Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3654
The emirate of the Banu Hamdan in Mosul and what they did to the Kurds
أَمْرِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ فِي سَنَةُ ثَلَاثٍ وَتِسْعِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ أَنْفَذَ زَكْرَوَيْهِ بْنُ مَهْرَوَيْهِ، بَعْدَ قَتْلِ صَاحِبِ الشَّامَةِ، رَجُلًا كَانَ يُعَلِّمُ الصِّبْيَانَ بِالرَّافُوفَةِ مِنَ الْفَلُّوجَةِ يُسَمَّى عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَعِيدٍ، وَيُكَنَّى أَبَا غَانِمٍ، فَسُمِّيَ نَصْرًا، وَقِيلَ كَانَ الْمُنْفِذُ ابْنَ زَكْرَوَيْهِ، فَدَارَ عَلَى أَحْيَاءِ الْعَرَبِ مِنْ كَلْبٍ وَغَيْرِهِمْ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى رَأْيِهِ، فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْهُ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ، إِلَّا رَجُلًا مِنْ بَنِي زِيَادٍ يُسَمَّى مِقْدَامَ بْنَ الْكَيَّالِ، وَاسْتَقْوَى بِطَوَائِفَ مِنَ الْأَصْبَغِيِّينَ الْمُنْتَمِينَ إِلَى الْفَوَاطِمِ، وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِنَ الْعُلَيْصِيِّينَ، وَصَعَالِيكَ مِنْ سَائِرِ بُطُونِ كَلْبٍ، وَقَصَدَ نَاحِيَةَ الشَّامِ، وَالْعَامِلُ بِدِمَشْقَ وَالْأُرْدُنِّ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ كَيْغَلَغَ، وَهُوَ بِمِصْرَ يُحَارِبُ الْخَلَنْجِيَّ، فَاغْتَنَمَ ذَلِكَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَسَارَ إِلَى بُصْرَى وَأَذْرِعَاتٍ وَالْبَثَنَيَّةِ، فَحَارَبَ أَهْلَهَا، ثُمَّ أَمَّنَهُمْ، فَلَمَّا اسْتَسْلَمُوا إِلَيْهِ قَتَلَ مُقَاتِلَتَهُمْ، وَسَبَى ذَرَارِيَّهُمْ وَأَخَذَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ. ثُمَّ قَصَدَ دِمَشْقَ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ نَائِبُ ابْنِ كَيْغَلَغَ، وَهُوَ صَالِحُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ، فَهَزَمَهُ الْقَرَامِطَةُ، وَأَثْخَنُوا فِيهِمْ، ثُمَّ [ أَمَّنُوهُمْ ] وَغَدَرُوهُمْ بِالْأَمَانِ، وَقَتَلُوا صَالِحًا، وَفَضُّوا عَسْكَرَهُ، وَسَارُوا إِلَى دِمَشْقَ، فَمَنَعَهُمْ أَهْلُهَا، فَقَصَدُوا طَبَرِيَّةَ، وَانْضَافَ إِلَيْهِ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ جُنْدِ دِمَشْقَ افْتُتِنُوا بِهِ، فَوَاقَعَهُمْ يُوسُفُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ بَغَامَرْدِيِّ، وَهُوَ خَلِيفَةُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ كَيْغَلَغَ بِالْأُرْدُنِّ، فَهَزَمُوهُ، وَبَذَلُوا لَهُ الْأَمَانَ، وَغَدَرُوا بِهِ، وَقَتَلُوهُ، وَنَهَبُوا طَبَرِيَّةَ، وَقَتَلُوا خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا وَسَبَوُا النِّسَاءَ. فَأَنْفَذَ الْخَلِيفَةُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ حَمْدَانَ وَجَمَاعَةً مِنَ الْقُوَّادِ فِي طَلَبِهِمْ، فَوَرَدُوا دِمَشْقَ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ بِهِمُ الْقَرَامِطَةُ رَجَعُوا نَحْوَ السَّمَاوَةِ، وَتَبِعَهُمُ الْحُسَيْنُ فِي السَّمَاوَةِ وَهُمْ يَنْتَقِلُونَ فِي الْمِيَاهِ وَيُغَوِّرُونَهَا، حَتَّى لَجَئُوا إِلَى مَاءَيْنِ يُعْرَفُ أَحَدُهُمَا بِالدِّمْعَانَةِ، وَالْآخَرُ بِالْحَبَالَةِ. وَانْقَطَعَ ابْنُ حَمْدَانَ عَنْهُمْ لِعَدَمِ الْمَاءِ، وَعَادَ إِلَى الرَّحْبَةِ، وَأَسْرَى الْقَرَامِطَةُ مَعَ نَصْرٍ إِلَى هِيتَ وَأَهْلُهَا غَافِلُونَ، فَنَهَبُوا رَبَضَهَا، وَامْتَنَعَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ بِسُورِهِمْ، وَنَهَبُوا السُّفُنَ، وَقَتَلُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مِائَتَيْ نَفْسٍ، وَنَهَبُوا الْأَمْوَالَ وَالْمَتَاعَ، وَأَوْقَرُوا ثَلَاثَةَ آلَافِ رَاحِلَةٍ مِنَ الْحِنْطَةِ. وَبَلَغَ الْخَبَرُ إِلَى الْمُكْتَفِي فَسَيَّرَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ كُنْدَاجَ، فَلَمْ يُقِيمُوا لِمُحَمَّدٍ، وَرَجَعُوا إِلَى الْمَاءَيْنِ فَنَهَضَ مُحَمَّدٌ خَلْفَهُمْ، فَوَجَدَهُمْ قَدْ غَوَّرُوا الْمِيَاهَ، فَأَنْفَذَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ بَغْدَاذَ الْأَزْوَادَ وَالدَّوَابَّ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى ابْنِ حَمْدَانَ بِالْمَسِيرِ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ جِهَةِ الرَّحْبَةِ لِيَجْتَمِعَ هُوَ وَمُحَمَّدٌ عَلَى الْإِيقَاعِ بِهِمْ، فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ. فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ الْكَلْبِيُّونَ بِإِقْبَالِ الْجَيْشِ إِلَيْهِمْ وَثَبُوا بِنَصْرٍ فَقَتَلُوهُ، قَتَلَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ الذِّئْبُ بْنُ الْقَائِمِ، وَسَارَ بِرَأْسِهِ إِلَى الْمُكْتَفِي مُتَقَرِّبًا بِذَلِكَ، مُسْتَأْمِنًا، فَأُجِيبَ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، وَأُجِيزَ بِجَائِزَةٍ سَنِيَّةٍ، وَأَمَرَ بِالْكَفِّ عَنْ قَوْمِهِ. وَاقْتَتَلَتِ الْقَرَامِطَةُ بَعْدَ نَصْرٍ حَتَّى صَارَتْ بَيْنَهُمُ الدِّمَاءُ، وَسَارَتْ فِرْقَةٌ كَرَّهَتْ أُمُورَهُمْ إِلَى بَنِي أَسَدٍ بِنَوَاحِي عَيْنِ التَّمْرِ، وَاعْتَذَرُوا إِلَى الْخَلِيفَةِ، فَقَبِلَ عُذْرَهُمْ، وَبَقِيَ عَلَى الْمَاءَيْنِ بَقِيَّتُهُمْ مِمَّنْ لَهُ بَصِيرَةٌ فِي دِينِهِ، فَكَتَبَ الْخَلِيفَةُ إِلَى ابْنِ حَمْدَانَ يَأْمُرُهُ بِمُعَاوَدَتِهِمْ، وَاجْتِثَاثِ أَصْلِهِمْ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ زَكْرَوَيْهِ بْنُ مَهْرَوَيْهِ دَاعِيَةً لَهُ يُسَمَّى الْقَاسِمَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ، وَيُعْرَفُ بِأَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ، وَأَعْلَمَهُمْ أَنَّ فِعْلَ الذِّئْبِ قَدْ نَفَّرَهُ مِنْهُمْ، وَأَنَّهُمْ قَدِ ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الدِّينِ، وَأَنَّ وَقْتَ ظُهُورِهِمْ قَدْ حَضَرَ، وَقَدْ بَايَعَ لَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ أَرْبَعُونَ أَلْفًا، وَأَنَّ يَوْمَ مَوْعِدِهِمُ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي شَأْنِ مُوسَى ﷺ وَعَدُوِّهِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَنْ يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى، وَيَأْمُرُهُمْ أَنْ يَفُوا أَمْرَهُمْ، وَأَنْ يَسِيرُوا حَتَّى يُصَبِّحُوا الْكُوفَةَ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ سَنَةَ ثَلَاثٍ وَتِسْعِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُمْنَعُونَ مِنْهَا، وَأَنَّهُ يَظْهَرُ لَهُمْ، وَيُنْجِزُ لَهُمْ وَعْدَهُ الَّذِي يَعِدُهُمْ إِيَّاهُ، وَأَنْ يَحْمِلُوا إِلَيْهِ الْقَاسِمَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ. فَامْتَثَلُوا رَأْيَهُ، وَوَافَوْا بَابَ الْكُوفَةِ وَقَدِ انْصَرَفَ النَّاسُ عَنْ مُصَلَّاهُمْ، وَعَامِلُهُمْ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ، وَوَصَلُوهَا فِي ثَمَانِمِائَةِ فَارِسٍ عَلَيْهِمُ الدُّرُوعُ، وَالْجَوَاشِنُ، وَالْآلَاتُ الْحَسَنَةُ، وَقَدْ ضَرَبُوا عَلَى الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ قُبَّةً، وَقَالُوا هَذَا أَثَرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، وَنَادَوْا: يَا لَثَارَاتِ الْحُسَيْنِ، يَعْنُونَ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ زَكْرَوَيْهِ الْمَصْلُوبَ بِبَغْدَاذَ، وَشِعَارُهُمْ: يَا أَحْمَدُ، يَا مُحَمَّدُ، يَعْنُونَ ابْنِيْ زَكْرَوَيْهِ الْمَقْتُولَيْنِ، فَأَظْهَرُوا الْأَعْلَامَ الْبِيضَ، وَأَرَادُوا اسْتِمَالَةَ رَعَاعَ النَّاسِ بِالْكُوفَةِ بِذَلِكَ، فَلَمْ يَمِلْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَحَدٌ، فَأَوْقَعَ الْقَرَامِطَةُ بِمَنْ لَحِقُوهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ، وَقَتَلُوا نَحْوًا مِنْ عِشْرِينَ نَفْسًا. وَبَادَرَ النَّاسُ الْكُوفَةَ، وَأَخَذُوا السِّلَاحَ، وَنَهَضَ بِهِمْ إِسْحَاقُ، وَدَخَلَ مَدِينَةَ الْكُوفَةِ مِنَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ مِائَةُ فَارِسٍ، فَقُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ عِشْرُونَ نَفْسًا، وَأُخْرِجُوا عَنْهَا، وَظَهَرَ إِسْحَاقُ، وَحَارَبَهُمْ إِلَى الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفُوا نَحْوَ الْقَادِسِيَّةِ، وَكَانَ فِيمَنْ يُقَاتِلُهُمْ مَعَ إِسْحَاقَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الطَّالِبِيَّةِ. وَكَتَبَ إِسْحَاقُ إِلَى الْخَلِيفَةِ يَسْتَمِدُّهُ، فَأَمَدَّهُ بِجَمَاعَةٍ مِنْ قُوَّادِهِ، مِنْهُمْ: وَصِيفُ بْنُ صُوَارِتِكِينَ التُّرْكِيُّ، وَالْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى بْنِ بُغَا، وَبِشْرٌ الْخَادِمُ الْأَفْشِينِيُّ، وَرَائِقٌ الْخَزَرِيُّ، مَوْلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَغَيْرُهُمْ مِنَ الْغِلْمَانِ الْحُجَرِيَّةِ، فَسَارُوا مُنْتَصَفَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ حَتَّى قَارَبُوا الْقَادِسِيَّةَ فَنَزَلُوا بِالصَّوَّانِ، فَلَقِيَهُمْ زَكْرَوَيْهِ. وَأَمَّا الْقَرَامِطَةُ فَإِنَّهُمْ أَنْفَذُوا وَاسْتَخْرَجُوا زَكْرَوَيْهِ مِنْ جُبٍّ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَانَ مُنْقَطِعًا فِيهِ سِنِينَ كَثِيرَةً، بِقَرْيَةِ الدَّرِيَّةِ، وَكَانَ عَلَى الْجُبِّ بَابٌ حَدِيدٌ مُحْكَمُ الْعَمَلِ، وَكَانَ زَكْرَوَيْهِ إِذَا خَافَ الطَّلَبَ جَعَلَ تَنُّورًا هُنَاكَ عَلَى بَابِ الْجُبِّ، وَقَامَتِ امْرَأَةٌ تَسْجُرُهُ، فَلَا يُفْطَنُ إِلَيْهِ، وَكَانَ رُبَّمَا أُخْفِيَ فِي بَيْتٍ خَلْفَ بَابِ الدَّارِ الَّتِي كَانَ بِهَا سَاكِنًا، فَإِذَا انْفَتَحَ بَابُ الدَّارِ انْطَبَقَ عَلَى بَابِ الْبَيْتِ، فَيَدْخُلُ الدَّاخِلُ الدَّارَ فَلَا يَرَى شَيْئًا، فَلَمَّا اسْتَخْرَجُوهُ حَمَلُوهُ عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ، وَسَمَّوْهُ وَلِيَّ اللَّهِ، وَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ سَجَدُوا لَهُ، وَحَضَرَ مَعَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ دُعَاتِهِ وَخَاصَّتِهِ، وَأَعْلَمَهُمْ أَنَّ الْقَاسِمَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ ( مِنْ ) أَعْظَمِ النَّاسِ عَلَيْهِمْ ذِمَّةً وَمِنَّةً، وَأَنَّهُ رَدَّهُمْ إِلَى الدِّينِ بَعْدَ خُرُوجِهِمْ عَنْهُ، وَأَنَّهُمْ إِنِ امْتَثَلُوا أَوَامِرَهُ أَنْجَزَ مَوْعِدَهُمْ، وَبَلَغُوا آمَالَهُمْ، وَرَمَّزَ لَهُمْ رُمُوزًا ذَكَرَ فِيهَا آيَاتٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ نَقَلَهَا عَنِ الْوَجْهِ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَتْ فِيهِ، فَاعْتَرَفَ لَهُ مَنْ رَسَخَ حُبُّ الْكُفْرِ فِي قَلْبِهِ أَنَّهُ رَئِيسُهُمْ وَكَهْفُهُمْ، وَأَيْقَنُوا بِالنَّصْرِ وَبُلُوغِ الْأَمَلِ. وَسَارَ بِهِمْ وَهُوَ مَحْجُوبٌ يَدْعُونَهُ السَّيِّدَ وَلَا يُبْرِزُونَهُ، وَالْقَاسِمُ يَتَوَلَّى الْأُمُورَ، وَأَعْلَمَهُمْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ السَّوَادِ قَاطِبَةً خَارِجُونَ إِلَيْهِ، فَأَقَامَ بِسَقْيِ الْفُرَاتِ عِدَّةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَلَمْ يَصِلْ إِلَيْهِ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا خَمْسُمِائَةِ رَجُلٍ، ثُمَّ وَافَتْهُ الْجُنُودُ الْمَذْكُورَةُ مِنْ عِنْدِ الْخَلِيفَةِ، فَلَقِيَهُمْ زَكْرَوَيْهِ بِالصَّوَّانِ، وَقَاتَلَهُمْ وَاشْتَدَّتِ الْحَرْبُ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَكَانَتِ الْهَزِيمَةُ أَوَّلَ النَّهَارِ عَلَى الْقَرَامِطَةِ وَكَانَ زَكْرَوَيْهِ قَدْ كَمَّنَ لَهُمْ كَمِينًا مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ، فَلَمْ يَشْعُرْ أَصْحَابُ الْخَلِيفَةِ إِلَّا وَالسَّيْفُ فِيهِمْ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ، فَانْهَزَمُوا أَقْبَحَ هَزِيمَةٍ، وَوَضَعَ الْقَرَامِطَةُ السَّيْفَ فِيهِمْ، فَقَتَلُوهُمْ كَيْفَ شَاءُوا، وَغَنِمُوا سَوَادَهُمْ، وَلَمْ يَسْلَمْ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْخَلِيفَةِ إِلَّا مَنْ دَابَّتُهُ قَوِيَّةٌ، أَوْ مَنْ أُثْخِنَ بِالْجِرَاحِ، فَوَضَعَ نَفْسَهُ بَيْنَ الْقَتْلَى، فَتَحَامَلُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ. وَأُخِذَ لِلْخَلِيفَةِ فِي هَذَا الْعَسْكَرِ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ ثَلَاثِمِائَةِ جَمَّازَةٍ عَلَيْهَا الْمَالُ وَالسِّلَاحُ، وَخَمْسُمِائَةِ بَغْلٍ، وَقُتِلَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْخَلِيفَةِ، سِوَى الْغِلْمَانِ، أَلْفٌ وَخَمْسُمِائَةِ رَجُلٍ، وَقَوِيَ الْقَرَامِطَةُ بِمَا غَنِمُوا. وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ خَبَرُ هَذِهِ الْوَقْعَةِ إِلَى بَغْدَاذَ أَعْظَمَهَا الْخَلِيفَةُ وَالنَّاسُ، وَنَدَبَ إِلَى الْقَرَامِطَةِ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ كُنْدَاجَ، وَضَمَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ بَنِي شَيْبَانَ وَغَيْرَهُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَلْفَيْ رَجُلٍ، وَأَعْطَاهُمُ الْأَرْزَاقَ، وَرَحَلَ زَكْرَوَيْهِ مِنْ مَكَانِهِ إِلَى نَهْرِ الْمُثْنِيَةِ لِنَتَنِ الْقَتْلَى. الداعية للقرامطة باليمن وَنَبَغَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ يُقَالُ لَهُ الدَّاعِيَةُ بِالْيَمَنِ فَحَاصَرَ صَنْعَاءَ فَدَخَلَهَا قَهْرًا وَقَتَلَ خَلْقًا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا ثُمَّ سَارَ إِلَى بَقِيَّةِ مُدُنِ الْيَمَنِ فَأَكْثَرَ فِيهَا الْفَسَادَ وَقَتَلَ خَلْقًا مِنَ الْعُبَّادِ ثُمَّ قَاتَلَهُ أَهْلُ صَنْعَاءَ فَظَفِرُوا بِهِ وَهَزَمُوهُ فَانْحَازَ إِلَى بَعْضِ مُدُنِهَا وَبَعَثَ الْخَلِيفَةُ إِلَيْهَا الْمُظَفَّرَ بْنَ حَاجٍّ نَائِبًا وَخَلَعَ عَلَيْهِ، فَسَارَ إِلَيْهَا فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهَا حَتَّى مَاتَ.
Translation
✧ The affair of the Qarāmiṭa In the year two hundred and ninety-three, after the killing of the man of the mole, Zakrawayh b. Mahrawayh sent a man who used to teach children in al-Rāfūfa, one of the districts of al-Fallūja, called ʿAbd Allāh b. Saʿīd, whose kunya was Abū Ghānim. He was named Naṣr, and it was said that the sender was the son of Zakrawayh. He went around the encampments of the Arabs of Kalb and others, calling them to his doctrine, but none of them accepted it except a man of the Banū Ziyād called Miqdām b. al-Kayyāl. He gained strength from groups of the Aṣbaghiyyūn who claimed descent from the Fāṭimids and others of the ʿUlayṣiyyūn, and from outcasts of all the clans of Kalb. He headed toward the region of Syria, while the governor of Damascus and al-Urdunn was Aḥmad b. Kayghalagh, who was in Egypt fighting al-Khalanjī. ʿAbd Allāh b. Saʿīd took advantage of that and marched to Buṣrā, Adhriʿāt, and al-Bathaniyya, and fought their inhabitants. Then he granted them safe-conduct. When they surrendered to him, he killed their fighting men, took their offspring captive, and seized their wealth. Then he made for Damascus. The deputy of Ibn Kayghalagh, Ṣāliḥ b. al-Faḍl, came out against them, but the Qarāmiṭa defeated him and inflicted heavy losses on them. Then they granted safe-conduct but betrayed them through the safe-conduct, killed Ṣāliḥ, scattered his army, and marched to Damascus. Its inhabitants prevented them from entering, so they headed for Ṭabariyya. A group of the soldiers of Damascus, who had been seduced by him, joined him. Yūsuf b. Ibrāhīm b. Bāghamardī, the deputy of Aḥmad b. Kayghalagh in al-Urdunn, engaged them, but they defeated him, offered him safe-conduct, betrayed him, and killed him. They plundered Ṭabariyya, killed many of its inhabitants, and took the women captive. The caliph dispatched al-Ḥusayn b. Ḥamdān and a group of commanders in pursuit of them. They arrived at Damascus. When the Qarāmiṭa learned of them, they turned back toward al-Samāwa. Al-Ḥusayn followed them in al-Samāwa while they moved among the watering places and made them unusable, until they took refuge at two watering places, one known as al-Dimʿāna and the other as al-Ḥabāla. Ibn Ḥamdān was cut off from them for lack of water and returned to al-Raḥba. The Qarāmiṭa went by night with Naṣr to Hīt, whose inhabitants were unaware. They plundered its suburb. The people of the city defended themselves behind their wall. They plundered the boats, killed two hundred people of the city, and looted wealth and goods, loading three thousand camels with wheat. The news reached al-Muktafī, and he sent Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. Kundāj. They did not stand against Muḥammad but returned to the two watering places. Muḥammad rose up behind them and found that they had made the watering places unusable. Provisions and mounts were sent to him from Baghdād, and he wrote to Ibn Ḥamdān ordering him to move against them from the direction of al-Raḥba so that he and Muḥammad might join forces to fall upon them. He did so. When the Kalbīs sensed the approach of the army, they fell upon Naṣr and killed him. A man of theirs called al-Dhiʾb b. al-Qāʾim killed him and took his head to al-Muktafī, seeking favor thereby and requesting safe-conduct. This was granted to him, and he was rewarded with a splendid gift. The caliph ordered that his people be spared. After Naṣr, the Qarāmiṭa fought among themselves until bloodshed occurred between them. A faction that disapproved of their affairs went to the Banū Asad in the vicinity of ʿAyn al-Tamr and apologized to the caliph, who accepted their excuse. The rest of them, those with insight into his religion, remained at the two watering places. The caliph wrote to Ibn Ḥamdān ordering him to renew the attack on them and to uproot them. Zakrawayh b. Mahrawayh sent to them a missionary of his called al-Qāsim b. Aḥmad, known as Abū Muḥammad, informing them that the deed of al-Dhiʾb had alienated him from them, that they had apostatized from the religion, that the time of their appearance had come, and that forty thousand of the people of al-Kūfa had pledged allegiance to him. He told them that the day of their appointment, which God had mentioned in connection with Moses ﷺ and his enemy Pharaoh when He said: "Your appointment is the Day of Adornment, and let the people be assembled at forenoon," and he ordered them to fulfill their affair and to march so that they would reach al-Kūfa in the morning of the Day of Sacrifice in the year two hundred and ninety-three, and that they would not be barred from it, and that he would appear to them and fulfill the promise he had made them, and that they should bring al-Qāsim b. Aḥmad to him. They followed his advice and reached the gate of al-Kūfa after the people had left their place of prayer. Their governor was Isḥāq b. ʿImrān. They arrived with eight hundred horsemen wearing coats of mail, cuirasses, and fine equipment. They had set up a tent over al-Qāsim b. Aḥmad and said: "This is a relic of the Messenger of God." They called out: "Revenge for al-Ḥusayn!" meaning al-Ḥusayn b. Zakrawayh, who had been crucified in Baghdād. Their battle cry was: "O Aḥmad! O Muḥammad!" meaning the two sons of Zakrawayh who had been killed. They displayed white banners and sought to win over the rabble of al-Kūfa by that, but no one inclined to them. The Qarāmiṭa fell upon those of the people of al-Kūfa whom they caught up with and killed about twenty people. The people rushed into al-Kūfa and took up arms. Isḥāq led them out. A hundred horsemen of the Qarāmiṭa entered the city of al-Kūfa. Twenty of them were killed, and they were expelled from it. Isḥāq appeared and fought them until the afternoon. Then they withdrew toward al-Qādisiyya. Among those fighting alongside Isḥāq was a group of the Ṭālibiyya. Isḥāq wrote to the caliph requesting reinforcements. He reinforced him with a group of his commanders, among them Waṣīf b. Ṣuwārtikīn the Turk, al-Faḍl b. Mūsā b. Bughā, Bishr the Afshīnid eunuch, and Rāʾiq al-Khazarī, a client of the Commander of the Faithful, and others of the ḥujarī pages. They set out in the middle of Dhū al-Ḥijja until they approached al-Qādisiyya and encamped at al-Ṣawwān. Zakrawayh met them there. As for the Qarāmiṭa, they sent men who brought Zakrawayh out of a pit in the ground in which he had been secluded for many years, in the village of al-Dariyya. Over the pit was an iron door of sturdy workmanship. When Zakrawayh feared pursuit, he would place an oven there over the door of the pit, and a woman would stand and heat it, so that no one would notice him. Sometimes he hid in a room behind the door of the house in which he was staying, so that when the door of the house opened, it would close over the door of the room, and a person entering the house would see nothing. When they brought him out, they carried him on their hands and called him "Friend of God." When they saw him, they prostrated themselves before him. A group of his missionaries and close associates were present. He informed them that al-Qāsim b. Aḥmad had the greatest claim on them and the greatest favor, and that he had brought them back to the religion after they had left it, and that if they obeyed his commands, he would fulfill his promise to them and they would attain their hopes. He made allusions to them, citing verses of the Qurʾān, which he transmitted from the aspect in which it was revealed. Those in whose hearts unbelief had taken firm root acknowledged that he was their leader and their refuge, and they were certain of victory and the attainment of their desire. He marched with them while he was concealed. They called him "the Master" and did not display him. Al-Qāsim took charge of affairs. He informed them that all the people of the Sawād would come out to him. He stayed at the watering place of the Euphrates for several days, but only five hundred men of them came to him. Then the aforementioned troops from the caliph reached him, and Zakrawayh met them at al-Ṣawwān and fought them. The battle raged between them. The defeat at the beginning of the day fell upon the Qarāmiṭa, but Zakrawayh had laid an ambush for them behind them. The caliph's men were unaware until the sword was among them from behind. They were routed in the most shameful manner. The Qarāmiṭa put the sword to them, killing them as they pleased and seizing their camp as booty. None of the caliph's men escaped except those whose mounts were strong, or those who were gravely wounded and lay down among the slain, and then dragged themselves away afterward. More than three hundred litters bearing money and weapons, and five hundred mules, were captured for the caliph from this army. Of the caliph's men, apart from the pages, one thousand five hundred men were killed. The Qarāmiṭa grew strong through what they had captured. When news of this battle reached Baghdād, the caliph and the people regarded it as a grave matter. He commissioned Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. Kundāj against the Qarāmiṭa and attached to him more than two thousand men from the Arabs of the Banū Shaybān and others, and gave them stipends. Zakrawayh moved from his position to the canal of al-Muthannā because of the stench of the slain. The missionary of the Qarāmiṭa in Yemen A man of the Qarāmiṭa, called the Missionary, arose in Yemen and besieged Ṣanʿāʾ, entering it by force and killing many of its inhabitants. Then he marched to the rest of the cities of Yemen, spreading corruption in them and killing many of the devout. Then the people of Ṣanʿāʾ fought him and defeated him, and he withdrew to one of its cities. The caliph sent al-Muẓaffar b. Ḥājj as governor and invested him with a robe of honor. He went there and remained until he died.
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