Sa'id ibn al-'As's Tabaristan campaign (30 AH)

غزو سعيد بن العاص طبرستان

650 CE · 30 AH

Tabaristan

Sa'id ibn al-'As led the first Muslim campaign into Tabaristan in year 30 1.

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The Rashidun Caliphate

Summary

In year 30 Sa'id ibn al-'As campaigned into Tabaristan from Kufa; Ibn al-Athir notes it had not been raided before that year, and that men of the Prophet ﷺ's Companions were with him 2.

The earlier dispute and Tamisa

Ibn al-Athir records the old dispute over Tabaristan's conquest: its ispahbadh had made peace with Suwayd ibn Muqarrin in 'Umar's days for a payment, and Sa'id now raided it in year 30 2. With Sa'id on this campaign were al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar, Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman (may God be pleased with him), Ibn al-Zubayr, 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As and other Companions; Sa'id halted at Qumis, which was under treaty, then came to Jurjan whose people made peace for two hundred thousand, then came to Tamisa — part of Tabaristan bordering Jurjan on the sea — whose people fought him, so he led them in the prayer of fear which Hudhayfa had taught him while they fought 2. He besieged them; they asked for quarter and he granted it on condition no man of them be killed — then the fort was taken and its contents seized, and Sa'id also took "Namiya," which is no city but open desert 3. Muhammad ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi 'Aqil, grandfather of Yusuf ibn 'Umar, died on the campaign; then Sa'id returned and Ka'b ibn Ju'il praised him in verse 3.

For young visitors

In 'Uthman's time a commander named Sa'id ibn al-'As marched from Kufa to Tabaristan, the land by the Caspian Sea; Companions went with him, the people of Jurjan made peace, there was fighting at Tamisa, and then he went home.

Research notes

  • Source read: Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, harvested scan (kamil-tarikh/02-163053), pp.480-481, under the events of year 30.
  • The text says "none had raided it until this year" yet also records the ispahbadh's treaty with Suwayd ibn Muqarrin under 'Umar; both statements are kept as transmitted.
  • The date card cited p.484; the read text is pp.480-481.

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Occurred at
Tabaristan
Had participant
Sa'id ibn al-As ibn Sa'id ibn al-As ibn Umayya

People and things also explored

Conquest of Tabaristan· Conquest of Azerbaijan· Hayyan's Treaty with the Ispahbadh· Ibn al-Ash'ath's Tabaristan Campaign· Marzuq's Ruse upon the Ispahbadh· Masmala's Destruction in Tabaristan· Mazyar ibn Qarin's Revolt· Salman al-Khayl's Reinforcement and the Spoils Dispute

Sources

  1. al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir , p. 484
  2. al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir , p.480
  3. al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir , p.481
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Sa'id ibn al-'As's Tabaristan campaign (30 AH)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/tabaristan-campaign-30/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Related

Conquest of Tabaristan

When Uthman made Sa'id ibn al-As governor of Kufa in 29 AH, the marzban of Tus wrote both him and Abdallah ibn Amir of Basra inviting them to Khurasan — whichever prevailed would hold it; Ibn Amir outstripped him, so Sa'id raided Tabaristan — with him, it is said, al-Hasan and al-Husayn the sons of Ali, though others say he raided on no writ at all — taking Tamisa and the village Namna and treating Jurjan's king for two hundred thousand dirhams.