Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan

“ Now all the citizens of Syria were expecting some ill-turn from the part of Attaf, and with this grievous thought they were engrossed, when suddenly tidings from Baghdad were bruited abroad; to wit, that a Kapuji was coming on Attaf's business. Hereat the folk feared with exceeding great affright and fell to saying, "Gone is the head of Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, and gone all who could say aught in his defence." ”

“ In the city of al-Bâb wa-l-Abwâb, 24,000 Syrians were settled by Maslamah ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik and assigned stipends. Accordingly, the inhabitants of al-Bâb to-day do not allow any ʿâmil to enter their city unless he has money to distribute among them. He, moreover, built a granary for food, another for barley, and an armory. He ordered that the cistern be filled with earth, repaired the city, and provided it with embattlements. In the company of Maslamah was Marwân ibn-Muḥammad who took part in the attack against al-Khazar and distinguished himself in fighting. ”

“ LET us now return to the account of what happened in the days of ʾAbd-el-Málik-ibn-Marwân. El-Hajjâj [1] was appointed ruler over the two sacred and holy cities, Mekkah and el-Medînah; and it is said that he held in high esteem a certain man named Ibrahîm-ibn-Muhammad-ibn-Talhah, by whom he was accompanied to Damascus, on his return thither to visit ʾAbd-el-Málik, and of whom he said to the Amîr, "I have brought thee, O Commander of the Faithful! a noble, well-born, learned, and humane man from the Hijáz, with his knowledge of the divine laws and excellence in counsel. ”

“ When Muḥammad ibn-Marwân held under his brother ʿAbd-al-Malik the governorship of Armenia, he led the fight against them and won the victory, slaughtering and taking captives. Thus, he subdued the land. He promised those who survived higher stipends than the ordinary soldiers' pay. For that purpose they assembled in churches in the province of Khilâṭ where he locked them in and put guards on the door, and then he frightened them. In this campaign umm-Yazîd ibn-Usaid was taken captive from as-Sîsajân, she being the daughter of as-Sîsajân's patrician. ”

“ When Hishâm ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik, however, came to power, he restored it; and it was kept until the caliphate of abu-Jaʿfar al-Manṣûr, who expressed himself as follows: "We shall, above everyone else, do justice to them, and not enrich ourselves by oppressing them." ”

“ Marwân with a host of al-Khazar accompanied the chief; and al-Khazar were made to settle in the plain of the province of al-Lakz between as-Samâr and ash-Shâbirân.
The land of as-Sarîr. After that, Marwân made his entrance to the land of as-Sarîr, slaughtered its inhabitants, and reduced certain forts in it. Its king offered him submission and allegiance and made terms, agreeing to give every year 1,000 youths—500 lads and 500 maids—with black hair and eyebrows and with long eyelashes, together with 100,000 modii [66] to be poured in the granaries of al-Bâb. Marwân took from him a pledge. ”

“ Yaḥya, 368, 466
ʿAbd b. al-Julanda, 116, 118
ʿAbd-al-Ḳais, 120, 130
ʿAbd-al-Malik b. Marwân, 54, 59, 75, 82, 83, 135, 180, 192, 195, 202, 219, 220, 221, 226, 238, 247, 248, 249, 250, 255, 282, 283, 294, 301, 321, 322, 341, 360, 383–385, 449, 450
ʿAbd-al-Malik b. Muslim, 324
ʿAbd-al-Malik b. Ṣâliḥ, 203, 238, 262, 280
ʿAbd-al-Malik b. ”

“ In 795 Hārūn al-Rashīd made the pilgrimage, came with two of his sons to Medina, and sat at the feet of Malik as he lectured in the mosque. The story, legendary or historical, adds that Malik had refused to go to the caliph, saying that it was for the student to come to his teacher. Late in life he seems to have turned to asceticism and contemplation. It is said that he retired from all active, public life and even neglected plain, public duties, replying to reproaches, “Not every one can speak in his own excuse” (Ibn Qutaiba, Ma ʽārif, 250) . ”

“ Ḍirâr met Mâlik and, as a result of the conflict which ensued, Ḍirâr took Mâlik and some others captive, and brought them before Khâlid. In accordance with Khâlid's orders, their heads were cut off, [21] Ḍirâr with his own hand cutting off that of Mâlik. According to certain reports, Mâlik said to Khâlid, "By Allah, I did not apostatize!" And abu-Ḳatâdah-l-Anṣâri gave witness that the banu-Ḥanẓalah had laid down their arms and made the public call to prayer. Hearing this, ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb said to abu-Bakr, "Thou hast sent a man who kills Moslems and tortures by fire!" ”

“ When ʿAbd-al-Malik departed Yazîd remarked, "It is said that this is the man that will rule after us. If that is right, we would have done him favor and expect to receive something in repay; if it is false, we have granted him a gift." ”

“ The fourth of this dynasty, 'Abd al-Malik bin Marwán, "the Father of Flies," and his successor, Al-Walid, were happy in being served thoroughly and unscrupulously by Al-Hajjáj, the ablest of Lieutenants, whose specialty it was to take in hand a revolted province, such as Al-Hijáz, Al-Irák, or Khorásán, and to slaughter it into submission; besides deaths in battle he is computed to have slain 120,000 men. ”

“ They furnished scouts and irregular troops to the Byzantines and constituted a thorn in the side of the Arabs, to whom mountain warfare was never palatable. Like his predecessor Muawiyah I, Abd-al-Malik found it expedient to buy them off rather than suffer their marauds or divert his military strength from conquest abroad to policing Syria. With his internal foes thus bribed to remain quiet, he was able to resume periodic attacks on the Greeks of Asia Minor and defeat them in battle. The Maronites themselves in 694 routed a Byzantine army which attempted to end their autonomy. ”

“ I may add that he built Wásit city A.H. 83 and rendered eminent services to literature and civilization amongst the Arabs. When the Ommiade Caliph Abd al-Malik was dying he said to his son Walid, “Look to Al-Hajjaj and honour him for, verily, he it is who hath covered for you the pulpits; and he is thy sword and thy right hand against all opponents; thou needest him more than he needeth thee and when I die summon the folk to the covenant of allegiance; and he who saith with his head—thus, say thou with thy sword—thus” (Al-Siyuti, p. 225) yet the historian simply observes, “the Lord curse him.” ”

“ She attained great fame as a poetess, and died during the reign of 'Abd-al-Malik, son of Marwan, at an advanced age. "A tale is told of her death in which these verses figure. She was making a journey with her husband when they passed by the grave of Taubah. Laila, who was travelling in a litter, cried, By God! I will not depart hence till I greet Taubah. Her husband endeavored to dissuade her, but she would not hearken; so at last he allowed her. And she had her camel driven up the mound on which the tomb was, and said, Peace to thee, O Taubah! ”

“ Marwân confirmed ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân as governor of the region, and appointed after him Ilyâs ibn-Ḥabîb, and after that, Ḥabîb ibn-ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân. After this, the Ibâḍites [17] and the Berbers of the Khârijites had the upper hand.
Towards the end of abu-l-ʿAbbâs' caliphate, Muḥammad ibn-al-Ashʿath al-Khuzâʿi came to Ifrîḳiyah as its ruler at the head of 70,000 men, according to others, 40,000. His rule lasted for four years, during which he repaired the city of al-Ḳairawân. At last, the troops of the city rose against him together with others. ”

“ Ja'afar said, "Allah accomplisheth unto thee these three occasions. As for the money, it shall be carried to thy house this very hour: as for the government, I make thy son Viceroy of Egypt; and as for the marriage, I give him to mate Such-an-one, the daughter of our lord the Prince of True Believers, at a dowry of such and such a sum. So depart in the assurance of Allah Almighty." Accordingly Abd al-Malik went away much astonished at Ja'afar's boldness in undertaking such engagements. ”

“ The rise of orthodox kalam; al-Ash‘ari; decline of the Mu‘tazilites; passing of heresy into unbelief; development of scholastic theology by Ash‘arites; rise of Zahirite kalam; Ibn Hazm; persecution of Ash‘arites; final assimilation of kalam.
As we have already seen, the traditionalist party at first refused to enter upon any discussion of sacred things. Malik ibn Anas used to say, “God’s istiwa (settling Himself firmly upon His throne) is known; how it is done is unknown; it must be believed; questions about it are an innovation (bid‘a) .” ”

“ His success depended upon the faithful support of his Syrian troops, in whom his confidence — like his loyalty to the Umayyad house — knew no bounds.
During the reigns of Abd-al-Malik (685-705) and his four sons the Umayyad dynasty in Damascus reached the meridian of its power and glory. The Islamic empire attained its greatest expansion, from the shores of the Atlantic and the Pyrenees to the Indus and the confines of China — an extent greater than that of the Roman empire at its height. At no time before or after did the Arabs control so large a territory. ”

“ Now Hayy Ibn Yokdhan being wholly immersed in the speculation of those things, and perfectly abstracted from all other objects, saw in the highest sphere a Being devoid of any maker; it was like the image of the sun which appears in a well-polished looking-glass. In the essence of that separate sphere he saw such perfection, splendour, and beauty, as is too great to be expressed by any tongue and too subtle to be clothed in words. It was, as he perceived it, in the utmost perfections of delight and joy, exaltation of gladness. ”

“ The rebels were defeated, and Kufa surrendered (October 744) under condition of amnesty for the insurgents and freedom for Abdallah b. Moawiya. This adventurer now went into Media (Jabal) , where a great number of maulas and Shi‘ites, even members of the reigning dynasty and of the Abbasid family, such as the future caliph Mansur, rejoined him. With their help he became master of a vast empire, which, however, lasted scarcely three years.
Ibn Omar did not acknowledge Merwan as caliph. For the moment Merwan could do no more than send a new governor, Ibn Sa‘īd al Ḥarashī. ”

“ To detach and deliver the soul—if only for a few hours—from the withering despotism of everyday life and strife, grey and monotonous with its eternal round of toil, worry, and trouble; to bathe the soul in the full sunshine of sublime wisdom, depicted and represented in this simple romance, with its exquisite charm and captivating grace, clear as crystal yet pregnant with ideas that have moved the world—this was the idea which guided me in embarking upon this work. ”

“ Later, the Ottoman Turks also adopted it, and it may be said to hold now a leadership among the four legal rites. Its influence has undoubtedly tended to broaden and humanize Moslem law.
Twenty-eight years after Abū Ḥanīfa, Malik ibn Anas, the founder of the Malikite school, died at Medina. In many points his situation was precisely opposite to that of Abū Ḥanīfa, and yet his results were very similar. He was a working jurist, in practical touch with actual life; he was in the centre of the tradition of the usage of the Prophet, in the line, one might say, of the apostolic succession. ”

“ It is stated by abu-Masʿûd that in the time of the "blessed dynasty" certain breaches were formed which made al-Baṭâʾiḥ larger. Because of the water of the Euphrates, many thickets grew, of which some were reclaimed and made tillable land.
Maslamah reclaims new lands. Abu-Masʿûd from ʿAwânah:—In the days of al-Ḥajjâj, new breaches were made. Al-Ḥajjâj wrote to al-Walîd ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik stating that he estimated that 3,000,000 dirhams would be required for blocking them. ”

“ Maslamah ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik said to al-Walid, "I offer to pay the expenses provided thou givest me as fief the depressed tracts in which the water remains, after spending 3,000,000 dirhams, which sum shall be spent under the direct supervision of thy counsellor and trusted man, al-Ḥajjâj." Al-Walîd accepted the offer. Maslamah gained possession of lands that had many cantons close together. He dug as-Sîbain [9] and induced the farmers and tenants to come and hold land. Thus the land flourished ”

“ And if any one denies what they say, they immediately tell you, that this Unbelief of yours proceeds from Learning and Logick: and that Learning is a Veil, and Logick labour of the brain, but that these things which they affirm, are discovered only inwardly then by the Light of the TRUTH. And this which they affirm, has spread it self through a great many Countries, and produc'd a great deal of Mischief." Thus far Algazâli. ”

“ Thence they came to Warthân from whose inhabitants a large body of men, who held similar views, joined them; and they all crossed over to al-Bailaḳân where they were joined by a large crowd holding similar views. Marwân then came to Yûnân. [72] Isḥâḳ ibn-Muslim was made governor of Armenia by Marwân ibn-Muḥammad and never ceased to fight against Musâfir who was at al-Kilâb castle in as-Sisajân. ”

“ They went so far against the Moslems that, by ʿAbd-al-Malik's orders, certain people from Antioch and some Nabateans were given stipends, placed as garrisons and set behind the armies of the summer expeditions in order to repel al-Jarâjimah from the rear. ”

“ It is mainly due to the effort of Imam Marwan, a distinguished judge, that a mere acquaintance between myself and the honorable Sardar Mu'tamadul Mulk Amin-ud-Daula has ripened into a deep friendship which is dearer to me than if he were one of my nearest relatives, for he is the greatest mystic in the mystical movement of today and one of the greatest mystics in the history of Islam. ”