Muslims

"Muhammad, son of Kasim, left Armail, accompanied by [p. 21] Jahm, the son of Zahru-l Ju’fi, and arrived at Debal on Friday, where ships brought to him a supply of men, arms, and warlike machines. He dug an entrenchment which he defended with spearmen, and unfurled his standards; each body of warriors was arrayed under its own banner, and he fixed the manjanik, which was called “the bride,” and required five hundred men to work it. There was at Debal a lofty temple (budd) surmounted by a long pole, and on the pole was fixed a red flag, which when the breeze blew was unfurled over the city. The budd is a high steeple, below which the idol or idols are deposited, as in this instance. The Indians give in general the name of budd to anything connected with their worship or which forms the object of their veneration. So, an idol is called budd."

"Muhammad, son of Yahya, says that Mansur, the son of Hatim, the grammarian, a freeman of the family of Khalid, son of Assaid, relates that he had seen the pole broken into fragments which had been placed on the steeple of the temple. ‘Ambissa, son of Ishak Az Zabbi, the governor of Sind, in the Khalifat of Mu’tasim billah, knocked down the upper part of the minaret of the temple and converted it into a prison. At the same time he began to repair the ruined town with the stones of the minaret; but before [p. 22] he had completed his labours, he was deprived of his employment, and was succeeded by Harun, son of Abi Khalid- al Maruruzi, and he was slain there."

"Muhammad, son of Kasim then went to Nirun, the inhabitants of which place had already sent two Samanis, or priests, of their town to Hajjaj to treat for peace. They furnished Muhammad with supplies, and admitting him to enter the town they were allowed to capitulate. Muhammad conquered all the towns successively which he met on his route, until he had crossed a river which runs on this side of the Mihran [Indus]. He then saw approaching towards him Sarbidas, the Samani, who came to demand peace in the name of the inhabitants. Muhammad imposed tribute upon them, and then went towards Sahban, and took it. Then he went to the banks of the Mihran, and there remained. When this news reached Dahir, he prepared for battle. Muhammad, son of Kasim, had sent Muhammad, son of Mus’ab, son of’Abdu-r Rahman as Sakifi, to Sadusan, with men mounted on horses and asses, at whose approach the inhabitants solicited quarter and peace, the terms of which were negotiated by the Samani. Muhammad granted them peace, but he imposed tribute on the place, and took pledges from them, and then returned to his master. He brought with him four thousand Jats, and left at Sadusan an officer in command."

"Muhammad then marched towards Alrur and Baghrur. The people of Sawandari came out to meet him and sued for peace, which was granted them, on the condition that they should entertain the Muhammadans and furnish guides. At this time they profess the Muhammadan creed. After that he went to Basmad, where the inhabitants obtained peace on the same terms as those accorded to the Sawandrians. At last he reached Alrur, one of the cities of Sind. It is situated on a hill. Muhammad besieged it for several months, and compelled it to surrender promising to spare the lives of the inhabitants and not touch the temples (budd). “The temples,” he said, “shall be unto us, like as the churches of the Christians, the syna-gogues of the Jews, and the fire temples of the Magians.” He imposed, however, the tribute upon the inhabitants, and built a mosque in the city."

"Muhammad sought the means of crossing the Mihran, and effected the passage in a place which adjoined the dominions of Rasil, chief of Kassa, in Hind, upon a bridge which he had caused to be constructed. Dahir had neglected every precaution, not believing that the Musulmans would dare to advance so far. Muhammad and his Musulmans encountered Dahir mounted on his elephant, and surrounded by many of these animals, and his Takakaras [Thakurs] were near his person. A dreadful conflict ensued, such as had never been heard of. Dahir dismounted and fought valiantly, but he was killed towards the evening, when the idolaters fled, and the Musulmans glutted themselves with massacre. According to Al Madaini, [p. 23] the slayer of Dahir was a man of the tribe of Kalab, who composed some verses upon the occasion."

"Muhammad advanced to Alsaka, a town on this side of the Biyas, which was captured by him, and is now in ruins. He then crossed the Biyas, and went towards Multan, where, in the action which ensued, Zaida, the son of ‘Umur, of the tribe of Tai, covered himself with glory. The infidels retreated in disorder into the town, and Muhammad commenced the siege, but the provisions being exhausted, the Musulmans were reduced to eat [p. 24] asses. Then came there forward a man who sued for quarter, and pointed out to them an aqueduct, by which the inhabitants were supplied with drinking water from the river of Basmad. It flowed within the city into a reservoir like a well, which they call talah. Muhammad destroyed the water-course; upon which the inhabitants, oppressed with thirst, surrendered at discretion. He massacred the men capable of bearing arms, but the children were taken captive, as well as the ministers of the temple, to the number of six thousand. The Musulmans found I there much gold in a chamber ten cubits long by eight broad, and there was an aperture above, through which the gold was poured into the chamber. Hence they call Multan “the Frontier of the House of Gold,” for farj means “a frontier.”4 The temple (budd) of Multan received rich presents and offerings, and to it the people of Sind resorted as a place of pilgrimage. They circumambulated it, and shaved their heads and beards. They conceived that the image was that of the prophet Job, God’s peace be on him!"

"Various authors concur in saying that Muhammad took the village of Rawar by assault, in which city there was a wife of Dahir, who, afraid of being captured, burned herself along with her handmaids and all that she possessed."

"We are told that Hajjaj caused a calculation to be made of the sums expended in fitting out this expedition of Muhammad Kasim, and the riches which resulted from it. He had spent sixty millions (of dirhams) and that which had been sent to him amounted to one hundred and twenty millions. He said “We have appeased our anger, and avenged our injuries, and we have gained sixty millions of dirhams, as well as the head of Dahir.” Hajjaj then died.5 Upon learning this, Muhammad left Multan and returned to Alrur and Baghrur, which had been previously captured. He made donations to his men, and sent an [p. 25] army towards al-Bailaman, the inhabitants of which place surrendered without any resistance. He made peace with the inhabitants of Surast, with whom the men of Basea6 are now at war. They are Meds, seafarers, and pirates. Then he went against the town of Kiraj. Duhar advanced to oppose him, but the enemy was put to flight. Duhar fled, but some say he was killed. The inhabitants surrendered. Muhammad slew (all those capable of bearing arms) and reduced the rest to slavery."

"The Sultan then asked, "How are Hindus designated in the law, as payers of tributes or givers of tribute? The Kazi replied, "They are called payers of tribute, and when the revenue officer demands silver from them, they should tender gold. If the officer throws dirt into their mouths, they must without reluctance open their mouths to receive it. The due subordination of the zimmi is exhibited in this humble payment and by this throwing of dirt in their mouths. The glorification of Islam is a duty. God holds them in contempt, for he says, "keep them under in subjection". To keep the Hindus in abasement is especially a religious duty, because they are the most inveterate enemies of the Prophet, and because the Prophet has commanded us to slay them, plunder them, enslave them and spoil their wealth and property. No doctor but the great doctor (Hanafi), to whose school we belong, has assented to the imposition of the jizya (poll tax) on Hindus. Doctors of other schools allow no other alternative but Death or Islam."

"“……Malik Naib Kafur marched on to Ma’bar, which he also took. He destroyed the golden idol temple (but-khanah i-zarin) of Ma’bar, and the golden idols which for ages had been worshipped by the Hindus of that country. The fragments of the golden temple, and of the broken idols of gold and gilt became the rich spoil of the army…”"

"Then Muhammad, son of Kasim, went to old Brahmanabad, two parasangs f rom Mansura, which town indeed did not then exist, its site being a forest. The remnant of the army of Dahir rallied at Brahmanabad and resistance being made, Muhammad was obliged to resort to force, when eight, or as some say, twenty-six thousand men were put to the sword. He left a prefect there. The place is now in ruins."

"A heaviness lies in my heart. A King has left this mortal world. From his family, his people, he is apart. Rest in peace, dear King. You have given your all. We shall honour your name. We shall never let it fall."

"This is the side of a king no one knows. You don't simply sit on a throne and enjoy your riches despite what many ignorantly think. There are sacrifices because you can't have a normal life. There is no privacy and no normal schedule. Your status is an amanah from Allah."

"Baginda ada ramai kawan dan sikap mesra itu tetap ada walaupun menjadi pemerintah negeri."

"I wish you every success as you lead Malaysia, for a second time, on its continuing path of prosperity and as a force for good in the region and the world."

"Kecemerlangan akademik dan akhlak pelajar seharusnya dicapai secara bersepadu kerana akhlak yang baik secara langsung akan membentuk suasana yang kondusif untuk pelajar mencapai kejayaan."

"Sebagai seorang raja yang telah memerintah lebih dari separuh abad adalah pengalaman dan nasihat Paduka Kakanda sebagai Yang di-Pertuan Agong Malaysia Ke-14 sudah sebarang tentu amat dihormati lagi dihargai."

"Ambillah kesempatan ini untuk kita ziarah-menziarahi antara satu sama lain. Eratkan hubungan silaturahim antara pelbagai kaum yang ada di Malaysia. Semoga negara kita akan terus aman dan makmur."

"Sebagai seorang raja yang diberi peluang usia dan pengalaman, yang begitu lama, sejak sebelum negara meraih kemerdekaan sehinggalah kini, pada hemah beta, ada satu perkara yang amat berharga kepada negara ini dan tidak boleh dijual beli yakni perpaduan."

"การเสด็จมาเยือนประเทศไทยของฝ่าพระบาทครั้งนี้นับเป็นเหตุการณ์สำคัญที่ควรจารึกไว้ในประวัติศาสตร์ของชาติทั้งสอง โดยเป็นครั้งแรกที่ประเทศไทยได้มีโอกาสต้อนรับฝ่าพระบาทในฐานะสมเด็จพระราชาธิบดีแห่งมาเลเซียถึงสองครั้ง คนไทยเราระลึกอยู่เสมอว่ามีบุญวาสนาที่ได้รับเสด็จฝ่าพระบาทมาแล้วครั้งหนึ่งเมื่อ40ปีก่อน การเสด็จมาเยือนครั้งนี้จึงทำให้คนไทยทั้งปวงเกิดความปิติยินดีที่จะได้เฝ้าชมพระบารมีอีกวาระหนึ่ง ข้อนี้ย่อมเป็นประจักษ์พยานได้เป็นอย่างดีที่แสดงให้เห็นถึงความสัมพันธ์อันดีที่มีมาอย่างต่อเนื่องระหว่างประเทศทั้งสองและย่อมเป็นปัจจัยสำคัญอีกส่วนหนึ่งที่จะเกื้อกูลส่งเสริมความสัมพันธ์ดังกล่าวให้ยิ่งมั่นคงและเจริญงอกงามต่อไปโดยไม่มีสิ้นสุด ในวาระอันประเสริฐนี้หม่อมฉันภูมิใจที่จะกราบทูลอีกว่าสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัวฯทรงปิติโสมนัสเป็นอย่างยิ่งที่ได้ต้อนรับฝ่าพระบาทและสมเด็จพระราชินีในคราวนี้ ทรงเสียดายที่ไม่อาจจะเสด็จมารับรองในค่ำวันนี้ด้วยพระองค์เองจีงส่งพระราชปราณาดีมาถวายพระพรแด่เฝ่าพระบาทให้ทรงพระเกษมสุขและทรงเจริญไพบูลย์พร้อมทั้งอำนวยพรให้แก่ประเทศและประชาชนมาเลซียให้มีความรุ่งเรืองวัฒนาเป็นผาสุขยิ่งยืนนานตลอดไป"

"Berimbang bermaksud seluruh pertimbangan negatif dan positif diberi perhatian supaya jalan berfikir yang diambil selalu bersifat wasatiah."

"Perpaduan, kestabilan dan kesejahteraan adalah amat penting untuk meneruskan agenda pembangunan, membina kekuatan dan mendaulatkan negara."

"Raja adalah payung kepada rakyat dan rakyat adalah tunjang kepada raja."

"Kepada para belia, gunakanlah segala ruang dan peluang yang ada dengan bijaksana, bak kata pepatah, kalau tinggi di angkasa jadilah garuda, kalau jatuh ke laut jadilah pulau."

"Semua pihak hendaklah mengamalkan adab yang tinggi, sentiasa berlapang dada dan bertoleransi, saling menghormati serta mengasihi antara satu sama lain."

"Perkukuhkan diri dan pikullah tanggungjawab kita sebagai warga yang benar-benar cinta akan tanah air."

"Kadangkala orang politik mengambil jalan mudah untuk mengekalkan populariti dengan memainkan isu agama dan perkauman. Inilah yang membuatkan keresahan dan kucar-kacir di dalam masyarakat yang mungkin hanya menjadi pengikut yang tidak langsung faham isu yang diapi-apikan itu"

"On this solemn occasion, I dedicate myself to the service of my people. I will defend the faith. I will uphold the Constitution. I will maintain the right."

"Dengan izin Allah SWT, beta telah bersemayam di takhta selama 57 tahun. Walaupun pelbagai peristiwa beta saksi sepanjang pemerintahan, beta tidak pernah berasa begini bimbang dengan hubungan antara kaum dan agama yang semakin rapuh. … Jika rakyat cintakan keamanan dan kedamaian seperti beta, maka gunakanlah kebebasan dan hak bersama ini dengan berhemah."

"Dengan bekerja tekun dan bekerjasama di-antara ra'ayat maka dalam masa yang singkat neschaya terchapai maksud yang kita tujukan. Mithal-nya sa-buah titi tidak dapat di-buat oleh sa-orang sa-haja untok menyeberangi sungai, melainkan dengan kerjasama ra'ayat. Sa-andai-nya kamu dapat ber-buat demikian, kamu akan menjadi ra'ayat yang akan ber-jasa terhadap nusa dan bangsa-nya."

"Maka oleh yang demikian beta, Al-Sultan Almu'tasimu Billahi Muhibbuddin Tuanku Alhaj Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’azam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, dengan ini mengisytiharkan bahawa beta pada hari ini telah memegang jawatan Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan telah mengangkat sumpah yang dikehendaki oleh Perkara 37 Perlembagaan Persekutuan mengikut cara yang ditetapkan oleh Perkara itu."

"Sa-kira-nya dalam menjalankan tugas beta yang baharu ini, beta membawa sifat2 serba kekurangan dalam kebijaksanaan dan pengalaman yang menjadi sifat orang muda, maka beta akan menchuba menggantikan serba kekurangan itu dengan semangat bersungguh2 untok membuat bakti."

"Walau bagaimana pun, kita harus berwaspada dan berikhtiar supaya peristiwa burok yang berlaku pada 13hb Mei, 1969, tidak berulang lagi."

".مك بيت جوڬ سوكا مڠمبيل كسمفاتن اين انتوق برافرار بهوا بيت اكن برسوڠڬوه٢ منجالن دان ملقسناكن توڬس٢ يڠبرت يڠتله دلتقكن دأتس باهو بيت سباڬي يڠدفرتوان اڬوڠ"

"Spare me four things– and say after that what thou pleasest– do not lie to me for liars have no judgment, and do not answer me regarding what I don not ask thee for it is a distraction from what I do ask thee, and do not be extravagant in my praise for I know myself better then thou, and do not incite me against my subjects for verily clemency unto them is more needful for me."

"I have collected the Qur’an (jama’tul-Qur’ana)."

"Muhammad took the fort [of Rawar] and stayed there for two or three days. He put six thousand fighting men, who were in the fort, to the sword, and shot some with arrows. The other dependents and servants were taken prisoners, with their wives and children... When the number of the prisoners was calculated, it was found to amount to thirty thousand persons, amongst whom thirty were the daughters of chiefs, and one of them was Rai Dahir's sister's daughter, whose name was Jaisiya. They were sent to Hajjaj. The head of Dahir and the fifth part of the prisoners were forwarded in charge of Ka'ab, son of Mharak. When the head of Dahir, the women, and the property all reached Hajjaj, he prostrated himself before Allah, offered thanksgivings and praises... Hajjaj then forwarded the head, the umbrellas, and wealth, and the prisoners to Walid the Khalifa. When the Khalifa of the time had read the letter, he praised Almighty Allah. He sold some of those daughters of the chiefs, and some he granted as rewards. When he saw the daughter of Rai Dahir’s sister he was much struck with her beauty and charms, and began to bite his finger with astonishment.... It is said that after the conquest was effected and the affairs of the country were settled and the report of the conquest had reached Hajjaj, he sent a reply to the following effect. 'O my cousin! I received your life-inspiring letter. I was much pleased and overjoyed when it reached me. The events were recounted in an excellent and beautiful style, and I learnt that the ways and rules you follow are conformable to the Law. Except that you give protection to all, great and small alike, and make no difference between enemy and friend. God says, - Give no quarter to Infidels, but cut their throats. Then know that this is the command of the great God [Allah]. You shall not be too ready to grant protection, because it will prolong your work. After this, give no quarter to any enemy except to those who are of rank."

"Eight, or some say twenty-six thousand, men were put to the sword."

"Janaki was one of the daughters of King Dahir of Sindh. She was captured along with her sister and sent to the Khalifa at Baghdad. When the Khalifa invited Janaki to share his bed, she lied to him that she had already been violated by Muhammad bin Qasim. Her sister supported her statement. The Khalifa ordered that Muhammad be sewed up in raw hide and sent to his court. Muhammad was already dead when the chest containing him arrived in Baghdad. Janaki accused the Khalifa of having killed one of his great generals without making proper enquiry. She said, 'The king has committed a very grievous mistake, for he ought not, on account of two slave girls, to have destroyed a person who had taken captive a hundred thousand modest women like us,... and who instead of temples had erected mosques, pulpits and minarets."

"[Within two years of the death of Muhammad bin Qasim ], the people of India rebelled, and threw off their yoke, and the country from Debalpur to the salt sea only remained under the dominions of the Khalifa."

"Muhammad b. Qasim declared that he had no orders (i.e., from his superior al-Hajjaj, the governor of Iraq) to spare the inhabitants, and thus for three days a ruthless and indiscriminate slaughter ensued. In the aftermath, the local temple was defiled, and “700 beautiful females who had sought for shelter there, were all captured.” The capture of Raor was accompanied by a similar tragic outcome. Muhammad massacred 6000 fighting men who were found in the fort, and their followers and dependents, as well as their women and children were taken prisoners. Sixty thousand slaves, including 30 young ladies of royal blood, were sent to Hajjaj, along with the head of Dahar [the Hindu ruler]. We can now well understand why the capture of a fort by the Muslim forces was followed by the terrible jauhar ceremony (in which females threw themselves in fire [they] kindled by themselves), the earliest recorded instance of which is found in the Chachnama. As a result, the Chachnama records, “some [Hindus] resolved to live in their native land, but others took flight in order to maintain the faith of their ancestors, and their horses, domestics, and other property.”"

"Muhammad Kasim, ascertaining that large offerings were made to the idol, and wishing to add to his resources by those means, left it uninjured, but in order to show his horror of Indian superstition, he attached a piece of cow's flesh to its neck, by which he was able to gratify his avarice and malignity at the same time."

"Mahommad bin Qasim's first act of religious zeal was forcibly to circumcise the Brahmins of the captured city of Debul ; but on discovering that they objected to this sort of conversion, he proceeded to put all above the age of 17 to death, and to order all others, with women and children, to be led into slavery. The temple of the Hindus was looted, and the rich booty was divided equally among the soldiers, after one-fifth, the legal portion for the government, had been set aside."

"When Hajjaj, the governor of Iraq, asked the Caliph for permission to send another expedition, the Caliph wrote back: “This affair will be a source of great anxiety and so we must put it off, for every time an army goes, [vast] numbers of Mussalmans are killed. So think no more of such a design.” But Hajjaj was a very tenacious imperialist. He spent the next four years in equipping an army more formidable than any which had so far been sent against Sindh. While sending off his nephew as well as son-in-law, Muhammad bin Qasim, with this army in AD 712, Hajjaj said: “I swear by Allah that I am determined to spend the whole wealth of Iraq, that is in my possession, on this expedition.”"

"During the Arab invasion of Sindh (712 C.E.), Muhammad bin Qasim first attacked Debal, a word derived from Deval meaning temple. It was situated on the sea-coast not far from modern Karachi. It was garrisoned by 4000 Kshatriya soldiers and served by 3000 Brahmans. All males of the age of seventeen and upwards were put to the sword and their women and children were enslaved. “700 beautiful females, who were under the protection of Budh (that is, had taken shelter in the temple), were all captured with their valuable ornaments, and clothes adorned with jewels.” Muhammad despatched one-fifth of the legal spoil to Hajjaj which included seventy-five damsels, the rest four-fifths were distributed among the soldiers. Thereafter whichever places he attacked like Rawar, Sehwan, Dhalila, Brahmanabad and Multan, Hindu soldiers and men with arms were slain, the common people fled, or, if flight was not possible, accepted Islam, or paid the poll tax, or died with their religion. Many women of the higher class immolated themselves in Jauhar, most others became prize of the victors. These women and children were enslaved and converted, and batches of them were dispatched to the Caliph in regular installments."

"At the time of Muhammad bin Qasim’s invasion of Sindh the head of the State was the Caliph and prisoners taken in Sindh were regularly forwarded to him. Kufi, the author of the Chachnama, rightly sums up the position. Out of the total catch, four-fifths was the share of the soldiers, “what remained of the cash and slaves was… sent to Hajjaj (the Governor of Iraq )” for onward transportation to the Khalifa. In such a situation any special acquisition had to be paid for in cash. Muhammad bin Qasim who wished to possess Raja Dahir’s wife Ladi, avers the Chachnama, “purchased her out of the spoils, before making her his wife.” But the price he paid is not mentioned. Similarly, when Hajjaj sent 60,000 slaves captured in India to the Caliph Walid I (705-715 C.E.), the latter “sold some of those female slaves of royal birth”,5 but again their price has not been specified."

"But even in the deepest darkness light persists. Timur’s gruesome invasion had a silver lining. Hindus and Muslims all stood up to a man to fight him wherever he went. The days of Mahmud of Ghazni were a story of the past, and Timur met resistance everywhere. The people of India were known for their disunity in the face of a foreign invader. But they stood united against Timur. At Tulamba, Ajodhan, Deopalpur, Bhatnir, Meerut and Delhi—nay everywhere —the Hindus and Muslims fought shoulder to shoulder against the invader. Shaikh Sa’iduddin interceded with Timur on behalf of the Hindu chief of Bhatnir. At Meerut, Ilyas Afghan, a Muslim, burnt his womenfolk in the fire of jawhar. During Timur’s visitation the Hindus and Muslims learnt to sink their differences and stand united."

"When Muhammad bin Qasim invaded Sind, he took captives wherever he went and sent many prisoners, especially women prisoners, to his homeland. Parimal Devi and Suraj Devi, the two daughters of Raja Dahir, who were sent to Hajjaj to adorn the harem of the Caliph, were part of a large bunch of maidens remitted as one-fifth share of the state (Khums) from the booty of war (Ghanaim). The Chachnama gives the details. After the capture of the fort of Rawar, Muhammad bin Qasim “halted there for three day, during which time he masscered 6,000 …men. Their followers and dependents, as well as their women and children were taken prisoner.” When the (total) number of prisoners was calculated, it was found to amount to thirty thousand persons (Kalichbeg has sixty thousand), amongst whom thirty were the daughters of the chiefs. They were sent to Hajjaj. The head of Dahir and the fifth part of prisoners were forwarded in charge of the Black Slave Kaab, son of Mubarak Rasti.96 In Sind itself female slaves captured after every campaign of the marching army, were married to Arab soldiers who settled down in colonies established in places like Mansura, Kuzdar, Mahfuza and Multan. The standing instructions of Hajjaj to Muhammad bin Qasim were to “give no quarter to infidels, but to cut their throats”, and take the women and children as captives. In the final stages of the conquest of Sind, “when the plunder and the prisoners of war were brought before Qasim… one-fifth of all the prisoners were chosen and set aside; they were counted as amounting to twenty thousand in number… (they belonged to high families) and veils were put on their faces, and the rest were given to the soldiers”.97 Obviously, a few lakhs of women were enslaved and distributed among the elite and the soldiers."

"Of the prisoners captured a selection was made from the slaves and other spoils, “in order to detach the usual one-fifth share of the State. The number of the selected slaves came to about 20,000. The rest were distributed among the troops.”"

"...In vain, I see, men worship Mahomet: My sword hath sent millions of Turks to hell, Slew all his priests, his kinsmen, and his friends, And yet I live untouch'd by Mahomet. There is a God, full of revenging wrath, From whom the thunder and the lightning breaks, Whose scourge I am, and him will I obey."