Sirat Ibn Hisham 13
The account of 'Amr b. 'Amir in his departure from Yemen and the story of the Ma'rib dam
أَمْرُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَامِرٍ فِي خُرُوجِهِ مِنْ الْيَمَنِ [ وَقِصَّةُ سَدِّ مَأْرِبٍ ] وَكَانَ سَبَبُ خُرُوجِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَامِرٍ مِنْ الْيَمَنِ - فِيمَا حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو زَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ - أَنَّهُ رَأَى جُرَذًا يَحْفِرُ فِي سَدِّ مَأْرِبٍ، الَّذِي كَانَ يَحْبِسُ عَلَيْهِمْ الْمَاءَ - فَيُصَرِّفُونَهُ حَيْثُ شَاءُوا مِنْ أَرْضِهِمْ، فَعَلِمَ أَنَّهُ لَا بَقَاءَ لِلسَّدِّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَاعْتَزَمَ عَلَى النُّقْلَةِ مِنْ الْيَمَنِ، فَكَادَ قَوْمَهُ، فَأَمَرَ أَصْغَرَ وَلَدِهِ إذَا أَغْلَظَ لَهُ وَلَطَمَهُ أَنْ يَقُومَ إلَيْهِ فَيَلْطِمَهُ، فَفَعَلَ ابْنُهُ مَا أَمَرَهُ بِهِ، فَقَالَ عَمْرٌو: لَا أُقِيمُ بِبَلَدِ لَطَمَ وَجْهِي فِيهِ أَصْغَرُ وَلَدِي، وَعَرَضَ أَمْوَالَهُ. فَقَالَ أَشْرَافٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِ الْيَمَنِ: اغْتَنِمُوا غَضْبَةَ عَمْرٍو، فَاشْتَرَوْا مِنْهُ أَمْوَالَهُ. وَانْتَقَلَ فِي وَلَدِهِ وَوَلَدِ وَلَدِهِ. وَقَالَتْ الْأَزْدُ: لَا نَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَامِرٍ، فَبَاعُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ، وَخَرَجُوا مَعَهُ، فَسَارُوا حَتَّى نَزَلُوا بِلَادَ عَكٍّ مُجْتَازِينَ يَرْتَادُونَ الْبُلْدَانَ، فَحَارَبَتْهُمْ عَكٌّ، فَكَانَتْ حَرْبُهُمْ سِجَالًا. فَفِي ذَلِكَ قَالَ عَبَّاسُ بْنُ مِرْدَاسٍ الْبَيْتَ الَّذِي كَتَبْنَا. ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلُوا عَنْهُمْ فَتَفَرَّقُوا فِي الْبُلْدَانِ، فَنَزَلَ آلُ جَفْنَةَ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَامِرٍ الشَّامَ، وَنَزَلَتْ الْأَوْسُ وَالْخَزْرَجُ يَثْرِبَ، وَنَزَلَتْ خُزَاعَةُ مَرَّا، وَنَزَلَتْ أَزْدُ السَّرَاةَ، وَنَزَلَتْ أَزْدُ عَمَّانَ عُمَانَ. ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى السَّدِّ السَّيْلَ فَهَدَمَهُ، فَفِيهِ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ: لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَإٍ فِي مَسْكَنِهِمْ آيَةٌ جَنَّتَانِ عَنْ يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ كُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِ رَبِّكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٌ فَأَعْرَضُوا فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَيْلَ الْعَرِمِ. وَالْعَرِمُ: السَّدُّ، وَاحِدَتُهُ: عَرِمَةٌ، فِيمَا حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ. قَالَ الْأَعْشَى: أَعْشَى بَنِي قَيْسِ بْنِ ثَعْلَبَةَ بْنِ عُكَابَةَ بْنِ صَعْبِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَكْرِ بْنِ وَائِلِ بْنِ هِنْبِ بْنِ أَفْصَى بْنِ جَدِيلَةَ بْنِ أَسَدِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ نِزَارِ بْنِ مَعَدٍّ. قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَيُقَالُ: أَفْصَى بْنِ دُعْمِيِّ بْنِ جَدِيلَةَ، وَاسْمُ الْأَعْشَى، مَيْمُونُ بْنُ قَيْسِ بْنِ جَنْدَلِ بْنِ شَرَاحِيلَ بْنِ عَوْفِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ ضُبَيْعَةَ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ ثَعْلَبَةَ: وَفِي ذَاكَ لِلْمُؤْتَسِي أُسْوَةٌ ومارِبُ عَفَّى عَلَيْهَا العَرِمْ رُخَامٌ بَنَتْهُ لَهُمْ حِمْيرٌ إذَا جَاءَ مَوَّارُهُ لَمْ يَرِمْ فَأَرْوَى الزُّرُوعَ وَأَعْنَابَهَا عَلَى سَعَةٍ مَاؤُهُمْ إذْ قُسِمْ فَصَارُوا أَيَادَى مَا يَقْدِرُو نَ مِنْهُ عَلَى شُرْبِ طِفْلٍ فُطِمْ وَهَذِهِ الْأَبْيَاتُ فِي قَصِيدَةٍ لَهُ. وَقَالَ أُمَيَّةُ بْنُ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ الثَّقَفِيُّ - وَاسْمُ ثَقِيفٍ قَسِيُّ بْنُ مُنَبِّهِ بْنِ بَكْرِ بْنِ هَوَازِنَ بْنِ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَصَفَةَ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ عَيْلَانَ بْنِ مُضَرَ بْنِ نِزَارِ بْنِ مَعَدٍّ بْنِ عَدْنَانَ: مِنْ سَبَأِ الْحَاضِرِينَ مَأْرِبَ إذْ يَبْنُونَ مِنْ دُونِ سَيْلِهِ الْعَرِمَا وَهَذَا الْبَيْتُ فِي قَصِيدَةٍ لَهُ. وَتُرْوَى لِلنَّابِغَةِ الْجَعْدِيِّ، وَاسْمُهُ قَيْسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَحَدُ بَنِي جَعْدَةَ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ عَامِرِ بْنِ صَعْصَعَةَ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ بَكْرِ بْنِ هَوَازِنَ وَهُوَ حَدِيثٌ طَوِيلٌ، مَنَعَنِي مِنْ اسْتِقْصَائِهِ مَا ذَكَرْتُ مِنْ الِاخْتِصَارِ
Translation
✧ The affair of ʿAmr b. ʿĀmir in his departure from Yemen [and the story of the Maʾrib dam]. The reason for ʿAmr b. ʿĀmir's departure from Yemen — according to what Abū Zayd al-Anṣārī related to me — was that he saw a rat digging in the Maʾrib dam, which used to hold back the water for them, so that they could divert it wherever they wished in their land. He knew that the dam would not endure that, so he resolved to move from Yemen. He tricked his people: he ordered his youngest son that if he was harsh to him and slapped him, that he should rise and slap him back. His son did what he ordered him to do. ʿAmr said: "I will not remain in a land where the youngest of my children slaps my face." He offered his wealth for sale. Some of the nobles of Yemen said: "Seize the opportunity of ʿAmr's anger," so they bought his wealth from him. He moved with his children and his children's children. The Azd said: "We will not remain behind from ʿAmr b. ʿĀmir," so they sold their wealth and departed with him. They traveled until they halted in the lands of ʿAkk, passing through and seeking suitable lands. ʿAkk fought them, and their war was alternating. In that regard ʿAbbās b. Mirdās said the verse which we have written. Then they departed from them and dispersed in the lands. The family of Jafnah b. ʿAmr b. ʿĀmir settled in Syria, the Aws and the Khazraj settled in Yathrib, Khuzāʿah settled in Marr, Azd al-Sarāh settled in al-Sarāh, and Azd ʿUmān settled in ʿUmān. Then God, may He be exalted, sent the flood upon the dam and destroyed it. Concerning that, God, blessed and exalted, revealed to His Messenger Muḥammad ﷺ: "Indeed there was for Sabaʾ in their dwelling place a sign: two gardens, on the right and on the left. 'Eat of the provision of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land and a forgiving Lord.' But they turned away, so We sent upon them the flood of the dam (sayl al-ʿarim)." Al-ʿarim is the dam, and its singular is ʿarimah, according to what Abū ʿUbaydah related to me. Al-Aʿshā said — Aʿshā of Banū Qays b. Thaʿlabah b. ʿUkābah b. Ṣaʿb b. ʿAlī b. Bakr b. Wāʾil b. Hinb b. Afṣā b. Jadīlah b. Asad b. Rabīʿah b. Nizār b. Maʿadd. Ibn Hishām said: And it is said: Afṣā b. Duʿmī b. Jadīlah. And the name of al-Aʿshā is Maymūn b. Qays b. Jandal b. Sharāḥīl b. ʿAwf b. Saʿd b. Ḍubayʿah b. Qays b. Thaʿlabah: "And in that for one who takes example is a lesson, And Maʾrib, the ʿarim has effaced it, Marble built for them by Ḥimyar, When its surging water came, it did not stay. It irrigated the crops and their vines, Their water was abundant when it was distributed. So they became hands that could not drink From it even enough for a weaned child." These verses are from a poem of his. And Umayyah b. Abī al-Ṣalt al-Thaqafī said — and the name of Thaqīf is Qasī b. Munabbih b. Bakr b. Hawāzin b. Manṣūr b. ʿIkrimah b. Khaṣafah b. Qays b. ʿAylān b. Muḍar b. Nizār b. Maʿadd b. ʿAdnān: "From Sabaʾ, those present at Maʾrib, when they built, To hold back its flood, the ʿarim." This verse is from a poem of his. It is also related for al-Nābighah al-Jaʿdī, whose name is Qays b. ʿAbd Allāh, one of Banū Jaʿdah b. Kaʿb b. Rabīʿah b. ʿĀmir b. Ṣaʿṣaʿah b. Muʿāwiyah b. Bakr b. Hawāzin. It is a long account; I have been prevented from pursuing it exhaustively by the abridgment I have mentioned.
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