with the ruler in besieging them and fighting them, until Allah granted the conquest of the mountain and expelled its inhabitants. The mountain was one of the most difficult to reach and the hardest of battlefields (1). Earlier kings had never dared to besiege it, though they were fully aware of the injustice, rebellion against the Imam, and defiance practiced by its people (2); the sole deterrent was the arduous approach and the hardship of descending upon them.

Likewise, when Baydara (3) once surrounded them with his army, he withdrew without securing any advantage over them (4), for that reason and others. This occurred shortly after the capture of the Roman fortress ⦗69⦘, yet Allah granted its conquest at the hands of the ruler, the deputy of protected Syria—may Allah strengthen his victory (5).

According to common report, this victory is counted among the outstanding honors and extraordinary favors (6) for two reasons (7):

The first is that the inhabitants of this mountain were rebellious, reviling Rafidites (8); therefore, fighting them had become a categorical obligation.