Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3763
Then the Year 315 AH Began
( وُصُولِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ ) وَقَتْلِ يُوسُفَ بْنِ أَبِي السَّاجِ فِي سَنَةُ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ وَرَدَتِ الْأَخْبَارُ بِمَسِيرِ أَبِي طَاهِرٍ الْقَرْمَطِيِّ مِنْ هَجَرَ نَحْوَ الْكُوفَةِ ثُمَّ وَرَدَتِ الْأَخْبَارُ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ بِأَنَّهُ اجْتَازَ قَرِيبًا مِنْهُمْ نَحْوَ الْكُوفَةِ. فَكَتَبَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ إِلَى يُوسُفَ بْنِ أَبِي السَّاجِ يُعَرِّفُهُ هَذَا الْخَبَرَ، وَيَأْمُرُهُ بِالْمُبَادَرَةِ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، فَسَارَ إِلَيْهَا عَنْ وَاسِطَ، آخِرَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ، وَقَدْ أَعَدَّ لَهُ بِالْكُوفَةِ الْأَنْزَالَ لَهُ وَلِعَسْكَرِهِ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَهَا أَبُو طَاهِرٍ الْهَجَرِيُّ هَرَبَ نُوَّابُ السُّلْطَانِ عَنْهَا، وَاسْتَوْلَى عَلَيْهَا أَبُو طَاهِرٍ، وَعَلَى تِلْكَ الْأَنْزَالِ وَالْعُلُوفَاتِ، وَكَانَ فِيهَا مِائَةُ كُرٍّ دَقِيقًا، وَأَلْفُ كُرٍّ شَعِيرًا، وَكَانَ قَدْ فَنِيَ مَا مَعَهُ مِنَ الْمِيرَةِ وَالْعَلُوفَةِ، فَقَوُوا بِمَا أَخَذُوهُ. وَوَصَلَ يُوسُفُ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ بَعْدَ وُصُولِ الْقَرْمَطِيِّ بِيَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَهَا، وَكَانَ وُصُولُهُ يَوْمَ الْجُمْعَةِ ثَامِنَ شَوَّالٍ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى طَاعَةِ الْمُقْتَدِرِ، فَإِنْ أَبَوْا فَمَوْعِدُهُمُ الْحَرْبُ يَوْمَ الْأَحَدِ، فَقَالُوا: لَا طَاعَةَ عَلَيْنَا إِلَّا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَالْمَوْعِدُ بَيْنَنَا لِلْحَرْبِ بُكْرَةَ غَدٍ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْغَدُ ابْتَدَأَ أَوْبَاشُ الْعَسْكَرِ بِالشَّتْمِ وَرَمْيِ الْحِجَارَةِ، وَرَأَى يُوسُفُ قِلَّةَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ، فَاحْتَقَرَهُمْ، وَقَالَ: إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ الْكِلَابَ بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ فِي يَدِي ! وَتَقَدَّمَ بِأَنْ يَكْتُبَ كِتَابَ الْفَتْحِ وَالْبِشَارَةِ بِالظَّفَرِ قَبْلَ اللِّقَاءِ تَهَاوُنًا بِهِمْ. وَزَحَفَ النَّاسُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ، ( فَسَمِعَ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ ) أَصْوَاتَ الْبُوقَاتِ وَالزَّعَقَاتِ، فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبٍ لَهُ: مَا هَذَا ؟ فَقَالَ: فَشَلٌ ! قَالَ: أَجَلْ، لَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى هَذَا، فَاقْتَتَلُوا مِنْ ضَحْوَةِ النَّهَارِ، يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ، إِلَى غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ، وَصَبَرَ الْفَرِيقَانِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَبُو طَاهِرٍ ذَلِكَ بَاشَرَ الْحَرْبَ بِنَفْسِهِ، وَمَعَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ يَثِقُ بِهِمْ، وَحَمَلَ بِهِمْ، فَطَحَنَ أَصْحَابَ يُوسُفَ، وَدَقَّهُمْ، فَانْهَزَمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، وَأَسَرَ يُوسُفَ وَعَدَدًا كَثِيرًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ، وَكَانَ أَسْرُهُ وَقْتَ الْمَغْرِبِ، وَحَمَلُوهُ إِلَى عَسْكَرِهِمْ، وَوَكَّلَ بِهِ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ طَبِيبًا يُعَالِجُ جِرَاحَهُ. وَوَرَدَ الْخَبَرُ إِلَى بَغْدَاذَ بِذَلِكَ، فَخَافَ الْخَاصُّ وَالْعَامُّ مِنَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ خَوْفًا شَدِيدًا، وَعَزَمُوا عَلَى الْهَرَبِ إِلَى حُلْوَانَ وَهَمَذَانَ، وَدَخَلَ الْمُنْهَزِمُونَ بَغْدَاذَ، أَكْثَرُهُمْ رَجَّالَةٌ، حُفَاةٌ، عُرَاةٌ، وَشَاعَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنَّ الْقِرْمِطِيَّ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَقْصِدَ بَغْدَادَ لِيَأْخُذَهَا، فَانْزَعَجَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ لِذَلِكَ، وَظَنُّوا صِدْقَهُ، فَاجْتَمَعَ الْوَزِيرُ بِالْخَلِيفَةِ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِنَّ الْأَمْوَالَ إِنَّمَا تُدَّخَرُ لِتَكَوُّنَ عَوْنًا عَلَى قِتَالِ أَعْدَاءِ اللَّهِ، وَإِنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ لَمْ يَقَعْ بَعْدَ زَمَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَفْظَعُ مِنْهُ، قَدْ قَطَعَ هَذَا الْكَافِرُ طَرِيقَ الْحَجِّ عَلَى النَّاسِ، وَفَتَكَ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَرَّةً بَعْدَ مَرَّةٍ، وَإِنَّ بَيْتَ الْمَالِ لَيْسَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ، فَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَخَاطِبِ السَّيِّدَةَ - يَعْنِي أُمَّهُ - فَإِنْ كَانَ عِنْدَهَا مَالٌ قَدِ ادَّخَرَتْهُ لِشِدَّةٍ، فَهَذَا وَقْتُهُ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَى أُمِّهِ فَكَانَتْ هِيَ الَّتِي ابْتَدَأَتْهُ بِذَلِكَ، وَبَذَلَتْ لَهُ خَمْسَمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ، وَكَانَ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ مِثْلُهَا فَسَلَّمَهَا الْخَلِيفَةُ إِلَى الْوَزِيرِ لِيَصْرِفَهَا فِي تَنْفِيذِ الْجُيُوشِ نَحْوَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ فَبَرَزَ مُؤْنِسٌ الْمُظَفَّرُ لِيَسِيرَ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، فَأَتَاهُمُ الْخَبَرُ بِأَنَّ الْقَرَامِطَةَ قَدْ سَارُوا إِلَى عَيْنِ التَّمْرِ، فَأَنْفَذَ مِنْ بَغْدَاذَ خَمْسَمِائَةِ سُمَيْرِيَّةٍ فِيهَا الْمُقَاتِلَةُ لِتَمْنَعَهُمْ مِنْ عُبُورِ الْفُرَاتِ، ( وَسَيَّرَ جَمَاعَةً مِنَ الْجَيْشِ إِلَى الْأَنْبَارِ لِحِفْظِهَا، وَمَنْعِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ مِنَ الْعُبُورِ هُنَالِكَ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَرَامِطَةَ قَصَدُوا الْأَنْبَارَ، فَقَطَعَ أَهْلُهَا الْجِسْرَ، وَنَزَلَ الْقَرَامِطَةُ غَرْبَ الْفُرَاتِ، وَأَنْفَذَ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ أَصْحَابَهُ إِلَى الْحَدِيثَةِ، فَأَتَوْهُ بِسُفُنٍ، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَهْلُ الْأَنْبَارِ بِذَلِكَ، وَعَبَرَ فِيهَا ثَلَاثُمِائَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ، فَقَاتَلُوا عَسْكَرَ الْخَلِيفَةِ، فَهَزَمُوهُمْ، وَقَتَلُوا مِنْهُمْ جَمَاعَةً، وَاسْتَوْلَى الْقَرَامِطَةُ عَلَى مَدِينَةِ الْأَنْبَارِ، وَعَقَدُوا الْجِسْرَ، وَعَبَرَ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ جَرِيدَةَ وَخَلَّفَ سَوَادَهُ بِالْجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ. وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ الْخَبَرُ بِعُبُورِ أَبِي طَاهِرٍ إِلَى الْأَنْبَارِ، خَرَجَ نَصْرٌ الْحَاجِبُ فِي عَسْكَرٍ جَرَّارٍ، فَلَحِقَ بِمُؤْنِسٍ الْمُظَفَّرِ، فَاجْتَمَعَا فِي نَيِّفٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفَ مُقَاتِلٍ، سِوَى الْغِلْمَانِ وَمَنْ يُرِيدُ النَّهْبَ، وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ مَعَهُ أَبُو الْهَيْجَاءِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَمْدَانَ، وَمِنْ إِخْوَتِهِ أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، وَأَبُو السَّرَايَا فِي أَصْحَابِهِمْ، وَسَارُوا حَتَّى بَلَغُوا نَهْرَ زَبَارَا، عَلَى فَرْسَخَيْنِ مِنْ بَغْدَاذَ، عِنْدَ عَقْرَقُوفَ، فَأَشَارَ أَبُو الْهَيْجَاءِ بْنُ حَمْدَانَ بِقَطْعِ الْقَنْطَرَةِ الَّتِي عَلَيْهِ، فَقَطَعُوهَا، وَسَارَ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ نَحْوَهُمْ، فَبَلَغُوا نَهْرَ زَبَارَا، وَفِي أَوَائِلِهِمْ رَجُلٌ أَسْوَدُ، فَمَا زَالَ الْأَسْوَدُ يَدْنُو مِنَ الْقَنْطَرَةِ، وَالنِّشَابُ يَأْخُذُهُ، وَلَا يَمْتَنِعُ، حَتَّى أَشْرَفَ عَلَيْهَا، فَرَآهَا مَقْطُوعَةً، فَعَادَ وَهُوَ مِثْلُ الْقُنْفُذِ. وَأَرَادَ الْقَرَامِطَةُ الْعُبُورَ فَلَمْ يُمْكِنْهُمْ لِأَنَّ النَّهْرَ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَخَاضَةٌ، وَلَمَّا أَشْرَفُوا عَلَى عَسْكَرِ الْخَلِيفَةِ هَرَبَ مِنْهُمْ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ إِلَى بَغْدَاذَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَلْقَوْهُمْ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ابْنُ حَمْدَانَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ لِمُؤْنِسٍ: كَيْفَ رَأَيْتَ مَا أَشَرْتُ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ؟ فَوَاللَّهِ لَوْ عَبَرَ الْقَرَامِطَةُ النَّهْرَ لَانْهَزَمَ كُلُّ مَنْ مَعَكَ وَلَأَخَذُوا بَغْدَاذَ، وَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَرَامِطَةُ ذَلِكَ، ( عَادُوا إِلَى الْأَنْبَارِ )، مقتل يوسف بن أبي الساج وَسَيَّرَ مُؤْنِسٌ الْمُظَفَّرُ صَاحِبَهُ بُلَيْقًا فِي سِتَّةِ آلَافِ مُقَاتِلٍ، إِلَى عَسْكَرِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ، غَرْبِيَّ الْفُرَاتِ، لِيَغْنَمُوهُ وَيُخَلِّصُوا ابْنَ أَبِي السَّاجِ، فَبَلَغُوا إِلَيْهِمْ، وَقَدْ عَبَرَ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ الْفُرَاتَ فِي زَوْرَقِ صَيَّادٍ، وَأَعْطَاهُ أَلْفَ دِينَارٍ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ أَصْحَابُهُ قَوِيَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ، وَلَمَّا أَتَاهُمْ عَسْكَرُ مُؤْنِسٍ كَانَ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ عِنْدَهُمْ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، فَانْهَزَمَ عَسْكَرُ الْخَلِيفَةِ. وَنَظَرَ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ إِلَى ابْنِ أَبِي السَّاجِ وَهُوَ قَدْ خَرَجَ مِنَ الْخَيْمَةِ يَنْظُرُ وَيَرْجُو الْخَلَاصَ، وَقَدْ نَادَاهُ أَصْحَابُهُ: أَبْشِرْ بِالْفَرَجِ ! فَلَمَّا انْهَزَمُوا أَحْضَرَهُ وَقَتَلَهُ، وَقَتَلَ جَمِيعَ الْأَسْرَى مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ. وَسَلِمَتْ بَغْدَاذُ مِنْ نَهْبِ الْعَيَّارِينَ، لِأَنَّ نَازُوكَ كَانَ يَطُوفُ هُوَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا، وَمَنْ وَجَدُوهُ بَعْدَ الْعَتَمَةِ قَتَلُوهُ فَامْتَنَعَ الْعَيَّارُونَ، وَاكْتَرَى كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَغْدَاذَ سُفُنًا، وَنَقَلُوا إِلَيْهَا أَمْوَالَهُمْ، وَرَبَطُوهَا لِيَنْحَدِرُوا إِلَى وَاسِطَ، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ نَقَلَ مَتَاعَهُ إِلَى وَاسِطَ وَإِلَى حُلْوَانَ لِيَسِيرُوا إِلَى خُرَاسَانَ. وَكَانَ عِدَّةُ الْقَرَامِطَةِ أَلْفَ رَجُلٍ وَخَمْسَمِائَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ سَبْعُمِائَةِ فَارِسٍ وَثَمَانِمِائَةِ رَاجِلٍ، وَقِيلَ كَانُوا أَلْفَيْنِ وَسَبْعَمِائَةٍ. وَقَصَدَ الْقَرَامِطَةُ مَدِينَةَ هَيْتَ، وَكَانَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ قَدْ سَيَّرَ إِلَيْهَا سَعِيدَ بْنَ حَمْدَانَ، وَهَارُونَ بْنَ غَرِيبٍ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهَا الْقَرَامِطَةُ رَأَوْا عَسْكَرَ الْخَلِيفَةِ قَدْ سَبَقَهُمْ فَقَاتَلُوهُمْ عَلَى السُّورِ، فَقَتَلُوا مِنَ الْقَرَامِطَةِ جَمَاعَةً كَثِيرَةً، فَعَادُوا عَنْهَا. وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَهْلَ بَغْدَاذَ عَوْدُهُمْ مِنْ هَيْتَ سَكَنَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ، وَلَمَّا عَلِمَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ بِعِدَّةِ عَسْكَرِهِ وَعَسْكَرِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ قَالَ: لَعَنَ اللَّهُ نَيِّفًا وَثَمَانِينَ أَلْفًا يَعْجَزُونَ عَنْ أَلْفَيْنِ وَسَبْعِمِائَةٍ. وَجَاءَ إِنْسَانٌ إِلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ عِيسَى، وَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ فِي جِيرَانِهِ رَجُلًا مِنْ شِيرَازَ عَلَى مَذْهَبِ الْقَرَامِطَةِ يُكَاتِبُ أَبَا طَاهِرٍ بِالْأَخْبَارِ، فَأَحْضَرَهُ، وَسَأَلَهُ وَاعْتَرَفَ، وَقَالَ: مَا صَحِبْتُ أَبَا طَاهِرٍ إِلَّا لِمَا صَحَّ عِنْدِي أَنَّهُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ وَأَنْتَ وَصَاحِبُكَ كُفَّارٌ تَأْخُذُونَ مَا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ، وَلَا بُدَّ لِلَّهِ مِنْ حُجَّةٍ فِي أَرْضِهِ، وَإِمَامُنَا الْمَهْدِيُّ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الصَّادِقِ الْمُقِيمُ بِبِلَادِ الْمَغْرِبِ، وَلَسْنَا كَالرَّافِضَةِ، ( وَالِاثْنَيْ عَشْرِيَّةَ ) الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ بِجَهْلِهِمْ إِنَّ لَهُمْ إِمَامًا يَنْتَظِرُونَهُ، وَيَكْذِبُ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فَيَقُولُ: قَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ وَسَمِعْتُهُ وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ، وَلَا يُنْكِرُونَ بِجَهْلِهِمْ وَغَبَاوَتِهِمْ أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُعْطَى مِنَ الْعُمْرِ مَا يَظُنُّونَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: قَدْ خَالَطْتَ عَسْكَرَنَا وَعَرَفْتَهُمْ، فَمَنْ فِيهِمْ عَلَى مَذْهَبِكَ ؟ فَقَالَ: وَأَنْتَ بِهَذَا الْعَقْلِ تُدَبِّرُ الْوِزَارَةُ، كَيْفَ تَطْمَعُ مِنِّي أَنَّنِي أُسَلِّمُ قَوْمًا مُؤْمِنِينَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ يَقْتُلُونَهُمْ ؟ لَا أَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ. فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَضُرِبَ ضَرْبًا شَدِيدًا، وَمُنِعَ الطَّعَامَ وَالشَّرَابَ فَمَاتَ بَعْدَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ. وَقَدْ كَانَ ابْنُ أَبِي السَّاجِ قَبْلَ قِتَالِهِ الْقَرَامِطَةَ قَدْ قَبَضَ عَلَى وَزِيرِهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَلَفٍ النِّيرَمَانِيِّ وَجَعَلَ مَكَانَهُ أَبَا عَلِيٍّ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ هَارُونَ، وَصَادَرَ مُحَمَّدًا عَلَى خَمْسِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ، وَكَانَ سَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ النِّيرَمَانِيَّ عَظُمَ شَأْنُهُ، وَكَثُرَ مَالُهُ، فَحَدَّثَ نَفْسَهُ بِوِزَارَةِ الْخَلِيفَةِ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَى نَصْرٍ الْحَاجِبِ يَخْطُبُ الْوِزَارَةَ. وَيَسْعَى بِابْنِ أَبِي السَّاجِ، وَيَقُولُ لَهُ: إِنَّهُ قَرْمَطِيٌّ يَعْتَقِدُ إِمَامَةَ الْعَلَوِيِّ الَّذِي بِإِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، وَإِنَّنِي نَاظِرْتُهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ عَنْهُ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَسِيرُ إِلَى قِتَالِ أَبِي طَاهِرٍ الْقَرْمَطِيِّ، وَإِنَّمَا يَأْخُذُ الْمَالَ بِهَذَا السَّبَبِ، وَيَقْوَى بِهِ عَلَى قَصْدِ حَضْرَةِ السُّلْطَانِ، وَإِزَالَةِ الْخِلَافَةِ عَنْ بَنِي الْعَبَّاسِ، وَطَوَّلَ فِي ذَلِكَ وَعَرَّضَ. وَكَانَ لِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَلَفٍ أَعْدَاءٌ قَدْ أَسَاءَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ ابْنِ أَبِي السَّاجِ ( فَسَعَوْا بِهِ، فَأَعْلَمُوا يُوسُفَ بْنَ أَبِي السَّاجِ ) ذَلِكَ، وَأَرَوْهُ كُتُبًا جَاءَتْهُ مِنْ بَغْدَاذَ فِي الْمَعْنَى مَنْ نَصْرٍ الْحَاجِبِ وَفِيهَا رُمُوزٌ إِلَى قَوَاعِدَ قَدْ تَقَدَّمَتْ وَتَقَرَّرَتْ، وَفِيهَا الْوَعْدُ لَهُ بِالْوِزَارَةِ، وَعَزْلِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عِيسَى الْوَزِيرِ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ ذَلِكَ ابْنُ أَبِي السَّاجِ قَبَضَ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا أُسِرَ ابْنُ أَبِي السَّاجِ تَخَلَّصَ مِنَ الْحَبْسِ، وَكَانَ ابْنُ أَبِي السَّاجِ يُسَمَّى الشَّيْخَ الْكَرِيمَ لِمَا جَمَعَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ مِنْ خِلَالِ الْكَمَالِ وَالْكَرَمِ.
Translation
✧ (The Arrival of the Qaramita in Iraq) and the Killing of Yusuf b. Abi al-Saj In the year 315 AH, reports came of Abu Tahir al-Qarmati's march from Hajar toward al-Kufa. Then reports came from al-Basra that he had passed near them heading toward al-Kufa. Al-Muqtadir wrote to Yusuf b. Abi al-Saj informing him of this news and ordering him to hasten to al-Kufa. He marched there from Wasit at the end of Ramadan, and provisions had been prepared for him and his army at al-Kufa. When Abu Tahir al-Hajari reached it, the sultan's deputies fled from it, and Abu Tahir took possession of it and of those provisions and fodder. It contained one hundred kurr of flour and one thousand kurr of barley, and what he had with him of supplies and fodder was exhausted, so they were strengthened by what they took. Yusuf reached al-Kufa one day after the Qarmati's arrival, and he stood between them and it. His arrival was on Friday, the eighth of Shawwal. When he reached them, he sent to them summoning them to obedience to al-Muqtadir; if they refused, the time for battle would be Sunday. They said: 'We owe obedience only to God Most High, and the appointment for battle between us is tomorrow morning.' When the next day came, the rabble of the army began with insults and throwing stones. Yusuf saw how few the Qaramita were and despised them, saying: 'These dogs will be in my hands within an hour!' He gave orders to write the letter of victory and the good news of triumph before the encounter, in contempt of them. The people advanced against one another. Abu Tahir heard the sounds of trumpets and shouts and said to a companion of his: 'What is this?' He replied: 'A rout!' He said: 'Indeed,' and added nothing more. They fought from mid-morning on Saturday until sunset, and both sides endured. When Abu Tahir saw that, he took part in the fighting himself with a group he trusted, and charged with them. He ground down Yusuf's men and crushed them, and they fled before him. He captured Yusuf and a great number of his companions. His capture took place at sunset, and they carried him to their camp. Abu Tahir assigned a physician to tend his wounds. News of that reached Baghdad, and both elite and commoners feared the Qaramita with intense fear and resolved to flee to Hulwan and Hamadhan. The defeated soldiers entered Baghdad, most of them on foot, barefoot and naked. It spread among the people that the Qarmati intended to head for Baghdad to take it, so the Muslims were alarmed and believed it to be true. The vizier met with the caliph and said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, money is stored away only to be a help in fighting God's enemies. Nothing more dreadful than this has happened since the time of the Companions. This infidel has cut off the route of pilgrimage from the people and has wrought slaughter among the Muslims time after time. The treasury has nothing in it, so fear God, O Commander of the Faithful, and speak to the Sayyida—meaning his mother—for if she has money stored away for a crisis, this is the time for it.' He went in to his mother, and she was the one who began the matter, offering him five hundred thousand dinars. There was a similar amount in the treasury, and the caliph handed it over to the vizier to spend on dispatching the armies against the Qaramita. Mu'nis al-Muzaffar set out to march to al-Kufa, but news came to them that the Qaramita had marched to 'Ayn al-Tamr. He dispatched from Baghdad five hundred sumayri boats carrying fighting men to prevent them from crossing the Euphrates, and he sent a group of the army to al-Anbar to guard it and prevent the Qaramita from crossing there. Then the Qaramita headed for al-Anbar. Its people cut the bridge, and the Qaramita camped west of the Euphrates. Abu Tahir sent his companions to al-Haditha, and they brought him boats. The people of al-Anbar were unaware of that, and three hundred Qarmati men crossed in them and fought the caliph's army, routing them and killing a group of them. The Qaramita took possession of the city of al-Anbar, rebuilt the bridge, and Abu Tahir crossed lightly equipped, leaving his main force on the west bank. When news came of Abu Tahir's crossing to al-Anbar, Nasr the chamberlain went out with a mighty army and joined Mu'nis al-Muzaffar. They gathered with more than forty thousand fighting men, not counting servants and those seeking plunder. Among those with him were Abu al-Hayja' 'Abd Allah b. Hamdan and his brothers Abu al-Walid and Abu al-Saraya with their followers. They marched until they reached the Zubara canal, two parasangs from Baghdad near 'Aqarquf. Abu al-Hayja' b. Hamdan advised cutting the bridge over it, so they cut it. Abu Tahir and his men marched toward them and reached the Zubara canal. At their head was a black man. The black man kept drawing near the bridge while arrows struck him and he did not flinch, until he looked upon it and saw it cut; then he returned looking like a hedgehog. The Qaramita wanted to cross but could not because there was no ford in the canal. When they came in sight of the caliph's army, a great many men fled from it to Baghdad without even meeting them. When Ibn Hamdan saw that, he said to Mu'nis: 'How do you regard what I advised you? By God, if the Qaramita had crossed the canal, everyone with you would have fled and they would have taken Baghdad.' When the Qaramita saw that, they returned to al-Anbar. The Killing of Yusuf b. Abi al-Saj Mu'nis al-Muzaffar sent his companion Bulayq with six thousand fighting men to the Qarmati camp west of the Euphrates to plunder it and rescue Ibn Abi al-Saj. They reached them after Abu Tahir had crossed the Euphrates in a fisherman's skiff, paying him a thousand dinars. When his companions saw him, their hearts were strengthened. When Mu'nis's army came upon them, Abu Tahir was among them, and they fought a fierce battle. The caliph's army was routed. Abu Tahir looked at Ibn Abi al-Saj, who had come out of his tent watching and hoping for deliverance, while his companions had called out to him: 'Rejoice at relief!' When they were routed, he had him brought forward and killed him, and killed all the captives from his companions. Baghdad was spared the plundering of the 'ayyarun, because Nazuk was patrolling with his men night and day; whoever they found after nightfall they killed, so the 'ayyarun held back. Many of the people of Baghdad hired boats and loaded their goods onto them, tying them up so they could sail down to Wasit. Some of them moved their belongings to Wasit and Hulwan intending to travel to Khurasan. The number of the Qaramita was 1,500 men, of whom 700 were cavalry and 800 infantry; it is said they were 2,700. The Qaramita headed for the city of Hit. Al-Muqtadir had already sent Sa'id b. Hamdan and Harun b. Gharib there. When the Qaramita reached it, they saw that the caliph's army had beaten them to it, and they fought them at the wall. They killed a great many of the Qaramita, so they turned away from it. When the people of Baghdad learned of their withdrawal from Hit, their hearts were calmed. When al-Muqtadir learned the size of his own army and of the Qarmati army, he said: 'God curse more than eighty thousand who are unable to defeat two thousand seven hundred.' A man came to 'Ali b. 'Isa and informed him that among his neighbors was a man from Shiraz who followed the Qarmati doctrine and corresponded with Abu Tahir with news. He brought him in and questioned him, and he confessed, saying: 'I did not follow Abu Tahir except because it became clear to me that he is upon the truth, and you and your master are infidels who take what is not yours. God must have a proof in His earth, and our Imam al-Mahdi Muhammad b. so-and-so b. so-and-so b. Muhammad b. Isma'il b. Ja'far al-Sadiq, who resides in the lands of the Maghrib. We are not like the Rafida and the Twelvers, who in their ignorance assert that they have an Imam whom they await; they lie to one another, saying: "I have seen him and heard him reciting," and in their ignorance and stupidity they do not deny that it is impossible for anyone to live the lifespan they imagine.' He said to him: 'You have mixed with our army and know them. Who among them follows your doctrine?' He said: 'With this intellect you run the vizierate? How can you expect me to hand over believing people to infidels who will kill them? I will not do that.' So he ordered him beaten severely and denied food and drink, and he died after three days. Before his battle with the Qaramita, Ibn Abi al-Saj had arrested his vizier Muhammad b. Khalaf al-Niramani and replaced him with Abu 'Ali al-Hasan b. Harun, confiscating from Muhammad five hundred thousand dinars. The reason was that al-Niramani had grown great in rank and amassed much wealth, and he aspired to the caliph's vizierate. He wrote to Nasr the chamberlain seeking the vizierate, and he intrigued against Ibn Abi al-Saj, saying to him: 'He is a Qarmati who believes in the Imamate of the 'Alawi in Ifriqiya. I debated this with him and he would not abandon it. He will not march to fight Abu Tahir al-Qarmati; rather he takes the money for this reason and strengthens himself with it to advance upon the sultan's capital and remove the caliphate from the Banu al-'Abbas.' He went on at length and made insinuations. Muhammad b. Khalaf had enemies among Ibn Abi al-Saj's companions whom he had wronged, and they intrigued against him and informed Yusuf b. Abi al-Saj of that. They showed him letters that had come to him from Baghdad on this matter from Nasr the chamberlain, containing coded allusions to arrangements already made and settled, and in them was the promise to him of the vizierate and the dismissal of 'Ali b. 'Isa the vizier. When Ibn Abi al-Saj learned that, he arrested him. When Ibn Abi al-Saj was captured, he escaped from prison. Ibn Abi al-Saj was called 'the noble shaykh' because of the qualities of perfection and generosity God had combined in him.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording. Ask what scholars say about its grade