The Origins of the Islamic State/Part 5/Chapter 5

by Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyá al-Balādhurī

CHAPTER V

The Conquest of Ifrîḳiyah

ʿUthmân reinforces ibn-Saʿd. When ʿAbdallâh ibn-Saʿd ibn-abi-Sarḥ was appointed governor over Egypt and al-Maghrib, he sent out the Moslems in cavalry detachments, and they plundered as far as the extremities of Ifrîḳiyah [modern Tunis]. ʿUthmân ibn-ʿAffân first hesitated to attack Ifrîḳiyah; but after consultation, he made up his mind to do so, and wrote to ʿAbdallâh in the year 27 (others say 28, still others 29), ordering him to lead the attack, and reinforced him with a large army in which were Maʿbad ibn-al-ʿAbbâs ibn-ʿAbd-al-Muṭṭalib, Marwân ibn-al-Ḥakam ibn-abi-l-ʿÂṣi ibn-Umaiyah and his brother al-Ḥârith ibn-al-Ḥakam, ʿAbdallâh ibn-az-Zubair ibn-al-ʿAuwâm, al-Miswar ibn-Makhramah ibn-Naufal ibn-Uhaib ibn-ʿAbd-Manâf ibn-Zuhrah ibn-Kilâb, ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân ibn-Zaid ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb, ʿAbdallâh ibn-ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb, ʿÂṣim ibn-ʿUmar, ʿUbaidallâh ibn-ʿUmar, ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân ibn-abi-Bakr, ʿAbdallâh ibn-ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi, Busr ibn-Abi-Arṭâh ibn-ʿUwaimir al-ʿÂmiri, and abu-Dhuʾaib Khuwailid ibn-Khâlid al-Hudhali, the poet. Abu-Dhuʾaib died in this campaign and ibn-az-Zubair had charge of the burial. In this campaign, a great host of the Arabs from the environs of al-Madînah took part.

The magnates of Ifrîḳiyah make terms with ʿAbdallâh. Muḥammad ibn-Saʿd from ʿAbdallâh ibn-az-Zubair:—The latter said:—"ʿUthmân ibn-ʿAffân sent us on an expedition against Ifrîḳiyah, whose patrician exercised authority from Tripoli to Ṭanjah [Tangiers]. ʿAbdallâh ibn-Saʿd ibn-abi-Sarḥ marched against him and occupied ʿAḳûbah. After a few days' fight, I was enabled to kill, by Allah's help, the patrician. His army took to flight and was torn to pieces. Ibn-abi-Sarḥ sent detachments and scattered them all over the country; and they carried away a large booty and drove before them all the cattle they could. Seeing that, the great men of Ifrîḳiyah met together and offered ʿAbdallâh ibn-Saʿd 300 quintals^[1] of gold provided he would let them alone and leave their land. Their request was granted."

Muḥammad ibn-Saʿd from ibn-Kaʿb:—ʿAbdallâh ibn-Saʿd ibn-abi-Sarḥ made terms with the patrician of Ifrîḳiyah, stipulating that the latter should pay 2,500,000 dînârs.

ʿUḳbah ibn-Nâfiʿ. Muḥammad ibn-Saʿd from Mûsa ibn-Ḍamrah-l-Mâzini's father:—When ʿAbdallâh ibn-Saʿd made terms with the patrician of Ifrîḳiyah, he returned to Egypt without appointing anyone to the governorship of Ifrîḳiyah, which at that time had no meeting-place^[2] or central town. When ʿUthmân was murdered and Muḥammad ibn-abi-Ḥudhaifah ibn-ʿUtbah ibn-Rabîʿah ruled over Egypt, he sent nobody to Ifrîḳiyah; but when Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân came to power, he assigned over Egypt Muʿâwiyah ibn-Ḥudaij as-Sakûni who, in the year 20, sent ʿUḳbah ibn-Nâfiʿ ibn-ʿAbd-Ḳais ibn-Laḳît al-Fihri to Ifrîḳiyah. ʿUḳbah invaded it and parceled it out into lots among the Moslems.

ʿUḳbah sent Busr ibn-abi-Arṭâh^[3] to a castle in al-Ḳairawân, which he reduced, killing and capturing many. It is now known as Ḳalʿat Busr and lies near a city called Majjânah, near the silver mine.

I heard it said that Mûsa ibn-Nuṣair sent Busr, who was then 82 years old, to this castle; and the latter reduced it. This Busr was born two years before the Prophet's death. Others than al-Wâḳidi claim that Busr was one of those who transmitted traditions from the Prophet; but Allah knows better.

Various governors. It was stated by al-Wâḳidi that ʿAbdallâh ibn-Saʿd held the governorship until Muḥammad ibn-abi-Ḥudhaifah assumed authority over Egypt, which he had made to rise in rebellion against ʿUthmân. Later on, ʿAli assigned Ḳais ibn-Saʿd ibn-ʿUbâdah-l-Anṣâri as governor of Egypt, after which he dismissed him and chose Muḥammad ibn-abi-Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddîḳ. The latter he also dismissed and assigned Mâlik al-Ashtar, who was taken sick^[4] at al-Ḳulzum [Suez]. ʿAli once more assigned Muḥammad ibn-abi-Bakr, who was later killed by Muʿâwiyah ibn-Ḥudaij and burned in a donkey's belly.^[5]

ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi ruled in the name of Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân. He died in Egypt on the feast of the breaking of the fast of Ramaḍân [al-fiṭr] in the year 42 (others say 43), and was succeeded by his son ʿAbdallâh whom Muʿâwiyah dismissed. Muʿâwiyah assigned ibn-Ḥudaij, who spent four years in Egypt; at the close of which he made a razzia and plundered. After that he returned to Egypt and sent there ʿUḳbah ibn-Nâfiʿ al-Fihri. Others say that ʿUḳbah was appointed by Muʿâwiyah over al-Maghrib; and so he invaded Ifrîḳiyah at the head of 10,000 Moslems and reduced it. He parceled out its Ḳairawân^[6] in lots among the Moslems, the site being a thicket covered with tamarisk and other trees and which nobody could attempt because of the beasts, snakes and deadly scorpions. This ibn-Nâfiʿ was a righteous man whose prayer was answered. He prayed to his Lord, who made the scorpions disappear; even the beasts had to carry their young and run away.

Al-Wâḳidi says, "I once said to Mûsa ibn-ʿAli, 'Thou hast seen the buildings in Ifrîḳiyah that are connected together and that we still see to-day. Who was it that built them?' And Mûsa replied, 'The first one was ʿUḳbah ibn-Nâfiʿ al-Fihri who marked out the plans for the buildings, himself built a home, and the Moslems at the same time built houses and dwelling-places. He also built the cathedral mosque that is in Ifrîḳiyah.'"

It was in Ifrîḳiyah that Maʿbad ibn-al-ʿAbbâs fell a martyr in the campaign of ibn-abi-Sarḥ during the caliphate of ʿUthmân. Others say he met natural death during the war; but that he fell a martyr is the more authentic report.

According to al-Wâḳidi and others, Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân dismissed Muʿâwiyah ibn-Ḥudaij^[7] and conferred the governorship of Egypt and al-Maghrib on Maslamah ibn-Mukhallad al-Anṣâri,^[8] who appointed his freedman, abu-l-Muhâjir, governor of al-Maghrib. When Yazîd ibn-Muʿâwiyah, however, came to power, he reinstated ʿUḳbah ibn-Nâfiʿ in his position, and the latter invaded as-Sûs al-Adna,^[9] which lay behind Ṭanjah. There he went about without being molested or fought by anybody. At last he departed.

Yazîd ibn-Muʿâwiyah died and his son Muʿâwiyah ibn-Yazîd, surnamed abu-Laila, was proclaimed caliph. Muʿâwiyah called a general public prayer meeting, and resigned the caliphate. He retired to his home where he died after two months. Later came the rule of Marwân ibn-al-Ḥakam and the insurrection of ibn-az-Zubair.

Then came ʿAbd-al-Malik ibn-Marwân to power; and everything went smoothly with him. He assigned as ʿâmil over Egypt his brother ʿAbd-al-ʿAzîz who put over Ifrîḳiyah Zuhair ibn-Ḳais al-Balawi.^[10] Zuhair conquered Tûnis and left for Barḳah. Hearing that a band of Greeks had landed from their ships and were doing mischief, he went against them with a cavalry detachment. On meeting them, he fell a martyr with his companions. His tomb is still there. His and his companions' tombs are called Ḳubûr ash-Shuhadâʾ [the martyrs' tombs].

Then Ḥassân ibn-an-Nuʿmân al-Ghassâni^[11] became ruler. He made an incursion against al-Kâhinah,^[12] the queen of the Berbers. He was defeated by her and came and occupied certain castles within the territory of Barḳah. These castles were included within one whose roof was an arched structure upon which one could cross over. Since then, these castles were called Ḳuṣûr Ḥassân.^[13]

Ḥassân made another incursion, killed the queen and carried into captivity many Berbers whom he sent to ʿAbd-al-ʿAzîz. Regarding these captives, the poet, abu-Miḥjan Nuṣaib, used to say, "I have seen in ʿAbd-al-ʿAzîz's home Berber captives who have faces more beautiful than which I never saw."

According to ibn-al-Kalbi, Hishâm assigned Kulthûm ibn-ʿIyâḍ ibn-Waḥwaḥ al-Ḳushairi to the governorship of Ifrîḳiyah, whose people rebelled and put him to death. Ibn-al-Kalbi also states that Ifrîḳiyah was subdued in pre-Islamic times by Ifrîḳîs ibn-Ḳais ibn-Ṣaifi-l-Ḥimyari and was named after him. He killed Jurjîr^[14] [Gregory] its king and said regarding the Berbers, "How barbarous they are!" Hence the name, Berbers.

Al-Ḳairawân. According to a tradition communicated to me by certain inhabitants of Ifrîḳiyah on the authority of their sheikhs, when ʿUḳbah ibn-Nâfiʿ al-Fihri wanted to build al-Ḳairawân,^[15] he began to think regarding the site of the mosque, and he saw in a dream as if a man called to prayer at a certain spot where he later erected the minaret. When he awoke, he started to erect the boundary marks where he had seen the man stand, after which he built the mosque.

Muḥammad ibn-Saʿd from al-Wâḳidi:—Muḥammad ibn-al-Ashʿath al-Khuzâʿfi ruled over Ifrîḳiyah in the name of abu-l-ʿAbbâs "the Commander of the Believers", and repaired the city of al-Ḳairawan with its mosque. He was later dismissed by al-Manṣûr, who assigned ʿUmar ibn-Ḥafṣ Hizârmard^[16] in his place.

Footnotes

1. Ar. ḳintâr = "1,200 dînârs, and in the language of Barbar = 1,000 mithḳâls of gold or silver"; T.ʿA.
2. Ar. ḳairawân. See De Goeje's edition of Balâdhuri, gloss., pp. 92–93.
3. Maḳrîzi, vol. i, p. 272, does not have "abi" in the name.
4. Maḥâsin, vol. i, pp. 116–117.
5. Ibid., vol. i, p. 125; Khaldûn, vol. ii², p. 182.
6. ʿAdhâri, vol. i, p. 12.
7. ʿAdhâri, vol. i, p. 14.
8. Suyûṭi, Ḥusn, vol. ii, 7.
9. i. e., the nearer (== Darʿah) in distinction from al-Aḳṣa—the farther; Yaʿḳûbi, Buldân, pp. 359–360.
10. ʿAdhâri, vol. i, p. 16.
11. Ibid., vol. i, pp. 18 seq.
12. Fem. of kâhin = soothsayer.
13. ʿAdhâri, vol. i, p. 21.
14. Cf. ʿAdhâri, vol. i, pp. 5–6.
15. Iṣṭakhri, pp. 39–40.
16. ʿAdhâri, vol. i, p. 64. "ʿAmr ibn-Ḥafṣ ibn-Ḳabîṣah."