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The Killing of Musa ibn Abdallah ibn Khazim

مقتل موسى بن عبد الله بن خازم

al-Tirmidh

Al-Mufaddal sent Uthman ibn Mas'ud with fifteen thousand, who camped on the island still called Jazirat Uthman, pressed Musa, and summoned Tarkhun. Seeing the forces arrive, Musa left the city charging his men: 'if I am killed, yield it to Mudrik ibn al-Muhallab, never to Ibn Mas'ud'. Turks and Sughd cut him off, his horse stumbled, he mounted behind a mawla crying 'death is bitter'; Uthman marked him — 'Musa's leap, by the Lord of the Ka'ba!' — drove him down, and they surrounded and slew him and his company save Irqiya ibn al-Harfana, spared to Khalid ibn Abi Barza. Wasil ibn Taysala al-Anbari struck the final blow; the city went to Mudrik — it was the end of 85h — and the man who struck dead Musa's leg was himself killed by Qutayba.

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At a glance

Era
The Umayyad Period
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Overview

Al-Baladhuri relates that Musa ibn Abd Allah ibn Khazim was killed at Tirmidh at the end of 85 AH. Uthman ibn Mas'ud had squeezed him hard. 1

The siege

After Yazid ibn al-Muhallab was removed and al-Mufaddal was appointed over Khurasan, Uthman ibn Mas'ud sent forces and camped on an island at Tirmidh with fifteen thousand men, and wrote to Tarkhun, who came to him. Musa left the city and instructed his companions that if he was killed they should hand the city over to Mudrik ibn al-Muhallab. 1

The killing

The Turks and the Soghdians came between him and the fortress, his horse stumbled and fell. Uthman made for him, and Musa and his companions were killed, and only one escaped. The one who finished him off was Wasil ibn Taysala al-Anbari. The city was handed to Mudrik. 1

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
Musa ibn Abdallah ibn Khazim· Uthman ibn Mas'ud· Wasil ibn Taysala al-Anbari· Mudrik ibn al-Muhallab
Occurred at
al-Tirmidh

People and things also explored

Musa ibn Khazim's Seizure of Tirmidh· Musa's Wars from Tirmidh· Tirmidh between Musa ibn Khazim and Qutayba· Mudrik ibn al-Muhallab· Musa ibn Abdallah ibn Khazim· Uthman ibn Mas'ud· Wasil ibn Taysala al-Anbari· al-Tirmidh

Sources

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

islam.museum contributors. “The Killing of Musa ibn Abdallah ibn Khazim”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/musa-death-tirmidh/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Musa ibn Khazim's Seizure of Tirmidh

Musa ibn Abdallah ibn Khazim was at Tirmidh; he came to Samarqand where king Tarkhon honored him — until one of his men killed a Sughdian and he was expelled — then to Kish's lord, then back to Tirmidh the fortress. Its dahqan lodged and fed him; when Musa lay down to stay, the dahqan said 'leave', and he answered 'I know no home like this' — and fought its people.