Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (23/21)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

the Almohads in al-Andalus, for they were tried with an outward display of piety while engaging in corrupt deeds in private. The people therefore hated them intensely and waited for calamity to befall them, until Ibn Hud rose up in the eastern part of al-Andalus in the year 625 AH. Everyone rallied to his summons, threw their support behind him, fought the Almohads in the towns, besieged them in their fortresses, subdued and killed them. He prevailed over the Almohads until the whole of al-Andalus was his, and the populace rejoiced over him greatly.

When his authority had become established, he launched a campaign against the Franks, targeting the city of Mérida in the west of al-Andalus. He called people from every region, and the masses—mercenaries and volunteers alike—responded with earnest effort and sincere intent. All the inhabitants of al-Andalus gathered under his banner; none stayed behind except those restrained by a valid excuse. He advanced with them against the Franks, but when the two armies faced one another, the Muslims suffered the most disgraceful defeat—To Allah we belong and to Him we return. The ground was a churned-up mire of water and mud; the horses were mired up to their shoulders, people perished, and the Franks pursued them with killing and captivity until only a few survived. Ibn Hud returned in the worst condition to Seville—we seek refuge with Allah from an evil outcome.

No corner of al-Andalus was left without great weeping, wailing, and prolonged grief; it was one of al-Andalus’s catastrophes. The people loathed Ibn Hud and began calling him “the Deprived One.” He never managed a major feat against the Franks, save once when he captured from them an exceedingly large flock of sheep. Later Shuʿayb ibn Hilālah in Lebla rose against him, so Ibn Hud made peace with al-Adfush (Afonso), agreeing to besiege Lebla and assist him on the condition that he be given Córdoba. They came to that agreement, and al-Adfush said to him, “It would not be acceptable for the Franks to enter it openly; rather, neglect its affairs, remove its guards, and send the Franks so that they climb its walls by night and seize it treacherously.” They carried this out.

Ibn Hud then wrote to his governor in Córdoba, informing him of the plan and ordering him to clear its estates in the eastern quarter. The Franks arrived, found it empty, set up their ladders, and scaled the wall—there is no might nor power except through Allah.

المُوَحِّدِيْنَ بِالأَنْدَلُسِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُم ابْتُلُوا بِالصَّلاَحِ فِي الظَّاهِرِ، وَالأَعْمَالِ الفَاسِدَةِ فِي البَاطِنِ، فَأَبْغَضَهُمُ النَّاسُ بُغْضاً شَدِيْداً، وَتَرَبَّصُوا بِهِمُ الدَّوَائِرَ، إِلَى أَنْ نَجَمَ ابْنُ هُودٍ فِي سَنَةِ خَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِيْنَ وَسِتِّ مائَةٍ بِشَرقِ الأَنْدَلُسِ، فَقَامَ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُم بِدَعْوَتِهِ وَتَعَصَّبُوا مَعَهُ، وَقَاتَلُوا المُوَحِّدِيْنَ فِي البُلْدَانِ، وَحَصَرُوهُم فِي القِلاعِ، وَقَهَرُوهُم، وَقَتلُوا فِيهِم، وَنُصِرَ عَلَى المُوَحِّدِيْن، وَخَلُصَت الأَنْدَلُسُ كُلُّهَا لَهُ، وَفَرِحَ النَّاسُ بِهِ فَرَحاً عَظِيْماً، فَلَمَّا تَمَهَّدَ أَمْرُهُ أَنْشَأَ غَزْوَةً لِلْفِرَنْجِ عَلَى مَدِيْنَة مَارِدَةَ بِغَربِ الأَنْدَلُسِ، وَاسْتَدعَى النَّاسَ مِنَ الأَقْطَارِ، فَانْتدبَ الخَلْقُ لَهُ بِجِدٍّ وَاجْتِهَادٍ وَخُلُوصِ نِيَّةِ المُرْتَزِقَة وَالمُطّوعَة، وَاجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الأَنْدَلُسِ كُلُّهُم، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ إِلاَّ مَنْ حَبَسَهُ العُذْرُ، فَدَخَلَ بِهِم إِلَى الإِفرنجِ، فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَى الجمعَان وَقعتِ الهَزِيْمَةُ عَلَى المُسْلِمِيْنَ أَقبحَ هَزِيْمَةٍ فَإِنَّا للهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْنَ، وَكَانَتْ تِلْكَ الأَرْضُ مَدْيَسَةً بِمَاءٍ وَعَزْقٍ، تَسَمَّرَت فِيْهَا الخَيْل إِلَى آباطهَا، وَهَلَكَ الخَلْقُ، وَأَتبعهُم الفِرَنْجُ بِالقَتْلِ وَالأَسْرِ وَلَمْ يَبْقَ إِلاَّ القَلِيْلُ، وَرَجَعَ ابْنُ هُودٍ فِي أَسْوَأِ حَالٍ إِلَى إِشْبِيْلِيَةَ، فَنَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنْ سُوْءِ المُنْقَلَبِ، فَلَمْ تَبق بُقعَة مِنَ الأَنْدَلُس إِلاَّ وَفِيْهَا البُكَاءُ وَالصِّيَاح العَظِيْم وَالحُزْن الطَّوِيْل، فَكَانَتْ إِحْدَى هَلَكَات الأَنْدَلُس، فَمَقَتَ النَّاسُ ابْنَ هود، وَصَارُوا يُسَمّونه المَحْرُومَ، وَلَمْ يَقدر أَنْ يَفعلَ مَعَ الفِرَنْج كَبِيْر فَعل قَطُّ إِلاَّ مرَّة أَخَذَ لَهُم غَنَماً كَثِيْرَةً جِدّاً، ثُمَّ قَامَ عَلَيْهِ شُعَيْب بن هِلاَلَة بِلَبْلَة، فَصَالَحَ ابْنُ هود الأَدفوش عَلَى مُحَاصرَة لَبْلَةَ وَمُعَاونته عَلَى أَنْ يُعْطِيَهُ قُرْطُبَةَ، وَاتَّفَقَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: لاَ يَسُوغ أَنْ يَدخلهَا الفِرَنْج عَلَى البَدِيْهَةِ، وَإِنَّمَا تُهمِلُ أَمرَهَا، وَتُخلِيهَا مِنْ حرس، وَوَجِّهْ أَنْتَ الفِرَنْج يَتَعَلَّقُوْنَ بِأَسوَارِهَا بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَغدرُوْنَ بِهَا، فَفَعلُوا كَذَلِكَ. وَوَجَّه ابْنُ هُوْدٍ إِلَى وَالِيهِ بِقُرْطُبَةَ فَأَعْلَمَهُ بِذَلِكَ، وَأَمره بِضِيَاعهَا مِنْ حَيِّزِ الشَّرْقِيَّة فَجَاءَ الفِرَنْجُ، فَوَجَدُوْهُ خَالِياً، فَجَعَلُوا السَّلاَلِمَ وَاسْتوَوا عَلَى السُّوْر - فَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّة إِلاَّ بِاللهِ -.