the Turks there, and a fierce engagement ensued in which the Khagan was killed together with a large contingent of his men.

That same year al-Jarrah al-Hakami advanced deep into the land of the Khazars; they sued for peace and paid him the jizya and the kharaj. In that year 1 al-Hajjaj ibn ʿAbd al-Malik mounted a raid against al-Lan, killing many people, seizing abundant booty, and returning safely 1.

Also in that year Khalid ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Qasri removed Muslim ibn Saʿid from the governorship of Khurasan and appointed in his place his brother Asad ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Qasri.

During this same year the Commander of the Faithful, Hisham ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, personally led the pilgrimage. Before reaching Madinah he wrote to Abu al-Zinad, instructing him to come out to receive him and to write down for him the rites of Hajj. Abu al-Zinad complied, and the people of Madinah went out to meet the caliph along the road; Abu al-Zinad was among them, having fulfilled the order. Among those who greeted him was Saʿid ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Walid ibn ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan, who said:

“O Commander of the Faithful, your household in gatherings such as these have always cursed Abu Turab. So you, too, should curse him.”

Abu al-Zinad recounts: This weighed heavily on Hisham and he found it distasteful. He replied, “I have not come to revile or to curse anyone; 2 we have come only as pilgrims.” He then turned away from the man, cut off the conversation, and turned toward Abu al-Zinad, engaging him instead.

When he reached Mecca, Ibrahim ibn Talha approached him, complaining about a piece of land. Hisham asked him, “Where were you when ʿAbd al-Malik was caliph?” He answered, “He wronged me.” “And al-Walid?” “He wronged me.” “And Sulayman?” “He wronged me.” “And ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz?” “He restored it to me.” “And Yazid?” “He took it from my hand, and it is now in yours.”

Hisham said to him, “If you had any fight in you, I would strike you.” Ibrahim retorted, “Indeed, I do have fight—with the whip and with the sword!”

Hisham withdrew, saying to those with him, “I have never seen anyone more eloquent than that man.”

In that year the governor of Mecca, Madinah, and al-Taʾif was Ibrahim ibn Hisham ibn Ismaʿil, while over Iraq and Khurasan it was Khalid ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Qasri. [Allah, Glorified is He, knows best] 3.

Among those who died this year was: Salim ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab 4.