The Origins of the Islamic State/Part 1/Chapter 18

by Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyá al-Balādhurī

CHAPTER XVIII

Al-Yamâmah

The origin of the name. Al-Yamâmah was first called Jau but was later named after a woman, al-Yamâmah, daughter of Murr [from the tribe] of Jadî, who was crucified at its gate. Allah knows whether this is true.

The envoys to the Prophet. When the Prophet wrote to the kings of the world in the year 7 (or 6 as it is said), he wrote to Haudhah ibn-ʿAli-l-Ḥanafi and the people of al-Yamâmah summoning them to Islâm. His letter to this effect he forwarded with Salîṭ ibn-Ḳais ibn-ʿAmr al-Anṣâri^[1] (later al-Khazraji). The people of al-Yamâmah, thereupon, sent to the Prophet their delegation, one of whom was Mujjâʿah ibn-Murârah. To Mujjâʿah and in accordance with his request, the Prophet gave out as fief a piece of unutilized land. Another delegate was ar-Rajjâl^[2] ibn-ʿUnfuwah who became Moslem and read the "Sûrah of the Cow" and other Sûrahs of the Koran. He, however, apostatized from Islâm after a time. Among the delegates was one, Musailimah, the false Prophet,^[3] Thumâmah ibn-Kabîr ibn-Ḥabib,^[4] who said to the Prophet, "If it be thy will, we will leave all authority in thy hand and swear allegiance to thee, with the understanding that after thee, all will return to us [ Musailimah]." "No," said the Prophet, "by no means, and may Allah smite thee!" Previous to this, Haudhah ibn-ʿAli-l-Ḥanafi had written to the Prophet asking that after the Prophet, the authority might be delegated to himself, and promising to become Moslem and come to the reinforcement of the Prophet. "No; nor anything else," answered the Prophet, "and may Allah let me get rid of him!" Before long Haudhah was dead.

Musailimah, the false Prophet. When the delegation of the banu-Ḥanîfah returned to al-Yamâmah, Musailimah, the false Prophet,^[5] asserted his claim as a prophet, and ar-Rajjâl ibn-ʿUnfuwah testified that the Prophet gave him [Musailimah] a share in the authority with him.^[6] Banu-Ḥanîfah and others in al-Yamâmah followed him. He then wrote the following message to the Prophet and forwarded it through ʿUbâdah ibn-al-Ḥârith of the banu-ʿÂmir ibn-Ḥanîfah, whose surname was ibn-an-Nauwâḥah,^[7] and who was [later] killed in al-Kûfah by ʿAbdallâh ibn-Masʿûd who heard that he and his companions believed in the false claims of Musailimah:

"From Musailimah, the Messenger of Allah, to Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah. Greetings! To us half the land belongs, and to Ḳuraish the other half, but Ḳuraish do not act equitably; and peace be unto thee. Written by ʿAmr ibn-al-Jârûd al-Ḥanafi."

To this the Prophet replied:

"In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. From Muḥammad, the Prophet, to Musailimah, the false Prophet. Greetings! 'For the earth is Allah's: to such of his servants as he pleaseth doth he give it as a heritage'^[8]; and peace be to those who follow the true guidance! Written by Ubai ibn-Kaʿb."^[9]

Khâlid ibn-al-Walîd goes against Musailimah. When, at the death of the Prophet, abu-Bakr was proclaimed caliph and, in a few months, destroyed those of the people of Najd and its environs who apostatized from Islâm, abu-Bakr sent Khâlid ibn-al-Walîd ibn-al-Mughîrah-l-Makhzûmi to al-Yamâmah giving him orders to fight against Musailimah, the false Prophet. As Khalid came within sight of al-Yamâmah, he met a group of the banu-Ḥanîfah among whom was Mujjâʿah ibn-Murârah ibn-Sulmi.^[10] He killed them and spared Mujjâʿah whom he carried off in chains. Khâlid put up his camp one mile from al-Yamâmah. Banu-Ḥanîfah came out to him, and among them were ar-Rajjâl and Muḥakkim ibn-aṭ-Ṭufail ibn-Subaiʿ, nicknamed the Muḳakkim al-Yamâmah. Khâlid, seeing something glittering among them, turned to his men and said, "Know ye Moslems that Allah has spared you the trouble of your enemy. Do ye not see how they have drawn the swords one against the other? I suppose there is discord among them, and their force will be used on themselves." Mujjâʿah, fettered in his chains, shouted, "No, these are Indian swords which they, for fear of being broken, hold up to the sun in order to render the blades flexible." They then met. The first to meet the Moslems was ar-Rajjâl ibn-ʿUnfuwah, who was immediately killed by Allah's help. Many of the distinguished men and "Koran-readers" among the Moslems fell martyrs. The Moslems then returned and went back, but Allah favored them with a victory and made the people of al-Yamâmah take to flight. The Moslems pursued them, inflicting horrible death on them. Muḥakkim was hit by an arrow shot by ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân ibn-abi-Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddîḳ, the brother of ʿÂʾishah through her father, and he fell dead. The "infidels" took refuge in al-Ḥadîḳah which was since that day called "Ḥadîḳat al-Maut."^[11] In al-Ḥadîḳah, Musailimah was killed by Allah's help. Banu-ʿAmr ibn-Luʾai ibn-Ghâlib said that he was killed by Khidâsh ibn-Bashîr ibn-al-Aṣamm of the banu-Maʿîṣ ibn-ʿÂmir ibn-Luʾai; but certain Anṣar say that he was killed by ʿAbdallâh ibn-Zaid ibn-Thaʿlabah of the banu-l-Ḥârith ibn-al-Khazraj, who was shown a vision of the call for prayer.^[12] Still others assert that he was killed by abu-Dujânah Simâk ibn-Kharashah who later fell as martyr; and others, by ʿAbdallâh ibn-Zaid ibn-ʿÂṣim, a brother of Ḥabîb ibn-Zaid of the banu-Mabdhul of the banu-an-Najjâr. This Ḥabîb had his hands and feet once cut off by Musailimah. Waḥshi ibn-Ḥarb al-Ḥabashi, the murderer of Ḥamzah, claimed that he was the one who killed Musailimah, and used to say, "I killed the best of all people and the worst of all people." Some believe that all those mentioned above took part in killing Musailimah. Among those who claimed having killed Musailimah, was Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân and the banu-Umaiyah credited him for it.

Abu-Ḥafṣ ad-Dimashḳi quotes from one who was present when ʿAbd-al-Malik ibn-Marwân asked a man of the banu-Ḥanîfah who witnessed the battle of al-Yamâmah as to who was the one who killed Musailimah, to which the latter replied, "He was killed by one whose description is as follows:—" "By Allah", exclaimed ʿAbd-al-Malik, "thou hast decided the question of his killing in favor of Muʿâwiyah."

According to a report, when the false Prophet was seized by the throat, he shouted, "O banu-Ḥanîfah, fight for your relatives!" which he repeated until Allah brought about his death.

ʿAbd-al-Wâḥid ibn-Ghiyâth from Hishâm ibn-ʿUrwah's father:—The Arabs forsook the true faith, and abu-Bakr sent Khâlid ibn-al-Walîd who met them and said, "By Allah, I shall never cease until I come face to face with Musailimah!" The Anṣâr objected saying, "This idea is of your own and was not given out by abu-Bakr; take us back to al-Madînah that we may give rest to our horses." "I shall, by Allah, never cease," repeated Khâlid," until I come face to face with Musailimah!" Consequently, the Anṣâr left him. They then said to themselves, "What is this that we have done? If our friends win the victory, we will be reviled; and if they are defeated, we would be the cause of their defeat." Thus they returned and joined Khâlid. The Moslems and the "polythesists" met, and the former took to flight until they got to their place of abode where as-Sâʾib ibn-al-ʿAuwâm stood up and addressed them saying, "Ye have reached, O people, your place of abode; and after his own place of abode, man has no place to flee to!"^[13] Finally, Allah caused the defeat of the "polytheists," and Musailimah was killed. Their watchword on that occasion was "O people of the 'Sûrah of the Cow'!"

I was told by one of the inhabitants of al-Yamâmah that some one, who was under the protection of the banu-Ḥanîfah, repeated the following verse when Muḥakkim was killed:

 

"If I escape from it, I escape from that which is a calamity;
otherwise out of the same vessel I shall drink."

 

Mujjâʿah makes terms. By this time, the Moslems were worn out by war and entirely exhausted. But Mujjâʿah said to Khâlid, "Most of the people of al-Yamâmah did not go out to fight you, and what ye have killed is only the small minority. In spite of that they have exhausted your utmost effort as I see. Nevertheless I am ready to make terms with you on their behalf." Accordingly, he made terms with Khâlid, agreeing to give one-half of the captives, gold, silver, coats of mail and horses. Having trusted him, Khâlid sent him back to his men. As soon as he entered al-Yamâmah he ordered the boys, women and aged men of al-Yamâmah to put on their arms and hold the forts. As Khâlid and the Moslems looked toward them, they entertained no doubt that they were fighters, and they said, "Mujjâʿah has told us the truth." Then Mujjâʿah came out to the Moslems' camp and said, "The people refused the terms which I made with you, and there are the fortifications of al-ʿIrḍ manned to their fullest capacity. But I kept urging them until they agreed to make terms on one-fourth of the captives and one-half of the gold, silver, coats of mail and horses." Both parties agreed on these terms, and Khâlid accepted them and signed his name. Mujjâʿah then came with Khâlid to al-Yamâmah. Seeing those left in it, Khâlid turned to Mujjâʿah and said, "Thou hast cheated me, Mujjâʿah." The people of al-Yamâmah at last accepted Islâm, and the ṣadaḳah was taken from them.

Khâlid reinforces al-ʿAlâʾ. Khâlid received the message of abu-Bakr directing him to reinforce al-ʿAlâʾ ibn-al-Ḥaḍrami. Accordingly, he started for al-Bahrain and left in his place over al-Yamâmah Samurah ibn-ʿAmr al-ʿAnbari. The conquest of al-Yamâmah was effected in the year 12.

A description of Musailimah. I was told by abu-Rabâḥ al-Yamâmi, on the authority of certain sheikhs from al-Yamâmah, that Musailimah, the false Prophet, was short, exceedingly pale, with a camois and flat nose. He was nicknamed abu-Thumâmah, and according to others, abu-Thumâlah. His muezzin^[14] was one, Ḥujair, who in calling to prayer used to chant, " I testify that Musailimah claims to be the Prophet of Allah." Remarking on this, some one said, "Ḥujair has expressed it eloquently," which phrase has since become a proverb.

Those who fell martyrs in al-Yamâmah. Among those who suffered martyrdom in al-Yamâmah were abu-Ḥudhaifah ibn-ʿUtbah ibn-Rabîʿah ibn-ʿAbd-Shams, whose first name was Hushaim, and some say Mihsham;^[15] Sâlim, a freedman of abu-Ḥudhaifah surnamed abu-Abdallâh, and who was a freedman^[16] of Thubaitah daughter of Yaʿâr^[17] of the Anṣâr (and others say Nubaithah who was a woman); Khâlid ibn-Asîd ibn-abi-l-ʿÎṣ ibn-Umaiyah; ʿAbdallâh, i. e., Al-Ḥakam ibn-Saʿîd ibn-al-ʿÂṣi ibn-Umaiyah, who, according to others, was killed in the battle of Muʾtah; Shujâʿ ibn-Wahb al-Asadi, an ally of the banu-Umaiyah, whose surname was abu-Wahb; aṭ-Ṭufail ibn-ʿAmr ad-Dausi of al-Azd; Yazîd ibn-Ruḳaish al-Asadi, an ally of the banu-Umaiyah; Makhramah ibn-Shuraiḥ al-Ḥaḍrami, an ally of the banu-Umaiyah, as-Sâʾib ibn-al-ʿAuwâm, a brother of az-Zubair ibn-al-ʿAuwâm; al-Walîd ibn-ʿAbd-Shams ibn-al-Mughîrah-l-Makhzûmi; as-Sâʾib ibn-ʿUthmân ibn-Maẓʿûn al-Jumaḥi; and Zaid ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb ibn-Nufail, a brother of ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb, who, according to some, was killed by abu-Maryam al-Ḥanafi whose proper name was Ṣubaiḥ ibn-Muḥarrish. According to ibn-al-Kalbi, Zaid was killed by Labîd ibn-Burghuth al-ʿIjli, who later came to ʿUmar and ʿUmar said to him, "Thou art the sacks" (his name, Labîd, meaning sacks). The surname of Zaid was abu-ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân, and he was the senior of ʿUmar. According to some, the proper name of abu-Maryam was Iyâs ibn-Ṣubaiḥ, and he was the first in the time of ʿUmar to hold the position of ḳâḍi in al-Baṣrah. He died in Sanbîl which lies in al-Ahwâz. Other martyrs were abu-Ḳais ibn-al-Ḥârith ibn-ʿAdi ibn-Sahm; ʿAbdallâh ibn-al-Ḥârith ibn-Ḳais, Salîṭ ibn-ʿAmr, a brother of Suhail ibn-ʿAmr of the banu-ʿAmr ibn-Luʾai; and Iyâs ibn-al-Bukair al-Kinâni. Among the Anṣâr, the following suffered martyrdom: ʿAbbâd ibn-al-Ḥârith ibn-ʿAdi of the banu-Jaḥjaba of al-Aus; ʿAbbâd ibn-Bishr ibn-Waḳsh al-Ashhali of al-Aus, surnamed abu-ar-Rabîʿ, and according to others, abu-Bishr; Mâlik ibn-Aus ibn-ʿAtîk al-Ashhali; abu-ʿAḳîl ibn-ʿAbdallâh ibn-Thaʾlabah ibn-Baiḥân al-Balawi, an ally of the banu-Jaḥjaba, and whose proper name was ʿAbd-al-ʿUzza, but who was called by the Prophet "ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân the enemy of the idols"; Surâḳah ibn-Kaʿb ibn-ʿAbd-al-ʿUzza an-Najjâri of al-Khazraj; ʿUmârah ibn-Ḥazm ibn-Zaid ibn-Laudhân an-Najjâri (who is supposed by others to have died in the time of Muʿâwiyah); Ḥabîb ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Miḥṣan an-Najjâri; Maʿn ibn-ʿAdi ibn-al-Jadd ibn-al-ʿAjlân al-Balawi of the Ḳuḍâʿah, and an ally of the Anṣâr; Thâbit ibn-Ḳais ibn-Shammâs ibn-abi-Zuhair the khaṭîb of the Prophet and who was of the banu-l-Ḥârith ibn-al-Khazraj (whose surname was abu-Muḥammad, and who at that time was the commander of the Anṣâr); abu-Ḥannah ibn-Ghuzaiyah ibn-ʿAmr one of the banu-Mâzin ibn-an-Najjâr; al-ʿÂṣi ibn-Thaʿlabah ad-Dausi of al-Azd, an ally of the Anṣâr; abu-Dujânah Simâk ibn-Aus ibn-Kharashah ibn-Laudhân as-Sâʿidi of al-Khazraj; abu-Usaid Mâlik ibn-Rabîʿah as-Sâʿidi (others say he died in al-Madînah, year 60); ʿAbdallâh ibn-ʿAbdallâh ibn-Ubai ibn-Mâlik (whose first name was al-Ḥubâb but who was given by the Prophet his father's name. His father played the hypocrite in religion. He is the one called ibn-Ubai ibn-Salûl, Salûl being the mother of Ubai and of [the clan of] Khuzâʿah, and he bears her name. His father was Mâlik ibn-al-Ḥârith of the banu-l-Khazraj (others say he suffered martyrdom in the battle of Juwâtha at al-Baḥrain); ʿUḳbah ibn-ʿÂmir ibn-Nâbiʾ of the banu-Salimah of al-Khazraj; and al-Ḥârith ibn-Kaʿb ibn-ʿAmr of the banu-an-Najjâr. The Prophet had sent Ḥabîb ibn-Zaid ibn-Âṣim of the banu-Mabdhûl ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Ghanm ibn-Mâzin ibn-an-Najjâr, together with ʿAbdallâh ibn-Wahb al-Aslami to Musailimah. Musailimah did not molest ʿAbdallâh, but cut off the hands and feet of Ḥabîb. The mother of Ḥabîb was Nusaibah, daughter of Kaʿb. According to al-Wâḳidi, the two men [sent by the Prophet] came from ʿUmân in the company of ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi. Musailimah drove them back. ʿAmr and all those in his company escaped, with the exception of these two who were captured. In the battle of al-Yamâmah, Nusaibah took part in the fight and returned with a number of wounds inflicted on her. She is the mother of Ḥabîb and ʿAbdallâh, the sons of Zaid. She also took part in the battle of Uḥud, and was one of the two women who "swore allegiance" in the day of al-ʿAḳabah.^[18] Other martyrs of the battle of al-Yamâmah were ʿÂʾidh ibn-Mâʿis az-Zuraḳi of al-Khazraj and Yazîd ibn-Thâbit al-Khazraji, a brother of Zaid ibn-Thâbit, the authority on "The Laws of Heritage."^[19]

Regarding the number of those that fell as martyrs in al-Yamâmah, there is no agreement. The minimum estimate mentioned is 700, the maximum 1,700, while others assert that they were 1,200.

Mujjâʿah is assigned al-Ghûrah and other fiefs. Al-Ḳâsim ibn-Sallâm from Hishâm ibn-Ismâʿîl:—There came to the Prophet Mujjâʿah-l-Yamâmi to whom the Prophet gave a fief and wrote the following statement: "In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. This statement is written by Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Mujjâʿah ibn-Murârah ibn-Sulmi. I give thee as fief al-Ghârah, Ghurâbah,^[20] and al-Ḥubal. If any one objects, refer him to me." (Al-Ghûrah is the chief village of al-Ghurâbât and is close to Ḳârât). After the death of the Prophet, Mujjâʿah came to abu-Bakr, who assigned him as fief al-Khiḍrimah. Later he came to ʿUmar, who assigned to him ar-Raiya. After that he came to ʿUthmân, who assigned to him another fief "the name of which," says al-Ḥârith,^[21] "I do not remember."

Furât ibn-Ḥaiyân gets a fief. Al-Ḳâsim ibn-Sallâm from ʿAdi ibn-Ḥâtim:—The Prophet assigned to Furât ibn-Ḥaiyân al-ʿIjli a piece of land in al-Yamâmah.

The "park of death." Muḥammad ibn-Thumâl al-Yamâmi from certain sheikhs:—The Ḥadîḳah was called Ḥadîḳat al-Maut [the park of death] because of the great number of people that were slain in it. In the time of al-Maʾmûn, Isḥâḳ ibn-abi-Khamîṣah, a freedman of Ḳais, built in it a cathedral mosque. The Ḥadîḳah before that time was known as Ubâḍ.

According to Muḥammad ibn-Thumâl, the Ḳaṣr al-Ward^[22] was named after al-Ward ibn-as-Samîn ibn-ʿUbaid al-Ḥanafi. According to another, the fortification was called Muʿtiḳ [i. e., emancipator] because of its strength, indicating thereby that he who takes refuge in it is safe from his enemy.

Ar-Raiya spring. Ar-Raiya was a spring from which the aṣ-Ṣaʿfûḳah, as well as al-Khuyaibah and al-Khiḍrimah, got their drinking water, aṣ-Ṣaʿfûḳah^[23] being a crown-land thus called after one of the agents over it, whose name was Saʿfûḳ.

Footnotes

1. Cf. Hishâm, p. 971.
2. Raḥḥal, see ibn-Saʿd in Skizzen, vol. iv, p. 46.
3. Bukhâri, vol. iii, p. 167.
4. Ibn-Duraid, p. 209; Nawâwi, p. 554; Hishâm, p. 945.
5. Ar. al-Kadhdhâb, the impostor.
6. Diyârbakri, vol. ii, p. 175.
7. Nawâwi, p. 374.
8. Kor., 7: 125.
9. Cf. Yaʿḳûbi, vol. ii, p. 146; ibn-Saʿd in Skizzen, vol. iv, pp. 13–14; Athîr, vol. ii, pp. 228–229; Sprenger, vol. iii, p. 306.
10. Cf. Ibn-Duraid, p. 23.
11. "The park of death."
12. Hishâm, p. 308; ibn-Duraid, pp. 268–269.
13. An Arabic proverb.
14. The chanter who calls to prayer from the minaret.
15. Hishâm, p. 165.
16. Hishâm, pp. 422 and 486.
17. Ibid., p. 322.
18. Hishâm, pp. 312 seq.
19. Ḥajar, vol. ii, pp. 40 seq.; Ibn-Khallikân, Wafayât al-Aʿyân, vol. i. p. 372, note 2.
20. Bakri, vol. ii, p. 703 : "ʿAwânah".
21. Ibn-Murrah-l-Ḥanafi, one of the intermediary reporters of this tradition.
22. Yâḳût, Marâṣid, under Ward.
23. Bakri, p. 607.