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 Others say that abu-l-Asad, reaching the mouth of the canal and finding it too narrow for the ships, widened it; and, therefore, it was named after him.

It is stated by abu-Masʿûd that in the time of the "blessed dynasty" certain breaches were formed which made al-Baṭâʾiḥ larger. Because of the water of the Euphrates, many thickets grew, of which some were reclaimed and made tillable land.

. Abu-Masʿûd from ʿAwânah:—In the days of al-Ḥajjâj, new breaches were made. Al-Ḥajjâj wrote to al-Walîd ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik stating that he estimated that 3,000,000 dirhams would be required for blocking them. Al-Walîd thought that too much. Maslamah ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik said to al-Walid, "I offer to pay the expenses provided thou givest me as fief the depressed tracts in which the water remains, after spending 3,000,000 dirhams, which sum shall be spent under the direct supervision of thy counsellor and trusted man, al-Ḥajjâj." Al-Walîd accepted the offer. Maslamah gained possession of lands that had many cantons close together. He dug as-Sîbain and induced the farmers and tenants to come and hold land. Thus the land flourished; and in order to secure his protection, many landowners voluntarily turned their farms over to him, and then held them from him as fief. When the "blessed dynasty" came and the possessions of the banu-Umaiyah were confiscated, all as-Sîbain was assigned as fief to Dâʾûd ibn-ʿAli ibn-ʿAbdallâh ibn-al-ʿAbbâs, from whose heirs it was bought with its rights and boundaries and was included in the crown-domains [ḍiyâʿ al-khilâfah].