Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3767
Then the Year 315 AH Began
مَسِيرِ جَيْشِ الْمَهْدِيِّ إِلَى الْمَغْرِبِ فِي سَنَةُ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ سَيَّرَ الْمَهْدِيُّ الْعَلَوِيُّ، صَاحِبُ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، ابْنَهُ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ مِنَ الْمَهْدِيَّةِ إِلَى الْمَغْرِبِ فِي جَيْشٍ كَثِيرٍ، فِي صَفَرٍ، لِسَبَبِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَرَزٍ الزَّنَاتِيِّ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ ظَفِرَ بِعَسْكَرٍ مِنْ كُتَامَةَ، فَقَتَلَ مِنْهُمْ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا، فَعَظُمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمَهْدِيِّ، فَسَيَّرَ وَلَدَهُ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ تَفَرَّقَ الْأَعْدَاءُ، وَسَارَ حَتَّى وَصَلَ إِلَى مَا وَرَاءِ تَاهَرْتَ، فَلَمَّا عَادَ مِنْ سَفْرَتِهِ هَذِهِ خَطَّ بِرُمْحِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ صِفَةَ مَدِينَةٍ وَسَمَّاهَا الْمُحَمَّدِيَّةَ، وَهِيَ الْمَسِيلَةُ. وَكَانَتْ خُطَّتُهُ لَبَنِي كُمْلَانَ، فَأَخْرَجَهُمْ مِنْهَا، وَنَقَلَهُمْ إِلَى فَحْصِ الْقَيْرَوَانِ، كَالْمُتَوَقِّعِ مِنْهُمْ أَمْرًا، فَلِذَلِكَ أَحَبُّوا أَنْ يَكُونُوا قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ، وَهُمْ كَانُوا أَصْحَابَ أَبِي يَزِيدَ الْخَارِجِيِّ، وَانْتَقَلَ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ إِلَى الْمُحَمَّدِيَّةِ، وَأَمَرَ عَامِلَهَا أَنْ يُكْثِرَ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ وَيُخَزِّنَهُ وَيَحْتَفِظَ بِهِ ( فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ )، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ مَخْزُونًا إِلَى أَنْ خَرَجَ أَبُو يَزِيدَ وَلَقِيَهُ الْمَنْصُورُ، وَمِنَ الْمُحَمَّدِيَّةِ كَانَ يَمْتَارُ مَا يُرِيدُ إِذْ لَيْسَ بِالْمَوْضِعِ مَدِينَةٌ سِوَاهَا.
Translation
✧ THE MARCH OF AL-MAHDI'S ARMY TO THE MAGHRIB In the year 315 AH, al-Mahdi al-ʿAlawi, the ruler of Ifriqiya, sent his son Abu al-Qasim from al-Mahdiyya to the Maghrib with a large army, in Safar, on account of Muhammad b. Kharaz al-Zanati. This was because he had captured an encampment of Kutama and killed many of them. That weighed heavily upon al-Mahdi, so he dispatched his son. When he set out, the enemies scattered, and he marched until he reached beyond Tahart. When he returned from this expedition, he traced with his lance on the ground the plan of a city and named it al-Muhammadiyya, which is al-Masila. His plan for it was for the Banu Kumlan, so he expelled them from it and transferred them to Fahs al-Qayrawan, as though he anticipated some matter from them. For that reason they preferred to be near him, and they were the followers of Abu Yazid the Kharijite. Many people moved to al-Muhammadiyya, and he ordered its governor to amass great quantities of food, store it, and guard it carefully (and he did so). It remained stored until Abu Yazid rebelled, and al-Mansur met him; from al-Muhammadiyya he would procure what he wanted, since in that place there was no city other than it.
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