Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (4/497)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

It is reported that he was the freedman-client of a woman from the Lakhm tribe; another view holds that his walāʾ was with the Umayyads. Though he walked with a limp, he was awe-inspiring, sharp in judgment, and resolute in action. He transmitted ḥadith from Tamim al-Dari, and those who narrated from him include his son ʿAbd al-ʿAziz and Yazid ibn Masruq.

Muʿāwiyah placed him in charge of the naval raids, so he campaigned against Cyprus (1) and built fortresses there. Over the furthest reaches of the Maghrib he appointed his freedman Ṭāriq, who hastened forward and conquered al-Andalus. Musa then followed, completed the conquest, and witnessed astonishing events. He fought a famous pitched battle with the Byzantines; when the Muslims were on the verge of breaking, Musa drew back the curtain of his pavilion, exposing his daughters and other womenfolk, stepped out, and raised his hands in tearful, humble supplication. The warriors smashed their sword-sheaths before him, fought with true resolve, victory descended, and they gained spoils beyond description—including the golden, jewel-studded Table of Solomon, peace be upon him.

It is also said that he seized sixteen sealed jars (2) bearing Solomon’s signet. He opened four of them and pierced one, whereupon a demon emerged, crying, “O Prophet of Allah, I shall never again sow corruption on earth.” The demon then looked about and said, “By Allah, I see neither Solomon nor his kingdom,” and departed; the remaining jars were reburied.

Al-Layth recounted that Musa sent his son Marwan at the head of an army, which returned with one hundred thousand captives. He also dispatched his nephew, who brought back another hundred thousand Berbers. A man guided him to a treasure in al-Andalus; when they removed its door, rubies and emeralds poured out in dazzling abundance. Al-Layth said, “Carpets were discovered woven with gold, pearls, and rubies, to such an extent that a person could not…"

= Bughyat al-multamis, p. 442; Al-Hulla al-sira, p. 30; Wafayat al-ayan, 5/318; Al-Bayan al-maghrib, 1/46; Tarikh al-Islam, 4/58; Al-Ibar, 1/116; Al-Bidaya wa-l-nihaya, 9/171; Al-Nujum al-zahira, 1/235; Nafh al-tib, 1/229, 283; Shadharat al-dhahab, 1/112. (1) Cyprus: an island in the eastern Mediterranean, located between the Syrian and Turkish coasts. (2) Qumqum: a well-known vessel, usually of copper, used for heating water; it has a narrow neck. The term is the Arabised form of “kamkam.” A smaller version is used to distil rose-water.

قِيْلَ: كَانَ مَوْلَى امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ لَخْمٍ. وَقِيْلَ: وَلاَؤُه لِبَنِي أُمَيَّةَ. وَكَانَ أَعْرَجَ، مَهِيْباً، ذَا رَأْيٍ وَحَزْمٍ. يَرْوِي عَنْ: تَمِيْمٍ الدَّارِيِّ. حَدَّثَ عَنْهُ: وَلَدُهُ؛ عَبْدُ العَزِيْزِ، وَيَزِيْدُ بنُ مَسْرُوْقٍ. وَلِيَ غَزْوَ البَحْرِ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ، فَغَزَا قُبْرُسَ (١) ، وَبَنَى هُنَاكَ حُصُوْناً، وَقَدِ اسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَى أَقْصَى المَغْرِبِ مَوْلاَهُ طَارِقاً، فَبَادَرَ، وَافْتَتَحَ الأَنْدَلُسَ، وَلَحِقَهُ مُوْسَى، فَتَمَّمَ فَتْحَهَا، وَجَرَتْ لَهُ عَجَائِبُ هَائِلَةٌ، وَعَمِلَ مَعَ الرُّوْمِ مَصَافّاً مَشْهُوْداً، وَلَمَّا هَمَّ المُسْلِمُوْنَ بِالهَزِيْمَةِ، كَشَفَ مُوْسَى سُرَادِقَهُ عَنْ بَنَاتِهِ وَحَرَمِهِ، وَبَرَزَ، وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ بِالدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالبُكَاءِ، فَكُسِرَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ جُفُوْنُ السُّيُوْفِ، وَصَدَقُوا اللِّقَاءَ، وَنَزَلَ النَّصْرُ، وَغَنِمُوا مَا لاَ يُعَبَّرُ عَنْهُ، مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَائِدَةُ سُلَيْمَانَ ﵇ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَجَوَاهِرَ. وَقِيْلَ: ظَفِرَ بِسِتَّةَ عَشَرَ قُمْقُماً (٢) ، عَلَيْهَا خَتْمُ سُلَيْمَانَ، فَفَتَحَ أَرْبَعَةً، وَنَقَبَ مِنْهَا وَاحِداً، فَإِذَا شَيْطَانٌ يَقُوْلُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ، لاَ أَعُوْدُ أُفْسِدُ فِي الأَرْضِ. ثُمَّ نَظَرَ، فَقَالَ: وَاللهِ مَا أَرَى سُلَيْمَانَ وَلاَ مُلْكَهُ. وَذَهَب، فَطُمِرَتِ البَوَاقِي. وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ: بَعَثَ مُوْسَى ابْنَهُ مَرْوَانَ عَلَى الجَيْشِ، فَأَصَابَ مِنَ السَّبْيِ مائَةَ أَلْفٍ، وَبَعَثَ ابْنَ أَخِيْهِ، فَسَبَى أَيْضاً مائَةَ أَلْفٍ مِنَ البَرْبَرِ، وَدَلَّهُ رَجُلٌ عَلَى كَنْزٍ بِالأَنْدَلُسِ، فَنَزَعُوا بَابَهُ، فَسَالَ عَلَيْهِم مِنَ اليَاقُوْتِ وَالزَّبَرْجَدِ مَا بَهَرَهُم. قَالَ اللَّيْثُ: إِنْ كَانَتِ الطِّنْفِسَةُ لَتُوْجَدُ مَنْسُوْجَةً بِالذَّهَبِ وَاللُّؤْلُؤِ وَاليَاقُوْتِ، لاَ يَسْتَطِيْعُ

= بغية الملتمس ٤٤٢، الحلة السيراء ٣٠، وفيات الأعيان ٥ / ٣١٨، البيان المغرب ١ / ٤٦، تاريخ الإسلام ٤ / ٥٨، العبر ١ / ١١٦، البداية والنهاية ٩ / ١٧١، النجوم الزاهرة ١ / ٢٣٥، نفح الطيب ١ / ٢٢٩، ٢٨٣، شذرات الذهب ١ / ١١٢. (١) قبرس: جزيرة في شرق البحر المتوسط تقع بين الساحل السوري والساحل التركي. (٢) القمقم آنية معروفة من نحاس وغيره، يسخن فيها الماء ويكون ضيق الرأس، معرب (كمكم) ومنه صغير الحجم يعجل فيه ماء الورد.