Ibn Samura's March to Kabul

سيرة ابن سمرة إلى كابل

Kabul

Mu'awiya's appointment of Ibn Amir over Basra sent Ibn Samura back to Sijistan — Abbad ibn al-Husayn al-Habati over his shurta, and with him the ashraf Umar ibn Ubaydallah ibn Ma'mar, Abdullah ibn Khazim, Qatari ibn al-Fuja'a and al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra — reconquering town after town whose folk had apostatized, by force or sulh, until Kabul. Months of siege and mangonels opened a great breach; Abbad spent the night spearing the polytheists so they could not close it — al-Hasan: 'I never thought one man could stand for a thousand until I saw Abbad ibn al-Husayn'. At dawn the foe sallied; Ibn Khazim hamstrung their elephant which fell blocking the gate so they could not shut it — Abu Mikhnaf says it was al-Muhallab — and the Muslims entered by force. Victory-dispatch went with Umar ibn Ubaydallah and al-Muhallab; then Ibn Samura crossed Wadi Nasl, took Khawash and Quzan by force, Wazan whose folk fled, Khushak by sulh, al-Akhj by fighting, Zabulistan broken with captives, and Kabul again.