حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ بْنِ نَصْرٍ السِّجْزِيُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ الشَّعْرَانِيَّ مِنْ وُلْدِ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَقُولُ حَكَى لِي أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ الْمِصْرِيُ أَنَّ أَبَا الْجَيْشِ حَمَّادَوَيْهِ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ طُولُونَ كَانَ قَدْ فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ كُنُوزِ مِصْرَ مَا لَمْ يُرْزَقْ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَهُ فغزى [فَأُغْرِيَ] بِالْهَرَمَيْنِ فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ جُلَسَاؤُهُ وَ حَاشِيَتُهُ وَ بِطَانَتُهُ بِأَنْ لَا يَتَعَرَّضَ لِهَدْمِ الْأَهْرَامِ فَإِنَّهُ مَا تَعَرَّضَ لِهَذِهِ أَحَدٌ فَطَالَ عُمُرُهُ فَأَلَحَّ فِي ذَلِكَ وَ أَمَرَ أَلْفاً مِنَ الْفَعَلَةِ أَنْ يَطْلُبُوا الْبَابَ فَكَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ سَنَةً حَوَالَيْهِ حَتَّى ضَجِرُوا وَ كَلُّوا فَلَمَّا هَمُّوا بِالانْصِرَافِ بَعْدَ الْإِيَاسِ مِنْهُ وَ تَرْكِ الْعَمَلِ وَجَدُوا سَرَباً فَقَدَّرُوا أَنَّهُ الْبَابُ الَّذِي يَطْلُبُونَهُ فَلَمَّا بَلَغُوا آخِرَهُ وَجَدُوا بَلَاطَةً قَائِمَةً مِنْ مَرْمَرٍ فَقَدَّرُوا أَنَّهَا الْبَابُ فَاحْتَالُوا فِيهَا إِلَى أَنْ قَلَعُوهَا وَ أَخْرَجُوهَا قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُظَفَّرِ وَجَدُوا مِنْ وَرَائِهَا بِنَاءً مُنْضَمّاً لَا يقدروا [يَقْدِرُونَ] عَلَيْهِ فَأَخْرَجُوهَا ثُمَّ نَظَّفُوهَا فَإِذَا عَلَيْهَا كِتَابَةٌ بِالْيُونَانِيَّةِ فَجَمَعُوا حُكَمَاءَ مِصْرَ وَ عُلَمَاءَهَا مِنْ سَائِرِ الْأَدْيَانِ فَلَمْ يَهْتَدُوا لَهَا. وَ كَانَ فِي الْقَوْمِ رَجُلٌ يُعْرَفُ بِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمَدِينِيِّ أَحَدُ حُفَّاظِ الدُّنْيَا وَ عُلَمَائِهَا فَقَالَ لِأَبِي الْجَيْشِ حَمَّادَوَيْهِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ أَعْرِفُ فِي بَلَدِ الْحَبَشَةِ أُسْقُفّاً قَدْ عُمِّرَ وَ أَتَى عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَ سِتُّونَ سَنَةً يَعْرِفُ هَذَا الْخَطَّ وَ قَدْ كَانَ عَزَمَ عَلَى أَنْ يُعَلِّمَنِيهِ فَلِحِرْصِي عَلَى عِلْمِ الْعَرَبِ لَمْ أَقُمْ عِنْدَهُ وَ هُوَ بَاقٍ فَكَتَبَ أَبُو الْجَيْشِ إِلَى مَلِكِ الْحَبَشَةِ يَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ هَذَا الْأُسْقُفَّ إِلَيْهِ فَأَجَابَهُ أَنَّ هَذَا شَيْخٌ قَدْ طُعِنَ فِي السِّنِّ وَ قَدْ حَطَمَهُ الزَّمَانُ وَ إِنَّمَا يَحْفَظُهُ هَذَا الْهَوَاءُ وَ هَذَا الْإِقْلِيمُ وَ يُخَافُ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ نُقِلَ إِلَى هَوَاءٍ آخَرَ وَ إِقْلِيمٍ آخَرَ وَ لَحِقَتْهُ حَرَكَةٌ وَ تَعَبٌ وَ مَشَقَّةُ السَّفَرِ أَنْ يَتْلَفَ وَ فِي بَقَائِهِ لَنَا شَرَفٌ وَ فَرَحٌ وَ سَكِينَةٌ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَكُمْ شَيْءٌ يَقْرَؤُهُ أَوْ يُفَسِّرُهُ أَوْ مَسْأَلَةٌ تَسْأَلُونَهُ فَاكْتُبْ لِي بِذَلِكَ فَحُمِلَتِ الْبَلَاطَةُ فِي قَارِبٍ إِلَى بَلَدِ أُسْوَانَ مِنَ الصَّعِيدِ الْأَعْلَى وَ حُمِلَتْ مِنْ أُسْوَانَ عَلَى الْعَجَلَةِ إِلَى بَلَدِ الْحَبَشَةِ وَ هِيَ قَرِيبَةٌ مِنَ الْأُسْوَانِ فَلَمَّا وَصَلَتْ قَرَأَهَا الْأُسْقُفُّ وَ فَسَّرَ مَا كَانَ فِيهَا بِالْحَبَشِيَّةِ ثُمَّ نُقِلَتْ إِلَى الْعَرَبِيَّةِ فَإِذَا فِيهَا مَكْتُوبٌ أَنَا الرَّيَّانُ بْنُ دَوْمَغٍ فَسُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمَدِينِيُّ عَنِ الرَّيَّانِ مَنْ كَانَ فَقَالَ هُوَ وَالِدُ الْعَزِيزِ الْمَلِكِ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي زَمَانِ يُوسُفَ النَّبِيِّ ع وَ اسْمُهُ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ الرَّيَّانِ بْنِ دَوْمَغٍ وَ كَانَ عُمُرُ الْعَزِيزِ سَبْعَمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ وَ عُمُرُ الرَّيَّانِ وَالِدِهِ أَلْفَ وَ سَبْعَمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ وَ عُمُرُ دَوْمَغٍ ثَلَاثَةَ آلَافِ سَنَةٍ. فَإِذَا فِيهَا أَنَا الرَّيَّانُ بْنُ دَوْمَغٍ خَرَجْتُ فِي طَلَبِ عِلْمِ النِّيلِ الْأَعْظَمِ لِأَعْلَمَ فَيْضَهُ وَ مَنْبَعَهُ إِذْ كُنْتُ أَرَى مُفِيضَهُ فَخَرَجْتُ وَ مَعِي مَنْ صَحِبَنِي أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ فَسِرْتُ ثَمَانِينَ سَنَةً إِلَى أَنِ انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ وَ الْبَحْرِ الْمُحِيطِ بِالدُّنْيَا فَرَأَيْتُ النِّيلَ يَقْطَعُ الْبَحْرَ الْمُحِيطَ وَ يَعْبَرُ فِيهِ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِي مَنْفَذٌ وَ تَمَاوَتَ أَصْحَابِي وَ بَقِيتُ فِي أَرْبَعَةِ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ فَخَشِيتُ عَلَى مُلْكِي فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مِصْرَ وَ بَنَيْتُ الْأَهْرَامَ وَ الْبَرَانِيَّ [الْبَرَابِيَ] وَ بَنَيْتُ الْهَرَمَيْنِ وَ أَوْدَعْتُهُمَا كُنُوزِي وَ ذَخَائِرِي وَ قُلْتُ فِي ذَلِكَ- وَ أَدْرَكَ عِلْمِي بَعْضَ مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ وَ لَا عِلْمَ لِي بِالْغَيْبِ وَ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ وَ أَتْقَنْتُ مَا حَاوَلْتُ إِتْقَانَ صُنْعِهِ وَ أَحْكَمْتُهُ وَ اللَّهُ أَقْوَى وَ أَحْكَمُ وَ حَاوَلْتُ عِلْمَ النِّيلِ مِنْ بَدْءِ فَيْضِهِ فَأَعْجَزَنِي وَ الْمَرْءُ بِالْعَجْزِ مُلْجَمٌ ثَمَانِينَ شَاهُوراً قَطَعْتُ مَسَايِحاً وَ حَوْلِي بَنوُ حُجْرٍ وَ جَيْشُ عَرَمْرَمٍ إِلَى أَنْ قَطَعْتُ الْإِنْسَ وَ الْجِنَّ كُلَّهُمْ وَ عَارَضَنِي لُجٌّ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ مُظْلِمٌ فَأَيْقَنْتُ أَنْ لَا مَنْفَذَ بَعْدَ مَنْزِلِي لِذِي هِمَّةٍ بَعْدِي وَ لَا مُتَقَدِّمٍ فَأُبْتُ إِلَى مُلْكِي وَ أَرْسَيْتُ ثَاوِياً بِمِصْرَ وَ لِلْأَيَّامِ بُؤْسٌ وَ أَنْعُمٌ أَنَا صَاحِبُ الْأَهْرَامِ فِي مِصْرَ كُلِّهَا وَ بَانِي بَرَانِيهَا بِهَا وَ الْمُقَدَّمُ تَرَكْتُ بِهَا آثَارَ كَفِّي وَ حِكْمَتِي عَلَى الدَّهْرِ لَا تُبْلَى وَ لَا تَتَهَدَّمُ وَ فِيهَا كُنُوزٌ جَمَّةٌ وَ عَجَائِبُ وَ لِلدَّهْرِ أَمْرٌ مَرَّةً وَ تَجَهُّمٌ سَيَفْتَحُ أَقْفَالِي وَ يُبْدِي عَجَائِبِي وَلِيٌّ لِرَبِّي آخِرَ الدَّهْرِ يَنْجُمُ بِأَكْنَافِ بَيْتِ اللَّهِ تَبْدُو أُمُورُهُ فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَعْلُوَ وَ يَسْمُوَ بِهِ السِّمُ ثَمَانٍ وَ تِسْعٌ وَ اثْنَتَانِ وَ أَرْبَعٌ وَ تِسْعُونَ أُخْرَى مِنْ قَتِيلٍ وَ مُلْجَمٍ وَ مِنْ بَعْدِ هَذَا كَرَّ تِسْعُونَ تِسْعَةٌ وَ تِلْكَ الْبَرَانِيُّ تَسْتَخِرُّ وَ تُهْدَمُ وَ تُبْدَى كُنُوزِي كُلُّهَا غَيْرَ أَنَّنِي أَرَى كُلَّ هَذَا أَنْ يُفَرِّقَهَا الدَّمُ زَبَرْتُ مَقَالِي فِي صُخُورٍ قَطَعْتُهَا سَتَبْقَى وَ أَفْنَى بَعْدَهَا ثُمَّ أَعْدَمُ فَحِينَئِذٍ قَالَ أَبُو الْجَيْشِ حَمَّادَوَيْهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ هَذَا شَيْءٌ لَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ فِيهِ حِيلَةٌ إِلَّا الْقَائِمَ مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ع وَ رُدَّتِ الْبَلَاطَةُ كَمَا كَانَتْ مَكَانَهَا. ثُمَّ إِنَّ أَبَا الْجَيْشِ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ بِسَنَةٍ قَتَلَهُ طَاهِرٌ الْخَادِمُ ذَبَحَهُ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ وَ هُوَ سَكْرَانُ وَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ عُرِفَ خَبَرُ الْهَرَمَيْنِ وَ مَنْ بَنَاهُمَا فَهَذَا أَصَحُّ مَا يُقَالُ مِنْ خَبَرِ النِّيلِ وَ الْهَرَمَيْنِ.
Narrated to us Abu Saeed Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab bin Nasr Sajzi from Abul Hasan bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Hamza bin Zaid She’rani who was from the progeny of Ammar bin Yasir that Abul Qasim Muhammad bin Qasim Misri narrated that:
“The treasures of Egypt opened for Abu al-Jaish Hamaduyah bin Ahmad bin Tuloon so much that they had not opened for anyone else. When he intended to raze the pyramids of Egypt, his trustworthy advisers advised him not to do so but he did not listen and appointed one hundred laborers for this work who continued to dig the area around it for one year but could not find a way and when they intended to return without any hope, they saw a hole.
Hence, they estimated that it was the same door and opened it through its mechanism. (Muhammad bin Muzaffar says that they saw a foundation behind that, which was very strong. They removed and cleansed it.) It contained an inscription in Greek. All the wise and people from all the religions of Egypt were called to read that inscription but no one was successful in reading it.
There was a person called Abu Abdullah Madini who was one of the great scholars of the world. He told Abu al-Jaish Hamaduyah bin Ahmad, “I know an Ethiopian Bishop whose age is three hundred and sixty years now and he knows this writing. He had tried to teach this writing to me also but I loved Arabic more and hence, I could not learn it.
That person is alive even today.” Eventually, Abu al-Jaish Hamaduyah wrote a letter to the Shah of Ethiopia to send that Bishop to him. The Shah of Ethiopia wrote a letter in reply: the Bishop has grown very old and has become used to the environment of this place. If he leaves this environment and goes to another place then there is a risk that the environment will not be suitable for him there and he would die. Also, he can no longer bear long journeys.
His presence is a cause of honor, joy and tranquility for us. Therefore, if you want him to read something or explain or to answer your questions then write and send them here.” Hence, that marble slab was kept in a tray and sent to the city of Aswan. Then it was sent to Ethiopia from Aswan, which was near it. When that piece reached Ethiopia, the Bishop read it and translated it into Ethiopian language. It was then translated into Arabic from Ethiopian. It was written as follows in it:
“I am Rayyan bin Dumagh.” Abdullah Madini asked the Bishop who that person was. He replied, “He was the father of king Aziz of Egypt during the time of Prophet Yusuf 
whose name was Waleed bin Rayyan bin Dumagh. The Aziz of Egypt lived for seven hundred years. His father Rayyan lived for one thousand and a hundred years and Dumagh lived for three hundred years. In short, it was inscribed as follows:
“I am Rayyan bin Dumagh who had set out to know where river Nile originated from because I was not aware of its origin. I was accompanied by four thousand people and I continued to travel for eighty months and I reached darkness and the ocean. I saw that river Nile cut that encircling ocean and crossed it. There was no way for me to cross the river and only one person was left with me out of four thousand. I feared that my rule would come to an end and hence, I returned to Egypt. Then I constructed many pyramids and cellars. I also constructed two such pyramids, in which I kept all my treasures safely and I have composed the following verses about it:
My knowledge consists of that which exists And my I don’t have knowledge of unseen and Allah knows better And provided firmness in creation of a thing, which required it I strengthened and Allah is the Most Powerful and Wisest Thus, I tried to find out the origin of River Nile, I became wary and man is wary I spent eighty months in journey Even though I was surrounded by the people Bani Hajar and a very huge army Till the point we had left behind all men and Jinn And I came face to face with a dark river Thus, I accepted that there is no stage after this For any person who dares before or after me.
Then I returned to my country and stayed there Sometimes in calamities and sometimes with bounties I am the owner of all pyramids of Egypt And of all the earthen utensils and I am one who initiated I have left in it signs of my craftsmanship and wisdom And handed over to the time which would neither get torn or destroyed And it has many treasures and strange things And this act is a cause of bitterness and disappointment for the time.
My locks will be opened and my strange things will come out In the hands of a friend of Lord, which would shine like a star during the last age His actions will be seen around the House of Allah And he will reach the peak and then it would be a time of peace and harmony Eight and nine and two and four And other ninety or nine will be killed or taken captives.
Then there would be clashes for ninety-nine years And all signs of mine would come into their hands and will be destroyed All my treasures will come out However I see that blood would be shed because of this I have written my words on rocks They would remain and would then be destroyed and will then become extinct.
After looking at this inscription, Abu Jaish Hamaduya bin Ahmad said, “This is a thing, which would be used by Qaim of progeny of Muhammad (S). Then that marble slab was kept back in its place.
A year later, Abu Jaish was killed in the state of intoxication on his bed by his slaves. It was known after this incident when pyramids were constructed and by whom and it is one of the most authentic narrations about Nile and pyramids.
