Tarikh (al-Tabari) 4207
Then the year 353 AH began
ذِكْرُ فَتْحِ رَمْطَةَ وَالْحَرْبِ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالرُّومِ بِصِقِلِّيَةَ قَدْ ذَكَرْنَا سَنَةَ إِحْدَى وَخَمْسِينَ [ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ ] فَتْحَ طَبَرْمِينَ وَحَصْرَ رَمْطَةَ وَالرُّومُ فِيهَا، فَلَمَّا رَأَى الرُّومُ ذَلِكَ، خَافُوا وَأَرْسَلُوا إِلَى مَلِكِ الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ يُعْلِمُونَهُ الْحَالَ، وَيَطْلُبُونَ مِنْهُ أَنْ يَنْجِدَهُمْ بِالْعَسَاكِرِ، فَجَهَّزَ إِلَيْهِمْ عَسْكَرًا عَظِيمًا يَزِيدُونَ عَلَى أَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفِ مُقَاتِلٍ، وَسَيَّرَهُمْ فِي الْبَحْرِ، فَوَصَلَتِ الْأَخْبَارُ إِلَى الْأَمِيرِ أَحْمَدَ أَمِيرِ صِقِلِّيَةَ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى الْمُعِزِّ بِإِفْرِيقِيَّةَ يَعْرِفُهُ ذَلِكَ وَيَسْتَمِدُّهُ، وَيَسْأَلُ إِرْسَالَ الْعَسَاكِرِ إِلَيْهِ سَرِيعًا، وَشَرَعَ هُوَ فِي إِصْلَاحِ الْأُسْطُولِ، وَالزِّيَادَةِ فِيهِ، وَجَمَعَ الرِّجَالَ الْمُقَاتِلَةَ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ. وَأَمَّا الْمُعِزُّ فَإِنَّهُ جَمَعَ الرِّجَالَ، وَحَشَدَ وَفَرَّقَ فِيهِمُ الْأَمْوَالَ الْجَلِيلَةَ، وَسَيَّرَهُمْ مَعَ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ وَالِدِ أَحْمَدَ، فَوَصَلُوا إِلَى صِقِلِّيَةَ فِي رَمَضَانَ، وَسَارَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُحَاصِرُونَ رَمْطَةَ، فَكَانُوا مَعَهُمْ عَلَى حِصَارِهَا. فَأَمَّا الرُّومُ فَإِنَّهُمْ وَصَلُوا أَيْضًا إِلَى صِقِلِّيَةَ، وَنَزَلُوا عِنْدَ مَدِينَةِ مَسِّينِي فِي شَوَّالٍ، وَزَحَفُوا مِنْهَا بِجُمُوعِهِمُ الَّتِي لَمْ يَدْخُلْ صِقِلِّيَةَ مِثْلُهَا إِلَى رَمْطَةَ، فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ مُقَدَّمُ الْجَيْشِ الَّذِينَ يُحَاصِرُونَ رَمْطَةَ ذَلِكَ، جَعَلَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفَةً مِنْ عَسْكَرِهِ يَمْنَعُونَ مَنْ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا، وَبَرَزَ بِالْعَسَاكِرِ لِلِقَاءِ الرُّومِ وَقَدْ عَزَمُوا عَلَى الْمَوْتِ، وَوَصَلَ الرُّومُ وَأَحَاطُوا بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ. وَنَزَلَ أَهْلُ رَمْطَةَ إِلَى مَنْ يَلِيهِمْ لِيَأْتُوا الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ، فَقَاتَلَهُمُ الَّذِينَ جُعِلُوا هُنَاكَ لِمَنْعِهِمْ، وَصَدُّوهُمْ عَمَّا أَرَادُوا، وَتَقَدَّمَ الرُّومُ إِلَى الْقِتَالِ، وَهُمْ مُدِلُّونَ بِكَثْرَتِهِمْ وَبِمَا مَعَهُمْ مِنَ الْعُدَدِ وَغَيْرِهَا، وَالْتَحَمَ الْقِتَالُ وَعَظُمَ الْأَمْرُ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَأَلْحَقَهُمُ الْعَدُوُّ بِخِيَامِهِمْ، وَأَيْقَنَ الرُّومُ بِالظَّفَرِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُسْلِمُونَ عِظَمَ مَا نَزَلْ بِهِمُ، اخْتَارُوا الْمَوْتَ، وَرَأَوْا أَنَّهُ أَسْلَمُ لَهُمْ، وَأَخَذُوا بِقَوْلِ الشَّاعِرِ: تَأَخَّرْتُ أَسْتَبْقِي الْحَيَاةَ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ لِنَفْسَي حَيَاةً مِثْلَ أَنْ أَتَقَدَّمَا. فَحَمَلَ بِهِمُ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ أَمِيرُهُمْ، وَحَمِيَ الْوَطِيسُ حِينَئِذٍ، وَحَرَّضَهُمْ عَلَى قِتَالِ الْكُفَّارِ، وَكَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ بَطَارِقَةُ الرُّومِ، حَمَلُوا وَحَرَّضُوا عَسَاكِرَهُمْ. وَحَمَلَ مَنْوِيلُ مُقَدَّمُ الرُّومِ، فَقَتَلَ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ، ( فَطَعَنَهُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ )، فَلَمْ يُؤَثِّرْ فِيهِ لِكَثْرَةِ مَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ اللِّبَاسِ، فَرَمَى بَعْضُهُمْ فَرَسَهُ فَقَتَلَهُ، وَاشْتَدَّ الْقِتَالُ عَلَيْهِ، فَقُتِلَ هُوَ وَجَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ بَطَارِقَتِهِ، فَلَمَّا قُتِلَ انْهَزَمَ الرُّومُ أَقْبَحَ هَزِيمَةٍ، وَأَكْثَرَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِيهِمُ الْقَتْلَ، وَوَصَلَ الْمُنْهَزِمُونَ إِلَى جَرْفِ خَنْدَقٍ عَظِيمٍ كَالْحُفْرَةِ، فَسَقَطُوا فِيهَا مِنْ خَوْفِ السَّيْفِ، فَقَتَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا حَتَّى امْتَلَأَتْ، وَكَانَتِ الْحَرْبُ مِنْ بُكْرَةٍ إِلَى الْعَصْرِ، وَبَاتَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ فِي كُلِّ نَاحِيَةٍ، وَغَنِمُوا مِنَ السِّلَاحِ وَالْخَيْلِ، وَصُنُوفِ الْأَمْوَالِ مَا لَا يُحَدُّ. وَكَانَ فِي جُمْلَةِ الْغَنِيمَةِ سَيْفٌ هِنْدِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ مَكْتُوبٌ: هَذَا سَيْفٌ هِنْدِيٌّ، وَزْنُهُ مِائَةٌ وَسَبْعُونَ مِثْقَالًا، طَالَمَا ضُرِبَ بِهِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - ﷺ، فَأُرْسِلَ إِلَى الْمُعِزِّ مَعَ الْأَسْرَى وَالرُّءُوسِ، وَسَارَ مَنْ سَلِمَ مِنَ الرُّومِ إِلَى رَيُّو. وَأَمَّا أَهْلُ رَمْطَةَ فَإِنَّهُمْ ضَعُفَتْ نُفُوسُهُمْ، وَكَانَتِ الْأَقْوَاتُ قَدْ قَلَّتْ عِنْدَهُمْ، فَأَخْرَجُوا مَنْ فِيهَا مِنَ الضُّعَفَاءِ، وَبَقِيَ الْمُقَاتِلَةُ، فَزَحَفَ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَقَاتَلُوهُمْ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ، ( وَلَزِمُوا ) الْقِتَالَ فِي اللَّيْلِ أَيْضًا، وَتَقَدَّمُوا بِالسَّلَالِيمِ فَمَلَكُوهَا عَنْوَةً، وَقَتَلُوا مَنْ فِيهَا، وَسَبَوُا الْحُرَمَ وَالصِّغَارَ، وَغَنِمُوا مَا فِيهَا، وَكَانَ شَيْئًا كَثِيرًا عَظِيمًا، وَرَتَّبَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَنْ يُعَمِّرُهَا وَيُقِيمُ فِيهَا. ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرُّومَ تَجَمَّعَ مَنْ سَلِمَ مِنْهَا، وَأَخَذُوا مَعَهُمْ مَنْ فِي صِقِلِّيَةَ وَجَزِيرَةِ رَيُّو مِنْهُمْ، وَرَكِبُوا مَرَاكِبَهُمْ يَحْفَظُونَ نُفُوسَهُمْ، فَرَكِبَ الْأَمِيرُ أَحْمَدُ فِي عَسَاكِرِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ فِي الْمَرَاكِبِ أَيْضًا، وَزَحَفَ إِلَيْهِمْ فِي الْمَاءِ وَقَاتَلَهُمْ، وَاشْتَدَّ الْقِتَالُ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَأَلْقَى جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ نُفُوسَهُمْ فِي الْمَاءِ، وَخَرَقُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْمَرَاكِبِ الَّتِي لِلرُّومِ، ( فَغَرِقَتْ، وَكَثُرَ الْقَتْلُ فِي الرُّومِ )، فَانْهَزَمُوا لَا يَلْوِي أَحَدٌ عَلَى أَحَدٍ، وَسَارَتْ سَرَايَا الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي مَدَائِنِ الرُّومِ، فَغَنِمُوا مِنْهَا، فَبَذَلَ أَهْلُهَا لَهُمْ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ، وَهَادَنُوهُمْ، وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ سَنَةَ أَرْبَعٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ، وَهَذِهِ الْوَقْعَةُ الْأَخِيرَةُ هِيَ الْمَعْرُوفَةُ بِوَقْعَةِ الْمَجَازِ.
Translation
✧ The conquest of Ramṭah and the war between the Muslims and the Byzantines in Sicily We have mentioned in the year 351 [AH] the conquest of Ṭabarmīn and the siege of Ramṭah with the Byzantines inside it. When the Byzantines saw that, they became afraid and sent to the king of Constantinople to inform him of the situation and to ask him to reinforce them with armies. So he equipped for them a great army, exceeding forty thousand fighters, and sent them by sea. The news reached the emir Aḥmad, the emir of Sicily, so he sent to al-Muʿizz in Ifrīqiyah to inform him of that and to seek his support, asking for the rapid dispatch of armies to him. He himself began to repair the fleet and increase it, and he gathered fighting men on land and sea. As for al-Muʿizz, he gathered the men, mustered them, distributed among them great sums of money, and sent them with al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī, the father of Aḥmad. They arrived in Sicily in Ramaḍān, and some of them went to those who were besieging Ramṭah, and they joined them in its siege. As for the Byzantines, they also arrived in Sicily and encamped near the city of Messina in Shawwāl. From there they advanced with their multitudes, the like of which had never entered Sicily, toward Ramṭah. When al-Ḥasan b. ʿAmmār, the commander of the army besieging Ramṭah, heard that, he placed a detachment of his army over it to prevent its inhabitants from coming out, and he marched out with the armies to meet the Byzantines, having resolved to die. The Byzantines arrived and surrounded the Muslims. The people of Ramṭah came down against those near them to attack the Muslims from their rear, but the men who had been stationed there to prevent them fought them and drove them back from what they intended. The Byzantines advanced to battle, exulting in their numbers and in the equipment and other things they had. The battle was joined, and the situation became grave for the Muslims. The enemy drove them back to their tents, and the Byzantines were certain of victory. When the Muslims saw the magnitude of what had befallen them, they chose death, deeming it safer for them, and they took up the poet's saying: I drew back seeking to preserve life, but I found no life for myself like advancing. Then al-Ḥasan b. ʿAmmār, their commander, charged with them, and the oven of war blazed at that moment, and he urged them to fight the infidels. Likewise the patricians of the Byzantines charged and urged on their armies. Manuel, the commander of the Byzantines, charged and killed among the Muslims, and the Muslims stabbed him, but it had no effect on him because of the many garments of armor he wore. Then one of them shot his horse and killed it, and the fighting intensified around him, and he was killed along with a group of his patricians. When he was killed, the Byzantines fled in the most shameful flight, and the Muslims inflicted great slaughter among them. The fugitives reached the edge of a great trench like a pit, and they fell into it from fear of the sword, killing one another until it was filled. The battle lasted from early morning until afternoon, and the Muslims spent the night fighting them in every direction. They captured weapons, horses, and various kinds of wealth beyond measure. Among the spoils was an Indian sword on which was written: "This is an Indian sword, its weight one hundred and seventy mithqāls. How often it was struck before the Messenger of God ﷺ." It was sent to al-Muʿizz along with the captives and the heads. Those of the Byzantines who survived marched to Riḥyū. As for the people of Ramṭah, their spirits weakened, and their provisions had become scarce, so they expelled the weak among them, and the fighting men remained. The Muslims advanced against them and fought them until night, and they continued fighting at night as well. They brought ladders forward and captured it by force, killing those inside, taking the women and children captive, and seizing what was in it, which was a great and vast amount. They stationed in it some of the Muslims to settle and dwell there. Then the surviving Byzantines gathered together, taking with them those of their kind who were in Sicily and the island of Riḥyū. They boarded their ships to protect themselves, and the emir Aḥmad boarded with his armies and companions in ships as well. He advanced against them on the water and fought them, and the battle raged between them. A group of Muslims threw themselves into the water and pierced many of the Byzantine ships, and they sank, and the slaughter among the Byzantines was great. They fled, no one turning to another. The Muslims' raiding parties went into the Byzantine cities and plundered them, and their people offered them money and made a truce with them. This was in the year 354 AH. This last battle is known as the Battle of the Strait.
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