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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.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Umayyad Period
Review
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Overview

When Mu'awiya appointed Ibn Amir over Basra, Ibn Amir appointed Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura over Sistan. He raided the area around it until he reached Kabul. 1

The men

He made Abbad ibn al-Husayn head of his police. With him among the notables were Abd Allah ibn Khazim, al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra and others. 1

The siege of Kabul

He besieged its people for months and bombarded them with catapults until a great breach opened. Abbad spent a night there fighting the polytheists. Al-Baladhuri relates from al-Hasan al-Basri that he did not think a man could stand in place of a thousand until he saw Abbad. 1

In the morning the people of Kabul came out to fight. Ibn Khazim struck one of their elephants, which fell against the gate, so they could not close it, and the Muslims entered by force. Abu Mikhnaf attributes the hamstringing of the elephant to al-Muhallab. 1

After the conquest

Ibn Samura sent news of the conquest with Umar ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Ma'mar and al-Muhallab. He then took other places, some by force and some by agreement, and returned to Kabul after its people broke their covenant and he took it again. 1

The date needs an additional source.

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura· Abbas ibn al-Husayn al-Hibati· Abdallah ibn Khazim al-Sulami· al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra
Occurred at
Kabul

People and things also explored

Muʿāwiya sends ʿAbdallāh ibn al-Ḥaḍramī to rally Basra (38 AH)· The Killing of Abdallah ibn Khazim· Ibn Khazim's Forged Covenant over Khurasan· Ibn Khazim's War for Khurasan· Ibn Samura's Campaign and the Zur Idol· Kabul's Opening and its King's Islam under al-Ma'mun· Kabul's Breach and Yazid ibn Ziyad's Death· Kabul Shah's Submission to al-Ma'mun

Sources

  1. Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition)
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Ibn Samura's March to Kabul”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/march-on-kabul/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Muʿāwiya sends ʿAbdallāh ibn al-Ḥaḍramī to rally Basra (38 AH)

After ʿAmr took Egypt, Muʿāwiya sent ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥaḍramī to Basra — «most of its people share our view of ʿUthmān; lodge with Muḍar, court the Azd, beware Rabīʿa, they are all Turābiyya«. Reading Muʿāwiya's letter among Banū Tamīm — two stipends a year promised — he split the town: al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Qays, Ibn ʿAbbās's police chief, cried «you bring us what Ṭalḥa and al-Zubayr brought — shall we draw swords on each other that Muʿāwiya may be amir?«; ʿAbdallāh ibn Khāzim pledged support; al-Aḥnaf withdrew with «no camel of mine is in this».