Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3578
The Year 278 AH
ابْتِدَاءِ أَمْرِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ وَفِي سنة ثمان وسبعين ومائتين تَحَرَّكَ بِسَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ قَوْمٌ يُعْرَفُونَ بِالْقَرَامِطَةِ، قبَّحَهُمُ اللَّهُ، وَهُمْ الْبَاطِنِيَّةُ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ قَوْمٌ تَبِعُوا طَرِيقَ الْمُلْحِدِينَ، وَجَحَدُوا الشَّرَائِعَ، وَأَنَا أُشِيرُ إِلَى الْبِدَايَاتِ الَّتِي بَنَوْا عَلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ إِلَى الْبَاعِثِ لَهُمْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُوا مِنْ نَصْبِ دَعْوَتِهِمْ، [ ثُمَّ إِلَى أَلْقَابِهِمْ، ثُمَّ ] إِلَى مَذَاهِبِهِمْ وَعُلُومِهِمْ. فَأَمَّا الْبِدَايَاتُ الَّتِي بَنَوْا عَلَيْهَا: فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا كَانَ مَقْصُودُهُمْ الْإِلْحَادَ تَعَلَّقُوا بِمَذَاهِبِ الْمُلْحِدِينَ مِثْلَ: زَرَادُشْتَ، وَمَزْدَكَ، فَإِنَّهُمَا كَانَا يَنْتَحِلَانِ الْمَحْظُورَاتِ، وَقَدْ سَبَقَ فِي أَوَائِلِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ شَرْحُ حَالِهِمَا، وَمَا زَالَ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ مَعَ إِعْرَاضِهِمْ لَا يَدْخُلُونَ فِي جُحْرٍ يَمْنَعُهُمْ إِيَّاهَا، فَلَمَّا جَاءَ نَبِيُّنَا ﷺ فَقَهَرَ الْمِلَلَ وَقَمَعَ الْإِلْحَادَ، أَجْمَعَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الثَّنَوِيَّةِ، وَالْمَجُوسِ، وَالْمُلْحِدِينَ، وَمَنْ دَانَ بِدِينِ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ الْمُتَقَدِّمِينَ، فَأَعْمَلُوا آرَاءَهُمْ وَقَالُوا: قَدْ ثَبَتَ عِنْدَنَا أَنَّ جَمِيعَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ كَذَبُوا وَتَخَرَّقُوا عَلَى أُمَمِهِمْ، وَأَعْظَمُ كُلِّ بَلِيَّةٍ عَلَيْنَا مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ فَإِنَّهُ تَبِعَ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ الطَّغَامَ فَخَدَعَهُمْ بِنَامُوسِهِ، فَبَذَلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَأَنْفُسَهُمْ، وَنَصَرُوهُ وَأَخَذُوا مَمَالِكَنَا، وَقَدْ طَالَتْ مُدَّتُهُمْ، وَالْآنَ قَدْ تَشَاغَلَ أَتْبَاعُهُ، فَمِنْهُمْ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَى كَسْبِ الْأَمْوَالِ، وَمِنْهُمْ عَلَى تَشْيِيدِ الْبُنْيَانِ، وَمِنْهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَاهِي، وَعُلَمَاؤُهُمْ يَتَلَاعَبُونَ، وَيُكَفِّرُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا، وَقَدْ ضَعُفَتْ بَصَائِرُهُمْ، فَنَحْنُ نَطْمَعُ فِي إِبْطَالِ دِينِهِمْ، إِلَّا أَنَا لَا يُمْكِنُنَا مُحَارَبَتُهُمْ لِكَثْرَتِهِمْ، فَلَيْسَ الطَّرِيقُ إِلَّا إِنْشَاءَ دَعْوَةٍ فِي الدِّينِ وَالِانْتِمَاءِ إِلَى فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَيْسَ فِيهِمْ فِرْقَةٌ أَضْعَفُ عُقُولًا مِنَ الرَّافِضَةِ فَنَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهِمْ، نَذْكُرُ ظُلْمَ سَلَفِهِمْ الْأَشْرَافِ مِنْ آلِ نَبِيِّهِمْ، وَدَفْعِهِمْ عَنْ حَقِّهِمْ، وَقَتْلِهِمْ، وَمَا جَرَى عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الذُّلِّ لِنَسْتَعِينَ بِهَا، وَلَا عَلَى إِبْطَالِ دِينِهِمْ، فَتَنَاصَرُوا وَتَكَاتَفُوا وَتَوَافَقُوا وَانْتَسَبُوا إِلَى إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرِ [ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ ] الصَّادِقِ، وَكَانَ لِجَعْفَرٍ أَوْلَادٌ مِنْهُمْ: إِسْمَاعِيلُ هَذَا، وَكَانَ يُقَالُ لَهُ: إِسْمَاعِيلُ الْأَعْرَجُ. ثُمَّ سَوَّلَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ آرَاءَ وَمَذَاهِبَ أَخَذُوا بَعْضَهَا مِنَ الْمَجُوسِ، وَ [ أَخَذُوا ] بَعْضَهَا مِنَ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ وَتَخَرَّقُوا عَلَى أَتْبَاعِهِمْ، وَإِنَّمَا قَصْدُهُمْ الْجَحْدُ الْمُطْلَقُ، لَكِنَّهُمْ لَمَّا لَمْ يُمْكِنْهُمْ، تَوَسَّلُوا إِلَيْهِ فَقَدْ بَانَ لَكَ بِمَا ذَكَرْتُ. [ وَمِنَ ] الْبِدَايَاتِ الَّتِي بَنَوْا عَلَيْهَا، وَالْبَاعِثُ لَهُمْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُوا مِنْ نَصْبِ الدَّعْوَةِ. ألقاب القرامطة وَأُمًّا أَلْقَابُهُمْ: فَإِنَّهُمْ يُسَمَّوْنَ الْإِسْمَاعِيلِيَّةَ، وَالْبَاطِنِيَّةَ، وَالْقَرَامِطَةَ، وَالْخَرْمِيَّةَ، وَالْبَابَكِيَّةَ، وَالْمُحَمَّرَةَ، وَالسَّبْعِيَّةَ، وَالتَّعْلِيمِيَّةَ. فَأَمَّا تَسْمِيَتُهُمْ بِالْإِسْمَاعِيلِيَّةِ: فَانْتِسَابُهُمْ إِلَى إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ. وَأَمَّا تَسْمِيَتُهُمْ بِالْبَاطِنِيَّةِ: فَإِنَّهُمُ ادَّعَوْا أَنَّ لِظَوَاهِرِ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْأَخْبَارِ بَوَاطِنَ، تَجْرِي مَجْرَى اللُّبِّ مِنَ الْقِشْرِ، وَأَنَّهَا تُوهِمُ الْأَغْبِيَاءَ صُوَرًا، وَتُفْهِمُ الْفُطَنَاءَ رُمُوزًا، وَإِشَارَاتٍ إِلَى حَقَائِقَ خَفِيَّةٍ، وَأَنَّ مَنْ تَقَاعَدَ عَنِ الْعَرْضِ عَلَى الْخَفَايَا وَالْبَوَاطِنِ مُتَعَثِّرٌ، وَمَنِ ارْتَقَى إِلَى عِلْمِ الْبَاطِنِ انْحَطَّ عَنْهُ التَّكَلُّفُ، وَاسْتَرَاحَ مِنْ إِعْيَائِهِ، وَاسْتَشْهَدُوا بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالأَغْلالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا: وَالْجُهَّالُ بِذَلِكَ هُمُ الْمُرَادُّونَ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِسُورٍ لَهُ بَابٌ وَغَرَضُهُمْ فِيمَا وَضَعُوا مِنْ ذَلِكَ: إِبْطَالُ الشَّرَائِعِ، لِأَنَّهُمْ إِذَا صَرَفُوا الْعَقَائِدَ عَنْ غَيْرِ مُوجِبِ الظَّاهِرِ فَحَكَمُوا بِدَعْوَى الْبَاطِنِ عَلَى مَا يُوجِبُ الِانْسِلَاخَ مِنَ الدِّينِ. وَيُقَالُ لَهُمُ: الْمُحَمِّرَةُ ; نِسْبَةً إِلَى صَبْغِ الْحُمْرَةِ شِعَارًا، مُضَاهَاةً لِسَوَادِ بَنِي الْعَبَّاسِ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُمُ: التَّعْلِيمِيَّةُ ; نِسْبَةً إِلَى التَّعَلُّمِ مِنَ الْإِمَامِ الْمَعْصُومِ، وَتَرْكِ الرَّأْيِ وَمُقْتَضَى الْعَقْلِ. وَيُقَالُ لَهُمُ: السَّبْعِيَّةُ ; نِسْبَةً إِلَى الْقَوْلِ بِأَنَّ الْكَوَاكِبَ السَّبْعَةَ الْمُتَحَيِّزَةَ السَّيَّارَةَ مُدَبِّرَةٌ لِهَذَا الْعَالَمِ فِيمَا يَزْعُمُونَ، لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ. وَهِيَ الْقَمَرُ فِي الْأُولَى، وَعُطَارِدُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ، وَالزُّهْرَةُ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ، وَالشَّمْسُ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ، وَالْمِرِّيخُ فِي الْخَامِسَةِ، وَالْمُشْتَرِي فِي السَّادِسَةِ، وَزُحَلُ فِي السَّابِعَةِ. قَالَ ابْنُ الْجَوْزِيِّ: وَقَدْ بَقِيَ مِنَ الْبَابَكِيَّةِ جَمَاعَةٌ يُقَالُ: إِنَّهُمْ يَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ لَيْلَةً هُمْ وَنِسَاؤُهُمْ، ثُمَّ يُطْفِئُونَ الْمِصْبَاحَ وَيَنْتَهِبُونَ النِّسَاءَ، فَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي يَدِهِ امْرَأَةٌ حَلَّتْ لَهُ. وَيَقُولُونَ: هَذَا اصْطِيَادٌ مُبَاحٌ. لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ. وَقَدْ بَسَطَ أَبُو الْفَرَجِ بْنُ الْجَوْزِيِّ فِي هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ مِنْ تَارِيخِهِ الْمُسَمَّى بِالْمُنْتَظَمِ تَفْصِيلَ قَوْلِهِمْ، لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ، وَقَدْ سَبَقَهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ الْقَاضِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْبَاقِلَّانِيُّ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ الْمَشْهُورُ فِي كِتَابِهِ " هَتْكُ الْأَسْتَارِ وَكَشْفُ الْأَسْرَارِ " فِي الرَّدِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِنِيَّةِ، وَرَدَّ عَلَى كِتَابِهِمُ الَّذِي جَمَعَهُ بَعْضُ قُضَاتِهِمْ بِدِيَارِ مِصْرَ فِي أَيَّامِ الْفَاطِمِيِّينَ الَّذِي سَمَّاهُ " الْبَلَاغَ الْأَعْظَمَ وَالنَّامُوسَ الْأَكْبَرَ " جَعَلَهُ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ دَرَجَةً، أَوَّلُ دَرَجَةٍ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ مَنْ يَجْتَمِعُ بِهِ أَوَّلًا - إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ - إِلَى الْقَوْلِ بِتَفْضِيلِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ، ثُمَّ يَنْتَقِلُ إِذَا وَافَقَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِلَى تَفْضِيلِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَى الشَّيْخَيْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، ثُمَّ يَتَرَقَّى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى سَبِّهِمَا لِأَنَّهُمَا ظَلَمَا عَلِيًّا وَأَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ، ثُمَّ يَتَرَقَّى بِهِ إِلَى تَجْهِيلِ الْأُمَّةِ وَتَخْطِئَتِهَا فِي مُوَافَقَةِ أَكْثَرِهِمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يَشْرَعُ فِي الْقَدْحِ فِي دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ مِنْ حَيْثُ هُوَ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ لِمُخَاطَبَتِهِ لِمَنْ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُخَاطِبَهُ بِذَلِكَ شُبَهًا وَضَلَالَاتٍ، لَا تَرُوجُ إِلَّا عَلَى كُلِّ غَبِيٍّ جَاهِلٍ شَقِيٍّ. كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْحُبُكِ إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي قَوْلٍ مُخْتَلِفٍ يُؤْفَكُ عَنْهُ مَنْ أُفِكَ [ الذَّارِيَاتِ: 7 - 9 ] أَيْ يَضِلُّ بِهِ مَنْ هُوَ ضَالٌّ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى فَإِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَاتِنِينَ إِلَّا مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيمَ [ الصَّافَّاتِ: 161 - 163 ] وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ وَلِتَصْغَى إِلَيْهِ أَفْئِدَةُ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ وَلِيَرْضَوْهُ وَلِيَقْتَرِفُوا مَا هُمْ مُقْتَرِفُونَ [ الْأَنْعَامِ: 112 - 113 ] وَالْآيَاتُ فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى كَثِيرَةٌ، وَمَضْمُونُهَا أَنَّ الْجَهْلَ وَالضَّلَالَ لَا يَنْقَادُ لَهَا إِلَّا شِرَارُ النَّاسِ كَمَا قَالَ بَعْضُ الشُّعَرَاءِ: إِنْ هُوَ مُسْتِحْوِذًا عَلَى أَحَدٍ إِلَّا عَلَى أَضْعَفِ الْمَجَانِينِ ثُمَّ بَعْدَ هَذَا كُلِّهِ لَهُمْ مَقَامَاتٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ وَالْجَهْلِ وَالسَّخَافَةِ وَالرُّعُونَةِ مَا لَا يَنْبَغِي لِضَعِيفِ عَقْلٍ أَوْ دِينٍ أَوْ تَصَوُّرٍ سَمَاعُهُ، مِمَّا فَتَحَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ مِنَ الْأَبْوَابِ وَأَنْوَاعِ الْجَهَالَاتِ، وَرُبَّمَا أَفَادَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِبْلِيسَ أَشْيَاءَ لَمْ تَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ كَمَا قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: وَكُنْتُ امْرَأً مِنْ جُنْدِ إِبْلِيسَ بُرْهَةً مِنَ الدَّهْرِ حَتَّى صَارَ إِبْلِيسُ مِنْ جُنْدِي ابتداء أمر القرامطة وَكَانَ ابْتِدَاءُ أَمْرِهِمْ، فِيمَا ذُكِرَ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْهُمْ قَدِمَ نَاحِيَةً خُوزِسْتَانَ إِلَى سَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ، فَكَانَ بِمَوْضِعٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ النَّهْرَيْنِ، يُظْهِرُ الزُّهْدَ، وَالتَّقَشُّفَ، وَيَسِفُّ الْخُوصَ، وَيَأْكُلُ مِنْ كَسْبِ يَدِهِ، وَيُكْثِرُ الصَّلَاةَ، فَأَقَامَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مُدَّةً، فَكَانَ إِذَا قَعَدَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ ذَاكَرَهُ أَمْرَ الدِّينِ، وَزَهَّدَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَأَعْلَمَهُ أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ عَلَى النَّاسِ خَمْسُونَ صَلَاةً فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ، حَتَّى فَشَا ذَلِكَ [ عَنْهُ ] بِمَوْضِعِهِ، ثُمَّ أَعْلَمَهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى إِمَامٍ مِنْ آلِ بَيْتِ الرَّسُولِ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى اسْتَجَابَ لَهُ جَمْعٌ كَثِيرٌ. وَكَانَ يَقْعُدُ إِلَى بَقَّالٍ هُنَاكَ. فَجَاءَ قَوْمٌ إِلَى الْبَقَّالِ يَطْلُبُونَ مِنْهُ رَجُلًا يَحْفَظُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا صَرُمُوا مِنْ نَخْلِهِمْ، فَدَلَّهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: إِنْ أَجَابَكُمْ إِلَى حِفْظِ تَمْرِكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ بِحَيْثُ تُحِبُّونَ، فَكَلَّمُوهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَأَجَابَهُمْ عَلَى أُجْرَةٍ مَعْلُومَةٍ، فَكَانَ يَحْفَظُ لَهُمْ، وَيُصَلِّي أَكْثَرَ نَهَارِهِ، وَيَصُومُ، وَيَأْخُذُ عِنْدَ إِفْطَارِهِ مِنَ الْبَقَّالِ رِطْلَ تَمْرٍ فَيُفْطِرُ عَلَيْهِ، وَيَجْمَعُ نَوَى ذَلِكَ التَّمْرِ وَيُعْطِيهِ الْبَقَّالَ، فَلَمَّا حَمَلَ التُّجَّارُ تَمْرَهُمْ حَاسَبُوا أَجِيرَهُمْ عِنْدَ الْبَقَّالِ، وَدَفَعُوا إِلَيْهِ أُجْرَتَهُ، وَحَاسَبَ الْأَجِيرُ الْبَقَّالَ عَلَى مَا أَخَذَ مِنْهُ مِنَ التَّمْرِ، وَحَطَّ ثَمَنَ النَّوَى، فَسَمِعَ أَصْحَابُ التَّمْرِ مُحَاسَبَتَهُ لِلْبَقَّالِ بِثَمَنِ النَّوَى فَضَرَبُوهُ، وَقَالُوا لَهُ: أَلَمْ تَرْضَ بِأَكْلِ تَمْرِنَا، حَتَّى بِعْتَ النَّوَى ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ الْبَقَّالُ: لَا تَفْعَلُوا ! وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِصَّةَ، فَنَدِمُوا عَلَى ضَرْبِهِ، وَاسْتَحْلَوْا مِنْهُ مَا فَعَلَ، وَازْدَادَ بِذَلِكَ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْقَرْيَةِ لِمَا وَقَفُوا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ زُهْدِهِ. ثُمَّ مَرِضَ، فَمَكَثَ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ مَطْرُوحًا، وَكَانَ فِي الْقَرْيَةِ رَجُلٌ أَحْمَرُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ، يَحْمِلُ عَلَى أَثِوَارٍ لَهُ، يُسَمُّونَهُ كَرْمِيتَةَ لِحُمْرَةِ عَيْنَيْهِ، وَهُوَ بِالنَّبَطِيَّةِ أَحْمَرُ الْعَيْنِ، فَكَلَّمَ الْبَقَّالُ الْكَرْمِيتَةَ فِي حَمْلِ الْمَرِيضِ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ وَالْعِنَايَةِ بِهِ، فَفَعَلَ، وَأَقَامَ عِنْدَهُ حَتَّى بَرَأَ، وَدَعَا أَهْلُ تِلْكَ النَّاحِيَةِ إِلَى مَذْهَبِهِ، فَأَجَابُوهُ، وَكَانَ يَأْخُذُ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ إِذَا أَجَابَهُ دِينَارًا، وَيَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ لِلْإِمَامِ، وَاتَّخَذَ مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا أَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَدْعُوا النَّاسَ إِلَى مَذْهَبِهِمْ، وَقَالَ: أَنْتُمْ كَحَوَارِيِّي عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ، فَاشْتَغَلَ أَهْلُ كُوَرِ تِلْكَ النَّاحِيَةِ عَلَى أَعْمَالِهِمْ بِمَا رَسَمَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ. كَانَ لِلْهَيْصَمِ فِي تِلْكَ النَّاحِيَةِ ضِيَاعٌ، فَرَأَى تَقْصِيرَ الْأُكْرَةِ فِي عِمَارَتِهَا، فَسَأَلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَأُخْبِرَ بِخَبَرِ الرَّجُلِ، فَأَخَذَهُ، وَحَبَسَهُ، وَحَلَفَ أَنْ يَقْتُلَهُ لَمَّا اطَّلَعَ عَلَى مَذْهَبِهِ، وَأَغْلَقَ بَابَ الْبَيْتِ عَلَيْهِ، وَجَعَلَ مِفْتَاحَ الْبَيْتِ تَحْتَ وِسَادَتِهِ، وَاشْتَغَلَ بِالشُّرْبِ، فَسَمِعَ بَعْضُ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ مِنَ الْجَوَارِي بِمَسَاءَتِهِ، فَرَقَّتْ لِلرَّجُلِ، فَلَمَّا نَامَ الْهَيْصَمُ أَخَذَتِ الْمِفْتَاحَ، وَفَتَحَتِ الْبَابَ وَأَخْرَجَتْهُ، ثُمَّ أَعَادَتِ الْمِفْتَاحَ إِلَى مَكَانِهِ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ الْهَيْصَمُ فَتَحَ الْبَابَ لِيَقْتُلَهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدْهُ. وَشَاعَ ذَلِكَ فِي النَّاسِ، فَافْتَتَنَ أَهْلُ تِلْكَ النَّاحِيَةِ، ( وَقَالُوا: رُفِعَ )، ثُمَّ ظَهَرَ فِي نَاحِيَةٍ أُخْرَى، وَلَقِيَ جَمَاعَةً مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، وَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْ قِصَّتِهِ، فَقَالَ: لَا يُمْكِنُ أَحَدًا أَنْ يَنَالَنِي بِسُوءٍ ! فَعَظُمَ فِي أَعْيُنِهِمْ، ثُمَّ خَافَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَى نَاحِيَةِ الشَّامِ، فَلَمْ يُوقَفْ لَهُ عَلَى خَبَرٍ، وَسُمِّيَ بِاسْمِ الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي دَارِهِ كَرْمِيتَةَ صَاحِبِ الْأَثْوَارِ، ثُمَّ خُفِّفَ فَقِيلَ قَرْمَطُ، هَكَذَا ذَكَرَهُ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِ زِكْرَوَيْهِ عَنْهُ. وَقِيلَ إِنَّ قَرْمَطَ لَقَبُ رَجُلٍ كَانَ بِسَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ يَحْمِلُ غَلَّةَ السَّوَادِ عَلَى أَثْوَارٍ لَهُ، وَاسْمُهُ حَمْدَانُ، ثُمَّ فَشَا مَذْهَبُ الْقَرَامِطَةِ بِسَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ. وَوَقَفَ الطَّائِيُّ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَى أَمْرِهِمْ، فَجَعَلَ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ مِنْهُمْ فِي السَّنَةِ دِينَارًا، فَقَدِمَ قَوْمٌ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ، فَرَفَعُوا أَمْرَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ، وَالطَّائِيِّ إِلَى السُّلْطَانِ، وَأَخْبَرُوهُ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ أَحْدَثُوا دِينًا غَيْرَ دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَأَنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ السَّيْفَ عَلَى أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، إِلَّا مَنْ بَايَعَهُمْ، فَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَمْ يَسْمَعْ قَوْلَهُمْ. وَكَانَ فِيمَا حُكِيَ عَنِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ مِنْ مَذْهَبِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ جَاءُوا بِكِتَابٍ فِيهِ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ! يَقُولُ الْفَرَجُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، وَهُوَ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا نَصْرَانَةُ، دَاعِيَةُ الْمَسِيحِ، وَهُوَ عِيسَى، وَهُوَ الْكَلِمَةُ، وَهُوَ الْمَهْدِيُّ، وَهُوَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ، وَهُوَ جِبْرِيلُ، وَذَكَرَ أَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ تَصَوَّرَ لَهُ فِي جِسْمِ إِنْسَانٍ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّكَ الدَّاعِيَةُ، وَإِنَّكَ الْحُجَّةُ، وَإِنَّكَ النَّاقَةُ، وَإِنَّكَ الدَّابَّةُ، وَإِنَّكَ يَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، وَإِنَّكَ رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ. وَعَرَّفَهُ أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ أَرْبَعُ رَكَعَاتٍ: رَكْعَتَانِ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ، وَرَكْعَتَانِ بَعْدَ غُرُوبِهَا، وَأَنَّ الْأَذَانَ فِي كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ: اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، مَرَّتَيْنِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ آدَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ نُوحًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُوسَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عِيسَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَأَنْ يَقْرَأَ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ الِاسْتِفْتَاحَ، وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمُنَزَّلِ عَلَى أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ، وَالْقِبْلَةَ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ، [ وَالْحَجَّ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ ]، وَأَنَّ الْجُمُعَةَ يَوْمُ الِاثْنَيْنِ لَا يُعْمَلُ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ، وَالسُّورَةَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ بِكَلِمَتِهِ، وَتَعَالَى بِاسْمِهِ، الْمُتَّخَذِ لِأَوْلِيَائِهِ بِأَوْلِيَائِهِ. يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ، ظَاهِرُهَا لِيُعْلَمَ عَدَدُ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابُ وَالشُّهُورُ وَالْأَيَّامُ، وَبَاطِنُهَا أَوْلِيَائِي الَّذِينَ عَرَّفُوا عِبَادِي سَبِيلِي اتَّقُونِي يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ، وَأَنَا الَّذِي لَا أُسْأَلُ عَمَّا أَفْعَلُ، وَأَنَا الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ، وَأَنَا الَّذِي أَبْلُو عِبَادِي، وَأَمْتَحِنُ خَلْقِي، فَمَنْ صَبَرَ عَلَى بَلَائِي، وَمِحْنَتِي، وَاخْتِبَارِي أَلْقَيْتُهُ فِي جَنَّتِي، وَأَخْلَدْتُهُ فِي نِعْمَتِي، وَمَنْ زَالَ عَنْ أَمْرِي، وَكَذَّبَ رُسُلِي أَخَذْتُهُ مُهَانًا فِي عَذَابِي، وَأَتْمَمْتُ أَجَلِي، وَأَظْهَرْتُ أَمْرِي عَلَى أَلْسِنَةِ رُسُلِي. وَأَنَا الَّذِي لَمْ يَعْلُ عَلَيَّ جَبَّارٌ إِلَّا وَضَعْتُهُ، وَلَا عَزِيزٌ إِلَّا ذَلَلْتُهُ، وَلَيْسَ الَّذِي أَصَرَّ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ، وَدَامَ عَلَى جَهَالَتِهِ، وَقَالُوا: لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفِينَ، وَبِهِ مُوقِنِينَ، أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ. ثُمَّ يَرْكَعُ، وَيَقُولُ فِي رُكُوعِهِ: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ، وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يَصِفُ الظَّالِمُونَ، يَقُولُهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ، فَإِذَا سَجَدَ قَالَ: اللَّهُ أَعْلَى، اللَّهُ أَعْلَى، اللَّهُ أَعْظَمُ، اللَّهُ أَعْظَمُ. وَمِنْ شَرِيعَتِهِ أَنْ يَصُومَ يَوْمَيْنِ فِي السَّنَةِ، وَهُمَا الْمِهْرَجَانُ وَالنَّيْرُوزُ، وَأَنَّ النَّبِيذَ حَرَامٌ، وَالْخَمْرَ حَرَامٌ، وَلَا غُسْلَ مِنْ جَنَابَةٍ إِلَّا الْوُضُوءُ كَوُضُوءِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَأَنَّ مَنْ حَارَبَهُ وَجَبَ قَتْلُهُ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُحَارِبْهُ مِمَّنْ يُخَالِفُهُ أَخَذَ مِنْهُ الْجِزْيَةَ، وَلَا يُؤْكَلُ كُلُّ ذِي نَابٍ، وَلَا كُلُّ ذِي مِخْلَبٍ. وَكَانَ مَسِيرُ قَرْمَطَ إِلَى سَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ قَبْلَ قَتْلِ صَاحِبِ الزِّنْجِ، فَسَارَ قَرْمَطُ إِلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنِّي عَلَى مَذْهَبٍ وَرَأْيٍ، وَمَعِي مِائَةُ أَلْفِ ضَارِبِ سَيْفٍ، فَتُنَاظِرُنِي، فَإِنِ اتَّفَقْنَا عَلَى الْمَذْهَبِ مِلْتُ بِمَنْ مَعِي، وَإِنْ تَكُنِ الْأُخْرَى انْصَرَفْتُ عَنْكَ، فَتَنَاظَرَا، فَاخْتَلَفَتْ آرَاؤُهُمَا، فَانْصَرَفَ قَرْمَطُ عَنْهُ. مذاهب القرامطة ومقصودهم فَصْلٌ وَأَمَّا الْإِشَارَةُ إِلَى مَذَاهِبِهِمْ: فَإِنَّ مَقْصُودَهُمُ الْإِلْحَادُ، وَتَعْطِيلُ الشَّرَائِعِ، وَهُمْ يَسْتَدْرِجُونَ الْخَلْقَ إِلَى مَذَاهِبِهِمْ بِمَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَيْهِ ، فَيَمِيلُونَ إِلَى كُلِّ قَوْمٍ بِسَبَبٍ يُوَافِقُهُمْ وَيُمَيِّزُونَ مَنْ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَنْخَدِعَ مِمَّنْ لَا يُمْكِنُ، فَيُوصُونَ دُعَاتَهُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ لِلدَّاعِي: إِذَا وَجَدْتَ مَنْ تَدْعُوهُ فَاجْعَلِ التَّشَيُّعَ دِينَكَ، ادْخُلْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ جِهَةِ ظُلْمِ الْأُمَّةِ لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ [ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ]، وَقَتْلِهِمُ الْحُسَيْنَ، وَسَبْيِهِمْ لِأَهْلِهِ، وَالتَّبَرِّي مِنْ تَيْمً وَعَدِيٍّ وَبَنِي أُمَيَّةَ وَبَنِي الْعَبَّاسِ، وَقُلْ بِالرَّجْعَةِ، وَأَنَّ عَلِيًّا يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ. فَإِذَا تَمَكَّنْتُ مِنْهُ أَوْقَفْتَهُ عَلَى مَثَالِبِ عَلِيٍّ وَوَلَدِهِ، وَبَيَّنْتَ لَهُ بُطْلَانَ مَا عَلَيْهِ أَهْلُ مِلَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ [ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ] وَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ [ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ ]، وَإِنْ كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَادْخُلْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ جِهَةِ انْتِظَارِ الْمَسِيحِ، وَأَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ هُوَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، وَهُوَ الْمَهْدِيُّ، وَاطْعَنْ فِي النَّصَارَى وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ نَصْرَانِيًّا فَاعْكِسْ، [ وَإِنْ كَانَ صَابِئِيًّا فَتَعْظِيمُ الْكَوَاكِبِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَجُوسِيًّا فَتَعْظِيمُ النَّارِ وَالنُّورِ ]، وَإِنْ وَجَدَتْ فِيلُوسُوفِيًّا فَهُمْ عُمْدَتُنَا لِأَنَّا نَتَّفِقُ وَهُمْ عَلَى إِبْطَالِ نَوَامِيسِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَعَلَى قِدَمِ الْعَالَمِ. وَمَنْ أَظْهَرْتَ لَهُ التَّشَيُّعَ فَأظْهِرْ لَهُ بُغْضَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، ثُمَّ أَظْهِرْ لَهُ الْعَفَافَ وَالتَّقَشُّفَ وَتَرْكَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْإِعْرَاضَ عَنِ الشَّهَوَاتِ، وَمُرْ بِالصِّدْقِ وَالْأَمَانَةِ، وَالْأَمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، فَإِذَا اسْتَقَرَّ عِنْدَهُ ذَلِكَ فَاذْكُرْ لَهُ زَلَلَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ سُنِّيًّا فَاعْكِسْ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَائِلًا إِلَى الْمُجُونِ وَالْخَلَاعَةِ، فَقَرِّرْ عِنْدَهُ أَنَّ الْعِبَادَةَ بَلَهٌ، وَالْوَرَعَ حَمَاقَةٌ، وَإِنَّمَا الْفِطْنَةُ فِي اتِّبَاعِ اللَّذَّةِ، وَقَضَاءِ الْوَطَرِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا الْفَانِيَةِ. وَقَدْ يَسْتَصْحِبُونَ مَنْ لَهُ صَوْتٌ طَيِّبٌ بِالْقُرْآنِ، فَإِذَا قَرَأَ تَكَلَّمَ دَاعِيهِمْ، وَوَعَظَ وَقَدَحَ فِي السَّلَاطِينِ، وَعُلَمَاءِ الزَّمَانِ، وَجُهَّالِ الْعَامَّةِ، وَيَقُولُ: الْفَرَجُ مُنْتَظَرٌ بِبَرَكَةِ آلِ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ، وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ: إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي كَلِمَاتِهِ أَسْرَارًا لَا يَطَّلِعُ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا مَنِ اجْتَبَاهُ اللَّهُ. وَمِنْ مَذَاهِبِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ مَعَ عَالِمٍ، بَلْ مَعَ الْجُهَّالِ، وَيَجْتَهِدُونَ فِي تَزَلْزُلِ الْعَقَائِدِ بِإِلْقَاءِ الْمُتَشَابِهِ، وَكُلُّ مَا لَا يَظْهَرُ لِلْعُقُولِ مَعْنَاهُ فَيَقُولُونَ: مَا مَعْنَى الِاغْتِسَالِ مِنَ الْمَنِيِّ دُونَ الْبَوْلِ؟ وَلِمَ كَانَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ ثَمَانِيَةً، وَأَبْوَابُ النَّارِ سَبْعَةً؟ وَقَوْلُهُ: عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ أَتَرَى ضَاقَتِ الْقَافِيَةُ مَا نَظُنُّ هَذَا إِلَّا لِفَائِدَةٍ لَا يَفْهَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، وَيَقُولُونَ: لِمَ كَانَتِ السَّمَوَاتُ سَبْعًا؟ ثُمَّ يُشَوِّقُونَ إِلَى جَوَابِ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ، فَإِنْ سَكْتَ السَّائِلُ سَكَتُوا، وَإِنْ أَلَحَّ قَالُوا: عَلَيْكَ بِالْعَهْدِ وَالْمِيثَاقِ عَلَى كِتْمَانِ هَذَا السِّرِّ، فَإِنَّهُ الدَّرُّ الثَّمِينُ، فَيَأْخُذُونَ عَلَيْهِ الْعُهُودَ وَالْمِيثَاقَ عَلَى كِتْمَانِ هَذَا، وَيَقُولُونَ فِي الْأَيْمَانِ "وَكُلُّ مَالِكَ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ لَكَ طَالِقٌ ثَلَاثًا إِنْ أَخْبَرْتَ بِذَلِكَ" ثُمَّ يُخْبِرُونَهُ بِبَعْضِ الشَّيْءِ، وَيَقُولُونَ: هَذَا لَا يَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا آلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. وَيَقُولُونَ: هَذَا الظَّاهِرُ لَهُ بَاطِنٌ، وَفُلَانٌ يَعْتَقِدُ مَا نَقُولُ، وَلَكِنَّهُ يَسْتُرُهُ وَيَذْكُرُونَ لَهُ بَعْضَ الْأَفَاضِلِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ بِبَلَدٍ بَعِيدٍ. وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَذْهَبَهُمْ ظَاهِرُهُ الرَّفْضُ، وَبَاطِنُهُ الْكُفْرُ ، وَمُفْتَتَحَهُ حَصْرُ مَدَارِكِ الْعُلُومِ فِي قَوْلِ الْإِمَامِ الْمَعْصُومِ، وَعَزْلِ الْعُقُولِ أَنْ تَكُونَ مُدْرِكَةً لِلْحَقِّ، لِمَا يَعْتَرِضُهَا مِنَ الشُّبَهَاتِ، وَالْمَعْصُومُ يَطَّلِعُ مِنْ جِهَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى جَمِيعِ أَسْرَارِ الشَّرَائِعِ، وَلَا بُدَّ فِي كُلِّ زَمَانٍ مِنْ إِمَامٍ مَعْصُومٍ يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِ. هَذَا مَبْدَأُ دَعْوَتِهِمْ. ثُمَّ يُبَيِّنُ أَنَّ غَايَةَ مَقْصِدِهِمْ نَقْضُ الشَّرَائِعِ، لِأَنَّ سَبِيلَ دَعْوَتِهِمْ لَيْسَ مُتَعَيِّنًا فِي وَاحِدٍ، بَلْ يُخَاطِبُونَ كُلَّ فَرِيقٍ بِمَا يُوَافِقُ رَأْيَهُ، لِأَنَّ غَرَضَهُمُ الِاسْتِتْبَاعُ. وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ عَنْهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ بِإِلَهَيْنِ قَدِيمَيْنِ لَا أَوَّلَ لِوُجُودِهِمَا مِنْ حَيْثُ الزَّمَانُ، إِلَّا أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمَا عِلَّةٌ لِوُجُودِ الثَّانِي، وَاسْمُ الْعِلَّةِ السَّابِقُ، وَاسْمُ الْمَعْلُولِ التَّالِي، وَأَنَّ السَّابِقَ خَلَقَ الْعَالَمَ بِوَاسِطَةِ التَّالِي، لَا بِنَفْسِهِ، وَقَدْ يُسَمُّونَ الْأَوَّلَ عَقْلًا، وَالثَّانِيَ نَفْسًا، وَالْأَوَّلَ تَامًّا، وَالثَّانِيَ نَاقِصًا، وَالْأَوَّلُ لَا يُوصَفُ بِوُجُودٍ، وَلَا عَدَمٍ، وَلَا مَوْصُوفٍ، وَلَا غَيْرِ مَوْصُوفٍ. فَهُمْ يُومِئُونَ إِلَى النَّفْيِ، لِأَنَّهُمْ لَوْ قَالُوا مَعْدُومٌ مَا قُبِلَ مِنْهُمْ، وَقَدْ سَمُّوا هَذَا النَّفْيَ تَنْزِيهًا. وَمَذْهَبُهُمْ فِي النُّبُوَّاتِ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ مَذْهَبِ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ، وَهُوَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ شَخْصٍ فَاضَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ السَّابِقِ بِوَاسِطَةِ الثَّانِي قُوَّةٌ قُدْسِيَّةٌ صَافِيَةٌ، وَأَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عِبَارَةٌ عَنِ الْعَقْلِ الْفَائِضِ عَلَيْهِ، لَا أَنَّهُ شَخْصٌ، وَأَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ هُوَ تَعْبِيرُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْمَعَارِفِ الَّتِي فَاضَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ، فَسُمِّيَ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ مَجَازًا، لِأَنَّهُ مُرَكَّبٌ مِنْ جِهَتِهِ، وَهَذِهِ الْقُوَّةُ الْفَائِضَةُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، لَا تَفِيضُ عَلَيْهِ فِي أَوَّلِ أَمْرِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا تَتَرَبَّى كَنُطْفَةٍ. وَاتَّفَقُوا عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ فِي كُلِّ عَصْرٍ مِنْ أَمَامٍ مَعْصُومٍ قَائِمٍ بِالْحَقِّ، يُرْجَعُ إِلَيْهِ فِي تَأْوِيلِ الظَّوَاهِرِ، وَحَلِّ الْإِشْكَالِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَالْأَخْبَارِ، وَأَنَّهُ يُسَاوِي النَّبِيَّ فِي الْعِصْمَةِ، وَلَا يُتَصَوَّرُ فِي زَمَانٍ وَاحِدٍ إِمَامَانِ، بَلْ يَسْتَظْهِرُ الْإِمَامُ بِالدُّعَاةِ، وَهُمُ الْحُجَجُ، وَلَا بُدَّ لِلْإِمَامِ مِنِ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ حُجَّةً، أَرْبَعَةٌ مِنْهُمْ لَا يُفَارِقُونَهُ. وَكُلُّهُمْ أَنْكَرَ الْقِيَامَةَ، وَقَالُوا: هَذَا النِّظَامُ وَتُعَاقَبُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ، وَتَوَلُّدُ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ لَا يَنْقَضِي أَبَدًا، وَأَوَّلُوا الْقِيَامَةَ بِأَنَّهَا رَمْزٌ إِلَى خُرُوجِ الْإِمَامِ، وَلَمْ يُثْبِتُوا الْحَشْرَ وَلَا النَّشْرَ، وَلَا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا النَّارَ، وَمَعْنَى الْمَعَادِ عِنْدَهُمْ عَوْدُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَى أَصْلِهِ، قَالُوا: فَجِسْمُ الْآدَمِيِّ يَبْلَى، وَالرُّوحُ إِنْ صَفَتْ بِمُجَانَبَةِ الْهَوَى، وَالْمُوَاظَبَةِ عَلَى الْعِبَادَاتِ، وَغُذِّيَتْ بِالْعِلْمِ سَعِدَتْ بِالْعَوْدِ إِلَى وَطَنِهَا الْأَصْلِيِّ، وَكَمَالِهَا بِمَوْتِهَا، إِذْ بِهِ خَلَاصُهَا مِنْ ضِيقِ الْجَسَدِ. وَأَمَّا النُّفُوسُ الْمَنْكُوسَةُ الْمَغْمُوسَةُ فِي عَالِمِ الطَّبِيعَةِ الْمُعْرِضَةُ عَنْ طَلَبِ رُشْدِهَا مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْمَعْصُومِينَ، فَإِنَّهَا أَبَدًا فِي النَّارِ عَلَى مَعْنَى أَنَّهَا تَتَنَاسَخُ فِي الْأَبْدَانِ الْجُسْمَانِيَّةِ، وَكُلَّمَا فَارَقَتْ جَسَدًا تَلَقَّاهَا آخَرُ، وَاسْتَدَلُّوا بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا وَأَكْثَرُ مَذَاهِبِهِمْ يُوَافِقُ الثَّنَوِيَّةَ وَالْفَلَاسِفَةَ فِي الْبَاطِنِ، وَالرَّوَافِضَ فِي الظَّاهِرِ، وَغَرَضُهُمْ بِهَذِهِ التَّأْوِيلَاتِ انْتِزَاعُ الْمُعْتَقَدَاتِ الظَّاهِرَةِ، مِنْ نُفُوسِ النَّاسِ، حَتَّى تَبْطُلَ الرَّغْبَةُ وَالرَّهْبَةُ. ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ يَعْتَقِدُونَ اسْتِبَاحَةَ الْمَحْظُورَاتِ، وَرَفْعِ الْحَجْرِ، وَلَوْ ذُكِرَ لَهُمْ هَذَا لَأَنْكَرُوهُ، وَقَالُوا: لَا بُدَّ مِنَ الِانْقِيَادِ لِلشَّرْعِ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُهُ الْإِمَامُ، فَإِذَا أَحَاطُوا بِحَقَائِقِ الْأُمُورِ انْحَلَّتْ عَنْهُمُ الْقُيُودُ وَالتَّكَالِيفُ الْعَمَلِيَّةُ إِذِ الْمَقْصُودُ عِنْدَهُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ الْجَوَارِحِ تَنْبِيهُ الْقَلْبِ، وَإِنَّمَا تَكْلِيفُ الْجَوَارِحِ لِلْخُمْرِ الَّذِينَ لَا يُرَاضُونَ إِلَّا بِالسِّيَاقَةِ. وَغَرَضُهُمْ هَدْمُ قَوَانِينِ الشَّرْعِ. قَالُوا: وَكُلُّ مَا ذُكِرَ مِنَ التَّكَالِيفِ فَرُمُوزٌ إِلَى بَاطِنٍ، فَمَعْنَى الْجَنَابَةِ مُبَادَرَةُ الْمُسْتَجِيبِ بِإِنْشَاءِ سَرٍّ إِلَيْهِ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنَالَ رُتْبَةَ الِاسْتِحْقَاقِ لِذَلِكَ، وَمَعْنَى الْغُسْلِ تَجْدِيدُ الْعَهْدِ عَلَى مَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ. وَالزِّنَا: إِلْقَاءُ نُطْفَةِ الْعِلْمِ [ الْبَاطِنِ ] إِلَى نَفْسِ مَنْ لَمْ يَسْبِقْ مَعَهُ عَقْدُ الْعَهْدِ، وَالِاحْتِلَامُ أَنْ يَسْبِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ إِلَى إِفْشَاءِ السِّرِّ فِي غَيْرِ مَحَلِّهِ، وَالصِّيَامُ: الْإِمْسَاكُ عَنْ كَشْفِ السِّرِّ. وَالْمُحَرَّمَاتُ عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ ذَوَى السِّرِّ، وَالْبَعْثُ عِنْدَهُمُ الِاهْتِدَاءُ إِلَى مَذَاهِبِهِمْ. وَيَقُولُونَ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الأُنْثَيَيْنِ الذَّكَرُ الْإِمَامُ، وَالْحُجَّةُ الْأُنْثَى. وَقَالُوا: يَوْمَ يَأْتِي تَأْوِيلُهُ أَيْ يَظْهَرُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ. قول القرامطة في قول الله تعالى "حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ " وَفِي قَوْلِهِ: حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ قَالُوا: الْمَيْتَةُ الْجَامِدُ [ عَلَى الظَّاهِرِ ] الَّذِي لَا يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَى التَّأْوِيلِ . وَقَالُوا: إِنَّ الشَّاءَ وَالْبَقَرَ الَّتِي تُذْبَحُ هُمُ الَّذِينَ حَضَرُوا مُحَارَبَةَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْأَئِمَّةِ، يَتَرَدَّدُونَ فِي هَذِهِ الصُّوَرِ، وَيَجِبُ عَلَى الذَّابِحِ أَنْ يَقُولَ عِنْدَ الذَّبْحِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رُوحِهِ وَبَدَنِهِ، وَأَشْهَدُ لَهُ بِالضَّلَالَةِ اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمَذْبُوحِينَ. وَلَهُمْ مِنْ هَذَا الْهَذَيَانِ مَا يَنْبَغِي تَنْزِيهُ الْوَقْتِ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا عُلِمَتْ هَذِهِ الْفَضَائِحُ مِنْ أَقْوَامٍ تَدَيَّنُوا بِدِينِهِمْ، ثُمَّ بَانَتْ لَهُمْ قَبَائِحُهُمْ فَتَرَكُوا مَذْهَبَهُمْ. فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِثْلُ هَذِهِ الِاعْتِقَادَاتِ الرَّكِيكَةِ، وَالْحَدِيثِ الْفَارِغِ، كَيْفَ يَخْفَى عَلَى مَنْ يَتْبَعُهُمْ، وَنَحْنُ نَرَى أَتْبَاعَهُمْ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا، فَالْجَوَابُ أَنَّ أَتْبَاعَهُمْ أَصْنَافٌ فَمِنْهُمْ قَوْمٌ ضَعُفَتْ عُقُولُهُمْ، وَقَلَّتْ بَصَائِرُهُمْ وَغَلَبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْبَلَادَةُ وَالْبَلَهُ، وَلَمْ يَعْرِفُوا شَيْئًا مِنَ الْعُلُومِ كَأَهْلِ السَّوَادِ وَالْأَكْرَادِ، وَجُفَاةِ الْأَعَاجِمِ، وَسُفَهَاءِ الْأَحْدَاثِ، فَلَا يُسْتَبْعَدُ ضَلَالُ هَؤُلَاءِ، فَقَدْ كَانَ خَلْقٌ يَنْحِتُونَ الْأَصْنَامَ، وَيَعْبُدُونَهَا. وَمِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِمْ طَائِفَةٌ انْقَطَعَتْ دَوْلَةُ أَسْلَافِهِمْ بِدَوْلَةِ الْإِسْلَامِ كَأَبْنَاءِ الْأَكَاسِرَةِ وَالدَّهَاقِينِ، وَأَوْلَادِ الْمَجُوسِ، فَهَؤُلَاءِ مَوْتُورُونَ، قَدِ اسْتَكَنَّ الْحِقْدُ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ، فَهُوَ كَالدَّاءِ الدَّفِينِ، فَإِذَا حَرَّكَتْهُ تَخَائِيلُ الْمُبْطِلِينَ اشْتَعَلَتْ نِيرَانُهُ. وَمِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِمْ قَوْمٌ [ لَهُمْ ] تَطَلُّعٌ إِلَى التَّسَلُّطِ وَالِاسْتِيلَاءِ، وَلَكِنَّ الزَّمَانَ لَا يُسَاعِدُهُمْ، فَإِذَا رَأَوْا طَرِيقَ الظَّفَرِ بِمَقَاصِدِهِمْ سَارَعُوا. وَمِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِمْ قَوْمٌ جُبِلُوا عَلَى حُبِّ التَّمَيُّزِ عَنِ الْعَوَامِّ، فَزَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمْ يَطْلُبُونَ الْحَقَائِقَ، وَأَنَّ أَكْثَرَ الْخَلْقِ كَالْبَهَائِمِ، وَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ لِحُبِّ النَّادِرِ الْغَرِيبِ. وَمِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِمْ مُلْحِدَةُ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ وَالثَّنَوِيَّةِ الَّذِينَ اعْتَقَدُوا الشَّرَائِعَ نَوَامِيسَ مُؤَلَّفَةً، وَالْمُعْجِزَاتِ مَخَارِيقَ مُزَخْرَفَةً، فَإِذَا رَأَوْا مَنْ يُعْطِيهِمْ شَيْئًا مِنْ أَغْرَاضِهِمْ مَالُوا إِلَيْهِ. وَمِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِمْ قَوْمٌ مَالُوا إِلَى عَاجِلِ اللَّذَّاتِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ [ لَهُمْ ] عِلْمٌ وَلَا دِينٌ، فَإِذَا صَادَفُوا مَنْ يَرْفَعُ عَنْهُمُ الْحَجْرَ مَالُوا إِلَيْهِ. عَلَى أَنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمَ لَا يَكْشِفُونَ أَمْرَهُمْ إِلَّا بِالتَّدْرِيجِ عَلَى قَدْرِ طَمَعِهِمْ فِي الشَّخْصِ. وَإِنَّمَا مَدَدْنَا النَّفْسَ فِي شَرْحِ حَالِهِمْ، وَإِنْ كُنَّا إِنَّمَا ذَكَرْنَا بَيْتًا مِنْ قَصِيدَةٍ لِعِظَمِ ضَرَرِهِمْ عَلَى الدِّينِ، وَشِيَاعِ كَلِمَتِهِمُ الْمَسْمُومَةِ، وَإِنَّمَا اجْتَمَعَتِ الْأَسْبَابُ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنَاهَا فِي وَسَطِ أَيَّامِهِمْ، وَإِلَّا فَمُعَانِدُوا الشَّرَائِعِ مُنْذُ كَانَتْ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ. وَقَدْ نَبَغَ مِنْهُمْ قَوْمٌ فَأَظْهَرُوا إِمَامَةَ مُحَمَّدِ ابْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ، وَقَالُوا: إِنَّ رُوحَ مُحَمَّدٍ انْتَقَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ انْتَقَلَتْ [ مِنْهُ ] إِلَى أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ صَاحِبِ الدَّعْوَةِ، ثُمَّ إِلَى الْمَهْدِيِّ، ثُمَّ إِلَى رَجُلٍ يُعْرَفُ بِابْنِ الْقَصْرِيِّ، ثُمَّ خَمَدَتْ نَارُهُمْ ثُمَّ نَبَغَ مِنْهُمْ فِي أَيَّامِ الْمَأْمُونِ رَجُلٌ فَاحْتَالَ، فَلَمْ تَنْفُذْ حِيلَتُهُ، ثُمَّ تَنَاصَرُوا فِي أَيَّامِ الْمُعْتَصِمِ، وَكَاتَبُوا الْأَفْشِينَ، وَهُوَ رَئِيسُ الْأَعَاجِمِ، فَمَالَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَاجْتَمَعُوا مَعَ بَابَكَ، ثُمَّ زَادَ جَمْعُهُمْ عَلَى ثَلَاثِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ، فَقَتَلَ الْمُعْتَصِمُ مِنْهُمْ سِتِّينَ أَلْفًا، وَقَتَلَ الْأَفْشِينَ أَيْضًا، ثُمَّ رَكَدَتْ دَوْلَتُهُمْ. ثُمَّ نَبَغَ مِنْهُمْ جَمَاعَةٌ وَفِيهِمْ رَجُلٌ مِنْ وَلَدِ بَهْرَامَ جُورَ، وَقَصَدُوا إِبْطَالَ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَرَدِّ الدَّوْلَةِ الْفَارِسِيَّةِ، وَأَخَذُوا يَحْتَالُونَ فِي تَضْعِيفِ قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَأَظْهَرُوا مَذْهَبَ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ، وَبَعْضُهُمْ مَذْهَبَ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ، وَجُعِلَ لَهُمْ رَأْسٌ يُعْرَفُ بِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَيْمُونِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، وَيُقَالُ: ابْنُ دَيَصَانَ الْقَدَّاحُ الْأَهْوَازِيُّ، وَكَانَ مُشَعْبِذًا مُمَخْرَقًا، وَكَانَ مُعْظَمُ مَخْرَقَتِهِ بِإِظْهَارِ الزُّهْدِ وَالْوَرَعِ، وَأَنَّ الْأَرْضَ تُطْوَى لَهُ، وَكَانَ يَبْعَثُ خَوَاصَّ أَصْحَابِهِ إِلَى الْأَطْرَافِ مَعَهُمْ طُيُورٌ، وَيَأْمُرُهُمْ أَنْ يَكْتُبُوا إِلَيْهِ الْأَخْبَارَ عَنِ الْأَبَاعِدِ، ثُمَّ يُحَدِّثُ النَّاسَ بِذَلِكَ، فَيَقْوَى شَبَهُهُمْ. وَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ الْمُتَقَدِّمِينَ مِنْهُمْ يُسْتَخْلَفُونَ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَكُلُّهُمْ خُلَفَاءُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ [ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ ] الطَّالِبِيُّ، وَأَنَّ مِنَ الدُّعَاةِ إِلَى الْإِمَامِ مَعْدًا أَبَا تَمِيمٍ، وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَبَاهُ، وَهُمُ الْمُتَغَلِّبُونَ عَلَى بِلَادِ الْمَغْرِبِ، وَمَنِ اسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ عَرَّفُوهُ أَنَّهُ أَنَّ عَمَلَ مَا يُرْضِيهِمْ صَارَ إِمَامًا وَنَبِيًّا، وَأَنَّهُ يَرْتَقِي الْمُبْتَدِئُ مِنْهُمْ إِلَى الدَّعْوَةِ، ثُمَّ إِلَى أَنْ يَكُونَ حُجَّةً، ثُمَّ إِلَى الْإِمَامَةِ، ثُمَّ يَلْحَقُ مَرْتَبَةَ الرُّسُلِ، ثُمَّ يَتَّحِدُ بِالرَّبِّ فَيَصِيرُ رَبًّا وَلَا يَجُوزُ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَحْجُبَ امْرَأَتَهُ عَنْ إِخْوَانِهِ. وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الطَّائِفَةَ تَحَرَّكَتْ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَفْحَلَ أَمْرُهُمْ وَتَفَاقَمَ الْحَالُ بِهِمْ، عَلَى مَا سَنَذْكُرُهُ، حَتَّى آلَ الْحَالُ إِلَى أَنْ دَخَلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ فَسَفَكُوا فِيهِ دِمَاءَ الْحَجِيجِ فِي وَسَطِ الْمَسْجِدِ حَوْلَ الْكَعْبَةِ الْمُكَرَّمَةِ وَكَسَرُوا الْحَجَرَ الْأَسْوَدَ وَاقْتَلَعُوهُ مِنْ مَوْضِعِهِ، وَذَهَبُوا بِهِ إِلَى بِلَادِهِمْ فِي سَنَةِ سَبْعَ عَشْرَةَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزَلْ عِنْدَهُمْ إِلَى سَنَةِ تِسْعٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ، فَمَكَثَ غَائِبًا عَنْ مَوْضِعِهِ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً، فَإِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ.
Translation
✧ The Beginning of the Qarāmiṭah’s Affair In the year two hundred and seventy-eight, a people known as the Qarāmiṭah—may God disfigure them—became active in the sawād of al-Kūfah. They are the Bāṭiniyyah. These are a people who followed the path of the heretics and denied the religious laws. I shall point out the beginnings upon which they built, then the motive that drove them to what they did in establishing their call, [then their titles, then] their doctrines and their teachings. As for the beginnings upon which they built: When their aim was heresy, they attached themselves to the doctrines of the heretics, such as Zarādusht and Mazdak, for these two professed forbidden things. The account of their condition has already been given at the beginning of this book. Most people, despite their aversion, would not enter a hole that forbade them from it. Then when our Prophet ﷺ came and subdued the religious communities and suppressed heresy, a group of dualists, Magians, heretics, and those who professed the religion of the ancient philosophers gathered together. They exerted their opinions and said: “It is established with us that all the prophets lied and fabricated against their nations. The greatest calamity upon us is Muḥammad ﷺ, for he won over the rabble of the Arabs and deceived them with his law. They gave their wealth and their lives, supported him, and seized our kingdoms. Their time has grown long. Now his followers have become occupied: some of them are devoted to earning wealth, some to erecting buildings, some to amusements. Their scholars play games and declare one another infidels, and their insights have weakened. We hope to nullify their religion. But we cannot fight them because of their great number. The only way is to create a call within the religion and to attach ourselves to one of their sects. There is no sect among them weaker in intellect than the Rāfiḍah. We shall enter among them. We shall mention the wrong done to their noble ancestors from the family of their Prophet, their being pushed away from their right, their being killed, and the humiliation that befell them, so that we may use this to nullify their religion.” So they aided one another, banded together, agreed among themselves, and attached themselves to Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar [b. Muḥammad] al-Ṣādiq. Jaʿfar had sons, among them this Ismāʿīl, who was called Ismāʿīl al-Aʿraj. Then Satan suggested to them opinions and doctrines, some of which they took from the Magians and [some] from the philosophers, and they fabricated them upon their followers. Their aim was absolute denial, but when they could not achieve it, they sought a means to it, as I have explained to you. [Among] the beginnings upon which they built and the motive for what they did in establishing the call. The Qarāmiṭah’s Titles As for their titles: They are called the Ismāʿīliyyah, the Bāṭiniyyah, the Qarāmiṭah, the Khurramiyyah, the Bābakiyyah, the Muḥammirah, the Sabʿiyyah, and the Taʿlīmiyyah. As for their being called the Ismāʿīliyyah: it is their attachment to Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar, as we have mentioned. As for their being called the Bāṭiniyyah: they claimed that the outward meanings of the Qurʾān and the reports have inward meanings, like the kernel within the shell, and that these present images to the foolish and convey symbols and allusions to hidden truths to the astute. Whoever falls short of examining the hidden and inward meanings stumbles, while whoever ascends to the knowledge of the inward has the burden lifted from him and rests from his toil. They cited as evidence His saying, may He be exalted: “And He will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that were upon them.” They said: the ignorant in this regard are those intended by His saying, may He be exalted: “Then a wall will be put up between them, with a gate.” Their purpose in what they established was to nullify the religious laws, because if they turned beliefs away from what the outward requires and ruled by the claim of the inward, this would necessitate stripping away the religion. They are also called the Muḥammirah, in reference to their adopting red dye as a badge, in imitation of the black of the Banū al-ʿAbbās. They are called the Taʿlīmiyyah, in reference to learning from the infallible Imam and abandoning opinion and the requirements of reason. They are called the Sabʿiyyah, in reference to their claim that the seven moving planets govern this world, as they allege—may God curse them. These are the Moon in the first, Mercury in the second, Venus in the third, the Sun in the fourth, Mars in the fifth, Jupiter in the sixth, and Saturn in the seventh. Ibn al-Jawzī said: A group of the Bābakiyyah remains. It is said that they gather every year on a night, they and their women, then they extinguish the lamp and seize the women. Whoever gets a woman, she becomes lawful to him. They say: “This is permissible hunting.” May God curse them. Abū al-Faraj b. al-Jawzī elaborated in this place in his history called al-Muntaẓam on the details of their doctrine—may God curse them. He was preceded in this by the Qāḍī Abū Bakr al-Bāqillānī, the famous theologian, in his book “Hatk al-astār wa-kashf al-asrār” in refutation of the Bāṭiniyyah. He refuted their book that one of their judges compiled in the land of Egypt during the days of the Fāṭimids, which he called “al-Balāgh al-aʿẓam wa-l-nāmūs al-akbar.” He made it sixteen degrees. The first degree is to call the one he meets at first—if he is from the people of the Sunnah—to the view that ʿAlī is superior to ʿUthmān. Then, if he agrees to that, he moves to the superiority of ʿAlī over the two Shaykhs, Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. Then he progresses after that to reviling them because they wronged ʿAlī and the People of the House. Then he progresses with him to declaring the community ignorant and mistaken in that most of them agreed to this. Then he begins to impugn the religion of Islam as such. He mentioned for addressing the one he wishes to address with this doubts and errors that find no acceptance except with every foolish, ignorant, wretched person. As He, may He be exalted, said: “By the heaven with its pathways, you are indeed in a discordant speech; turned away from it is he who is turned away” [al-Dhāriyāt: 7–9], meaning led astray by it is he who is astray. And He, may He be exalted, said: “For you and what you worship, you are not tempters against Him except of him who is to burn in Hellfire” [al-Ṣāffāt: 161–163]. And He, may He be exalted, said: “And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy—devils from mankind and jinn—revealing to one another adorned speech as delusion. Had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. So leave them and what they fabricate. And so that the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter may incline to it, and that they may be pleased with it, and that they may commit what they commit” [al-Anʿām: 112–113]. The verses on this meaning are many. Their import is that only the worst of people are led by ignorance and error, as one of the poets said: “It gains mastery over no one except the weakest of madmen.” Then after all this they have stations in unbelief, ignorance, silliness, and folly that it is not proper for one of weak intellect, religion, or imagination to hear, from the doors and types of ignorance that Iblīs opened for them. Perhaps some of them even taught Iblīs things he did not have, as one of them said: “I was a man of Iblīs’s army for a time of the age, until Iblīs became of my army.” The Beginning of the Qarāmiṭah’s Affair It is mentioned that the beginning of their affair was that a man from among them came to the region of Khūzistān, to the sawād of al-Kūfah. He was at a place called al-Nahrayn. He displayed asceticism and austerity, wove palm leaves, ate from the labor of his own hands, and prayed much. He remained thus for a while. When a man sat with him, he would discuss with him matters of religion, make him renounce the world, and inform him that the obligatory prayer upon people is fifty prayers every day and night, until this spread from him in his locality. Then he informed them that he was calling to an Imam from the family of the Messenger. He continued thus until a great number responded to him. He used to sit with a grocer there. Some people came to the grocer asking him for a man to guard for them what they had cut from their palm trees. He pointed them to him and said to them: “If he agrees to guard your dates, he will be as you like.” They spoke to him about that, and he agreed for a set wage. He guarded for them, prayed most of his day, fasted, and at the time of breaking his fast he would take from the grocer a raṭl of dates and break his fast on it. He would collect the pits of those dates and give them to the grocer. When the merchants carried off their dates, they settled accounts with their hired man at the grocer’s, paid him his wage, and the hired man settled with the grocer for the dates he had taken from him, deducting the price of the pits. The owners of the dates heard his settling with the grocer for the price of the pits, so they beat him and said to him: “Were you not content with eating our dates, that you even sold the pits?” The grocer said to them: “Do not do that!” and told them the story. They regretted beating him, sought his pardon for what they had done, and he increased thereby in the eyes of the people of the village because of the asceticism they observed in him. Then he fell ill and lay thrown on the road. In the village there was a man with red eyes who carried loads on his oxen. They called him Karmītah because of the redness of his eyes, which in Nabataean means “red-eyed.” The grocer spoke to al-Karmītah about carrying the sick man to his house and caring for him. He did so, and the man stayed with him until he recovered. He called the people of that region to his doctrine, and they answered him. He would take from a man, when he answered him, a dinar, claiming that it was for the Imam. He appointed from among them twelve deputies and commanded them to call people to their doctrine. He said: “You are like the disciples of Jesus son of Mary.” The people of the districts of that region became occupied with their work according to the prayers he prescribed for them. Al-Hayṣam had estates in that region. He noticed the neglect of the cultivators in tending them. He asked about that and was told the story of the man. So he seized him, imprisoned him, and swore to kill him when he learned of his doctrine. He locked the door of the room upon him, placed the key under his pillow, and occupied himself with drinking. One of the slave girls in the house heard of his misfortune and felt compassion for the man. When al-Hayṣam slept, she took the key, opened the door, and brought him out. Then she returned the key to its place. When al-Hayṣam awoke, he opened the door to kill him and did not find him. This spread among the people, and the people of that region were put to trial. They said: “He was raised up.” Then he appeared in another region and met a group of his companions and others. They asked him about his story, and he said: “No one can harm me!” Thus he grew great in their eyes. Then he feared for himself and went to the region of Syria. No further report of him was found. He was named after the man in whose house he had stayed, Karmītah, the owner of the oxen. Then it was lightened, and it was said Qarmaṭ. Thus it was mentioned by one of the companions of Zikrawayh on his authority. It is also said that Qarmaṭ is the surname of a man who was in the sawād of al-Kūfah and carried the produce of the sawād on his oxen. His name was Ḥamdān. Then the doctrine of the Qarāmiṭah spread in the sawād of al-Kūfah. Al-Ṭāʾī Aḥmad b. Muḥammad learned of their affair and imposed on each of their men a dinar per year. Some people from al-Kūfah came and brought the affair of the Qarāmiṭah and al-Ṭāʾī before the sultan. They informed him that they had introduced a religion other than the religion of Islam and that they considered the sword lawful against the community of Muḥammad ﷺ except for those who pledged allegiance to them. But he paid no attention to them and did not listen to their words. Among what is reported about the Qarāmiṭah’s doctrine is that they brought a book containing: “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful! Al-Faraj b. ʿUthmān, from a village called Naṣrānah, the summoner of the Messiah—he is Jesus, he is the Word, he is the Mahdī, he is Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyyah, he is Gabriel—says:” He mentioned that the Messiah appeared to him in the body of a human and said to him: “You are the summoner, you are the proof, you are the she-camel, you are the beast, you are John son of Zechariah, and you are the Holy Spirit.” He taught him that prayer is four rakʿahs: two rakʿahs before sunrise and two rakʿahs after sunset. The call to prayer in every prayer is for the muezzin to say: “God is greatest, God is greatest, God is greatest. I bear witness that there is no god but God,” twice. “I bear witness that Adam is the Messenger of God. I bear witness that Noah is the Messenger of God. I bear witness that Abraham is the Messenger of God. I bear witness that Moses is the Messenger of God. I bear witness that Jesus is the Messenger of God. I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Messenger of God. I bear witness that Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyyah is the Messenger of God.” He is to recite in every rakʿah the opening, which is from what was revealed to Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyyah. The qiblah is toward Jerusalem, [and the pilgrimage is to Jerusalem], and Friday is Monday, on which no work is done. The surah is: “Praise be to God by His word, and exalted is He by His name, who takes His friends to Himself through His friends. They ask you about the new moons. Say: They are appointed times for people. Their outward is to know the number of years, the reckoning, the months, and the days. Their inward is My friends who taught My servants My way. Fear Me, O people of understanding. I am He who is not asked about what He does. I am the Knowing, the Wise. I am He who tries My servants and tests My creation. Whoever is patient with My trial, My test, and My examination, I shall place him in My garden and make him dwell forever in My blessing. Whoever deviates from My command and denies My messengers, I shall seize him abased in My punishment. I shall complete My term and make My command manifest on the tongues of My messengers. I am He over whom no tyrant rises but I abase him, and no mighty one but I humble him. It is not those who persist in their affair and continue in their ignorance—and they said: ‘We shall not cease to be devoted to it, and in it we are certain’—those are the disbelievers.” Then he bows and says in his bowing: “Glory be to my Lord, the Lord of might, exalted above what the wrongdoers describe,” saying it twice. When he prostrates, he says: “God is higher, God is higher, God is greater, God is greater.” Among his laws is to fast two days in the year, which are Mihrajān and Nayrūz. Nabīdh is forbidden, wine is forbidden. There is no full washing from major impurity, only ablution like the ablution for prayer. Whoever fights him, his killing is obligatory. Whoever does not fight him but opposes him, the jizyah is taken from him. No animal with fangs is eaten, nor any with claws. Qarmaṭ’s journey to the sawād of al-Kūfah was before the killing of the leader of the Zanj. Qarmaṭ went to him and said: “I follow a doctrine and an opinion, and with me are a hundred thousand swordsmen. Debate with me. If we agree on the doctrine, I shall incline with those who are with me. If it is otherwise, I shall turn away from you.” They debated, and their opinions differed, so Qarmaṭ turned away from him. The Doctrines of the Qarāmiṭah and Their Aim Section As for an indication of their doctrines, their aim is heresy and the abolition of religious laws. They gradually draw people into their doctrines as much as they are able, inclining to every group by a means that suits them, and distinguishing those who can be deceived from those who cannot. They instruct their missionaries, saying to the missionary: When you find someone to call, make Shīʿism your religion. Approach him through the injustice of the community toward ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib ﷺ, their killing of al-Ḥusayn, their taking his family captive, and disavowal of Taym, ʿAdī, the Umayyads, and the Abbasids. Speak of the rajʿa, and that ʿAlī knows the unseen. When you gain a hold on him, acquaint him with the faults of ʿAlī and his descendants, and make clear to him the falsity of what the community of Muḥammad ﷺ and other messengers (peace be upon them) follow. If he is a Jew, approach him through the expectation of the Messiah, that the Messiah is Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar, and that he is the Mahdī. Attack the Christians and the Muslims. If he is a Christian, do the opposite. [If he is a Sabian, then magnify the stars, and if he is a Magian, then magnify fire and light.] If you find a philosopher, they are our mainstay, because we and they agree on invalidating the laws of the prophets and on the eternity of the world. To the one to whom you have shown Shīʿism, show hatred of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. Then show him chastity, asceticism, renunciation of the world, and turning away from lusts. Enjoin truthfulness, trustworthiness, and commanding right. When that has settled with him, mention to him the slips of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. If he is a Sunnī, do the opposite. If he inclines to debauchery and dissoluteness, then settle with him that worship is stupidity, piety is foolishness, and that cleverness is only in pursuing pleasure and fulfilling one's desire from this fleeting world. They sometimes take along someone with a beautiful voice for the Qur'an. When he recites, their missionary speaks, admonishes, and criticizes the sultans, the scholars of the time, and the ignorant common people, saying: Deliverance is awaited through the blessing of the family of the Messenger ﷺ. Sometimes he says: God, mighty and majestic, has in His words secrets that none perceives except those whom God has chosen. Among their doctrines is that they do not converse with a scholar, but only with the ignorant. They strive to shake beliefs by casting ambiguities. As for everything whose meaning is not apparent to the intellects, they say: What is the meaning of washing from semen rather than urine? Why were the gates of Paradise eight and the gates of Hell seven? And His saying: "Over it are nineteen" — do you think the rhyme was constrained? We think this is only for a benefit that many people do not understand. They say: Why were the heavens seven? Then they arouse desire for the answer to these things. If the questioner is silent, they remain silent; if he insists, they say: You must make a covenant and solemn pact to keep this secret, for it is a precious pearl. So they take from him covenants and a solemn pact to keep this secret, and they say in the oaths: "And all your property is charity and every wife of yours is triply divorced if you disclose this." Then they inform him of some of the matter, and say: This is known only to the family of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They say: This outward has an inward, and so-and-so believes what we say but conceals it — and they mention to him some excellent persons, but in a far-off land. Know that their doctrine is outwardly rafḍ and inwardly unbelief. Its opening is restricting the sources of knowledge to the word of the infallible Imam, and disqualifying intellects from perceiving the truth because of the doubts that afflict them. The infallible one perceives, from God Almighty, all the secrets of the religious laws. In every age there must be an infallible Imam to whom recourse is had. This is the beginning of their call. Then it becomes clear that the ultimate aim of their purpose is to demolish the religious laws, because the path of their call is not fixed in one way, but they address every group with what suits its opinion, for their goal is to gain followers. It is established from them that they assert two pre-eternal deities that have no beginning to their existence in time, except that one of them is the cause of the existence of the second. The name of the cause is "the Preceding," and the name of the effect is "the Following." The Preceding created the world through the intermediary of the Following, not by Himself. They sometimes call the first Intellect and the second Soul; the first Perfect and the second Deficient. The first is not described by existence or non-existence, nor by being attributed or not attributed. So they allude to negation, because if they said "non-existent," it would not be accepted from them. They call this negation "tanzīh." Their doctrine regarding prophethood is close to the doctrine of the philosophers: that a prophet is an expression for a person upon whom a pure, holy power flowed from the Preceding Intellect through the intermediary of the Second; that Gabriel is an expression for the intellect overflowing upon him, not that he is a person; and that the Qur'an is Muḥammad's expression of the gnostic truths that flowed upon him from the Intellect. So it was called the speech of God metaphorically, because it was composed from his side. This power that flows upon the prophet does not flow upon him at the beginning of his affair, but grows like a drop of semen. They agree that in every age there must be an infallible Imam standing by truth, to whom recourse is had in interpreting the outward texts and solving difficulties in the Qur'an and reports, and that he equals the prophet in infallibility. It is inconceivable that there be two Imams in one time. Rather, the Imam seeks support through missionaries, who are the ḥujjas. The Imam must have twelve ḥujjas, four of whom do not leave him. All of them deny the resurrection. They say: This order, the succession of night and day, and the generation of animals never cease. They interpret the resurrection as a symbol of the appearance of the Imam. They do not affirm the gathering, the rising, the Garden, or the Fire. The meaning of the return, in their view, is the return of everything to its origin. They say: The human body decays. The soul, if it becomes pure through avoiding passion and persisting in worship, and is nourished with knowledge, attains happiness by returning to its original homeland and its perfection through death, for by death it is delivered from the narrowness of the body. As for inverted souls immersed in the world of nature, turning away from seeking their guidance from the infallible Imams, they are forever in the Fire, in the sense that they transmigrate through corporeal bodies. Whenever they leave one body, another receives them. They cite His saying, Exalted is He: "Whenever their skins are roasted, We shall replace them with other skins." Most of their doctrines agree with the dualists and the philosophers inwardly, and with the Rāfiḍa outwardly. Their purpose with these interpretations is to tear outward beliefs from people's souls until desire and fear lose effect. Then they believe in permitting forbidden things and removing restriction. If this were mentioned to them, they would deny it and say: One must submit to the Law according to what the Imam does. When they grasp the realities of matters, constraints and practical obligations dissolve from them, since the aim, in their view, of the actions of the limbs is to alert the heart. Imposing duties on the limbs is only for the masses who are not disciplined except by driving, and their purpose is to demolish the rules of the Law. They said: Everything mentioned of the obligations is symbols for something inward. The meaning of janāba is a respondent's hastening to initiate a secret to him before he attains the rank of deserving that. The meaning of ghusl is renewing the covenant upon one who did that. Zinā is casting the seed of [esoteric] knowledge into the soul of one with whom no covenant has previously been made. Iḥtilām is when a person hastens to divulge the secret in other than its proper place. Fasting is refraining from disclosing the secret. Forbidden things are an expression for the possessors of the secret. The baʿth, in their view, is being guided to their doctrines. They say concerning "the male is like the share of two females": the male is the Imam and the female is the ḥujja. They said concerning His saying, "the day when its interpretation comes" — that is, when Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl appears. The Qarmaṭīs' saying concerning God's words, "Forbidden to you is the dead animal": in His saying "Forbidden to you is the dead animal," they said the dead animal is the one [frozen on the outward] who pays no attention to interpretation. They said: The sheep and cows that are slaughtered are those who attended the wars against the prophets and Imams, transmigrating in these forms. The slaughterer must say at the time of slaughter: O God, I disavow to You his spirit and body, and I testify against him to misguidance. O God, do not make me among the slaughtered. They have such absurd talk that it is better to spare time from mentioning it. These scandals were known only from people who professed their religion, then their vices became clear to them, so they abandoned their doctrine. If someone says: How can such flimsy beliefs and empty talk be hidden from those who follow them, when we see their followers as a numerous creation? The answer is that their followers are of various kinds. Among them are people whose intellects are weak, whose discernment is little, and over whom dullness and stupidity prevail, and who know nothing of the sciences, like the rural peasants, the Kurds, the crude non-Arabs, and the foolish youths. The misguidance of such people is not surprising, for there were people who carved idols and worshiped them. Among their followers is a group whose ancestors' state was cut off by the Islamic state, like the sons of the Khosrows, the dihqāns, and the children of the Magians. These are bereaved; rancor has lodged in their breasts like a hidden disease. When the phantoms of the falsifiers stir it, its fires blaze. Among their followers are people who aspire to domination and seizure, but the times do not favor them. When they see a path to their goals, they hasten. Among their followers are people naturally disposed to love distinction from the common people. They claim to seek realities and that most of creation is like cattle. All that is from love of the rare and strange. Among their followers are the heretical philosophers and dualists who believe that religious laws are composed codes and miracles are embellished tricks. When they see someone who gives them something of their goals, they incline to him. Among their followers are people who incline to immediate pleasures, and have neither knowledge nor religion. When they encounter someone who removes restriction from them, they incline to him. However, these people do not disclose their affair except gradually, according to their hopes for the person. We have extended our discussion in explaining their condition, although we have mentioned only a verse of a poem, because of the greatness of their harm to the religion and the spread of their poisoned word. The causes we mentioned came together in the middle of their days; otherwise, opponents of the religious laws have always been a numerous creation. Among them a group arose claiming the Imamate of Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyya, saying that the spirit of Muḥammad transmigrated into him, then from him into Abū Muslim, the master of the call, then into the Mahdī, then into a man known as Ibn al-Qaṣrī. Then their fire subsided. Then in the days of al-Maʾmūn a man arose among them and schemed, but his scheme did not succeed. Then they aided one another in the days of al-Muʿtaṣim and corresponded with al-Afshīn, the chief of the non-Arabs. He inclined to them, and they joined with Bābak. Their number exceeded three hundred thousand, but al-Muʿtaṣim killed sixty thousand of them and also killed al-Afshīn. Then their state declined. Then a group arose among them, including a man from the descendants of Bahrām Jūr. They aimed to abolish Islam and restore the Persian state. They began to scheme to weaken the hearts of the believers. They professed the Imāmī doctrine, and some of them the doctrine of the philosophers. A head was appointed for them, known as ʿAbd Allāh b. Maymūn b. ʿAmr — also called Ibn Dayṣān al-Qaddāḥ al-Ahwāzī. He was a charlatan and trickster. The greatest part of his trickery was displaying asceticism and piety, and that the earth was folded for him. He used to send his elite companions to the frontiers with birds, commanding them to write to him news of distant lands. Then he would relate that to people, so their suspicion grew. They used to say that their predecessors were appointed as successors at death, and all of them are successors of Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar al-Ṭālibī. Among the missionaries to the Imam are Maʿadd Abū Tamīm and his father Ismāʿīl, who are the ones who gained mastery over the lands of the Maghrib. Whoever responded to them, they made known to him that whoever did what pleased them became an Imam and a prophet. A beginner among them ascends to the call, then to being a ḥujja, then to the Imamate, then he attains the rank of messengers, then he unites with the Lord and becomes a lord. It is not permissible for anyone to withhold his wife from his brethren. The point is that this group stirred in this year. Then their affair grew and the situation with them worsened, as we shall mention, until matters reached the point that they entered the Sacred Mosque and shed the blood of pilgrims in the middle of the mosque around the noble Kaʿba, broke the Black Stone, pulled it from its place, and took it to their lands in the year 317. It remained with them until the year 339, being absent from its place for twenty-two years. To God we belong and to Him we return.
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