▁campaign s ▁they ▁w aged ▁were ▁ret ali atory ▁or ▁pre empt ive , ▁meant ▁to ▁preserve ▁their ▁front ier ▁and ▁impress ▁Abb as id ▁might ▁upon ▁their ▁neighb ours . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁campaign s ▁against ▁By z ant ium ▁in ▁particular ▁remained ▁important ▁for ▁domestic ▁consumption . ▁The ▁annual ▁ra ids , ▁which ▁had ▁almost ▁la ps ed ▁in ▁the ▁tur mo il ▁following ▁the ▁Abb as id ▁Revolution , ▁were ▁undert aken ▁with ▁renew ed ▁vig our ▁from ▁ca . ▁ 7 8 0 ▁on , ▁and ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁exped itions ▁where ▁the ▁C ali ph ▁or ▁his ▁sons ▁participated ▁in ▁person . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁C ali ph ' s ▁rit ual ▁role ▁as ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁community , ▁they ▁were ▁closely ▁par alle led ▁in ▁official ▁propag anda ▁by ▁the ▁leadership ▁by ▁Abb as id ▁family ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁annual ▁pil gr image ▁( h aj j ) ▁to ▁Me cca . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁constant ▁war fare ▁on ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁march es ▁was ▁useful ▁to ▁the ▁Abb as ids ▁as ▁it ▁provided ▁employ ment ▁for ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁and ▁Ira qi ▁military ▁el ites ▁and ▁the ▁various ▁volunte ers ▁( mu ṭ ṭ aw i ‘ a ) ▁who ▁f locked ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁j ih ad . ▁ ▁W ishing ▁to ▁emphas ize ▁his ▁p iety ▁and ▁role ▁as ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁community , ▁C ali ph ▁Har un ▁al -