ibn-ʿAmr as-Sulami, an ally of the banu-ʿAbd-Shams and one of the Companions, who effected their capture. This Midlâj built al-Ḥadîthah on the Euphrates. His descendants were at Hît. The memory of one of them, surnamed abu-Hârûn, still lives there. Others assert that Midlâj was sent by Saʿd ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Ḥarâm; but Allah knows best.
Nahr Saʿîd. In the place of Nahr Saʿîd—the canal named after Saʿîd ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik ibn-Marwân (who was nicknamed Saʿîd al-Khair and who practised asceticism)—once stood a jungle frequented by lions. Al-Walîd gave it to him [Saʿîd] as fief, and he dug out the canal and erected the buildings that stand there. According to others, it was ʿUmar ibn-ʿAbd-al-ʿAzîz who gave it as fief.
Ar-Râfiḳah. There is no trace that ar-Râfiḳah is an old city. It was built by al-Manṣûr the "Commander of the Believers" in the year 155, according to the plan of his city in Baghdâdh. Al-Manṣûr stationed in it an army of the people of Khurâsân and entrusted it to al-Mahdi, who was at that time the heir-apparent. Later, ar-Rashîd built its castles. Between ar-Raḳḳah and ar-Râfiḳah lay a wide tract of sown land to which ʿAli ibn-Sulaimân ibn-ʿAli moved the markets of ar-Raḳḳah when he came as governor to Mesopotamia. Previous to this, the greatest market of ar-Raḳḳah was called Sûk Hishâm al-ʿAtîḳ [the old market of Hishâm]. When ar-Rashîd visited ar-Raḳḳah, he increased the number of these markets, whose income together with that from the confiscated towns, is still collected to-day.
Ruṣâfat Hishâm and al-Hani wa-l-Mari. As for Ruṣâfat Hishâm,[1] it was built by Hishâm ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik who previous to its building, used to stop at az-Zaitûnah. Hi-
- ↑ or ar-Ruṣâfat bi-ash-Shâm; Yâḳût, vol. ii. p. 784. Ruṣâfat means causeway.
