Bensalem Himmich - The Theocrat

The imam’s aides did not dare challenge his call for a swift departure. With heads bowed they ranged themselves behind him like all the other soldiers and performed the dawn prayer with dispatch. As they prepared to move off toward the al-Fayyum desert, an amazing aura of silence descended on the troops, only broken by the padding of feet and muted voices. As they advanced, Abu Rakwa forced himself to lighten his expression so as to encourage his troops. He made a big effort to squeeze shoulders and smile encouragingly at everyone.

The forces were now just a few miles short of the battlefield. Abu Rakwa ordered a brief halt so they could snatch a brief rest and recover their strength. Shihab al-Din made use of this lull to take the imam aside. He reluctantly informed the imam that some soldiers had already deserted to the enemy camp. Before he had even finished relaying this information, Hammu came rushing up.

“Seventy deserters, Imam,” he said. “I’ve confirmed those numbers, and I know each one of them by name.”

Abu Rakwa rubbed his hands together. “So those purses have done their job with weak-willed hypocrites!” he sighed. “A little enjoyment, and then they will face a dire punishment, “

“They are all from the Banu Qurra,” said Hammu, continuing his detail. “Seventy hypocrites, God shame them!”

These insulting words made Shihab al-Din very angry. “That’s isn’t totally accurate,” he argued. “For sure, some of those deserters include people tempted by Satan himself; they’re the minority. As for the rest, I’ve dispatched them myself to infiltrate enemy ranks and get information. They’ll try to influence our brothers and fellow Arabs in al-Hakim’s army. Only people from our tribe could be entrusted with such a task, The Zanatis certainly could not do it…”

At this point Abu Rakwa interrupted. By now Shaykh Zaydan and ‘Ali ibn Jawhar had joined the group.

“A pox on all your squabbles and arguments! Is this a time for rows and insults, or for pulling together in the common cause? Every fighter should realize that faith is on our side and money is on theirs. We’ll see which one is more marketable. Should we win, it will be the fulfillment of our desires. If we perish, then we are God’s and to Him do we return.”

“You have spoken the truth. Imam,” said Shaykh Zaydan. “At times such as these, people who try to proceed in the midst of discord and doubt come to a gruesome end. We must move boldly forward, relying on our swords and steadfast will and on Him who alone possesses the might and majesty. Now ‘Ali ibn Jawhar has some good news for us.”

“Great imam,” said ‘Ali ibn Jawhar, his voice wavering between happiness and caution, “some of our informants who managed to infiltrate the enemy camp have now returned. They’ve told us that the enemy knows a good deal about our numbers and equipment. The leaders of the Arab troops who are currently fighting for al-Hakim have promised to join our forces at the decisive moment in the battle. Now all we need to worry about is Hamad al-Madi’s spies and the unforeseen tricks and stratagems that al-Fadl ibn Salih, the enemy commander, has up his sleeve.”

Abu Rakwa remounted his horse and drew his sword. “They schemed and God schemed, and God is the best of schemers . Mount your horses and arrange the army in platoons so they can attack in waves. Then we can restrict the terrain that the enemy can use; they can either fight the big battle or surrender. Tell the Arab leaders to come to us tonight so we can shake hands and promise them Syria as their own land in return for reinforcing our numbers and granting victory to the cause of truth. Now, follow my lead as we achieve what God has promised to those who fight in His path”

With that, Abu Rakwa’s army advanced in tight formation and covered the ground between them and al-Fadl’s camp in short order. They ranged all over the battlefield; the glint of their swords had a debilitating effect on the enemy troops. Once in a while Abu Rakwa penetrated the enemy ranks, engaged with the enemy’s best fighters and killed them, then returned to a safe place where he would consult with his aides and hear their reports. The third day of Dhu al-Hijja was barely over before victory was tilting in favor of Abu Rakwa’s forces. However the exultation that Abu Rakwa and his companions felt was tempered by a sense of alarm? whenever they heard about the mercenary soldiers al-Hakim had employed to bolster and rescue his army. It was obvious that they badly needed the Arab forces to keep their promise by joining Abu Rakwa’s forces without delay.

“On the appointed night, al-Fadl summoned the Arab leaders to break their fast with him. He made it clear that he had been fasting himself and forced them to wait a while. Then he had the food brought in, and they all ate and talked. Al-Fadl had sent a battalion toward Abu Rakwa’s forces, and the two groups had fought. News of this reached the camp. The Arab leaders were all anxious to get back to their troops, but al-Fadl prevented them. Instead he sent word to their Arab colleagues that they should mount and go into battle; these latter had no idea of the pact that the Arab chiefs had already reached with Abu Rakwa. So they went into battle…. Al-Hakim sent an open letter to al-Fadl, stating that Abu Rakwa had been defeated, and another secret one with details of what the actual situation was. Al-Fadl now made a big show of delight at the defeat of Abu Rakwa, in order to calm people down.

“Meanwhile Abu Rakwa had headed for a heavily wooded area known as “the bog,” with al-Fadl in pursuit. Abu Rakwa hid among the trees and proceeded to attack al-Fadl’s troops. Abu Rakwa’s army now started pulling back so as to entice al-Fadl’s soldiers toward the ambush. However, when the troops in the wood saw their colleagues retreating, they assumed they had been defeated and joined them in their retreat. They were mowed down by al-Fadl’s soldiers, and many thousands were killed.” 15

The marshy woods were strewn with the corpses and wounded of both armies, and warm blood nourished the soil. The rest of Abu Rakwa’s army was now confronted with a significant obstacle, one that required the conflict to be shifted into more open space. The fighting raged on with no relief, but eventually Abu Rakwa managed to break out and ordered his companions to withdraw with him. Some of them managed to do so, but others were cither killed or taken prisoner during the ambush.

Abu Rakwa and his followers sped southward toward Nubian territory. There they stopped for a while to regroup, take stock of what had happened, and decide what needed to be done next, but everyone was so completely exhausted that they could not think clearly or talk for any length of time. Just before sunset on the last of these grimmest of days, Abu Rakwa was still staring at the faces of about a hundred of his surviving followers. He looked for any signs of hatred or anger, but found none. To the contrary, all of them quietly and firmly advised him to return with them to Barqa. Once there, they could regroup and prepare for a new war against al-Hakim the Fatimid caliph. He listened to their advice with a smile.

“Heaven forbid, beloved friends,” he said, “that I should return to Barqa defeated! The forthcoming campaign against Fatimid tyranny is entrusted to your hands. Choose another imam from among you who can take from me whatever is useful and benefit from the mistakes I have made.”

As night fell, Abu Rakwa asked for pen and paper and started writing his last will and testament. It was as though he were saying farewell to the world and human beings and expediting the final episode in his rich and full life. Hardly had he penned the final word before Hammu and Shihab al-Din rode up, exhausted and out of breath. They dismounted and embraced Abu Rakwa, who hugged them back and praised God for their survival. Abu Rakwa mentioned the names of Shaykh Zaydan, ‘Ali ibn Jawhar, and others as well.