and Abū Ḥāzim Salamah ibn Dīnār; Suhayl ibn Abī Ṣāliḥ; ʿUmārah ibn Ghaziyyah; and ʿAmr ibn Qays al-Sakūnī.

Then the year 141 AH began.

In that year a faction known as the Rāwandiyyah rose in revolt against al-Manṣūr.

Ibn Jarīr (1) reports on the authority of al-Madāʾinī that they originally came from Khurasan and espoused the doctrine (2) of Abū Muslim. They held the belief in transmigration of souls, claiming that Adam’s spirit had passed into ʿUthmān ibn Nahīk, that the lord who fed and watered them was Abū Jaʿfar al-Manṣūr, and that al-Haytham ibn Muʿāwiya was Gabriel—may Allah disgrace them.

Ibn Jarīr (3) continues: One day they approached al-Manṣūr’s palace, circling round it and chanting, “This is the palace of our Lord.” Al-Manṣūr ordered that their leaders be seized, and two hundred of them were placed under arrest. Enraged, they protested, “Why have you imprisoned them?” They then took up an empty bier, hoisted it upon their shoulders as if escorting a funeral, marched to the prison gate, set down the bier, broke in by force, freed their comrades, and advanced toward al-Manṣūr. They were six hundred strong. The alarm was sounded, the city gates were shut, and al-Manṣūr came out of the palace on foot, no mount being immediately available. When a horse was brought, he mounted and moved toward the Rāwandiyyah. People converged from every direction, among them Māʿn ibn Zāʾidah. On seeing the caliph, Māʿn dismounted, took the bridle of al-Manṣūr’s horse, and said, “Commander of the Faithful, go back; we will deal with them for you.” He refused. The townsmen took up arms against the rebels while the army arrived and encircled them on all sides, cutting them down to the last man. None survived. ʿUthmān ibn Nahīk was struck by a spear between his shoulders; he lingered for a few days and then died. The caliph led the funeral prayer over him, remained at his grave until he was buried, prayed for him, and appointed his brother ʿĪsā ibn Nahīk commander of the guard.

All this occurred in the Hāshimiyyah district of Kūfa. When al-Manṣūr had finished crushing the Rāwandiyyah that day, he led the ẓuhr prayer with the people at the very end of its prescribed time. Food was then brought, and he said, “Where is Māʿn ibn Zāʾidah?” He withheld his hand from eating until Māʿn arrived, seated him at his side, and began praising him in the presence of those assembled for the bravery he had shown that day. Māʿn said: