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  Al-Rabiʿ gave him two guards.

  “Stay close by these men,” he told them, “till he’s with the judge.”

  Meanwhile, Muhammad kept hold of ibn Hisham’s cloak, which hid his face. And so they all left the mosque.

  When they had left al-Rabiʿ far behind, Muhammad said: “Go wherever you wish.”

  Ibn Hisham kissed his hand and head.

  “God alone,” he said, “knows where He sends His message.” Then he took out some jewels of priceless value, saying: “By God, honor me, son of the Prophet’s daughter, by accepting these from my hand.”

  “Go with your possessions,” Muhammad told him. “We are from the Prophet’s family and accept no reward for any good deed we might do. Only guard yourself from that man. He is resolved to seek you out.”

  From Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Maqqari, Al-Mukhtar min Nawadir Al-Akhbar (Selections from Rare Anecdotes); in Qisas al-ʿArab (Stories of the Arabs), vol. 1.

  1. Umayyad caliph who reigned from 106 / 724 to 125 / 743.

  2. The Abbasids had killed virtually every man of the Umayyad dynasty. The only ones who had escaped were this man and Hisham’s grandson, ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Dakhil, who fled to Spain and founded the Umayyad dynasty there.

  3. Muhammad was the great-grandson of al-Husain ibn ʿAli who fell in battle with the Umayyads in 62 / 680.

  39

  With the Byzantines

  When [Haroun] al-Rashid began capturing the various [Byzantine] cities and fortresses and destroying them, he came to Heraclea, which was the strongest and best fortified of their strongholds. The people were well entrenched. The gate overlooked a valley and had a ditch all around it. As he was bombarding it ceaselessly with his engines of war, the gate was opened, and one of its men came out in full battle array, calling out:

  “Your fighting has been long! Let two of your men come out to meet me.”

  Still he raised the number, till he had reached twenty men. But no one answered him. He went back inside and closed the gate of the fortress.

  Al-Rashid had been asleep and was told of the matter only after the man had gone back inside. He was most angry and regretful at missing [the challenge], blaming his guards for allowing this.

  “Because no one took up his challenge,” someone said to him then, “he will become more headstrong and overbearing. He will surely come out tomorrow and offer the same challenge.”

  Al-Rashid’s night was long, and the morning found him waiting. The gate opened, and the man came out into a day of burning heat, asking that twenty of the men should face him.

  “Who is willing to go out and meet him?” al-Rashid asked.

  Most of his leaders answered his call, men of the stamp of al-Hirthama, Yazid ibn Mazyad, ʿAbd Allah ibn Malik, and others, and he decided to send some of them out to face the man. But others, volunteers for jihad, protested, till he heard their protests from afar and allowed twenty of them to approach him. They asked permission to counsel him, and this he granted.

  “Prince of the Faithful,” their spokesman said, “your leaders are most famous and are celebrated for strength and courage and knowledge in the skills of war. Should one of them go out to meet that unbeliever there, and kill him, that would be nothing great. But if the unbeliever should kill him, it would be a bitter humiliation for the army, a wound never to be healed. It would be best if the Prince of the Faithful permitted us to choose a man to fight the unbeliever. If he should be victorious, those inside the fortress will know that the Prince of the Faithful had their strongest fighter killed at the hands of an unknown common man; and if he should be killed, then it is the martyrdom of a man whose death will not affect the army or cause disquiet to the soldiers; and another like him will go out to meet the Byzantine, and then another, till it is finished.”

  “I find your counsel good,” al-Rashid said.

  They chose from among themselves a man called Ibn al-Jazari, known in the vanguard of battle for his fortitude and chivalry.

  “Will you go out to meet him?” al-Rashid asked.

  “I will,” al-Jazari said, “and I shall invoke God’s help.”

  “Give him a horse,” al-Rashid said, “a spear, a sword, and a shield.”

  “I have greater faith,” al-Jazari said, “in my own horse, and my spear is more steadfast in my hands. But I accept the sword and the shield.”

  He donned his battle gear. Al-Rashid called him and bade him farewell, invoking God’s blessings on him. Then the man went out to meet the Byzantine with twenty other men from those prepared for jihad.

  When they came to the valley, the Byzantine counted their number, then told them:

  “I said twenty men, and you have increased the number by one. But it is no matter.”

  They called to him:

  “Only one man will go out to meet you.”

  When Ibn al-Jazari went out, the Byzantine gazed at him, while most of the other Byzantines stood watching the scene from the fortress, till it seemed [to the Muslims] that all those within the fortress had come to see the fray. Then the two opponents began fighting with their spears. On and on the combat went, with neither so much as scratching the other. Then they laid down their spears and drew the swords from their sheaths, and fought with swords while the heat grew ever more fierce and the two horses began to weaken. Ibn al-Jazari would strike a blow certain, he thought, to win the victory, only to see the Byzantine parry it. His shield was of iron, and made a fearful sound when it was struck.

  When each despaired of overcoming the other, Ibn al-Jazari fled, and the Muslims were quite downcast, more than they had ever known, while the Byzantines clamored with joy and pride. Yet it was merely a ruse by the Muslim fighter. The Byzantine followed him, and Ibn al-Jazari contrived to cast a rope that looped perfectly around his neck. Then, galloping, he threw him from his horse, turned toward him, and the Byzantine was slain, his head severed before even he struck the ground. The Muslims’ cries of “God is Great!” rose high, and the Byzantines, defeated, withdrew and closed the gate. The news reached al-Rashid, who exclaimed to his leaders:

  “Discharge fire from the catapults, on all sides! They are without defense!”

  The Muslims did so, placing linen cloth on stones, soaking them with oil, setting them on fire, then hurling them against the walls. The fire would take hold on the walls, which began to weaken and fall. When fire surrounded the whole enclave, they were able to force the gate without fear.

  From al-Asbahani, Al-Aghani (Book of Songs), 17.46; in Qisas al-ʿArab (Stories of the Arabs), vol. 3.

  40

  Muslims at the Court of China

  Qutaiba ibn Muslim1 struck deep with his eastern conquests, till he came close to China. The king of China wrote to him, saying:

  “Send us one of your noblest men, to tell us of you and answer us concerning your religion.”

  Qutaiba chose twelve from among his army, all handsome, tall, with strong hair, eloquent, and courageous. He spoke with them and found them wise and able to inspire respect. He ordered they should be equipped with good weapons, good clothes, some of them embroidered, and with soft shoes and perfume, and he sent them off with thoroughbred horses and had them provided with good riding animals.

  Among these men was Hubaira ibn al-Mushamraj al-Kilabi, a most eloquent man.

  “Hubaira,” Qutaiba asked, “what do you intend to do?”

  “May God bless the Prince,” Hubaira answered, “tell me your wish, and I shall heed it.”

  “Go with God’s blessings,” Qutaiba said, “and may success attend you. Do not remove your turbans till you reach that country. When you have an audience with him, let him know I have sworn not to leave till I have trodden their country and taken taxes from them.”

  They left, with Hubaira at their head, and when they arrived, the king of China sent for them. They entered the bath and left it wearing white clothes over thin garments, putting on perfume and [soft] shoes and cloaks. Then they entered his court, where the greatest of his l
and were assembled. They sat, but no one spoke to them, neither the king nor his entourage. [At last] they rose [and left].

  The king asked those present at his court:

  “What do you say to these men?”

  “We have seen,” they replied, “a people no better than women. Their fragrance was apparent to all.”

  The next day the king sent for them [once more]. They put on embroidered clothes and turbans and went to his court. When they entered, the king ordered them to return, then asked his courtiers:

  “What do you say to these men?”

  “Now,” came the reply, “they seem nearer to men.”

  On the third day, he sent for them [yet once more]. They wore their

  weapons, and their helmets and shields, left their canes, and rode their horses. The king of China gazed at them and saw men like walking mountains. When they arrived, they struck the ground with their spears, then came forward, ready to fight. So fearful was their aspect, they were told to return even before they had entered.

  They left, carrying their spears and riding their horses, galloping off as if racing their mounts. The king asked his courtiers:

  “What do you say to these men?”

  They answered:

  “We have never seen their like before!”

  The king sent to them, telling them to send their leader, the best man among them; and they sent Hubaira to him. As he entered, the king said to him:

  “You have all seen the greatness of my empire, and how no one will permit you the upper hand while you are in my country. You are, indeed, like an egg in my palm. But I wish to ask you two questions; and if you do not tell me the truth, I shall kill you.”

  “Ask then,” he said.

  “Why did you act as you did, assuming such a different appearance over the three days.”

  “Our style [of dress] on the first day,” Hubaira replied, “was the one we assume within our families, along with the perfumes. Our dress on the second day was the one we assume when we visit our princes. As for the third day, it was the kind we assume for an enemy. When we feel ourselves threatened, we dress in this manner.”

  “How well you arrange your lives!” the king said. “Return to your leader and tell him to withdraw, for I have come to know how he cherishes his life and how small his army is. If not, I shall send on to you a horde that will lead you and him to perdition.”

  “How can you say,” Hubaira answered, “that his army is small, when the vanguard of his army is in your country and its rearguard in the olive groves [of our homeland]? And how can you claim he cherishes his life, when he has left the opulent life he had and come to invade your country? As for your threat to kill us, we regard our lives as forfeit, and to be slain is the most honorable way to die. We neither hate nor fear such a death.”

  “What would be pleasing to your leader?” the king asked.

  “He has vowed,” Hubaira answered, “not to depart till he has trodden the earth of your land and been paid the jizya.”2

  “We shall,” the king said, “fulfill his vow for him by sending him earth from our country to tread and jizya to please him.”

  Then the king ordered that gold trays should be filled with earth, and he sent them along with silk and gold. He presented, too, gifts of great value to the group, and they left bearing these gifts to Qutaiba. Qutaiba accepted the jizya and trod the earth.

  From Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari or Tarikh al-Umam wa ’l-Muluk (History of Nations and Kings), 8; in Qisas al-ʿArab (Stories of the Arabs), vol. 3.

  1. Qutaiba ibn Muslim was a conqueror prince who ruled Khorasan, in Persia, for thirteen years during the reign of al-Walid ibn ʿAbd al-Malik. He attacked the border regions of China and imposed jizya taxes on them. He was killed in 96 / 715.

  2. The jizya was a tax levied on non-Muslims, in lieu of military service.

  41

  Greed and Treason

  When Caliph al-Walid ibn Yazid heard that Yazid ibn al-Walid had stirred the hearts of men against him, incited the people of Yemen, and challenged his rule, he withdrew from his companions and summoned one of his servants.1

  “Go out in disguise,” he told him, “and stand by one of the roads, watching those who pass. If you should see an old man in tattered clothes, walking slowly by with his head bent, greet him and whisper in his ear that the Prince of the Faithful wishes to see him. If he answers you at once, then bring him here to me; but if he seems hesitant, then leave him and seek another, till you find a man of the kind I spoke of.”

  The servant went and brought to him an old man who met the caliph’s conditions.

  When the man entered al-Walid’s presence, he greeted him as custom demanded. Al-Walid ordered him to approach, then gave him time to calm himself. Then, fixing his gaze on him, he asked:

  “Are you well qualified to converse with caliphs?”

  “Yes, Prince of the Faithful,” the man said.

  “If you can,” al-Walid said, “tell us what this entails.”

  “Sire,” the man answered, “converse means recounting to one who listens, listening to one who recounts, and discussing what is profitable and proper.”

  “That is well answered,” al-Walid said. “I shall test you no further but rather listen to what you have to say.”

  “Indeed, Prince of the Faithful,” the old man said. “Yet converse is of two kinds: one kind is to inform about what has been said, and the other is to say what it is the host needs to hear. I have not been told, in the presence of the Prince of the Faithful, which of the two ways I should choose.”

  “You are right,” al-Walid said. “I shall propose to you, then, the path I wish you to follow.

  “It has come to our hearing that a subject of ours has sought to harm our reign, and that this has influenced others. This is a painful matter for us. Have you heard of this?”

  “Yes, Prince of the Faithful,” the old man answered.

  “Speak now,” al-Walid told him, “according to what you have heard, and tell me how the matter may be remedied.”

  “I heard once,” said the old man, “of something that happened to the Prince of the Faithful ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwan.2 When he chose people to go out with him to fight Ibn al-Zubair in Mecca—may God preserve it—he had ʿAmr ibn Saʿid ibn al-ʿAas accompany him along with the others. But ʿAmr had a wicked intent and evil intentions, and was greedy to usurp the caliphate. Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik had come to know of this but had nonetheless accorded him respect.

  “When the Prince of the Faithful was far from [his capital of] Damascus, ʿAmr feigned sickness and asked leave to return to the city. When he entered Damascus, he mounted the pulpit and made a speech to the people, attacking the caliph, and then did the same throughout Damascus, calling on the people to dethrone ʿAbd al-Malik. They did so, giving him their pledge of allegiance. ʿAmr then fortified the walls of the city and defended its territory.

  “The news reached ʿAbd al-Malik as he was on his way to fight Ibn al-Zubair. He heard, too, that the ruler of Hims had rebelled against him, and that the people of the border and the coastal towns were now ready to revolt. He summoned his ministers and told them of what he had heard.

  “ ‘ ʿAmr,’ he said ‘has control of Damascus, ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Zubair now rules the Hijaz, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, and Khorasan, and al-Nuʿman ibn al-Bashir, prince of Hims, and Zufar ibn al-Harith, prince of Palestine, have reneged and sworn allegiance to Ibn al-Zubair.’

  “When his ministers heard all this, they were utterly confounded. ‘Have you nothing to say?’ ʿAbd al-Malik asked them. ‘I stand in need of your counsel.’

  “ ‘If only,’ their leader said, ‘I were a bird on a bough in Tihama till these revolts were at an end!’

  “When ʿAbd al-Malik heard this, he rose and, ordering them to stay where they were, rode off alone, instructing a band of his bold warriors to follow him at a distance. This they did.

  “ ʿAbd al-Malik went on and came across a poor, frail old man coll
ecting sumac.3 He greeted him courteously, putting him at his ease, then said: ‘Old man, do you know anything of this army’s march?’

  “ ‘Why do you ask?’ the old man said.

  “ ‘I am thinking of joining this army.’

  “ ‘I see in you,’ the old man said, ‘the mark of authority. You should quite forget this idea, for the prince you think to join has had his reign brought to ruin, and the caliphate is like a sea in turmoil!’

  “ ‘It is my heart’s desire,’ ʿAbd al-Malik said, ‘to accompany this prince. Will you guide me with your counsel?’

  “ ‘This disaster fallen on the prince,’ the old man said, ‘is beyond all bound. I should be loath to see you cast down.’

  “ ‘May God reward you,’ ʿAbd al-Malik told him.

  “ ‘If you go to this prince,’ the old man said, ‘and join his army, mark what

  he does. If you find him bent on seeking ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Zubair, then shun him. But if you see he has returned whence he came, abandoning the goal he had before, then wish him victory and safety.’

  “ ‘But surely his return to Damascus,’ ʿAbd al-Malik said, ‘is not more pressing than his campaign against Ibn al-Zubair?’

  “ ‘That appears true enough, I grant,’ the old man said. ‘But let me solve the puzzle for you. If ʿAbd al-Malik goes to fight Ibn al-Zubair, he takes the form of an oppressor, for Ibn al-Zubair has not leaped to take his throne. But if he should go to ʿAmr ibn Saʿid, he goes in the form of one oppressed, since ibn Saʿid broke the covenant and betrayed his trust, seizing a rule that had never been his or his father’s before him, but rather belonged to ʿAbd al-Malik and his father before him. Here ʿAmr is the aggressor.

  “ ‘There is a saying that the fat of the usurper leads to leanness, and the treacherous is dismissed. But let me recount to you a fable that will persuade you and solve the puzzle.