As one Ummayad chieftain responded to a question about the reasons of
the decline of their empire:
"Rather visiting what needed to be visited,
we were more interested in the pleasure and enjoyment of life; we
oppressed our people until they gave up and sought relief from us, [...]
we trusted our ministers who favoured their own interests and kept
secrets from us, and we unhurriedly rewarded our soldiers that we lost
their obedience to our enemies."
