Tarikh (al-Tabari) 4008
Then the year 333 AH began
ذِكْرُ رَحِيلِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ عَنِ الْمَهْدِيَّةِ لَمَّا تَفَرَّقَ أَصْحَابُهُ عَنْهُ كَمَا ذَكَرْنَا، اجْتَمَعَ رُؤَسَاءُ مَنْ بَقِيَ مَعَهُ وَتَشَاوَرُوا، وَقَالُوا: نَمْضِي إِلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ، وَنَجْمَعُ الْبَرْبَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ نَاحِيَةٍ، وَنَرْجِعُ إِلَى أَبِي يَزِيدَ، فَإِنَّنَا لَا نَأْمَنُ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ الْقَائِمُ خَبَرَنَا فَيَقْصِدَنَا، فَرَكِبُوا وَمَضَوْا، وَلَمْ يُشَاوِرُوا أَبَا يَزِيدَ، وَمَعَهُمْ أَكْثَرُ الْعَسْكَرِ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَبُو يَزِيدَ لِيَرُدَّهُمْ، فَلَمْ يَقْبَلُوا مِنْهُ، فَرَحَلَ مُسْرِعًا فِي ثَلَاثِينَ رَجُلًا، وَتَرَكَ جَمِيعَ أَثْقَالِهِ، فَوَصَلَ إِلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ سَادِسَ صَفَرٍ، فَنَزَلَ الْمُصَلَّى، وَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقَيْرَوَانِ سِوَى عَامِلِهِ، وَخَرَجَ الصِّبْيَانُ يَلْعَبُونَ حَوْلَهُ وَيَضْحَكُونَ مِنْهُ. وَبَلَغَ الْقَائِمُ رُجُوعَهُ، فَخَرَجَ النَّاسُ إِلَى أَثْقَالِهِ، فَوَجَدُوا الطَّعَامَ وَالْخِيَامَ ( وَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ ) عَلَى حَالِهِ، فَأَخَذُوهُ وَحَسُنَتْ أَحْوَالُهُمْ، وَاسْتَرَاحُوا مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْحِصَارِ، وَرَخُصَتِ الْأَسْعَارُ، وَأَنْفَذَ الْقَائِمُ إِلَى الْبِلَادِ عُمَّالًا يَطْرُدُونَ عُمَّالَ أَبِي يَزِيدَ عَنْهَا، فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَهْلُ الْقَيْرَوَانِ قِلَّةَ عَسْكَرِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ خَافُوا الْقَائِمَ، فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَقْبِضُوا أَبَا يَزِيدَ، ثُمَّ هَابُوهُ، فَكَاتَبُوا الْقَائِمَ يَسْأَلُونَهُ الْأَمَانَ، فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُمْ. وَبَلَغَ أَبَا يَزِيدَ الْخَبَرُ، فَأَنْكَرَ عَلَى عَامِلِهِ بِالْقَيْرَوَانِ اشْتِغَالَهُ بِالْأَكْلِ وَالشُّرْبِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُخْرِجَ الْعَسَاكِرَ مِنَ الْقَيْرَوَانِ لِلْجِهَادِ، فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، وَأَلَانَ لَهُمُ الْقَوْلَ، وَخَوَّفَهُمُ الْقَائِمُ، فَخَرَجُوا إِلَيْهِ. وَتَسَامَعَ النَّاسُ فِي الْبِلَادِ بِذَلِكَ، فَأَتَاهُ الْعَسَاكِرُ مِنْ كُلِّ نَاحِيَةٍ، وَكُلُّ أَهْلِ الْمَدَائِنِ وَالْقُرَى لَمَّا سُمِعُوا تَفَرُّقَ عَسَاكِرِهِ عَنْهُ، أَخَذُوا عُمَّالَهُ، فَمِنْهُمْ ( مَنْ قُتِلَ، وَمِنْهُمْ ) مَنْ أُرْسِلَ إِلَى الْمَهْدِيَّةِ. وَثَارَ أَهْلُ سُوسَةَ، فَقَبَضُوا عَلَى جَمَاعَةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ، فَأَرْسَلُوهُمْ إِلَى الْقَائِمِ، فَشَكَرَ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ، وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَةَ مَرَاكِبَ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ، فَلَمَّا اجْتَمَعَتْ عَسَاكِرُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ، أَرْسَلَ الْجُيُوشَ إِلَى الْبِلَادِ وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْقَتْلِ وَالسَّبْيِ وَالنَّهْبِ وَالْخَرَابِ وَإِحْرَاقِ الْمَنَازِلِ، فَوَصَلَ عَسْكَرُهُ إِلَى تُونُسَ، فَدَخَلُوهَا بِالسَّيْفِ فِي الْعِشْرِينَ مِنْ صَفَرٍ سَنَةَ أَرْبَعٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ، فَنَهَبُوا جَمِيعَ مَا فِيهَا، وَسَبَوُا النِّسَاءَ وَالْأَطْفَالَ، وَقَتَلُوا الرِّجَالَ، ( وَهَدَمُوا الْمَسَاجِدَ )، وَنَجَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلَى الْبَحْرِ فَغَرِقَ. فَسَيَّرَ إِلَيْهِمُ الْقَائِمُ عَسْكَرًا إِلَى تُونُسَ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَصْحَابُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ، وَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، فَانْهَزَمَ عَسْكَرُ الْقَائِمِ هَزِيمَةً قَبِيحَةً، وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمُ اللَّيْلُ، وَالْتَجَئُوا إِلَى جَبَلِ الرُّصَاصِ، ثُمَّ إِلَى اصْطَفُورَةَ، فَتَبِعَهُمْ عَسْكَرُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ فَلَحِقُوهُمْ وَاقْتَتَلُوا، وَصَبَرَ عَسْكَرُ الْقَائِمِ، فَانْهَزَمَ عَسْكَرُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ وَقُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ خَلَقٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَقَتَلُوا، حَتَّى دَخَلُوا تُونُسَ خَامِسَ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ وَأَخْرَجُوا مَنْ فِيهَا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ بَعْدَ أَنْ قَتَلُوا أَكْثَرَهُمْ، وَأُخِذَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ شَيْءٌ كَثِيرٌ. وَكَانَ لِأَبِي يَزِيدَ وَلَدٌ اسْمُهُ أَيُّوبُ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهُ الْخَبَرُ أَخْرَجَ مَعَهُ عَسْكَرًا كَثِيرًا، فَاجْتَمَعَ مَعَ مَنْ سَلِمَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشِ، وَرَجَعُوا إِلَى تُونُسَ فَقَتَلُوا مَنْ عَادَ إِلَيْهَا وَأَحْرَقُوا مَا بَقِيَ فِيهَا، وَتَوَجَّهَ إِلَى بَاجَّةَ، فَقَتَلَ مَنْ بِهَا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقَائِمِ، وَدَخَلَهَا بِالسَّيْفِ وَأَحْرَقَهَا، وَكَانَ فِي هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةِ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَالسَّبْيِ وَالتَّخْرِيبِ مَا لَا يُوصَفُ. وَاتَّفَقَ جَمَاعَةٌ عَلَى قَتْلِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ، وَأَرْسَلُوا إِلَى الْقَائِمِ فَرَغَّبَهُمْ وَوَعَدَهُمْ، فَاتَّصَلَ الْخَبَرُ بِأَبِي يَزِيدَ فَقَتَلَهُمْ، وَهَجَمَ رِجَالٌ مِنَ الْبَرْبَرِ فِي اللَّيْلِ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مَنْ أَهْلِ الْقَيْرَوَانِ، وَأَخَذُوا مَالَهُ وَثَلَاثَ بَنَاتٍ أَبْكَارٍ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ وَاجْتَمَعَ النَّاسُ لِصَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ، قَامَ الرَّجُلُ فِي الْجَامِعِ وَصَاحَ، وَذَكَرَ مَا حَلَّ بِهِ، فَقَامَ النَّاسُ مَعَهُ وَصَاحُوا، فَاجْتَمَعَ الْخَلْقُ الْعَظِيمُ، وَوَصَلُوا إِلَى أَبِي يَزِيدَ فَأَسْمَعُوهُ كَلَامًا غَلِيظًا، فَاعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَطَفَ بِهِمْ وَأَمَرَ بَرِدِّ الْبَنَاتِ. فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفُوا وَجَدُوا فِي طَرِيقِهِمْ رَجُلًا مَقْتُولًا، فَسَأَلُوا عَنْهُ، فَقِيلَ إِنَّ فَضْلَ بْنَ أَبِي يَزِيدَ قَتَلَهُ وَأَخَذَ امْرَأَتَهُ، وَكَانَتْ جَمِيلَةً، فَحَمَلَ النَّاسُ الْمَقْتُولَ إِلَى الْجَامِعِ، وَقَالُوا: لَا طَاعَةَ إِلَّا لِلْقَائِمِ، وَأَرَادُوا الْوُثُوبَ بِأَبِي يَزِيدَ، فَاجْتَمَعَ أَصْحَابُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ عِنْدَهُ وَلَامُوهُ، وَقَالُوا: فَتَحْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكِ مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَكَ بِهِ لَا سِيَّمَا وَالْقَائِمُ قَرِيبٌ مِنَّا، فَجَمَعَ أَهْلَ الْقَيْرَوَانِ، وَاعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَأَعْطَاهُمُ الْعُهُودَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَقْتُلُ، وَيَنْهَبُ، وَلَا يَأْخُذُ الْحَرِيمَ، فَأَتَاهُ سَبْيُ أَهْلِ تُونُسَ وَهُمْ عِنْدَهُ، فَوَثَبُوا إِلَيْهِمْ وَخَلَّصُوهُمْ. وَكَانَ الْقَائِمُ قَدْ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى مُقَدَّمٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ يُسَمَّى عَلِيَّ بْنَ حَمْدُونَ يَأْمُرُهُ بِجَمْعِ الْعَسَاكِرِ وَمَنْ قَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَسِيلَةِ، فَجَمَعَ مِنْهَا وَمِنْ سَطِيفَ وَغَيْرِهَا، فَاجْتَمَعَ لَهُ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَتَبِعَهُ بَعْضُ بَنِي هَرَاسَ فَقَصَدَ الْمَهْدِيَّةَ، فَسَمِعَ بِهِ أَيُّوبُ بْنُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ، وَهُوَ بِمَدِينَةِ بَاجَّةَ، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَمْدُونَ، فَسَارَ إِلَيْهِ أَيُّوبُ وَكَبَسَهُ وَاسْتَبَاحَ عَسْكَرَهُ، وَقَتَلَ فِيهِمْ وَغَنِمَ أَثْقَالَهُمْ، وَهَرَبَ عَلِيٌّ الْمَذْكُورُ، ثُمَّ سَيَّرَ أَيُّوبُ جَرِيدَةَ خَيْلٍ إِلَى طَائِفَةٍ مِنْ عَسْكَرِ الْمَهْدِيِّ خَرَجُوا إِلَى تُونُسَ، فَسَارُوا وَاجْتَمَعُوا، وَوَقَعَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ ( فَكَانَ بَيْنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ قِتَالٌ عَظِيمٌ ) ( قُتِلَ فِيهِ ) جَمْعٌ كَثِيرٌ وَانْهَزَمَ عَسْكَرُ الْقَائِمِ، ثُمَّ عَادُوا ثَانِيَةً وَثَالِثَةً، ( وَعَزَمُوا عَلَى الْمَوْتِ، وَحَمَلُوا ) حَمْلَةَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَانْهَزَمَ أَصْحَابُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ وَقَتَلُوا قَتْلًا ذَرِيعًا، وَأُخِذَتْ أَثْقَالُهُمْ وَعِدَدُهُمْ، وَانْهَزَمَ أَيُّوبُ وَأَصْحَابُهُ إِلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ فِي شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ سَنَةَ أَرْبَعٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ. فَعَظُمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَبِي يَزِيدَ، وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَهْرَبَ ( عَنِ الْقَيْرَوَانِ )، فَأَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ أَصْحَابُهُ بِالتَّوَقُّفِ وَتَرْكِ الْعَجَلَةِ، ثُمَّ جَمَعَ عَسْكَرًا عَظِيمًا، وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنَهُ أَيُّوبَ ثَانِيَةً لِقِتَالِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَمْدُونَ بِمَكَانٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ بَلْطَةُ، وَكَانُوا يَقْتَتِلُونَ، فَمَرَّةً يَظْفَرُ أَيُّوبُ، وَمَرَّةً يَظْفَرُ عَلِيٌّ، وَكَانَ عَلِيٌّ قَدْ وَكَّلَ بِحِرَاسَةِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَنْ يَثِقُ بِهِ، وَكَانَ يَحْرُسُ بَابًا مِنْهَا رَجُلٌ اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ، فَرَاسَلَ أَيُّوبَ فِي التَّسْلِيمِ إِلَيْهِ عَلَى مَالٍ يَأْخُذُهُ، فَأَجَابَهُ أَيُّوبُ إِلَى مَا طَلَبَ، وَقَاتَلَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْبَابِ، فَفَتَحَهُ أَحْمَدُ وَدَخَلَهُ أَصْحَابُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ، فَقَتَلُوا مَنْ كَانَ بِهَا، وَهَرَبَ عَلِيٌّ إِلَى بِلَادِ كُتَامَةَ فِي ثَلَاثِمِائَةِ فَارِسٍ وَأَرْبَعِمِائَةِ رَاجِلٍ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى قَبَائِلِ كُتَامَةَ وَنَفْزَةَ وَمَزَاتَةَ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، فَاجْتَمَعُوا وَعَسْكَرُوا عَلَى مَدِينَةِ الْقَسَنْطِينَةِ. وَوَجَّهَ عَسْكَرًا إِلَى هَوَّارَةَ، فَقَتَلُوا هَوَّارَةَ، وَغَنِمُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ، وَكَانَ اعْتِمَادُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَاتَّصَلَ الْخَبَرُ بِأَبِي يَزِيدَ، فَسَيَّرَ إِلَيْهِمْ عَسَاكِرَ عَظِيمَةً يَتْبَعُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا، وَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ حُرُوبٌ كَثِيرَةٌ، وَالْفَتْحُ وَالظَّفَرُ فِي كُلِّهَا لِعَلِيٍّ وَعَسْكَرِ الْقَائِمِ، وَمَلَكَ مَدِينَةَ تَيْجَسَ، وَمَدِينَةَ بَاغَايَةَ، وَأَخَذَهُمَا مِنْ أَبِي يَزِيدَ.
Translation
✧ Mention of Abū Yazīd's departure from al-Mahdiyya When his companions dispersed from him as we have mentioned, the leaders of those who remained with him gathered and consulted. They said: 'We will go to al-Qayrawān, gather the Berbers from every direction, and return to Abū Yazīd, for we do not feel safe that the Qāʾim might learn of our situation and come against us.' So they mounted and departed without consulting Abū Yazīd, and with them went most of the army. Abū Yazīd sent after them to bring them back, but they would not accept from him. He then departed hastily with thirty men, leaving behind all his baggage, and reached al-Qayrawān on the sixth of Ṣafar. He encamped at the muṣallā, and none of the people of al-Qayrawān came out to him except his governor, while the boys came out playing around him and laughing at him. The Qāʾim learned of his return, and the people went out to his baggage. They found the food, the tents, and other things as they were, took them, and their conditions improved. They were relieved from the severity of the siege, prices fell, and the Qāʾim sent governors to the regions to expel Abū Yazīd's governors from them. When the people of al-Qayrawān saw the smallness of Abū Yazīd's army, they feared the Qāʾim and wanted to seize Abū Yazīd, but then they were afraid of him. They wrote to the Qāʾim asking for amnesty, but he did not answer them. News of this reached Abū Yazīd, and he reproached his governor in al-Qayrawān for busying himself with eating, drinking, and other things. He ordered him to send out the troops from al-Qayrawān for jihad, and he did so, speaking gently to them and frightening them with the Qāʾim, so they went out to him. The people in the regions heard of this, and troops came to him from every direction. All the people of the cities and villages, when they heard of the dispersal of his troops from him, seized his governors. Some of them were killed, and some were sent to al-Mahdiyya. The people of Sūsa rose up and seized a group of his companions and sent them to the Qāʾim. He thanked them for that and sent them seven ships laden with food. When Abū Yazīd's troops had gathered, he sent armies to the regions and ordered them to kill, take captives, plunder, destroy, and burn houses. His army reached Tunis and entered it with the sword on the twentieth of Ṣafar in the year 334 AH. They plundered everything in it, took the women and children captive, killed the men, and demolished the mosques. Many people fled to the sea and drowned. The Qāʾim sent an army to Tunis against them. Abū Yazīd's companions came out to meet them, and they fought a fierce battle. The Qāʾim's army was routed with an ugly defeat, and night fell between them. They took refuge on Mount al-Raṣāṣ, then at Iṣṭafūra. Abū Yazīd's army pursued them, caught up with them, and they fought. The Qāʾim's army stood firm, and Abū Yazīd's army was routed, and many of them were killed. They continued killing until they entered Tunis on the fifth of Rabīʿ al-Awwal and expelled from it Abū Yazīd's companions after killing most of them. A great quantity of food was taken from them. Abū Yazīd had a son named Ayyūb. When the news reached him, he set out with a large army, joined with those who had survived from that army, and returned to Tunis. They killed those who had returned to it and burned what remained in it. He then headed to Bāja, killed the Qāʾim's companions there, entered it with the sword, and burned it. In that period there was killing, captivity, and destruction beyond description. A group agreed to kill Abū Yazīd and sent to the Qāʾim, who encouraged them and promised them. The news reached Abū Yazīd, and he killed them. Some Berber men attacked at night a man from the people of al-Qayrawān, took his money and his three virgin daughters. When morning came and the people gathered for the dawn prayer, the man stood up in the mosque and cried out, mentioning what had befallen him. The people rose with him and shouted, and a great crowd gathered. They went to Abū Yazīd and made him hear harsh words. He apologized to them, was gentle with them, and ordered the girls to be returned. When they departed, they found on their way a man who had been killed. They asked about him and were told that Faḍl b. Abī Yazīd had killed him and taken his wife, who was beautiful. The people carried the slain man to the mosque and said: 'No obedience except to the Qāʾim.' They wanted to leap upon Abū Yazīd, but his companions gathered around him and blamed him, saying: 'You have opened upon yourself what you cannot bear, especially since the Qāʾim is near to us.' He gathered the people of al-Qayrawān, apologized to them, and gave them covenants that he would not kill, plunder, or take women. Then the captives of the people of Tunis were brought to him while they were with him, and they leaped upon them and freed them. The Qāʾim had sent to a commander of his named ʿAlī b. Ḥamdūn, ordering him to gather the armies and whoever he could from al-Masīla. He gathered from there and from Saṭīf and elsewhere, and a great multitude assembled. Some of the Banū Harās followed him, and he headed for al-Mahdiyya. Ayyūb b. Abī Yazīd, who was in the city of Bāja, heard of him, while ʿAlī b. Ḥamdūn did not know of him. Ayyūb marched against him, attacked him by surprise, and plundered his army, killing among them and seizing their baggage. The aforementioned ʿAlī fled. Then Ayyūb sent a detachment of cavalry against a party of the Mahdī's army that had gone out to Tunis. They marched, met, and fell upon one another. There was a great battle between the two sides in which many were killed, and the Qāʾim's army was routed. Then they returned a second and a third time, resolved to die, and charged as one man. Abū Yazīd's companions were routed, and they killed them in great numbers. Their baggage and equipment were taken, and Ayyūb and his companions fled to al-Qayrawān in the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 334 AH. This weighed heavily upon Abū Yazīd, and he wanted to flee from al-Qayrawān. His companions advised him to stay and not to act hastily. Then he gathered a great army and sent out his son Ayyūb a second time to fight ʿAlī b. Ḥamdūn at a place called Balṭa. They fought, sometimes Ayyūb prevailed, and sometimes ʿAlī prevailed. ʿAlī had appointed trusted men to guard the city, and one of its gates was guarded by a man named Aḥmad. He corresponded with Ayyūb about surrendering it to him for money he would receive. Ayyūb agreed to what he asked, fought at that gate, and Aḥmad opened it. Abū Yazīd's companions entered, killed those who were in it, and ʿAlī fled to the lands of Kutāma with three hundred horsemen and four hundred foot soldiers. He wrote to the tribes of Kutāma, Nafza, Mazāta, and others, and they gathered and encamped before the city of Qusanṭīna. He sent an army against Hawwāra, and they killed Hawwāra and seized their wealth, for Abū Yazīd relied on them. The news reached Abū Yazīd, and he sent great armies against them, one after another. There were many wars between them, and victory and success in all of them belonged to ʿAlī and the Qāʾim's army. He captured the city of Tījis and the city of Bāghāya, taking them from Abū Yazīd.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording. Ask what scholars say about its grade