The Assassination of Caliph Walid II serves as the violent climax to an era of mounting tension, marking the definitive start of the Third Fitna civil war. This episode explores the roots of this collapse, beginning with the Early History and Passive Protest of Sufism, where figures like Al-Hasan al-Basri withdrew from the “society’s corruption” to focus on the inner self. We analyze the dangerous intersection of religion and politics in the Qadariyya Heresy and Doctrine of Predestination, a movement that directly challenged the Caliph’s authority.

As internal divisions widened, the empire faced external exhaustion during the Umayyad Military Struggles in Khorasan and the Byzantine Frontier, where massive losses at sea and on land drained the treasury. This instability reached a breaking point in the West with the Berber Revolts and Civil War in Al-Andalus, leading to the unprecedented enslavement of Muslims by fellow Muslims and the permanent loss of central control over Morocco and Spain. Join us as we trace the tragic legacy of Caliph Hisham and the libertine reign of Walid II that brought a once-mighty dynasty to its knees.

1. Key Figures & Dramatis Personae

Figure / Character	Role / Title	Primary Activity & Narrative Significance
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik	10th Umayyad Caliph	Reigned for nearly 20 years, overseeing multi-front military campaigns, executing heretics like Ghulaylan, and attempting to alter the line of succession before dying of a sudden illness.
Al-Walid ibn Yazid (Walid II)	11th Umayyad Caliph	Alienated his family and the Syrian military through perceived immorality, vengeance, and the brutal torture of Khalid al-Qasri before being overthrown and killed.
Yazid ibn al-Walid (Yazid III)	Rebel / 12th Umayyad Caliph	Capitalized on Syrian dissatisfaction to organize a secret rebellion, seize Damascus, and overthrow his cousin Walid II.
Hanzala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi	Governor of Ifriqiya	Successfully defended Kairouan against multiple Berber rebel armies, executing the defected Umayyad commander Uqasha.
Balj ibn Bishr	Umayyad Cavalry Commander	Fled to Ceuta after the Umayyad defeat at Wadi Sabu, crossed into Al-Andalus to fight the Berbers, and eventually staged a coup to seize control of the region.
Nasr ibn Sayyar	Governor of Khorasan	Pacified Khorasan using diplomacy rather than force, secretly supported Walid II, and briefly arrested the rebel Yahya ibn Zayd.
Yusuf ibn Umar	Governor of Iraq	Attempted to undermine Nasr ibn Sayyar’s authority and brutally tortured former governor Khalid al-Qasri to death.
Yahya ibn Zayd	Shi’ite Rebel Leader	Fled to Khorasan following his father’s failed rebellion, refused to submit to the Caliph, and was killed in battle in Afghanistan.
Al-Jarrah al-Hakami	Governor of Azerbaijan	Annihilated alongside his army of roughly 25,000 troops at Ardabil by invading Khazar forces.
Saeed al-Harashi	Military Commander	Dispatched by Hisham to repel the Khazar invasion, successfully rescuing 5,000 captives before being temporarily arrested by Maslamah ibn Abd al-Malik.
Ghulaylan (Abu Marwan)	Qadariyya Figure	Debated scholars over the theology of predestination and was executed by Caliph Hisham for heresy.
Abu Muslim	Abbasid Propagandist / Commander	A former enslaved youth who was recruited in a Kufan prison, renamed by the Imam, and sent to lead the Abbasid uprising in Khorasan.

2. Chronological Timeline of Major Events

Date / Era	Event	Context & Outcome
8 AH	Battle of Marta	First recorded military encounter between Muslims and the Byzantine Empire.
98 AH (718 CE)	Siege of Constantinople	A disastrous Umayyad assault on the Byzantine capital; the siege was ultimately lifted by Caliph Umar II.
100 AH	Abbasid Da’is enter Khorasan	The first Abbasid propagandists began their secret revolutionary mission in the region.
Not specified in transcript (during Hisham’s reign)	Battle of Ardabil	Khazar forces annihilated Al-Jarrah’s army and sacked the city, taking tens of thousands of Muslims captive.
122 AH	Battle of Wadi Sabu & Battle of Akroinin	Devastating Umayyad defeats by the Berbers in North Africa and by the Byzantines in Anatolia.
Safar 124 AH	Appointment of Hanzala ibn Safwan	Caliph Hisham reassigned Hanzala from Egypt to defend the collapsing province of Ifriqiya.
Rabiul Thani 124 AH	Umayyad victory over Uqasha	Hanzala’s reinforced army temporarily repelled Uqasha’s Berber rebels near Kairouan.
Dhul Qa’dah 124 AH	Battle near Batna	Berber forces under Abdul Wahid defeated the Umayyad army in North Africa.
Shawal 124 AH	Battle of Aqua Portora	Syrian Arabs defeated a coalition of Spanish Arabs and Berbers in Al-Andalus.
Dhul Hijjah 124 AH	Second Syrian victory in Al-Andalus	Tha’laba led Syrians to another victory, resulting in the humiliating public auction of enslaved Muslims.
Safar 125 AH	Second Umayyad defeat by Abdul Wahid	Hanzala’s forces lost again, forcing the abandonment of Tunis to consolidate defenses at Kairouan.
Muharram 125 AH	Abul Khattar arrives in Al-Andalus	Appointed to restore order, he freed enslaved Muslims, exiled violent leaders, and distributed lands to Syrian troops.
Rabi al-Ula 125 AH	Defense of Kairouan	Hanzala’s forces defeated and executed Uqasha, then defeated Abdul Wahid’s northern Berber army.
125 AH	Death of Caliph Hisham	Hisham died of a sudden illness (possibly angina), resulting in the succession of his nephew Walid II.
125 AH	Ibrahim ibn Muhammad becomes Abbasid Imam	Succeeded his father, formally uniting the Hashimiyya and Abbasiyya factions into an assertive revolutionary movement.
Not specified in transcript (post-125 AH)	Death of Yahya ibn Zayd	Killed by an arrow during a battle in Jalzjan, effectively ending his rebellion in Khorasan.
Not specified in transcript (post-125 AH)	Overthrow of Walid II	Yazid III seized Damascus; Walid II was besieged, killed, and his body mutilated at the fortress of al-Bahra.
128 AH (745 CE)	Abu Muslim sent to Khorasan	Dispatched by the Abbasid Imam to officially lead the rising against the Umayyads.

3. Referenced Sources & Literature

• Primary / Classical Sources:

• Tarikh al-Tabari (Abu Jafar Tabari): Cited extensively throughout the episode for verbatim dialogue (e.g., Ghulaylan’s trial, Hisham’s death), Walid II’s letters, and detailed accounts of battles and assassinations.
• Tariq al-Ifriqi wal-Maghrib (al-Raqiq al-Kairouani): Cited for the account of Habib’s duel with a Berber and the women defending the rooftops of Kairouan.
• History of the Umayyad Caliphs (Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, via Al-Dhahabi): Cited regarding Walid II’s notorious reputation for wine and sodomy, while noting a lack of evidence for outright disbelief.
• Futuh al-Buldan (Al-Baladhuri): Mentioned briefly in the introduction as corroborating the general sequence of events regarding the conquest of Sindh.
• Chachnama: Discussed as a 14th-century Persian manuscript purporting to be a translation of an 8th-century Arabic document detailing the conquest of the Indus Valley.
• Secondary / Modern Historians & Works:

• The Formative Period of Islamic Thought (W. Montgomery Watt, 1973): Referenced for the origins of the Qadarite heresy and the figure of Maabad al-Juhayni.
• The End of the Jihad State (Khalid Yahya Blankenship): Cited regarding Uqasha’s Sufri background, Tha’laba’s unprecedented enslavement of Muslims in Al-Andalus, and the unrewarding nature of Khazar warfare.
• Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of Al-Andalus (Hugh Kennedy): Cited for Balj’s desperation agreement in Ceuta and the regional settlement of Syrian troops across Al-Andalus.
• The First Dynasty of Islam (G.R. Hawting): Cited for the three main factors (vengeance, theology, and tribalism) that precipitated Walid II’s downfall.
• The New Cambridge Encyclopedia of Islam (Paul M. Cobb, 2011): Cited regarding Caliph Umar II officially lifting the siege of Constantinople and withdrawing troops.
• The Abbasid Caliphate (Farooq Omar, 1967): Cited for Abu Muslim’s origins as an imprisoned servant in Kufa before being recruited by Abbasid propagandists.
• The Revolt of Yahya ibn Zayd ibn Ali (Natalie Contney Wendt, 2025): Cited for the tense political dialogue between Yahya and the governor Nasr ibn Sayyar.
• Lecture / Commentary (Bilal Asad): Quoted providing a theological explanation of the Islamic concepts of Qada’ and Qadar.
• Unattributed Oral / Folk Traditions:

• Rumors regarding Walid II: The transcript mentions unattributed stories that Walid planned to erect a dome over the Kaaba to drink wine, and that he attempted to bring dogs on the Hajj.
• Chinese Sources: Referenced generically regarding the Tang Dynasty executing the Turkish Khagan Kudusul, contrasting with Arab chronicles that claimed he was captured by Muslims.