by The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman- The Arabic Epic of Dhat al-Himma (retail) (epub)
The next morning, Husayn announced that he had a new idea. “I am sorry to say that we should tie up the prisoners again. We should dress in the clothing of the Rum, with Fatima, our amira, in Bagha’s clothing, and she will lead us to Malatya, because they are expecting the captives there. Thus we will have the advantage.”
The Kilabis agreed, and they took care to dress in the clothing of the Rum, as if they had just stepped out of Constantinople. The amira, dressed in the clothing of Bagha, looked as beautiful as the moon at its fullest. The captives were driven in front of the soldiers, but their bonds were tied loosely. Blue-eyed Husayn even wore a blond beard, fashioned from several long beards.
On approaching Malatya, they saw that the gates were open, with soldiers ranged across the walls, expectantly watching the prisoners’ arrival. The soldiers came out of the city, Armawil at their head, to meet Bagha, only to find themselves facing the warriors of Bani Kilab. The battle lasted hours, but it was clear that day that the Rum had lost. The Bani Kilab entered the city and gathered to take stock of the situation. Princess Fatima addressed the band: “My cousins, I say we fortify this city, since it is now in our protection. We should leave some people here to defend it, while the rest ride back out to the fight. Then we will have a fortress to come back to, close to the border.”
A Kilabi replied, “You are right, Cousin. After all, this land is better than that of Iraq. It soothes the soul and reminds us of our homeland in Arabia.” Zalim and Mazlum agreed, saying, “If we return safely, God willing, we could move our families and settle here, where we could ensure safety for the people in this region.”
The next morning, the warrior band rode out to view the fortifications. They found the architecture sound, the walls tall and solid. In the city center, they found a great church and agreed to use the space for prayer. Inside, they found stores of flammable oil.8 Husayn hurriedly advised the band of warriors, “Take this oil with you in case we can use it. It won’t hurt to take it, and maybe it will help. My heart fears for my cousin ʿAbdullah in Amida.”
With that, the warrior band departed. They left a commander and one thousand soldiers in Malatya, as well as some of those who had been captives. They warned the commander to keep alert before they rode out of the city. The troops of Bani Kilab numbered nine thousand, and the freed captives who rode with them numbered five thousand. They traveled toward Amida, carrying the oil with them. On the way, they encountered three men of the Rum coming from Amida on the road to Malatya. They stopped them and questioned them about their destination and the situation in Amida. The men surrendered willingly: “We’ll tell you what we know. You can do with us as you will. Princess Malatya overcame the Muslim army. There were only a small number who entered the city with their commander, ʿAbdullah. As for us, Princess Malatya sent us to bring the stores of oil to her at Amida. She is concerned that the siege is lasting too long, and Muslim reinforcements might arrive soon and take the city just as she is about to possess it. Also, she has with her a scholar of the Rum named Shadlukh. He promised her Amida within two days if she gets oil there. The wise man had with him a book that contained the history of Amida from its establishment, including its source of water. No doubt he stopped the source, and now Princess Malatya awaits our return with the oil so the scholar can carry out his plan. The Muslims in the city have withstood the siege patiently, but the Princess Malatya wants to end it soon.”
The Kilabis listened to this news with growing concern. They said, “We have delayed so long that our brothers have been broken.”
Husayn interjected, “Comrades, all that we have done is to end the same fight. We have not wasted our time. By the One who makes water flow from stone and directs the seas, I say we use this oil against the ones who called for it.”
* * *
—
As for ʿAbdullah, when he and his warriors from Iraq and Arabia had first approached Amida, they saw the Rum soldiers surrounding the city on all sides, a vast expanse of them blanketing the landscape; the people of Amida were withstanding the siege, waiting upon the Almighty to free them of their enemies. At the sight, nakhwat al-ʿArab rose in ʿAbdullah, and he called out, “Fight the good fight and free your brothers! This is our day!” His armies poured forth toward the Rum, their swords raised for battle.
When the Rum saw the gathering dust, they spread out from the city in order to widen the battlefield. The two sides met, shaking the mountains with the intensity of their struggle. The sun disappeared in a cloud of dust. Limbs were removed, bodies disemboweled, blood spilled, and the vultures wheeled overhead.
The ruler of Amida rode out of the city with twelve thousand troops, fighting alongside the reinforcements to liberate their besieged city. The Muslims fought alongside one another, surrounded by people and mounts crashing like waves around them. The Rum spread like locusts, and the fighting continued—swords slashing, blood flowing, the question unanswered—until ʿAbdullah called out, “Remain steady!” He charged forward, and the Muslim armies sought refuge for the night inside the city of Amida. From the walls above, Kurdish soldiers protected them with arrows until the gates were locked.
In the morning, Princess Malatya surveyed the wreckage: The ground was littered with corpses. Her armies had been reduced, and many were injured. Of the warriors within the city walls, not one could lift a hand without feeling injuries and fatigue. ʿAbdullah was pained to see the state of the people within the city, but he took heart as he noted the tall walls of Amida. The ruler of Amida thanked ʿAbdullah for his efforts: “We were so nearly overtaken. I have few soldiers to protect a city of this size, and some of them fled from the invaders. Our backs were against the wall, so to speak, when you showed up. You have my thanks.”
“Your city is safe for the moment, as long as we remain within the walls. We’re sure to come up with a plan. Besides, they suffered great losses.”
Malatya spent that day, and the next, and the next, in a council meeting with her advisers. She announced, “I want you to fix this Amida mess for me. The walls are still standing, and I am out of ideas.”
Shadlukh, a shaykh of the Rum, stood and replied, “Your Highness, I would speak with you in private. I have some critical information about the city.”
Malatya quickly dismissed everyone but her closest advisers. Turning to Shadlukh, she insisted, “Tell me. If you can open the city, I will fulfill your wildest dreams.”
“Your Highness, I have an ancient book. I inherited it from my father, and he from his father, Shalukh. He told me that it was by Aristotle, and it describes various regions: their lands, borders, and geographical information. Amida too is mentioned, including its water source that flows under the city into cisterns at the city’s center. It lies in that black mountain. I can stop the water’s flow from a place that I know, and the people of Amida will not be able to survive for lack of water. They will have to surrender the city to you within ten days.”
Malatya smiled.
Shadlukh added, “Keep in mind, this must remain secret so that the people of Amida are not alerted to our plan. They will have to surrender within ten days or be destroyed. Even if they have water stored up, stopping the source will create for us an entrance into the city. We can follow it to the city center, and destroy it from there. You will want to have some oil there, in case of resistance. Then your fighters can easily overcome them, for they will have nowhere to flee.”
That night, Shadlukh took with him ten men and Princess Malatya. They set out from their tents in the dark, creeping across the ground until they reached a great rock. Shadlukh examined it on every side and then pointed, saying, “Dig here, and throw the earth far away.” The men dug heartily for a while, uncovering a slab of red marble. They could hear running water beneath it. The shakyh ordered, “Lift the slab away.” They did so, and they could see the water flowing. Then he instructed, “Dig to the left of the water.” They dug and uncovered a stone, worki
ng together until they had unearthed it. Under it was a cavern into which the water began to flow as soon as the stone was lifted, and the water ran under the mountain. Shadlukh explained that the water had thus been redirected: “Come up now, and leave the water like that. Not a drop will enter the city, and this is a place where no one comes. The water is flowing away under the mountain. If they don’t surrender the city, then we will surprise them in the middle of the night from this entrance!”
Princess Malatya’s party returned to their tents before dawn. There she commented to her close advisers, “By the Messiah, it’s been too long since I heard from my sister! I told Bagha to send the prisoners and the money to Malatya, and write to the king about all that has happened, and all the wealth the Messiah has provided for us. If she had gone to Constantinople, then she would have returned by now with reinforcements. Truly, there are secrets at work in God’s plan, but He is kind and merciful to His followers.”
Within Amida, the inhabitants, ʿAbdullah, the Bani Sulaym fighters, and the soldiers from Iraq spent three full days recovering from the battle. On the fourth day, their water supply was cut off, and they began to suffer anew.
ʿAbdullah asked the ruler, “Do you know where the source of the city’s water is located?”
“No, Sir, we have never been able to control the flow of the water. If the water supply remains cut off, then we have ten days before we will all die, our people and our animals. There are few wells in this region because our water source is always so plentiful. I have never considered it before.”
“There is no power or strength but God’s.”
They reduced their water use, but by the second day, the source had dried up completely. They lasted six more days, but the horses and other animals were suffering from extreme dehydration.
ʿAbdullah instructed the gatekeepers, “Open the doors for us, and let us out to fight the enemy. At the very least, we will take from their water supply, and that will be better for everyone. Even if they kill all of us, our animals will be able to survive.” They agreed to do so as soon as it was night.
At nightfall, ʿAbdullah asked the ruler, “Do you have any oil?”
“Yes, I have more oil than anyone can withstand.”
“Bring it to me so I can distribute it among the troops. Either we will be victorious, or we will die at the swords of the Rum.”
“Do as you see fit. I and my people will follow your lead.” Then he called for the large jars of oil, and they were brought, then poured into smaller jars, which were carefully distributed among all the troops: the Kurds, the soldiers from Iraq, and the Bani Sulaym from Arabia. Each soldier carried a small jar of the oil. They crept to the enemy camp and then gave a great battle cry. The first commander of the Rum to appear was on guard duty. The rest of the Rum forces heard the fighting and sprang from their tents toward the sounds of struggle. Princess Malatya appeared with her advisers and commanders. No one remained in the tents, everyone having mounted or run to join in the fighting.
Malatya said to those nearest her, “Don’t worry, they have very little left with which to fight.” At that moment, flaming missiles struck the Rum camp, the fire leaping and spreading.
The Bani Kilab warriors, approaching on horseback from the city of Malatya, could see the tumult in the night and the camp of the Rum, tents completely unoccupied. Husayn yelled to his companions, “Cousins, use the oil on the tents, and then help the people of Amida! They must have been in a tight bind to leave the city at night!”
The Rum were surrounded, fire and yelling coming from in front and behind. In all the confusion they could hardly identify who was the enemy. Their horses took fright at the noise and the flames and fled. It was windy that night, and the flames spread until the camp was no more. Princess Malatya and her advisers did not survive in the tumult. The remaining Rum were gathered together, and the captives numbered twenty thousand. The people of Amida spent the entire following day putting out fires to prevent it from spreading into the hills. Then friend gathered with friend, and all entered the city in relief and celebration.
The Bani Kilab warriors informed ʿAbdullah of Bagha’s demise, the rescue of the prisoners, and the taking of Malatya. “We’ve decided to live there. It has all we need to live out our lives in peace.”
ʿAbdullah replied, “Right and good. All that remains is to write to your friends and relatives in Arabia so they can join you there.”
* * *
—
Some of the captives were released, and some chose to join their captors. Of the wealth gained from the Rum, equal shares were distributed among all. ʿAbdullah wrote to the Bani Sulaym in Arabia, inviting them to move to Malatya. He also wrote to the caliph Mansur, informing him of Amida’s liberation and all that had happened. He wrote of Malatya, newly acquired thanks to Princess Fatima and the Bani Kilab tribe. Mazlum rode with two hundred soldiers to deliver treasures, coin, and herds gained from the Rum.
After their departure, ʿAbdullah and the ruler of Amida rode out together to search for the water source, but they could not locate it. They returned to the city for the night. Husayn inquired, “I saw you two ride in looking worried. . . .”
ʿAbdullah replied, “Did we not tell you how our water supply was cut off, and we were all near death here in the city? As soon as the immediate danger was averted, we have been looking for the source, but we cannot find it.”
Husayn laughed. “Come on, let’s walk up through the cistern until we come to the source.”
ʿAbdullah was stunned by the simplicity of this plan. Together they went to the cistern. The great cavern was vaulted and seemed to stretch on forever. At last they heard water and saw it flowing down through an inner channel. They returned the marble slab and great rock to their places, and made their way outside. By the time they had returned to the city, the water was already in the city center, as it had been before its interruption.
In the morning, ʿAbdullah oversaw the provisioning of Bani Kilab and Bani Sulaym with camels before they set out for Malatya. He had developed a strong affection for Princess Fatima, respecting her bravery and competence.9 On arrival at Malatya, ʿAbdullah saw that it was a large town with strong walls and high towers. The commander they had left to oversee it rode out to welcome the newcomers. Princess Fatima set up her tent on a hill within the city walls, beside a river.
Bani Kilab divided the land, and Princess Fatima arranged for the building of an administrative center. ʿAbdullah, Princess Fatima, Zalim, Walid, and the other Bani Kilab warriors rode out to investigate the area. They found that the garrisons of the Rum had fled the area when they heard of the demise of the Princesses Malatya and Bagha, leaving the three castles abandoned. Smiling, ʿAbdullah said to Princess Fatima, “Amira, the castles are now yours. You can live in them.”
Princess Fatima thanked him and said, “We set up camp on the hill because we are used to roughing it in the wilderness, and we will be ready here if ever need arises for our help.” Then she returned, with ʿAbdullah and the Bani Kilab riders, to the camp on the hill in Malatya.
TRIALS OF MOTHERHOOD1
Mazlum arrived in Baghdad only to learn that Mansur had passed away and Hadi had taken his place as caliph. He was ushered in to Hadi’s spacious majlis reception area, where he kissed the ground. The letters that he had handed to the official at the door were now delivered to the ruler. Reading the greetings for Mansur, Hadi thought, These people have not heard of his death. He mentally excused their mistake, returning to read the letters in their entirety. He learned of the victory over the Rum and the acquisition of Malatya. He found the description of Dhat al-Himma impressive and was overjoyed to see Mazlum deliver the captives and spoils of battle. Hadi honored Mazlum with the gift of a ceremonial robe and designated a set of robes each for ʿAbdullah, Princess Fatima, and the other absent leaders of Bani Kilab and Bani Sulaym. Mazlum again kissed the ground, thanking the ruler and t
aking his leave.
From Baghdad, Mazlum rode to the Hijaz region of Arabia to deliver ʿAbdullah’s messages to the people of Bani Sulaym and Bani Kilab. All agreed to relocate, and they set out the very day that they heard the news. With howdah carriages mounted on many of the camels, they journeyed day and night until they reached Malatya. A scout had ridden ahead to notify the town, and so the inhabitants rode out to meet the newcomers. At the front rode ʿAbdullah, Zalim and his son, and Princess Fatima. Mazlum delivered to them the robes gifted by Hadi in an atmosphere of reunion and celebration. Loved ones embraced, and everyone entered the city together.
Gradually, news of the town spread, and new residents arrived, including Christians and Armenians. The abandoned homes became populated, the lands cultivated. The people of Malatya built houses, mosques, schools, and marketplaces, and trade flourished. The warriors of Bani Kilab and Bani Sulaym rode out daily to practice, sparring with spears.
The flame that Walid carried in his heart for Princess Fatima had not dimmed. Walid could neither snuff it out nor fan it, for he was unable to approach her or even speak with her about it. He complained of his misery to everyone who would listen. One day, a shaykh of the Bani Sulaym said to him, “I can introduce you to someone who will be able to solve your problem: my cousin, ʿUqba. He is unique in his time, knowledgeable and informed of every trick, because since he was a child, he had nothing to do but read. He read very advanced books by great scholars and will be able to help you either by writing you a special amulet or by giving you something for your cousin to drink. Either way, you’ll get what you want in the end.” Walid returned home, resolving to meet with this ʿUqba.
