Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (4/500)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

at Rome, and then Allah would assuredly grant its conquest by my hand.

It is also reported that on one Friday al-Walid sat upon his pulpit, and Mūsā approached, having arrayed thirty captive kings in crowns and sumptuous robes. He led them into the mosque and made them stand beneath the pulpit; al-Walid thereupon praised Allah and thanked Him.

Mūsā later performed the pilgrimage with Sulaymān and died in Madinah.

He once said, “Commander of the Believers, a thousand sheep used to sell for one hundred dirhams, a she-camel for ten, and people would walk past cattle without giving them a glance. I have even seen a sturdy foreigner, with his wife and children, sold for fifty dirhams.”

196 – The province of al-Andalus was conquered in Ramadan of the year 92 AH at the hands of Ṭāriq* the freedman of Mūsā ibn Nuṣayr.

Ṭāriq was governor of Tangier at the farthest edge of the Maghrib. News reached him that the Franks were divided and embroiled in war, and the ruler of al-Jazīrah al-Khaḍrāʾ (Algeciras) wrote to ask for his help against an enemy. Ṭāriq promptly crossed the straits with his troops, routed the Franks, captured Córdoba, killed its ruler Ludhrīq, and dispatched word of the victory to his patron. Mūsā envied him for having accomplished so great a conquest single-handedly; he threatened him and ordered him not to advance any farther. Mūsā then hastened forward with his own armies. Ṭāriq came out to meet him and said, “I am but your client, and this conquest is yours.”

Mūsā ibn Nuṣayr remained in al-Andalus for two years, campaigning and collecting spoils. He arrested Ṭāriq and treated him harshly, then appointed his son ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Mūsā as governor of al-Andalus. The bulk of his forces were Berbers renowned for exceptional courage and daring.

(*) Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 6, p. 468; Tarikh Ibn Asakir, vol. 8, fol. 241b; Bughyat al-Multamis, pp. 11 and 315; Tarikh Ibn al-Athir, vol. 4, p. 556; al-Muʿjib, p. 9; al-Bayan al-Maghrib, vol. 1, p. 43; Tarikh al-Islam, vol. 4, p. 15; Nafh al-Tib, vol. 1, p. 229 ff.; Tahdhib Ibn Asakir, vol. 7, p. 41.

رُوْمِيَّةَ، ثُمَّ لَيَفْتَحَنَّهَا اللهُ عَلَى يَدَيَّ. وَقِيْلَ: جَلَسَ الوَلِيْدُ عَلَى مِنْبَرِهِ يَوْمَ الجُمُعَةِ، فَأَتَى مُوْسَى وَقَدْ أَلْبَسَ ثَلاَثِيْنَ مِنَ المُلُوْكِ التِّيْجَانَ وَالثِّيَابَ الفَاخِرَةَ، وَدَخَلَ بِهِمُ المَسْجِدَ، وَأَوْقَفَهُم تَحْتَ المِنْبَرِ، فَحَمِدَ الوَلِيْدُ اللهَ وَشَكَرَهُ. وَقَدْ حَجَّ مُوْسَى مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ، فَمَاتَ بِالمَدِيْنَةِ. وَقَالَ مَرَّةً: يَا أَمِيْرَ المُؤْمِنِيْنَ، لَقَدْ كَانَتِ الأَلْفُ شَاةٍ تُبَاعُ بِمائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَتُبَاعُ النَّاقَةُ بِعَشْرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ، وَتَمُرُّ النَّاسُ بِالبَقَرِ، فَلاَ يَلْتَفِتُوْنَ إِلَيْهَا، وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ العِلْجَ الشَّاطِرَ وَزَوْجَتَهُ وَأَوْلاَدَهُ يُبَاعُوْنَ بِخَمْسِيْنَ دِرْهَماً. ١٩٦ - وَكَانَ فَتْحُ إِقْلِيْمِ الأَنْدَلُسِ فِي رَمَضَانَ، سَنَةَ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَتِسْعِيْنَ، عَلَى يَدِ: طَارِقٍ* مَوْلَى مُوْسَى بنِ نُصَيْرٍ وكَان أَمِيْراً عَلَى طَنْجَةَ بِأَقْصَى المَغْرِبِ، فَبَلَغَهُ اخْتِلاَفُ الفِرَنْجِ وَاقْتِتَالُهُم، وَكَاتَبَهُ صَاحِبُ الجَزِيْرَةِ الخَضْرَاءِ لِيَمُدَّهُ عَلَى عَدُوِّهِ، فَبَادَرَ طَارِقٌ، وَعَدَّى فِي جُنْدِهِ، وَهَزَمَ الفِرَنْجَ، وَافْتَتَحَ قُرْطُبَةَ، وَقَتَلَ صَاحِبَهَا لُذْرِيْقَ، وَكَتَبَ بِالنَّصْرِ إِلَى مَوْلاَهُ، فَحَسَدَهُ عَلَى الانْفِرَادِ بِهَذَا الفَتْحِ العَظِيْمِ، وَتَوَعَّدَهُ، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ لاَ يَتَجَاوَزَ مَكَانَهُ، وَأَسْرَعَ مُوْسَى بِجُيُوْشِهِ، فَتَلَقَّاهُ طَارِقٌ، وَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا أَنَا مَوْلاَكَ، وَهَذَا الفَتْحُ لَكَ. فَأَقَامَ مُوْسَى بنُ نُصَيْرٍ بِالأَنْدَلُسِ سَنَتَيْنِ يَغْزُو وَيَغْنَمُ، وَقَبَضَ عَلَى طَارِقٍ، وَأَسَاءَ إِلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى الأَنْدَلُسِ وَلَدَهُ عَبْدَ العَزِيْزِ بنَ مُوْسَى، وَكَانَ جُنْدُهُ عَامَّتُهُم مِنَ البَرْبَرِ، فِيْهِم شَجَاعَةٌ مُفْرِطَةٌ وَإِقْدَامٌ.

(*) تاريخ الطبري ٦ / ٤٦٨، تاريخ ابن عساكر ٨ / ٢٤١ ب، بغية الملتمس ١١ و٣١٥، تاريخ ابن الأثير ٤ / ٥٥٦، المعجب ٩، البيان المغرب ١ / ٤٣، تاريخ الإسلام ٤ / ١٥، نفح الطيب ١ / ٢٢٩ وما بعدها، تهذيب ابن عساكر ٧ / ٤١.