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THE ORIGINS OF THE ISLAMIC STATE

and his closing the gates of Damascus immediately after ʿAbd-al-Malik had left the city, which made ʿAbd-al-Malik still more busy. This took place in the year 70.

Suḥaim slays the Greek general. After that, ʿAbd-al- Malik sent to the Greek leader Suḥaim ibn-al-Muhâjir who, in disguise and through gentle behavior, succeeded in reaching him. Suḥaim played the act of a friend and won the favor of the leader by censuring ʿAbd-al-Malik, cursing him and dwelling on his weak points; so much so that the leader put full confidence in Suḥaim and was wholly deceived. At the favorable moment, however, Suḥaim fell upon him with a band of troops and freedmen of ʿAbd-al-Malik, who had been previously prepared for the attack and stationed in a convenient place, and killed him together with the Greeks who were with him. Suḥaim thereupon announced publicly a promise of security to those who had joined the Greek leader. Accordingly, the Jarâjimah were partly scattered among the villages of Ḥimṣ and Damascus; but the majority returned to their city on al-Lukâm. In like manner, the Nabateans returned to their villages, and the slaves to their masters.

Maimûn al-Jurjumâni. One of these slaves was Maimun al-Jurjumâni, a Greek slave, who belonged to the banu-umm-al-Ḥakam (umm-al-Ḥakam being the sister of Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân) who were of the tribe of Thaḳîf. The slave was named after al-Jarâjimah, because he mixed with them and rebelled with them in Mt. Lebanon. Hearing of his strength and valor, ʿAbd-al-Malik asked his masters to set him free, which they did. He was then put by ʿAbd-al-Malik at the head of a regiment of troops and stationed at Antioch. With 1,000 men from Antioch, he and Maslamah ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik led an invasion to aṭ-Ṭuwânah.[1]

  1. Yâḳût, vol. iii, p. 554.