage with jihād and to conquer the rest of its fortresses. He brought out all that he had stored of wealth, weapons, and other things, and marched to Sūsah, entering it at the beginning of the year 289 AH, wearing a patched fur garment in the guise of ascetics. Then he proceeded from there with the fleet to Sicily. He marched to the city of Yārṭīnwā and captured it at the end of Rajab. He showed justice and was kind to the subjects. He then marched to Ṭabarmīn, whose people prepared to fight him. When he arrived, they came out to him and met in battle. A reciter recited: “Indeed, We have given you a clear victory” [Qurʾān 48:1]. The emir said: “Recite: ‘These are two adversaries who have disputed concerning their Lord’ [Qurʾān 22:19].” So he recited, and the emir said: “O God, I bring my dispute with the infidels before You on this day!” Then he charged, and with him were the people of insight, and the infidels were routed, and the Muslims killed them as they wished. They entered the city with them by force. Some of the Byzantines who were in it boarded ships and fled in them. Some of the rest sought refuge in the citadel, and the Muslims surrounded them and fought them, and they forced them down by might and seized their property, and took their children captive. This was on the seventh remaining night of Shaʿbān. He ordered the execution of the combatants and the sale of the captives and booty. When news of the conquest of Ṭabarmīn reached the king of the Byzantines, it weighed heavily upon him, and he remained for seven days not wearing the crown, saying: “A sorrowful man does not wear the crown.” The Byzantines stirred and resolved to march to Sicily to defend it from the Muslims. Then it reached them that he was marching on Constantinople, so the king left a great army there and sent a force to Sicily. As for the emir Ibrāhīm, when he had captured Ṭabarmīn, he dispatched raiding parties into the cities of Sicily that were in Byzantine hands. He sent one party to Mayqash and another to Damansh, and they found their people had been evacuated from them, so they seized what they found there. He sent a group to Ramṭah and a group to al-Yāj, and all those people submitted to paying the jizyah, but he would not consent to that and would accept nothing from them except the surrender of the fortresses. They did so, and he demolished them. Then he marched to Kasantah, and envoys came from it seeking safe-conduct, but he would not grant it to them. Illness had begun with him, the ailment of dysentery. The armies encamped before the city, but they did not press the fight because the emir was absent from them, for he had encamped apart because of the severity of his illness; sleep failed him, and hiccups came upon him. He died on Saturday night, with eleven nights remaining of Dhū al-Qaʿdah in the year 289 AH. The men of judgment in the army agreed to entrust their affairs to Abū Muḍar b. Abī al-ʿAbbās ʿAbd Allāh so that he might guard the armies, the wealth, and the treasuries until word reached his son in Ifrīqiyah. They placed the emir Ibrāhīm in a coffin and carried him to Ifrīqiyah and buried him in al-Qayrawān, may God have mercy on him. His governorship lasted twenty-five years. He was intelligent, of good conduct, a lover of good and benevolence. He gave away in charity all that he owned and made all his properties into endowments. He had great acumen in uncovering hidden matters. Among such cases was that a merchant of the people of al-Qayrawān had a beautiful, righteous, and chaste wife. Her story reached the vizier of the emir Ibrāhīm, and he sent to her, but she would not answer him. His passion for her grew intense, and he complained of his state to an old woman who used to visit him. She also had standing with the emir and with his mother, a great standing, and she was described by them as righteous; they sought blessing from her and asked her for supplication. The old woman said to the vizier: I will deal gently with her, and bring you two together. She went to the woman's house and knocked on the door, saying: “My garment has been soiled with impurity, and I want to purify it.” The woman came out, met her, welcomed her, brought her in, and purified her garment. The old woman stood up to pray, and the woman offered her food, but she said: “I am fasting, but I must come and go to you.” Then she began to visit her. Then she said to her: “I have with me an orphan girl whom I want to take to her husband. If it is not burdensome for you to lend me your jewelry to adorn her with, I will do so.” She brought out all her jewelry and handed it to her. The old woman took it and went away, and remained absent for some days. Then she came to her, and the woman said to her: “Where is the jewelry?” She said: “It is with the vizier. I passed by him with it, and he took it from me and said he would not deliver it except to you.” They quarreled, and the old woman went out. The merchant, the woman's husband, came, and she told him the story. He presented himself at the house of the emir Ibrāhīm and told him the story. The emir went in to his mother and asked her about the old woman. She said: “She supplicates for you.” He ordered that she be brought so that he might seek blessing from her. His mother brought her. When he saw her, he honored her and turned to her, and was at ease with her. Then he took a ring from her finger and began turning it over and playing with it. Then he summoned a eunuch of his and said to him: “Go to the house of the old woman and tell her daughter to hand over the box containing the jewelry; its description is such-and-such, and it is so and so, and this ring is a sign from her.” The servant went and brought the box. He said to the old woman: “What is this?” When she saw the box, she was confounded, and he killed her and buried her in the house. He gave the box to its owner and added something else to it, and said to him: “As for the vizier, if I take revenge on him now the matter will be exposed; but I will find another offense for him by which to seize him.” He left him for a short time, then contrived an offense for him by which he seized him and killed him.
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