Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (3/548)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

and Marwān seized Egypt after a prolonged siege and ferocious fighting. He then married the mother of Khālid ibn Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya and named Khālid his heir-apparent. The matter, however, never reached completion, for the wife murdered him after he had once taunted Khālid, saying, “You son of ratbat al-ist” (a coarse insult).

Marwān dispatched ʿUbayd Allah ibn Ziyād to Iraq. The partisans of al-Ḥusayn confronted him but were defeated. Marching with ʿUbayd Allah were Ḥuṣayn ibn Numayr al-Sakūnī, Shurahbīl ibn Dhī al-Kalāʿ, Adham al-Bāhilī, Rabīʿa ibn Mukhāriq, Ḥamīla al-Khathʿamī, and their contingents.

A memorable battle ensued. In Kūfa al-Mukhtār— the impostor—rose in revolt and outfitted Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ashtar with eight thousand men to fight ʿUbayd Allah. They met at al-Khāzir in the opening days of 67 AH, where Ibn al-Ashtar fell upon them at dawn. The combat was fierce and many were slain; the Syrian ranks broke, and ʿUbayd Allah, Ḥuṣayn ibn Numayr, and Shurahbīl ibn Dhī al-Kalāʿ were killed. Ibn al-Ashtar sent their heads to Mecca.

Ibn al-Zubayr now consolidated his authority. Angered by al-Mukhtār and realizing his deviance, he dispatched Muṣʿab ibn al-Zubayr to wage war against him. Muṣʿab prevailed, killing great numbers of al-Mukhtār’s supporters. Ibn al-Zubayr then wrote to Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ashtar in al-Jazīra: “If you obey me and pledge allegiance to me, Syria shall be yours.”

ʿAbd al-Malik likewise wrote to him: “If you pledge allegiance to me, Iraq will be yours.” Ibrāhīm consulted his commanders, who wavered, whereupon he declared, “I will not prefer anyone over my own land and my people.” He therefore went to serve Muṣʿab and remained with him until both were killed.

Marjāna used to say to her son ʿUbayd Allah, “You slew the grandson of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—you shall never see Paradise,” or words to that effect.

Abū al-Yaqẓān stated: “ʿUbayd Allah ibn Ziyād was killed on the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ in the year 67 AH.”

Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād related from Abū al-Ṭufayl: “We set aside seven heads…”

مَرْوَانُ، فَأَخَذَ مِصْرَ بَعْد حِصَارٍ وَقِتَالٍ شَدِيْدٍ، وَتَزَوَّجَ بِوَالِدَةِ خَالِدِ بنِ يَزِيْدَ بنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَجَعَلَهُ وَلِيَّ عَهْدِهِ، فَمَا تَمَّ ذَلِكَ، وَقَتَلَتْهُ الزَّوْجَةُ، لِكَوْنِهِ قَالَ لِخَالِدٍ مَرَّةً: يَا ابْنَ رَطبَةِ الاسْتِ. وَجَهَّزَ إِلَى العِرَاقِ عُبَيْدَ اللهِ بنَ زِيَادٍ، فَالْتَقَاهُ شِيْعَةُ الحُسَيْنِ، فَغُلِبُوا، وَكَانَ مَعَ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ حُصَيْنُ بنُ نُمَيْرٍ السَّكُوْنِيُّ، وَشُرَحْبِيْلُ بنُ ذِي الكَلاَعِ، وَأَدْهَمُ البَاهِلِيُّ، وَرَبِيْعَةُ بنُ مُخَارِقٍ، وَحَمِيْلَةُ الخَثْعَمِيُّ، وَقَوْمُهُم. وَكَانَتْ مَلْحَمَةً مَشْهُودَةً، فَتَوَثَّبَ المُخْتَارُ الكَذَّابُ بِالكُوْفَةِ، وَجَهَّزَ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ بنَ الأَشْتَرِ لِحَرْبِ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ فِي ثَمَانِيَةِ آلاَفٍ، فَالْتَقَوْا فِي أَوَّلِ سَنَةِ سَبْعٍ وَسِتِّيْنَ بِالخَازِرِ، كَبَسَهُمُ ابْنُ الأَشْتَرِ سَحَراً، وَالْتَحَمَ الحَرْبُ، وَقُتِلَ خَلْقٌ، فَانْهَزَمَ الشَّامِيُّوْنَ، وَقُتِلَ عُبَيْدُ اللهِ، وَحُصَيْنُ بنُ نُمَيْرٍ، وَشُرَحْبِيْلُ بنُ ذِي الكَلاَعِ، وَبَعَثَ برُؤُوْسِهِم إِلَى مَكَّةَ. ثُمَّ تَمَكَّنَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، وَغَضِبَ عَلَى المُخْتَارِ، وَلاَحَ لَهُ ضَلاَلُهُ، فَجَهَّزَ لِحَرْبِهِ مُصْعَبَ بنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، فَظَفِرَ بِهِ، وَقَتَلَ مِنْ أَعْوَانِهِ خَلاَئِقَ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى الجَزِيْرَةِ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيْمَ بنِ الأَشْتَرِ: إِنْ أَطَعْتَنِي وَبَايَعْتَ، فَلَكَ الشَّامُ. وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ عَبْدُ المَلِكِ: إِنْ بَايَعْتَنِي، فَلَكَ العِرَاقُ. فَاسْتَشَارَ قُوَّادَهُ، فَتَرَدَّدُوا، فَقَالَ: لاَ أُوثِرُ عَلَى مِصْرِي وَقَوْمِي أَحَداً. وَسَارَ إِلَى خِدْمَةِ مُصْعَبٍ، فَكَانَ مَعَهُ إِلَى أَنْ قُتِلاَ. وَقَدْ كَانَتْ مَرْجَانَةُ تَقُوْلُ لابْنِهَا عُبَيْدِ اللهِ: قَتَلْتَ ابْنَ بِنْتِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ ﷺ لاَ تَرَى الجَنَّةَ - أَوْ نَحْوَ هَذَا -. قَالَ أَبُو اليَقْظَانِ: قُتِلَ عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بنُ زِيَادٍ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاء سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ وَسِتِّيْنَ. قَالَ يَزِيْدُ بنُ أَبِي زِيَادٍ: عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ، قَالَ: عَزَلْنَا سَبْعَةَ أَرْؤُسٍ،