Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3642
The year 290 AH of the Prophetic Hijrah
أَخْبَارِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ فِي سَنَةُ تِسْعِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ فِي رَبِيعٍ الْآخَرِ، سَيَّرَ طُغَجُ بْنُ جُفٍّ جَيْشًا مِنْ دِمَشْقَ إِلَى الْقَرْمَطِيِّ، عَلَيْهِمْ غُلَامٌ لَهُ اسْمُهُ بَشِيرٌ، فَهَزَمَهُمُ الْقَرْمَطِيُّ، وَقَتَلَ بَشِيرًا. وَفِيهَا حَصَرَ الْقَرْمَطِيُّ دِمَشْقَ، وَضَيَّقَ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا، وَقَتَلَ أَصْحَابَ طُغَجَ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا الْقَلِيلُ، وَأَشْرَفَ أَهْلُهَا عَلَى الْهَلَكَةِ، فَاجْتَمَعَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَغْدَاذَ وَأَنْهَوْا ذَلِكَ إِلَى الْخَلِيفَةِ، فَوَعَدَهُمُ النَّجْدَةَ، ( وَأَمَدَّ الْمِصْرِيُّونَ أَهْلَ دِمَشْقَ بِبَدْرٍ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ الْقُوَّادِ )، فَقَاتَلُوا الشَّيْخَ مُقَدَّمَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ، فَقُتِلَ عَلَى بَابِ دِمَشْقَ، رَمَاهُ بَعْضُ الْمَغَارِبَةِ بِمِزْرَاقٍ، وَزَرَقَهُ نَفَّاطٌ بِالنَّارِ فَاحْتَرَقَ، وَقُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ. وَكَانَ هَذَا الْقَرْمَطِيُّ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ إِذَا أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى جِهَةٍ مِنَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مُحَارِبُوهُ انْهَزَمُوا. وَلَمَّا قُتِلَ يَحْيَى الْمَعْرُوفُ بِالشَّيْخِ وَقُتِلَ أَصْحَابُهُ، اجْتَمَعَ مَنْ بَقِيَ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى أَخِيهِ الْحُسَيْنِ، وَسَمَّى نَفْسَهُ أَحْمَدَ، وَكَنَّاهُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ، وَدَعَا النَّاسَ فَأَجَابَهُ أَكْثَرُ أَهْلِ الْبَوَادِي وَغَيْرُهُمْ، فَاشْتَدَّتْ شَوْكَتُهُ، وَأَظْهَرَ شَامَةً فِي وَجْهِهِ، وَزَعَمَ أَنَّهَا آيَتُهُ. فَسَارَ إِلَى دِمَشْقَ، فَصَالَحَهُ أَهْلُهَا عَلَى خَرَاجٍ دَفَعُوهُ إِلَيْهِ وَانْصَرَفَ عَنْهُمْ. ثُمَّ سَارَ إِلَى أَطْرَافِ حِمْصَ، فَغَلَبَ عَلَيْهَا، وَخُطِبَ لَهُ عَلَى مَنَابِرِهَا، وَتَسَمَّى الْمَهْدِيَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَأَتَاهُ ابْنُ عَمِّهِ عِيسَى بْنُ الْمَهْدِيِّ، الْمُسَمَّى عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، فَلَقَّبَهُ الْمُدَّثِّرَ وَعَهِدَ إِلَيْهِ، وَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ الْمُدَّثِّرُ الَّذِي فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَلَقَّبَ غُلَامًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ الْمُطَوَّقَ، وَقَلَّدَهُ قَتْلَ أَسْرَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ. وَلَمَّا أَطَاعَهُ أَهْلُ حِمْصَ، وَفَتَحُوا لَهُ بَابَهَا خَوْفًا مِنْهُ، سَارَ إِلَى حَمَاةَ، وَمَعَرَّةِ النُّعْمَانِ، وَغَيْرِهِمَا، فَقَتَلَ أَهْلَهَا، وَقَتَلَ النِّسَاءَ، وَالصِّبْيَانَ. ثُمَّ سَارَ إِلَى بَعْلَبَكَّ، فَقَتَلَ عَامَّةَ أَهْلِهَا، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا الْيَسِيرُ. ثُمَّ سَارَ إِلَى سَلَمِيَّةَ فَمَنَعَهُ أَهْلُهَا، ثُمَّ صَالَحَهُمْ، وَأَعْطَاهُمُ الْأَمَانَ، فَفَتَحُوا لَهُ بَابَهَا، فَبَدَأَ بِمَنْ فِيهَا مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، وَكَانُوا جَمَاعَةً، فَقَتَلَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ، ثُمَّ قَتَلَ الْبَهَائِمَ، وَالصِّبْيَانَ بِالْمَكَاتِبِ. ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مِنْهَا، وَلَيْسَ بِهَا عَيْنٌ تَطْرِفُ. وَسَارَ فِيمَا حَوْلَهَا مِنَ الْقُرَى يَسْبِي، وَيَقْتُلُ وَيُخِيفُ السَّبِيلَ. فَذُكِرَ عَنْ مُتَطَبِّبٍ بِبَابِ الْمُحَوَّلِ يُدْعَى أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ قَالَ: جَاءَتْنِي امْرَأَةٌ بَعْدَمَا أُدْخِلَ الْقَرْمَطِيُّ صَاحِبُ الشَّامَةِ بَغْدَادَ، وَقَالَتْ: أُرِيدُ أَنْ تُعَالِجَ جُرْحًا فِي كَتِفِي ; فَقُلْتُ: هَهُنَا امْرَأَةٌ تُعَالِجُ النِّسَاءَ فَانْتَظَرَتْهَا، فَقَعَدَتْ وَهِيَ بَاكِيَةٌ مَكْرُوبَةٌ، فَسَأَلْتُهَا عَنْ قِصَّتِهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ لِي وَلَدٌ طَالَتْ غَيْبَتُهُ عَنِّي، فَخَرَجْتُ أَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِ الْبِلَادَ، فَلَمْ أَرَهُ، فَخَرَجْتُ مِنَ الرَّقَّةِ فِي طَلَبِهِ، فَوَقَعْتُ فِي عَسْكَرِ الْقَرْمَطِيِّ أَطْلُبُهُ، فَرَأَيْتُهُ، فَشَكَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ حَالِي وَحَالَ إِخْوَتِهِ، فَقَالَ: دَعِينِي مِنْ هَذَا، أَخْبِرِينِي مَا دِينُكِ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: أَمَا تَعْرِفُ مَا دِينِي ؟ فَقَالَ: مَا كُنَّا فِيهِ بَاطِلٌ، وَالدِّينُ مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ الْيَوْمَ، فَعَجِبْتُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، وَخَرَجَ وَتَرَكَنِي، وَوَجَّهَ بِخُبْزٍ [ وَلَحْمٍ ] فَلَمْ أَمَسَّهُ، حَتَّى عَادَ فَأَصْلَحَهُ. وَأَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَسَأَلَنِي هَلْ أُحْسِنُ مِنْ أَمْرِ النِّسَاءِ شَيْئًا ؟ فَقُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، فَأَدْخَلَنِي دَارًا فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ تَطْلُقُ، فَقَعَدْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا، وَجَعَلْتُ أُكَلِّمُهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُنِي، حَتَّى وَلَدَتْ غُلَامًا، فَأَصْلَحْتُ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ، وَتَلَطَّفْتُ بِهَا حَتَّى كَلَّمَتْنِي، فَسَأَلْتُهَا عَنْ حَالِهَا، فَقَالَتْ: أَنَا امْرَأَةٌ هَاشِمِيَّةٌ أَخَذَنَا هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَقْوَامُ، فَذَبَحُوا أَبِي، وَأَهْلِي جَمِيعًا، وَأَخَذَنِي صَاحِبُهُمْ، فَأَقَمْتُ عِنْدَهُ ( خَمْسَةَ أَيَّامٍ )، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِي، فَطَلَبَنِي مِنْهُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَنْفُسٍ مِنْ قُوَّادِهِ، فَوَهَبَنِي لَهُمْ، وَكُنْتُ مَعَهُمْ، فَوَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي مِمَّنْ هَذَا الْوَلَدُ مِنْهُمْ. قَالَتْ: فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ، فَقَالَتْ لِي: هَنِّيهِ، فَهَنَّيْتُهُ، فَأَعْطَانِي سَبِيكَةَ فِضَّةٍ ( وَجَاءَ آخَرُ، وَآخَرُ، أُهَنِّي كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَيُعْطِينِي سَبِيكَةَ فِضَّةٍ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ الرَّابِعُ، وَمَعَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ، فَهَنَّيْتُهُ، فَأَعْطَانِي أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ، وَبِتْنَا، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحْنَا قُلْتُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ: قَدْ وَجَبَ حَقِّي عَلَيْكِ، فَاللَّهَ اللَّهَ خَلِّصِينِي قَالَتْ: مِمَّنْ أُخَلِّصُكِ ؟ فَأَخْبَرْتُهَا خَبَرَ ابْنِي، فَقَالَتْ: عَلَيْكِ بِالرَّجُلِ الَّذِي جَاءَ آخِرَ الْقَوْمِ، فَأَقَمْتُ يَوْمِي، فَلَمَّا أَمْسَيْتُ، وَجَاءَ الرَّجُلُ قُمْتُ لَهُ، وَقَبَّلْتُ يَدَهُ وَرِجْلَهُ، وَوَعَدْتُهُ أَنَّنِي أَعُودُ بَعْدَ أَنْ أُوَصِّلَ مَا مَعِي إِلَى بَنَاتِي ; فَدَعَا قَوْمًا مِنْ غِلْمَانِهِ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِحَمْلِي إِلَى مَكَانٍ ذَكَرَهُ، وَقَالَ: اتْرُكُوهَا فِيهِ وَارْجِعُوا ; فَسَارُوا بِي عَشَرَةَ فَرَاسِخَ، فَلَحِقَنَا ابْنِي، فَضَرَبَنِي بِالسَّيْفِ، فَجَرَحَنِي، وَمَنَعَهُ الْقَوْمُ، وَسَارُوا بِي إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي سَمَّاهُ لَهُمْ صَاحِبُهُمْ، وَتَرَكُونِي، وَجِئْتُ إِلَى هَهُنَا. قَالَتْ: وَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الْأَمِيرُ بِالْقَرَامِطَةِ وَبِالْأُسَارَى رَأَيْتُ ابْنِي فِيهِمْ عَلَى جَمَلٍ عَلَيْهِ بُرْنُسٌ، وَهُوَ يَبْكِي، فَقُلْتُ: لَا خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنْكَ وَلَا خَلَّصَكَ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ كُتُبَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَمِصْرَ وَصَلَتْ إِلَى الْمُكْتَفِي يَشْكُونَ مَا يَلْقَوْنَ مِنَ الْقَرْمَطِيِّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَالسَّبْيِ، وَتَخْرِيبِ الْبِلَادِ، فَأَمَرَ الْجُنْدَ بِالتَّأَهُّبِ وَخَرَجَ مِنْ بَغْدَاذَ، فِي رَمَضَانَ، وَسَارَ إِلَى الشَّامِ وَجَعَلَ طَرِيقَهُ عَلَى الْمَوْصِلِ، وَقَدَّمَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ أَبَا الْأَغَرِّ فِي عَشَرَةِ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ، فَنَزَلَ قَرِيبًا مِنْ حَلَبَ، فَكَبَسَهُمُ الْقَرْمَطِيُّ صَاحِبُ الشَّامَةِ، فَقَتَلَ مِنْهُمْ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا، وَسَلِمَ أَبُو الْأَغَرِّ، فَدَخَلَ حَلَبَ فِي أَلْفِ رَجُلٍ، وَكَانَتْ هَذِهِ الْوَقْعَةُ فِي رَمَضَانَ، وَسَارَ الْقَرْمَطِيُّ إِلَى بَابِ حَلَبَ، فَحَارَبَهُ أَبُو الْأَغَرِّ بِمَنْ بَقِيَ مَعَهُ وَأَهْلُ الْبَلَدِ، فَرَجَعَ عَنْهُمْ. وَسَارَ الْمُكْتَفِي حَتَّى نَزَلَ الرَّقَّةَ، وَسَيَّرَ الْجُيُوشَ إِلَيْهِ، وَجَعَلَ أَمْرَهُمْ إِلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ الْكَاتِبِ. وَفِيهَا، فِي شَوَّالٍ تَحَارَبَ الْقَرْمَطِيُّ صَاحِبُ الشَّامَةِ، وَبَدْرٌ مَوْلَى ابْنِ طُولُونَ، فَانْهَزَمَ الْقَرْمَطِيُّ، وَقُتِلَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَمَضَى مَنْ سَلِمَ مِنْهُمْ نَحْوَ الْبَادِيَةِ. فَوَجَّهَ الْمُكْتَفِي فِي أَثَرِهِمُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ حَمْدَانَ، وَغَيْرَهُ مِنَ الْقُوَّادِ. وَفِيهَا كَبَسَ ابْنُ بَانْوَا أَمِيرُ الْبَحْرَيْنِ حِصْنًا لِلْقَرَامِطَةِ، فَظَفِرَ بِمَنْ فِيهِ، وَوَاقَعَ قَرَابَةَ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْجَنَّابِيِّ، فَهَزَمَهُ ابْنُ بَانْوَا، وَكَانَ مُقَامُ هَذَا الْقَرْمَطِيِّ بِالْقَطِيفِ، وَهُوَ وَلِيُّ عَهْدِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، ثُمَّ أَنَّهُ وُجِدَ بَعْدَمَا انْهَزَمَ أَصْحَابُهُ قَتِيلًا، فَأُخِذَ رَأْسُهُ، وَسَارَ ابْنُ بَانْوَا إِلَى الْقَطِيفِ، فَافْتَتَحَهَا.
Translation
✧ Reports of the Qarāmiṭa In the year two hundred and ninety, in Rabīʿ al-Ākhir, Ṭughuj b. Juff dispatched an army from Damascus against the Qarmaṭī, over them a servant (ghulām) of his named Bashīr, but the Qarmaṭī routed them and killed Bashīr. In it, the Qarmaṭī besieged Damascus, straitened its people, killed the companions of Ṭughuj, and only a few of them remained. Its people were on the brink of destruction. A group from the people of Baghdad gathered and brought that to the caliph, and he promised them relief, (and the Egyptians reinforced the people of Damascus with Badr and other commanders). They fought the Shaykh, the leader of the Qarāmiṭa, and he was killed at the gate of Damascus: one of the Maghāriba struck him with a javelin, and a naffāṭ flung fire at him so he burned, and a great many of them were killed. This Qarmaṭī used to claim that if he gestured with his hand toward any direction in which his fighters were, they would be routed. When Yaḥyā, known as al-Shaykh, was killed and his companions were killed, those of them who remained gathered around his brother al-Ḥusayn. He called himself Aḥmad and gave himself the kunya Abū al-ʿAbbās. He summoned the people, and most of the people of the desert and others answered him. His power grew strong, and he displayed a mole on his face, claiming it was his sign. He marched to Damascus, and its people made peace with him for a tax they paid him, and he turned away from them. Then he marched to the outskirts of Ḥimṣ and gained control over them, and he was invoked from their pulpits. He called himself al-Mahdī, Commander of the Faithful. His cousin ʿĪsā b. al-Mahdī, named ʿAbd Allāh b. Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl, came to him, and he gave him the title al-Mudaththir and made a covenant to him, claiming that he was the Mudaththir mentioned in the Qurʾān. He gave a servant (ghulām) from his family the title al-Muṭawwaq and entrusted him with killing the Muslim captives. When the people of Ḥimṣ obeyed him and opened its gate to him out of fear of him, he marched to Ḥamāh, Maʿarrat al-Nuʿmān, and elsewhere, and he killed their people, killing the women and the children. Then he marched to Baʿlabakk and killed the general populace of its people, and only a few of them remained. Then he marched to Salamiyya, but its people prevented him. Then he made peace with them and gave them a guarantee of safety, so they opened its gate to him. He began with the Banū Hāshim who were in it, and they were a group, and he killed them all. Then he killed the animals and the children in the schools (maktab). Then he left it while not an eye blinked in it. He marched through the villages around it, taking captives, killing, and terrifying the roads. It is reported from a physician at Bāb al-Muḥawwal called Abū al-Ḥusayn, who said: A woman came to me after the Qarmaṭī, the one with the mole, was brought into Baghdad, and she said, "I want you to treat a wound in my shoulder." I said, "Here is a woman who treats women." She waited for her, and she sat weeping and distressed. I asked her about her story. She said, "I had a son whose absence from me had grown long. I went out traveling through the lands seeking him, but I did not see him. I left al-Raqqa in search of him and came upon the camp of the Qarmaṭī seeking him. I saw him and complained to him of my condition and that of his brothers. He said, 'Leave me from this. Tell me, what is your religion?' I said, 'Do you not know what my religion is?' He said, 'What we used to be in is false, and the religion is what we are in today.' I marveled at that, and he went out and left me. He sent bread [and meat], but I did not touch it until he returned and set it right. A man from his companions came to me and asked whether I knew anything about women's matters. I said, 'Yes.' He brought me into a house, and there was a woman in labor. I sat before her and began speaking to her, but she did not speak to me until she gave birth to a boy. I attended to his affairs and was gentle with her until she spoke to me. I asked her about her condition. She said, 'I am a Hāshimī woman. These people seized us. They slaughtered my father and all my family. Their leader took me, and I remained with him (five days). Then he ordered my execution. Four of his commanders asked him for me, and he gave me to them. I was with them, and by God, I do not know from which of them this child is.' She said: Then a man came, and she said to me, 'Congratulate him.' I congratulated him, and he gave me an ingot of silver. Another came, and another, and I congratulated each one of them, and he gave me an ingot of silver. Then the fourth came, and with him a group, and I congratulated him, and he gave me a thousand dirhams. We spent the night. When morning came, I said to the woman, 'My due is now incumbent upon you. By God, by God, deliver me.' She said, 'From whom shall I deliver you?' I told her the story of my son. She said, 'Go to the man who came last of the people.' I remained that day, and when evening came and the man came, I stood for him and kissed his hand and his foot, and promised him that I would return after delivering what I had with me to my daughters. He summoned a group of his servants (ghilmān) and ordered them to carry me to a place he named, saying, 'Leave her in it and return.' They traveled with me ten farsakhs, and my son caught up with us. He struck me with a sword and wounded me, but the people prevented him. They traveled with me to the place their leader had named for them and left me, and I came here. She said: When the amir brought the Qarāmiṭa and the captives, I saw my son among them on a camel, wearing a burnous, and he was weeping. I said, 'May God not lighten for you nor deliver you.' Then the letters of the people of Syria and Egypt reached al-Muktafī complaining of what they were suffering from the Qarmaṭī of killing, captivity, and the devastation of the lands. He ordered the troops to prepare, and he left Baghdad in Ramaḍān and marched to Syria, taking his route via al-Mawṣil. He sent ahead of him Abū al-Agharr with ten thousand men. He camped near Aleppo, and the Qarmaṭī, the one with the mole, fell upon them by surprise and killed a great many of them. Abū al-Agharr was safe and entered Aleppo with a thousand men. This battle was in Ramaḍān. The Qarmaṭī marched to the gate of Aleppo, and Abū al-Agharr fought him with those who remained with him and the people of the town, so he turned away from them. Al-Muktafī marched until he encamped at al-Raqqa, and he dispatched armies to him, placing their command under Muḥammad b. Sulaymān the secretary. In it, in Shawwāl, the Qarmaṭī, the one with the mole, and Badr, the mawlā of Ibn Ṭūlūn, fought. The Qarmaṭī was routed, and a great many of his companions were killed. Those of them who were safe went toward the desert. Al-Muktafī dispatched al-Ḥusayn b. Ḥamdān and other commanders in their pursuit. In it, Ibn Bānwā, the amir of al-Baḥrayn, fell upon a fortress of the Qarāmiṭa by surprise and captured those in it. He engaged the relative of Abū Saʿīd al-Jannābī and Ibn Bānwā routed him. This Qarmaṭī's residence was in al-Qaṭīf, and he was the heir apparent of Abū Saʿīd. Then, after his companions were routed, he was found dead, and his head was taken. Ibn Bānwā marched to al-Qaṭīf and conquered it.
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