Al-Waqidi

ABU 'ABD. MUHAMMAD IBM 'UMAR AL-WAQUIDI

about 790 A.D.

Arabic historian, 819 qādī of Rusafa.

Wrote K. al-Maghazi

EB s.v. Waqidi; El s.v. Wakidi

Ed.: H.A. Hamaker, Leiden 1725

T.: Mus' ad (Hamaker) A:0

Aristūlīs<ref>According to Hadīth tellers, Armanūsa, daughter of al-Maqauqas, having learnt from spies that the Arabs were about to arrive, wrote to Aristūlīs asking for help. Aristūlīs here described as a king, taking the advice of his officers despatched reinforcements to Fustāt (Miṣr) and sent to Nubia and the Beja for help</ref> wrote the letter and sent it to the king of the Nuba and the king of the Beja (al-Būja) requesting them to come to bring (military) help and awaited their arrival. (Hamaker, p. 56).

... (King Aristūlīs) said (to the chiefs of the people): "Now, go and pitch your tents (and camps) outside the town; engage part of the enemy, keep harassing them to gain time until relief from Nubia and from the king of the Beja arrive!" They said: "Your order is very wise, O king!" Then they left and ordered their grooms (ghilmān) to go out and pitch their tents and camps just beyond Tell en-Nur and Rasd; which they did.

Muhammad b. Ishāq al-Umawī made the following statement: 'The very day they went out, the messengers whom king Aristūlīs had sent to Nubia and to the king of the Beja for help arrived and brought the news that fighting had broken out between the Nubians and the Beja; now as the two sides held different views, neither would send relief to Aristūlīs. The news was received with great grief. The Copts (al-qubt), however, pitched their tents and camped around the camp of the king.' (p. 60). The same Ibn Ishāq also said: God alone is the Ruler of the Universe! In fact, in the evening Aristūlīs gathered his chamberlains (hujjāb) and chiefs (umarā’) and said: Ί am very worried because the Arabs are advancing against us and the prices are rising in town.

Since the Arabs have gained control of the countryside and the farms, they have prevented our people from sending us supplies. Their (the Arabs') horses are now treading down the fields of Lower and Upper Egypt on the east bank of the Nile; moreover, no one from Nubia or Beja-land has arrived to save us because a fight has broken out between them and they are now enemies to each other. So, it is my opinion that we should force the Arabs to battle, and let Christ make victorious whomsoever he likes.' (Hamaker, pp. 77-78).

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