Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (6/64)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

and saying: “We did not rise up in order to defy the caliphs of Allah and the Family of Prophethood; so do not oppose your imam.”

His letter reached Abū Muslim while he was still in that frame of mind, and it only deepened his anxiety and terror.

Abū Muslim then dispatched one of his trusted commanders to al-Manṣūr. When the envoy arrived, the Banū Hāshim received him with every honor, and al-Manṣūr said to him, “Turn him back from his course and the governorship of his province will be yours.”

The envoy returned and reported, “I saw nothing alarming. I found them magnifying your right. Go back and offer an apology.”

Abū Muslim therefore resolved to return. His messenger Abū Isḥāq recited:
“No man can escape what destiny decrees;
Destiny has undone the stratagems of humankind.”
Then he added, “May Allah choose what is best for you. Remember one thing from me: when you are ushered in to al-Manṣūr, kill him; then pledge allegiance to whomever you wish, for the people will not oppose you.”

Al-Manṣūr, meanwhile, sent out several commanders to meet Abū Muslim. They did not disclose that he had commissioned them; rather, they sought to reassure him, extolling al-Manṣūr’s good intentions toward him. Hearing this, the deluded man was taken in and rejoiced.

When he reached al-Madāʾin, al-Manṣūr ordered the leading figures of his court to go out and receive him. Once Abū Muslim entered and greeted him while standing, al-Manṣūr said, “Go now, Abū Muslim. Rest, bathe, and return to me early tomorrow.”

Abū Muslim withdrew, but al-Manṣūr had intended to kill him that very night. His vizier Abū Ayyūb al-Mūriyānī (1) dissuaded him.

Abū Ayyūb later said: “After Abū Muslim left, I entered and al-Manṣūr said to me, ‘Can I really deal with such a man, in circumstances like these, while he still stands on his own two feet and I do not know what the night may bring?’ He then spoke with me about assassinating him.

“When I called on him the next morning, he said, ‘Son of a foul woman, you are not welcome! Were you the one who kept me from him last night? By Allah, I did not sleep a wink! Summon ʿUthmān ibn Nahīk for me.’”

(1) Vocalised with a dammah on the initial m, a silent w, and a kasrah under the r; it is a nisba (gentilic adjective) referring to Muryan, a village in the Khuzestan region.

وَيَقُوْلُ: إِنَّا لَمْ نَخرجْ لِمَعْصِيَةِ خُلَفَاءِ اللهِ، وَأَهْلِ بَيْتِ النُّبوَّةِ، فَلاَ تُخَالفنَّ إِمَامَكَ. فوَافَاهُ كِتَابُهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى تِلْكَ الحَالِ، فَزَاده هَمّاً وَرُعباً. ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أَرْسَلَ مَنْ يَثقُ بِهِ مِنْ أُمرَائِهِ إِلَى المَنْصُوْرِ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ تَلقَّاهُ بَنُو هَاشِمٍ بِكُلِّ مَا يُحِبُّ، وَقَالَ لَهُ المَنْصُوْرُ: اصْرِفْهُ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ، وَلَكَ إِمْرَةُ بِلاَدِهِ. فَرَجَعَ، وَقَالَ: لَمْ أَرَ مَكروهاً، وَرَأَيْتُهم مُعَظِّمِيْنَ لِحقِّكَ، فَارجِعْ، وَاعتذِرْ. فَأَجْمَعَ رَأْيَهُ عَلَى الرُّجوعِ، فَقَالَ رَسُوْلُه أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ: مَا لِلرِّجَالِ مَعَ القَضَاءِ مَحَالَةٌ ... ذَهَبَ القَضَاءُ بِحِيْلَةِ الأَقْوَامِ خَارَ اللهُ لَكَ، إِحْفظْ عَنِّي وَاحِدَةً، إِذَا دَخَلتَ عَلَى المَنْصُوْرِ فَاقتُلْهُ، ثُمَّ بَايعْ مَنْ شِئْتَ، فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ لاَ يُخَالِفُونَكَ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ المَنْصُوْرَ سَيَّرَ أُمَرَاءَ لِتلقِّي أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ، وَلاَ يُظْهِرُوْنَ أَنَّهُ بَعَثَهم لِيُطَمئنَهُ، وَيَذكرُوْنَ حُسنَ نِيَّةِ المَنْصُوْرِ لَهُ، فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ ذَلِكَ، انخدعَ المَغْرُوْرُ، وَفرِحَ. فَلَمَّا وَصلَ إِلَى المَدَائِنِ، أَمرَ المَنْصُوْرُ أَكَابِرَ دَوْلَتِه فَتَلَقَّوْهُ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ، سلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِماً، فَقَالَ: انْصَرَفْ يَا أَبَا مُسْلِمٍ، فَاسْترحْ، وَادخُلِ الحَمَّامَ، ثُمَّ اغْدُ. فَانْصَرَفَ، وَكَانَ مِنْ نِيَّةِ المَنْصُوْرِ أَنْ يَقتُلَهُ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ، فَمَنَعَهُ وَزِيْرُه أَبُو أَيُّوْبَ المُوْرِيَانِيُّ (١) . قَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوْبَ: فَدَخَلْتُ بَعْد خُرُوْجِه، فَقَالَ لِي المَنْصُوْر: أقدرُ عَلَى هَذَا، فِي مِثْلِ هَذِهِ الحَالِ، قَائِماً عَلَى رِجْلَيْهِ، وَلاَ أَدْرِي مَا يَحدُثُ فِي لَيْلَتِي، ثُمَّ كلَّمنِي فِي الفَتكِ بِهِ. فَلَمَّا غَدَوْتُ عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ لِي: يَا ابْنَ اللَّخنَاءِ! لاَ مَرْحَباً بِكَ، أَنْتَ مَنعتَنِي مِنْهُ أَمْسِ؟ وَالله مَا نِمتُ البَارِحَةَ، ادْعُ لِي عُثْمَانَ بن نَهِيْكٍ.

(١) بضم الميم وسكون الواو وكسر الراء: نسبة إلى موريان، قرية من قرى خوزستان.