Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3074

The year 193 AH

ترجمة هارون الرشيد هُوَ هَارُونُ الرَّشِيدُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، ابْنُ الْمَهْدِيِّ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمَنْصُورِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ الْقُرَشِيُّ الْهَاشِمِيُّ، أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ، وَيُقَالُ: أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ. وَأُمُّهُ الْخَيْزُرَانُ أُمُّ وَلَدٍ، وَكَانَ مَوْلِدُهُ فِي شَوَّالٍ سَنَةَ سِتٍّ، وَقِيلَ: سَبْعٍ، وَقِيلَ: ثَمَانٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ وَمِائَةٍ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ وُلِدَ سَنَةَ خَمْسِينَ وَمِائَةٍ، وَبُويِعَ لَهُ بِالْخِلَافَةِ بَعْدَ مَوْتِ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى الْهَادِي فِي رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ سَنَةَ سَبْعِينَ وَمِائَةٍ، بِعَهْدٍ مِنْ أَبِيهِ الْمَهْدِيِّ كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ. مرويات هارون الرشيد رَوَى الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَجَدِّهِ، وَحَدَّثَ عَنِ الْمُبَارَكِ بْنِ فَضَالَةَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: اتَّقُوا النَّارَ، وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ أَوْرَدَهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، وَهُوَ يَخْطُبُ النَّاسَ. وَقَدْ حَدَّثَ عَنْهُ ابْنُهُ، وَسُلَيْمَانُ الْهَاشِمِيُّ، وَالِدُ إِسْحَاقَ، وَنُبَاتَةُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو. صفات وجهاد هارون الرشيد وَكَانَ الرَّشِيدُ أَبْيَضَ طَوِيلًا سَمِينًا جَمِيلًا. وَقَدْ غَزَا الصَّائِفَةَ فِي حَيَاةِ أَبِيهِ مِرَارًا، وَعَقَدَ الْهُدْنَةَ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَالرُّومِ بَعْدَ مُحَاصَرَتِهِ الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةَ وَقَدْ لَقِيَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ جَهْدًا جَهِيدًا، وَخَوْفًا شَدِيدًا، وَكَانَ الصُّلْحُ مَعَ امْرَأَةِ أَلْيُونَ، وَهِيَ الْمُلَقَّبَةُ بِأُغُسْطَةَ عَلَى حَمْلٍ كَثِيرٍ تَبْذُلُهُ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ، فَفَرِحَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِي الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ، فَهَذَا هُوَ الَّذِي حَدَا أَبَاهُ عَلَى أَنْ بَايَعَ لَهُ بِوِلَايَةِ الْعَهْدِ بَعْدَ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى الْهَادِي، وَذَلِكَ فِي سَنَةِ سِتٍّ وَسِتِّينَ وَمِائَةٍ. ثُمَّ لَمَّا أَفْضَتِ الْخِلَافَةُ إِلَيْهِ بَعْدَ أَخِيهِ فِي سَنَةِ سَبْعِينَ وَمِائَةٍ، كَانَ مِنْ أَحْسَنِ النَّاسِ سِيرَةً، وَأَكْثَرِهِمْ غَزْوًا وَحَجًّا بِنَفْسِهِ، وَلِهَذَا قَالَ فِيهِ أَبُو السَّعْلِيِّ: فَمَنْ يَطْلُبْ لِقَاءَكَ أَوْ يُرِدْهُ فَبِالْحَرَمَيْنِ أَوْ أَقْصَى الثُّغُورِ فَفِي أَرْضِ الْعَدُوِّ عَلَى طِمِرٍّ وَفِي أَرْضِ الْبَنِيَّةِ فَوْقَ كُورِ وَمَا حَازَ الثُّغُورَ سِوَاكَ خَلْقٌ مِنَ الْمُسْتَخْلَفِينَ عَلَى الْأُمُورِ وَكَانَ يَتَصَدَّقُ مِنْ صُلْبِ مَالِهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَإِذَا حَجَّ أَحَجَّ مَعَهُ مِائَةً مِنَ الْفُقَهَاءِ وَأَبْنَائِهِمْ، وَإِذَا لَمْ يَحُجَّ أَحَجَّ ثَلَاثَمِائَةٍ بِالنَّفَقَةِ السَّابِغَةِ، وَالْكُسْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ التَّشَبُّهَ بِجَدِّهِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْمَنْصُورِ إِلَّا فِي الْعَطَاءِ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ سَرِيعَ الْعَطَاءِ جَزِيلَهُ، وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ الْفُقَهَاءَ، وَالشُّعَرَاءَ، وَيُعْطِيهِمْ كَثِيرًا، وَلَا يَضِيعُ لَدَيْهِ بِرٌّ وَلَا مَعْرُوفٌ، وَكَانَ نَقْشُ خَاتَمِهِ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. وَكَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ رَكْعَةٍ تَطَوُّعًا، إِلَى أَنْ فَارَقَ الدُّنْيَا، إِلَّا أَنْ تَعْرِضَ لَهُ عِلَّةٌ. وَكَانَ لَا يَضِيعُ عِنْدَهُ إِحْسَانُ مُحْسِنٍ، وَلَا يُؤَخِّرُ ذَلِكَ. وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ الشِّعْرَ وَالشُّعَرَاءَ، وَيَمِيلُ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْأَدَبِ وَالْفِقْهِ، وَيَكْرَهُ الْمِرَاءَ فِي الدِّينِ، وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ الْمَدِيحَ، لَا سِيَّمَا مِنْ شَاعِرٍ فَصِيحٍ، وَيُجْزِلُ الْعَطَاءَ عَلَيْهِ. وَلَمَّا مَدَحَهُ مَرْوَانُ بْنُ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ بِقَصِيدَتِهِ الَّتِي مِنْهَا: وَسُدَّتْ بِهَارُونَ الثُّغُورُ فَأُحْكِمَتْ بِهِ مِنْ أُمُورِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الْمَرَائِرُ أَعْطَاهُ خَمْسَةَ آلَافِ دِينَارٍ، وَخُلْعَةً، وَعَشَرَةً مِنَ الرَّقِيقِ الرُّومِيِّ، وَحَمَلَهُ عَلَى بِرْذَوْنٍ مِنْ خَاصِّ مَرْكَبِهِ. وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ: ( الرَّشِيدُ أَوَّلُ خَلِيفَةٍ لَعِبَ بِالصَّوَالِجَةِ وَالْكُرَةِ، وَرَمْيِ النِّشَابِ فِي الْبُرْجَاسِ، وَأَوَّلُ خَلِيفَةٍ لَعِبَ بِالشِّطْرَنْجِ مِنْ بَنِي الْعَبَّاسِ ). وَقَالَ الصُّولِيُّ: (هُوَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ جَعَلَ لِلْمُغَنِّينَ مَرَاتِبَ وَطَبَقَاتٍ ). بعض من المواقف المضحكة لهارون الرشيد وَكَانَ ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ الْمَدَنِيُّ هُوَ الَّذِي يُضْحِكُهُ، وَكَانَ عِنْدَهُ فَضِيلَةٌ بِأَخْبَارِ الْحِجَازِ، وَغَيْرِهَا، وَكَانَ الرَّشِيدُ قَدْ أَنْزَلَهُ فِي قَصْرِهِ، وَخَلَطَهُ بِأَهْلِهِ. نَبَّهَهُ الرَّشِيدُ يَوْمًا إِلَى صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ فَقَامَ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ أَدْرَكَ الرَّشِيدَ، وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ وَمَا لِيَ لَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي [ يس: 22 ] فَقَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ: لَا أَدْرِي وَاللَّهِ. فَضَحِكَ الرَّشِيدُ، وَقَطَعَ الصَّلَاةَ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ: وَيْحَكَ ! اجْتَنِبِ الصَّلَاةَ وَالْقُرْآنَ، وَلَكَ مَا عَدَا ذَلِكَ. وَدَخَلَ يَوْمًا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَى الرَّشِيدِ، وَمَعَهُ بَرْنِيَّةٌ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ فِيهَا غَالِيَةٌ مِنْ أَحْسَنِ الطِّيبِ، فَجَعَلَ يَمْدَحُهَا، وَيَزِيدُ فِي شُكْرِهَا، وَسَأَلَ مِنَ الرَّشِيدِ أَنْ يَقْبَلَهَا مِنْهُ فَقَبِلَهَا، فَاسْتَوْهَبَهَا مِنْهُ ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ فَوَهَبَهَا لَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَبَّاسُ: وَيَحَكَ ! جِئْتُ بِشَيْءٍ مَنَعْتُهُ نَفْسِي، وَآثَرْتُ بِهِ سَيِّدِي فَأَخَذْتَهُ. فَحَلَفَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لَيُطَيِّبَنَّ بِهِ اسْتَهُ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا فَطَلَى بِهِ اسْتَهُ، وَدَهَنَ جَوَارِحَهُ كُلَّهَا مِنْهَا، وَالرَّشِيدُ لَا يَتَمَالَكُ نَفْسَهُ مِنَ الضَّحِكِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لِخَادِمٍ قَائِمٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ خَاقَانُ: اطْلُبْ لِي غُلَامِي. فَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ: ادْعُ لَهُ غُلَامَهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ: خُذْ هَذِهِ الْغَالِيَةَ، وَاذْهَبْ بِهَا إِلَى سِتِّكَ فَمُرْهَا فَلْتُطَيِّبْ مِنْهَا اسْتَهَا حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهَا فَأَنِيكَهَا. فَذَهَبَ الضَّحِكُ بِالرَّشِيدِ كُلَّ مَذْهَبٍ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ عَلَى الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: جِئْتَ بِهَذِهِ الْغَالِيَةِ تَمْدَحُهَا عِنْدَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِي مَا تُمْطِرُ السَّمَاءُ شَيْئًا، وَلَا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ شَيْئًا إِلَّا وَهُوَ تَحْتَ تَصَرُّفِهِ، وَفِي يَدِهِ ؟ وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْ هَذَا أَنْ قِيلَ لِمَلَكِ الْمَوْتِ: مَا أَمَرَكَ بِهِ هَذَا فَأَنْفِذْهُ. وَأَنْتَ تَمْدَحُ هَذِهِ الْغَالِيَةَ عِنْدَهُ كَأَنَّهُ بَقَّالٌ، أَوْ خَبَّازٌ، أَوْ طَبَّاخٌ، أَوْ تَمَّارٌ. فَكَادَ الرَّشِيدُ يَهْلِكُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الضَّحِكِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ لِابْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ. وَقَدْ شَرِبَ الرَّشِيدُ يَوْمًا دَوَاءً فَسَأَلَهُ ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ أَنْ يَلِيَ الْحِجَابَةَ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ، وَمَهْمَا حَصَلَ لَهُ فَهُوَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَوَلَّاهُ الْحِجَابَةَ، فَجَاءَتِ الرُّسُلُ بِالْهَدَايَا مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ زُبَيْدَةَ، وَالْبَرَامِكَةِ، وَكِبَارِ الْأُمَرَاءِ، فَكَانَ حَاصِلُهُ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ سِتِّينَ أَلْفَ دِينَارٍ، فَسَأَلَهُ الرَّشِيدُ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي عَمَّا تَحَصَّلَ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ، قَالَ: فَأَيْنَ نَصِيبِي ؟ قَالَ: مَعْزُولٌ. قَالَ: قَدْ صَالَحْتُكَ عَلَيْهِ بِعَشَرَةِ آلَافِ تُفَّاحَةٍ. تعظيم هارون الرشيد للعلم ولأحاديث رسول الله وَقَدِ اسْتَدْعَى إِلَيْهِ أَبَا مُعَاوِيَةَ الضَّرِيرَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ خَازِمٍ لِيَسْمَعَ مِنْهُ الْحَدِيثَ، قَالَ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ: مَا ذَكَرْتُ عِنْدَهُ فِي حَدِيثِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا قَالَ: صَلَّى اللَّهُ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى سَيِّدِي. وَإِذَا سَمِعَ حَدِيثًا فِيهِ مَوْعِظَةٌ يَبْكِي حَتَّى يَبُلَّ الثَّرَى. وَأَكَلْتُ عِنْدَهُ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ قُمْتُ لِأَغْسِلَ يَدِي فَصَبَّ الْمَاءَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَنَا لَا أَرَاهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا أَبَا مُعَاوِيَةَ، أَتَدْرِي مَنْ يَصُبُّ عَلَيْكَ ؟ قُلْتُ: لَا. قَالَ: أَنَا. فَدَعَا لَهُ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ الضَّرِيرُ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا أَرَدْتُ تَعْظِيمَ الْعِلْمِ، وَقَدْ حَدَّثَهُ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ يَوْمًا عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ بِحَدِيثِ: " " احْتَجَّ آدَمُ، وَمُوسَى " " فَقَالَ عَمُّ الرَّشِيدِ: أَيْنَ الْتَقَيَا يَا أَبَا مُعَاوِيَةَ ؟ فَغَضِبَ الرَّشِيدُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ غَضَبًا شَدِيدًا، وَقَالَ: أَتَعْتَرِضُ عَلَى الْحَدِيثِ ؟ ! عَلَيَّ بِالنَّطْعِ، وَالسَّيْفِ. فَأُحْضِرَ ذَلِكَ، فَقَامَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ يَشْفَعُونَ فِيهِ، فَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ: هَذِهِ زَنْدَقَةٌ. ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِسَجْنِهِ، وَقَالَ: لَا يَخْرُجُ حَتَّى يُخْبِرَنِي مَنْ أَلْقَى إِلَيْهِ هَذَا. فَأَقْسَمَ بِالْأَيْمَانِ الْمُغَلَّظَةِ مَا قَالَ لَهُ أَحَدٌ وَإِنَّمَا كَانَتْ بَادِرَةً مِنِّي، فَأَطْلَقَهُ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى هَارُونَ الرَّشِيدِ وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مَضْرُوبُ الْعُنُقِ، وَالسَّيَّافُ يَمْسَحُ سَيْفَهُ فِي قَفَا الرَّجُلِ الْمَقْتُولِ، فَقَالَ هَارُونُ: قَتَلْتُهُ لِأَنَّهُ قَالَ: الْقُرْآنُ مَخْلُوقٌ. فَقَتَلْتُهُ قُرْبَةً إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. وَقَالَ لَهُ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، انْظُرْ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرَ، وَيُقَدِّمُونَهُمَا فَأَكْرِمْهُمْ يَعِزُّ سُلْطَانُكَ. فَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ: أَوَلَسْتُ كَذَلِكَ ؟ ! أَنَا وَاللَّهِ كَذَلِكَ أُحِبُّهُمَا، وَأُحِبُّ مَنْ يُحِبُّهُمَا، وَأُعَاقِبُ مَنْ يُبْغِضُهُمَا. خشية وخوف هارون الرشيد من الله وَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ السِّمَاكِ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ أَحَدًا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ فَوْقَكُ، فَاجْتَهِدْ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ فِيهِمْ أَحَدٌ أَطْوَعَ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْكَ. فَقَالَ: لَئِنْ كُنْتَ أَقْصَرْتَ فِي الْكَلَامِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتَ فِي الْمَوْعِظَةِ. وَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ ابْنُ السِّمَاكِ يَوْمًا فَاسْتَسْقَى الرَّشِيدُ فَأُتِيَ بِقُلَّةٍ فِيهَا مَاءٌ مُبَرَّدٌ، فَقَالَ لِابْنِ السِّمَاكِ: عِظْنِي. فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، بِكُمْ كُنْتَ مُشْتَرِيًا هَذِهِ الشَّرْبَةَ لَوْ مُنِعْتَهَا ؟ فَقَالَ: بِنِصْفِ مُلْكِي. فَقَالَ: اشْرَبْ هَنِيئًا. فَلَمَّا شَرِبَ قَالَ: أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ مُنِعْتَ خُرُوجَهَا مِنْ بَدَنِكَ، بِكَمْ كُنْتَ تَشْتَرِي ذَلِكَ ؟ قَالَ: بِمُلْكِي كُلِّهِ. فَقَالَ: إِنَّ مُلْكًا قِيمَتُهُ شَرْبَةُ مَاءٍ لَخَلِيقٌ أَنْ لَا يُتَنَافَسَ فِيهِ. فَبَكَى هَارُونُ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ قُتَيْبَةَ: ثِنَا الرِّيَاشِيُّ، سَمِعْتُ الْأَصْمَعِيَّ، يَقُولُ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الرَّشِيدِ، وَهُوَ يُقَلِّمُ أَظْفَارَهُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: أَخْذُ الْأَظْفَارِ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ، وَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّ أَخْذَهَا يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ يَنْفِي الْفَقْرَ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَوَ تَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ ؟ ! فَقَالَ: يَا أَصْمَعِيُّ، وَهَلْ أَحَدٌ أَخْشَى لِلْفَقْرِ مِنَى ؟ وَرَوَى ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْمَهْدِيِّ قَالَ: كُنْتُ يَوْمًا عِنْدَ الرَّشِيدِ فَدَعَا طَبَّاخَهُ، فَقَالَ: أَعِنْدَكَ فِي الطَّعَامِ لَحْمُ جَزُورٍ ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، أَلْوَانٌ مِنْهُ. فَقَالَ: أَحْضِرْهُ مَعَ الطَّعَامِ، فَلَمَّا وُضِعَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ أَخَذَ لُقْمَةً مِنْهُ، فَوَضَعَهَا فِي فِيهِ، فَضَحِكَ جَعْفَرٌ الْبَرْمَكِيُّ، فَتَرَكَ الرَّشِيدُ مَضْغَ اللُّقْمَةِ، وَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: مِمَّ تَضْحَكُ ؟ قَالَ: لَا شَيْءَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، ذَكَرْتُ كَلَامًا دَارَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ جَارِيَتِي الْبَارِحَةَ. فَقَالَ: بِحَقِّي عَلَيْكَ لَمَا أَخْبَرْتَنِي بِهِ. قَالَ: حَتَّى تَأْكُلَ هَذِهِ اللُّقْمَةَ، فَأَلْقَاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ، وَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَتُخْبِرَنِّي. فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، بِكَمْ تَقُولُ إِنَّ هَذَا الطَّعَامَ مِنْ لَحْمِ الْجَزُورِ يُقَوَّمُ عَلَيْكَ ؟ قَالَ: بِأَرْبَعَةِ دَرَاهِمَ. قَالَ: لَا، وَاللَّهِ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، بَلْ بِأَرْبَعِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ. قَالَ: وَكَيْفَ ذَلِكَ ؟ قَالَ: إِنَّكَ طَلَبْتَ مِنْ طَبَّاخِكَ هَذَا لَحْمَ جَزُورٍ قَبْلَ هَذَا الْيَوْمِ بِمُدَّةٍ طَوِيلَةٍ فَلَمْ يُوجَدْ عِنْدَهُ، فَقُلْتُ: لَا يَخْلُوَنَّ الْمَطْبَخُ مِنْ لَحْمِ جَزُورٍ، فَنَحْنُ نَنْحَرُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ جَزُورًا؛ لِأَنَّا لَا نَشْتَرِي لَحْمَ الْجَزُورِ مِنَ السُّوقِ، فَصُرِفَ فِي لَحْمِ الْجَزُورِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ إِلَى هَذَا الْيَوْمِ أَرْبَعُمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَلَمْ يَطْلُبْ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَحْمَ الْجَزُورِ إِلَّا هَذَا الْيَوْمَ، قَالَ جَعْفَرٌ: فَضَحِكْتُ؛ لِأَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنَّمَا نَالَهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ هَذِهِ اللُّقْمَةُ، فَهِيَ عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَرْبَعِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ. قَالَ: فَبَكَى الرَّشِيدُ بُكَاءً شَدِيدًا، وَأَقْبَلَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ يُوَبِّخُهَا، وَيَقُولُ: هَلَكْتَ وَاللَّهِ يَا هَارُونُ. وَأَمَرَ بِرَفْعِ السِّمَاطِ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ، وَلَمْ يَزَلْ يَبْكِي حَتَّى آذَنَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُونَ بِصَلَاةِ الظُّهْرِ، فَخَرَجَ، فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ يَبْكِي، وَقَدْ أَمَرَ بِأَلْفَيْ أَلْفٍ تُصْرَفُ إِلَى فُقَرَاءِ الْحَرَمَيْنِ، فِي كُلِّ حَرَمٍ أَلْفُ أَلْفٍ صَدَقَةً، وَأَمَرَ بِأَلْفَيْ أَلْفٍ يَتَصَدَّقُ بِهَا فِي جَانِبَيْ بَغْدَادَ؛ الْغَرْبِيِّ، وَالشَّرْقِيِّ، وَبِأَلْفِ أَلْفٍ يُتَصَدَّقُ بِهَا عَلَى فَقُرَاءِ الْكُوفَةِ وَالْبَصْرَةِ. ثُمَّ خَرَجَ لِصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ يَبْكِي حَتَّى صَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو يُوسُفَ الْقَاضِي، فَقَالَ: مَا شَأْنُكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بَاكِيًا فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ ؟ فَذَكَرَ أَمْرَهُ، وَمَا صَرَفَ مِنَ الْمَالِ الْجَزِيلِ لِأَجْلِ شَهْوَتِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا نَالَهُ مِنْهَا لُقْمَةٌ، فَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ لِجَعْفَرٍ: هَلْ كَانَ مَا يَذْبَحُونَهُ مِنَ الْجَزُورِ يَفْسَدُ، أَوْ يَأْكُلُهُ النَّاسُ ؟ قَالَ: بَلْ يَأْكُلُهُ النَّاسُ. فَقَالَ: أَبْشِرْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِثَوَابِ اللَّهِ فِيمَا صَرَفْتَهُ مِنَ الْمَالِ الَّذِي أَكَلَهُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِي الْأَيَّامِ الْمَاضِيَةِ، وَبِمَا يَسَّرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ عَلَى الْفُقَرَاءِ، وَبِمَا رَزَقَكَ اللَّهُ مِنْ خَشْيَتِهِ وَخَوْفِهِ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ، وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ [ الرَّحْمَنِ: 46 ] فَأَمَرَ لَهُ الرَّشِيدُ بِأَرْبَعِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ، ثُمَّ اسْتَدْعَى بِطَعَامٍ، فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ فَكَانَ غَدَاؤُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ عَشَاءً. وَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ بَحْرٍ الْجَاحِظُ: اجْتَمَعَ لِلرَّشِيدِ مِنَ الْجِدِّ وَالْهَزْلِ مَا لَمْ يَجْتَمِعْ لِغَيْرِهِ، كَانَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ قَاضِيَهُ، وَالْبَرَامِكَةُ وُزَرَاءَهُ، وَحَاجِبُهُ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ أَنْبَهُ النَّاسِ، وَأَشَدُّهُمْ تَعَاظُمًا، وَنَدِيمُهُ عَمُّ أَبِيهِ الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَاحِبُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّةِ، وَشَاعِرُهُ مَرْوَانُ بْنُ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ وَمُغَنِّيهِ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْمَوْصِلِيُّ وَاحِدُ عَصْرِهِ فِي صِنَاعَتِهِ وَضَارِبُهُ زَلْزَلٌ، وَزَامِرُهُ بَرْصُومَا، وَزَوْجَتُهُ أُمُّ جَعْفَرٍ يَعْنِي زُبَيْدَةَ، وَكَانَتْ أَرْغَبَ النَّاسِ فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ، وَأَسْرَعَهُمْ إِلَى كُلِّ بِرٍّ وَمَعْرُوفٍ، أَدْخَلَتِ الْمَاءَ الْحَرَمَ بَعْدَ امْتِنَاعِهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، إِلَى أَشْيَاءَ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ. وَرَوَى الْخَطِيبُ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ أَنَّ الرَّشِيدَ كَانَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّا مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَظُمَتْ رَزِيَّتُهُمْ، وَحَسُنَتْ بَقِيَّتُهُمْ، وَرِثْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَبَقِيَتْ فِينَا خِلَافَةُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. وَبَيْنَمَا الرَّشِيدُ يَطُوفُ يَوْمًا بِالْبَيْتِ إِذْ عَرَضَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُكَلِّمَكَ بِكَلَامٍ فِيهِ غِلْظَةٌ. فَقَالَ: لَا، وَلَا نِعْمَتْ عَيْنٌ، قَدْ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْكَ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ شَرٌّ مِنِّي فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ قَوْلًا لَيِّنًا. وَعَنْ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ الرَّشِيدَ فِي طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ فَقُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي: قَدْ وَجَبَ عَلَيْكَ الْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَالنَّهْيُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، فَخَوَّفَتْنِي، وَقَالَتْ: إِنَّهُ الْآنَ يَضْرِبُ عُنُقَكَ. فَقُلْتُ: لَا بُدَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. فَنَادَيْتُهُ: فَقُلْتُ: يَا هَارُونُ، قَدْ أَتْعَبْتَ الْأُمَّةَ، وَالْبَهَائِمَ. فَقَالَ: خُذُوهُ. فَأُدْخِلْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَفِي يَدِهِ لَتٌّ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ يَلْعَبُ بِهِ، وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ، فَقَالَ: مِمَّنِ الرَّجُلُ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. فَقَالَ: ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ، مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: مِنَ الْأَبْنَاءِ. فَقَالَ: مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى أَنْ دَعَوْتَنِي بِاسْمِي ؟ قَالَ: فَخَطَرَ بِبَالِي شَيْءٌ لَمْ يَخْطُرْ بِبَالِي قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ، فَقُلْتُ: أَنَا أَدْعُو اللَّهَ بِاسْمِهِ، يَا اللَّهُ، يَا رَحْمَنُ أَفَلَا أَدْعُوكَ بِاسْمِكَ ؟ ! وَهَذَا اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ قَدْ دَعَا أَحَبَّ خَلْقِهِ إِلَيْهِ بِاسْمِهِ: مُحَمَّدًا، وَكَنَّى أَبْغَضَ الْخَلْقِ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ [ الْمَسَدِ: 1 ] فَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ: أَخْرِجُوهُ أَخْرِجُوهُ. وَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ السِّمَاكِ يَوْمًا: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِنَّكَ تَمُوتُ وَحْدَكَ، وَتُقْبَرُ وَحْدَكَ، فَاحْذَرِ الْمُقَامَ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْجَبَّارِ، وَالْوُقُوفَ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ، حِينَ يُؤْخَذُ بِالْكَظَمِ، وَتَزِلُّ الْقَدَمُ، وَيَقَعُ النَّدَمُ، فَلَا تَوْبَةَ تُنَالُ، وَلَا عَثْرَةَ تُقَالُ، وَلَا يُقْبَلُ فِدَاءٌ بِمَالٍ. فَجَعَلَ الرَّشِيدُ يَبْكِي حَتَّى عَلَا صَوْتُهُ، فَقَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ خَالِدٍ لَهُ: يَا ابْنَ السِّمَاكِ لَقَدْ شَقَقْتَ عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اللَّيْلَةَ. فَقَامَ فَخَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، وَهُوَ يَبْكِي. وَقَالَ لَهُ الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ فِي جُمْلَةِ مَوْعِظَتِهِ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ بِمَكَّةَ: يَا صَبِيحَ الْوَجْهِ، إِنَّكَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ كُلِّهِمْ، وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ [ الْبَقَرَةِ: 166 ] قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ: الْوُصَلَاتُ الَّتِي كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا. فَبَكَى حَتَّى جَعَلَ يَشْهَقُ. وَقَالَ الْأَصْمَعِيُّ: اسْتَدْعَانِي الرَّشِيدُ يَوْمًا، وَقَدْ زَخْرَفَ مَنَازِلَهُ، وَأَكْثَرَ الطَّعَامَ، وَالشَّرَابَ، وَاللَّذَّاتِ فِيهَا، ثُمَّ اسْتَدْعَى أَبَا الْعَتَاهِيَةِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: صِفْ لَنَا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْعَيْشِ، وَالنَّعِيمِ، فَأَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ: عِشْ مَا بَدَا لَكَ سَالِمًا فِي ظِلِّ شَاهِقَةِ الْقُصُورِ يَسْعَى عَلَيْكَ بِمَا اشْتَهَيْ تَ لَدَى الرَّوَاحِ وَفِي الْبُكُورِ فَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ تَقَعْقَعَتْ عَنْ ضِيقِ حَشْرَجَةِ الصُّدُورِ فَهُنَاكَ تَعْلَمُ مُوقِنًا مَا كُنْتَ إِلَّا فِي غُرُورِ قَالَ: فَبَكَى الرَّشِيدُ بُكَاءً شَدِيدًا. فَقَالَ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ يَحْيَى: دَعَاكَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِتَسُرَّهُ فَأَحْزَنْتَهُ ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّشِيدُ: دَعْهُ؛ فَإِنَّهُ رَآنَا فِي عَمًى فَكَرِهَ أَنْ يَزِيدَنَا عَمًى. وَمِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ أَنَّ الرَّشِيدَ قَالَ لِأَبِي الْعَتَاهِيَةِ: عِظْنِي بِأَبْيَاتٍ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ وَأَوْجِزْ. فَأَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ: لَا تَأْمَنِ الْمَوْتَ فِي طَرَفٍ وَلَا نَفَسٍ وَلَوْ تَمَنَّعْتَ بِالْحُجَّابِ وَالْحَرَسِ وَاعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ سِهَامَ الْمَوْتِ قَاصِدَةٌ لِكُلِّ مُدَّرِعٍ مِنْهَا وَمُتَّرِسِ تَرْجُو النَّجَاةَ وَلَمْ تَسْلُكْ مَسَالِكَهَا إِنَّ السَّفِينَةَ لَا تَجْرِي عَلَى الْيَبَسِ قَالَ: فَخَرَّ الرَّشِيدُ مَغْشِيًّا عَلَيْهِ. وَقَدْ حَبَسَ الرَّشِيدُ مَرَّةً أَبَا الْعَتَاهِيَةِ، وَأَرْصَدَ عَلَيْهِ مَنْ يَأْتِيهِ بِمَا يَقُولُ، فَكَتَبَ مَرَّةً عَلَى جِدَارِ الْحَبْسِ: أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ الظُّلْمَ لُومٌ وَمَا زَالَ الْمُسِيءُ هُوَ الظَّلُومُ إِلَى دَيَّانِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ نَمْضِي وَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَجْتَمِعُ الْخُصُومُ قَالَ: فَاسْتَدْعَاهُ وَاسْتَجْعَلَهُ فِي حِلٍّ، وَوَهَبَهُ أَلْفَ دِينَارٍ، وَأَطْلَقَهُ. وَقَالَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ الْفَهْمِ: بسنده عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الرَّشِيدِ فَقَالَ: مَا خَبَرُكَ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: بِعَيْنِ اللَّهِ مَا تَخْفَى الْبُيُوتُ فَقَدْ طَالَ التَّحَمُّلُ وَالسُّكُوتُ فَقَالَ: يَا فُلَانُ، مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ لِابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ تُغْنِيهِ، وَتُغْنِي عَقِبَهُ، وَلَا تَضُرُّ الرَّشِيدَ شَيْئًا. وَقَالَ الْأَصْمَعِيُّ: كُنْتُ مَعَ الرَّشِيدِ فِي الْحَجِّ، فَمَرَرْنَا بِوَادٍ، فَإِذَا عَلَى شَفِيرِهِ امْرَأَةٌ صَبِيَّةٌ حَسْنَاءُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا قَصْعَةٌ، وَهِيَ تَسْأَلُ فِيهَا، وَتَقُولُ: طَحْطَحَتْنَا طَحَاطِحُ الْأَعْوَامِ وَرَمَتْنَا حَوَادِثُ الْأَيَّامِ فَأَتَيْنَاكُمْ نَمُدُّ أَكُفًّا لِفَضَالَاتِ زَادِكُمْ، وَالطَّعَامِ فَاطْلُبُوا الْأَجْرَ، وَالْمَثُوبَةَ فِينَا أَيُّهَا الزَّائِرُونَ بَيْتَ الْحَرَامِ مَنْ رَآنِي فَقَدْ رَآنِي، وَرَحْلِي فَارْحَمُوا غُرْبَتِي، وَذُلَّ مَقَامِي قَالَ الْأَصْمَعِيُّ: فَذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الرَّشِيدِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِأَمْرِهَا، فَجَاءَ بِنَفْسِهِ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَيْهَا، فَسَمِعَهَا فَرَحِمَهَا وَبَكَى، وَأَمَرَ مَسْرُورًا الْخَادِمَ أَنْ يَمْلَأَ قَصْعَتَهَا ذَهَبًا، فَمَلَأَهَا حَتَّى جَعَلَتْ تَفِيضُ يَمِينًا، وَشِمَالًا. وَسَمِعَ مَرَّةً الرَّشِيدُ أَعْرَابِيًّا يَحْدُو إِبِلَهُ فِي طَرِيقِ الْحَجِّ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُجْمِعُ هَمًّا لَا تُهَمْ إِنَّكَ إِنْ تُقْضَى لَكَ الْحُمَّى تُحَمْ كَيْفَ تَوَقِّيكَ وَقَدْ جَفَّ الْقَلَمْ وَحَطَّتِ الصِّحَّةُ مِنْكَ وَالسَّقَمْ فَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ لِبَعْضِ الْخَدَمِ: مَا مَعَكَ ؟ قَالَ: أَرْبَعُمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ. فَقَالَ: ادْفَعْهَا إِلَى هَذَا الْأَعْرَابِيِّ. فَلَمَّا قَبَضَهَا ضَرَبَ رَفِيقُهُ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى كَتِفِهِ، وَقَالَ مُتَمَثِّلًا: وَكُنْتُ جَلِيسَ قَعْقَاعِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَلَا يَشْقَى بِقَعْقَاعٍ جَلِيسُ فَأَمَرَ الرَّشِيدُ بَعْضَ الْخَدَمِ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ الْمُتَمَثِّلَ مَا مَعَهُ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ، فَإِذَا مَعَهُ مِائَتَا دِينَارٍ. قَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ: أَصْلُ هَذَا الْمَثَلِ أَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ أُهْدِيَتْ لَهُ هَدِيَّةٌ؛ جَامَاتٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، فَفَرَّقَهَا عَلَى جُلَسَائِهِ، وَإِلَى جَانِبِهِ قَعْقَاعُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، وَإِلَى جَانِبِ الْقَعْقَاعِ أَعْرَابِيٌّ لَمْ يَفْضُلْ لَهُ مِنْهَا شَيْءٌ، فَأَطْرَقَ الْأَعْرَابِيُّ حَيَاءً، فَدَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ الْقَعْقَاعُ الْجَامَ الَّذِي حَصَلَ لَهُ، فَنَهَضَ الْأَعْرَابِيُّ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: وَكُنْتُ جَلِيسَ قَعْقَاعِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَلَا يَشْقَى بِقَعْقَاعٍ جَلِيسُ وَخَرَجَ الرَّشِيدُ يَوْمًا مِنْ عِنْدِ زُبَيْدَةَ، وَهُوَ يَضْحَكُ فَقِيلَ لَهُ: مِمَّ تَضْحَكُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ؟ فَقَالَ: دَخَلَتْ إِلَيَّ هَذِهِ الْمَرْأَةُ - يَعْنِي زَوْجَتَهُ زُبَيْدَةَ - فَأَكَلْتُ عِنْدَهَا، وَنِمْتُ، فَمَا اسْتَيْقَظْتُ إِلَّا بِصَوْتِ ذَهَبٍ يُصَبُّ، فَقُلْتُ: مَا هَذَا ؟ قَالُوا: هَذِهِ ثَلَاثُمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ قَدِمَتْ مِنْ مِصْرَ. فَقَالَتْ: هَبْهَا لِي يَابْنَ عَمِّ. فَقُلْتُ: هِيَ لَكِ. ثُمَّ مَا خَرَجْتُ حَتَّى عَرْبَدَتْ عَلَيَّ، وَقَالَتْ: أَيُّ خَيْرٍ رَأَيْتُ مِنْكَ ؟ وَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ مَرَّةً لِلْمُفَضَّلِ الضَّبِّيِّ: مَا أَحْسَنُ مَا قِيلَ فِي الذِّئْبِ، وَلَكَ هَذَا الْخَاتَمُ، وَشِرَاؤُهُ أَلْفٌ وَسِتُّمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ ؟ فَأَنْشَدَ قَوْلَ الشَّاعِرِ: يَنَامُ بِإِحْدَى مُقْلَتَيْهِ وَيَتَّقِي بِأُخْرَى الرَّزَايَا فَهُو يَقْظَانُ هَاجِعُ فَقَالَ: مَا قُلْتَ هَذَا إِلَّا لِتَسْلُبَنَا الْخَاتَمَ. ثُمَّ أَلْقَاهُ إِلَيْهِ، فَبَعَثَتْ زُبَيْدَةُ فَاشْتَرَتْهُ مِنْهُ بِأَلْفٍ وَسِتِّمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ، وَبَعَثَتْ بِهِ إِلَى الرَّشِيدِ، وَقَالَتْ: إِنِّي رَأَيْتُكَ مُعْجَبًا بِهِ. فَرَدَّهُ إِلَى الْمُفَضَّلِ، وَالدَّنَانِيرَ، وَقَالَ: مَا كُنَّا لِنَهَبَ شَيْئًا، وَنَرْجِعَ فِيهِ. وَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ يَوْمًا لِلْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ الْأَحْنَفِ: أَيُّ بَيْتٍ قَالَتْهُ الْعَرَبُ أَرَقُّ ؟ فَقَالَ: قَوْلُ جَمِيلٍ فِي بُثَيْنَةَ: أَلَا لَيْتَنِي أَعْمَى أَصَمُّ تَقُودُنِي بُثَيْنَةُ لَا يَخْفَى عَلَيَّ كَلَامُهُا فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّشِيدُ: فَقَوْلُكَ أَرَقُّ مِنْ هَذَا حَيْثُ قُلْتَ: طَافَ الْهَوَى فِي عِبَادِ اللَّهِ كُلِّهِمْ حَتَّى إِذَا مَرَّ بِي مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ وَقَفَا فَقَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ: فَقَوْلُكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَرَقُّ مِنْ هَذَا كُلِّهِ: أَمَا يَكْفِيكِ أَنَّكِ تَمْلِكِينِي وَأَنَّ النَّاسَ كُلَّهُمْ عَبِيدِي وَأَنَّكِ لَوْ قَطَعْتِ يَدِي، وَرِجْلِي لَقُلْتُ مِنَ الْهَوَى أَحْسَنْتِ زِيدِي قَالَ: فَضَحِكَ الرَّشِيدُ، وَأَعْجَبَهُ ذَلِكَ. وأَخْرَجَ السَّلَفِيُّ فِي «الطُّيُورِيَّاتِ» بِسَنَدِهِ عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ قَالَ: (لَمَّا أَفْضَتِ الْخِلَافَةُ إِلَى الرَّشِيدِ... وَقَعَتْ فِي نَفْسِهِ جَارِيَةٌ مِنْ جَوَارِي الْمَهْدِيِّ، فَأَرَادَهَا عَلَى نَفْسِهَا، فَقَالَتْ: لَا أَصْلُحُ لَكَ، إِنَّ أَبَاكَ قَدْ أَطَافَ بِي، فَشُغِفَ بِهَا، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى أَبِي يُوسُفَ فَسَأَلَهُ: أَعِنْدَكَ فِي هَذَا شَيْءٌ ؟ فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ; أَوْ كُلَّمَا ادَّعَتْ أَمَةٌ شَيْئًا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تُصَدَّقَ ؟ ! لَا تُصَدِّقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِمَأْمُونَةٍ ). قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ: (فَلَمْ أَدْرِ مِمَّنْ أَعْجَبُ; مِنْ هَذَا الَّذِي قَدْ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ فِي دِمَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ يَتَحَرَّجُ عَنْ حُرْمَةِ أَبِيهِ، أَوْ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَمَةِ الَّتِي رَغِبَتْ بِنَفْسِهَا عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَوْ مِنْ هَذَا فَقِيهُ الْأَرْضِ وَقَاضِيهَا قَالَ: اهْتِكْ حُرْمَةَ أَبِيكَ، وَاقْضِ شَهْوَتَكَ، وَصَيِّرْهُ فِي رَقَبَتِي ؟ ! ). وَأَخْرَجَ أَيْضًا عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يُوسُفَ قَالَ: قَالَ الرَّشِيدُ لِأَبِي يُوسُفَ: (إِنِّي اشْتَرَيْتُ جَارِيَةً وَأُرِيدُ أَنْ أَطَأَهَا الْآنَ قَبْلَ الِاسْتِبْرَاءِ، فَهَلْ عِنْدَكَ حِيلَةٌ ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ; تَهَبُهَا لِبَعْضِ وَلَدِكَ، ثُمَّ تَتَزَوَّجُهَا. وَأَخْرَجَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ رَاهَوَيْهِ قَالَ: (دَعَا الرَّشِيدُ أَبَا يُوسُفَ لَيْلًا فَأَفْتَاهُ، فَأَمَرَ لَهُ بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ: إِنْ رَأَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ... أَمَرَ بِتَعْجِيلِهَا قَبْلَ الصُّبْحِ ؟ فَقَالَ: عَجِّلُوهَا، فَقَالَ بَعْضُ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ: إِنَّ الْخَازِنَ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَالْأَبْوَابُ مُغْلَقَةٌ ؟ فَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ: قَدْ كَانَتِ الدُّرُوبُ مُغْلَقَةً حِينَ دَعَا بِي، فَفُتِحَتْ ! ! ). وقِيلَ: اسْتَعْمَلَ يَحْيَى بْنُ خَالِدٍ رَجُلًا عَلَى بَعْضِ أَعْمَالِ الْخَرَاجِ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَى الرَّشِيدِ يُوَدِّعُهُ وَعِنْدَهُ يَحْيَى وَجَعْفَرٌ، فَقَالَ لَهُمَا الرَّشِيدُ: أَوْصِيَاهُ ! فَقَالَ يَحْيَى: وَفِّرْ، وَاعْمُرْ. وَقَالَ جَعْفَرٌ: أَنْصِفْ وَانْتَصِفْ ! فَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ: اعْدِلْ وَأَحْسِنْ. وَقِيلَ: حَجَّ الرَّشِيدُ مَرَّةً فَدَخَلَ الْكَعْبَةَ، فَرَآهُ بَعْضُ الْحَجَبَةِ وَهُوَ وَاقِفٌ عَلَى أَصَابِعِهِ يَقُولُ: يَا مَنْ يَمْلِكُ حَوَائِجَ السَّائِلِينَ، وَيَعْلَمُ ضَمِيرَ الصَّامِتِينَ، فَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَسْأَلَةٍ مِنْكَ رَدًّا حَاضِرًا، وَجَوَابًا عَنِيدًا، وَلِكُلِّ صَامِتٍ مِنْكَ عِلْمٌ مُحِيطٌ، نَاطِقٌ بِمَوَاعِيدِكَ الصَّادِقَةِ، وَأَيَادِيكَ الْفَاضِلَةِ، وَرَحْمَتِكَ الْوَاسِعَةِ، صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا، وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا يَا مَنْ لَا تَضُرُّهُ الذُّنُوبُ، وَلَا تَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ الْغُيُوبُ، وَلَا تَنْقُصُهُ مَغْفِرَةُ الْخَطَايَا، يَا مَنْ كَبَسَ الْأَرْضَ عَلَى الْمَاءِ، وَسَدَّ الْهَوَاءَ بِالسَّمَاءِ، وَاخْتَارَ لِنَفْسِهِ أَحْسَنَ الْأَسْمَاءِ، صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَخِرْ لِي فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِي، يَا مَنْ خَشَعَتْ لَهُ الْأَصْوَاتُ، بِأَنْوَاعِ اللُّغَاتِ، يَسْأَلُونَهُ الْحَاجَاتِ، إِنَّ مِنْ حَاجَتِي إِلَيْكَ أَنْ تَغْفِرَ لِي ذُنُوبِي إِذَا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي وَصُيِّرْتُ فِي لَحْدِي، وَتَفَرَّقَ عَنِّي أَهْلِي وَوَلَدِي، اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ حَمْدًا يَفْضُلُ كُلَّ حَمْدٍ كَفَضْلِكَ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الْخَلْقِ، اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، صَلَاةً تَكُونُ لَهُ رِضًى، وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِ صَلَاةً تَكُونُ لَهُ ذُخْرًا، وَاجْزِهِ عَنَّا الْجَزَاءَ الْأَوْفَى، اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنَا سُعَدَاءَ، وَتَوَفَّنَا شُهَدَاءَ، وَاجْعَلْنَا سُعَدَاءَ مَرْزُوقِينَ، وَلَا تَجْعَلْنَا أَشْقِيَاءَ مَحْرُومِينَ. [عَزَاؤُهُ بِابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ وَكَرَمُهُ وَأُعْطِيَاتُهُ ] وَمِنْ مَحَاسِنِهِ: أَنَّهُ لَمَّا بَلَغَهُ مَوْتُ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ... جَلَسَ لِلْعَزَاءِ، وَأَمَرَ الْأَعْيَانَ أَنْ يُعَزُّوَهُ فِي ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ. من شعر هارون الرشيد وَمِنْ شَعْرِ الرَّشِيدِ فِي ثَلَاثِ حَظِيَّاتٍ كُنَّ عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الْخَوَاصِّ: مَلَكَ الثَّلَاثُ الْآنِسَاتُ عِنَانِي وَحَلَلْنَ مِنْ قَلْبِي بِكُلِّ مَكَانِ مَا لِي تُطَاوِعُنِي الْبَرِيَّةُ كُلُّهَا وَأُطِيعُهُنَّ، وَهُنَّ فِي عِصْيَانِي مَا ذَاكَ إِلَّا أَنَّ سُلْطَانَ الْهَوَى وَبِهِ قَوَيْنَ أَعَزُّ مِنْ سُلْطَانِي وَمِنْ شَعْرِهِ فِيمَا أَوْرَدَهُ صَاحِبُ الْعِقْدِ فِي كِتَابِهِ: تُبْدِي صُدُودًا وَتُخْفِي تَحْتَهُ مِقَّةً فَالنَّفْسُ رَاضِيَةٌ وَالطَّرْفُ غَضْبَانُ يَا مَنْ بَذَلْتُ لَهُ خَدِّي فَزَلَّلَهُ وَلَيْسَ فَوْقِي سِوَى الرَّحْمَنِ سُلْطَانُ وَذَكَرَ أَبُو هِفَّانَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي دَارِ الرَّشِيدِ مِنَ الْجَوَارِي، وَالْحَظَايَا، وَخَدَمِهِنَّ، وَخَدَمِ زَوْجَتِهِ، وَأَخَوَاتِهِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ جَارِيَةٍ، وَأَنَّهُنَّ حَضَرْنَ كُلُّهُنَّ يَوْمًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، وَغَنَّتْهُ الْمُطْرِبَاتُ فَطَرِبَ جِدًّا، وَأَمَرَ بِمَالٍ فَنُثِرَ عَلَيْهِنَّ، فَكَانَ مَبْلَغُهُ سِتَّةَ آلَافِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ. رَوَاهُ ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ. وَرَوَى أَنَّهُ اشْتَرَى جَارِيَةً مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَأُعْجِبَ بِهَا جِدًّا، فَأَمَرَ بِإِحْضَارِ مَوَالِيهَا، وَمَنْ يَلُوذُ بِهِمْ لِيَقْضِيَ حَوَائِجَهُمْ، فَقَدِمُوا فِي ثَمَانِينَ نَفْسًا، فَأَمَرَ الْحَاجِبَ الْفَضْلَ بْنَ الرَّبِيعِ أَنْ يَتَلَقَّاهُمْ، وَيَكْتُبَ حَوَائِجَهُمْ، فَكَانَ فِيهِمْ رَجُلٌ أَعْرَابِيٌّ قَدْ أَقَامَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، وَهُوَ يَهْوَى تِلْكَ الْجَارِيَةَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْحَاجِبُ: مَا حَاجَتُكَ ؟ قَالَ: حَاجَتِي أَنْ يُجْلِسَنِي أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَعَ فُلَانَةٍ فَأَشْرَبَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَرْطَالٍ مِنْ شَرَابٍ، فَتُغَنِّينِي ثَلَاثَةَ أَصْوَاتٍ. فَقَالَ: أَمَجْنُونٌ أَنْتَ ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنِ اعْرِضْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ إِلَى الْخَلِيفَةِ، ذَكَرَ لَهُ مَا قَالَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ، فَأَمَرَ بِإِحْضَارِهِ، وَأَنْ تَجْلِسَ مَعَهُ الْجَارِيَةُ بِحَيْثُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمَا، فَجَلَسَتْ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ، وَالْخُدَّامُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَجَلَسَ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ، فَشَرِبَ رِطْلًا، وَقَالَ لَهَا: غَنِّينِي: خَلِيلَيَّ عُوجَا بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكُمَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ هِنْدُ بِأَرْضِكُمَا قَصْدَا وَقُولَا لَهَا لَيْسَ الضَّلَالُ أَجَازَنَا وَلَكِنَّنَا جُزْنَا لِنَلْقَاكُمْ عَمْدَا غَدًا يَكْثُرُ الْبَاكُونَ مِنَّا، وَمِنْكُمُ وَتَزْدَادُ دَارِي مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ بُعْدَا فَغَنَّتْهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَعْجَلَهُ الْخَادِمُ فَشَرِبَ رِطْلًا آخَرَ، وَقَالَ: غَنِّينِي، جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكِ: تَكَلَّمُ مِنَّا فِي الْوُجُوهِ عُيُونُنَا فَنَحْنُ سُكُوتٌ، وَالْهَوَى يَتَكَلَّمُ وَنَغْضَبُ أَحْيَانًا وَنَرْضَى بِطَرْفِنَا وَذَلِكَ فِيمَا بَيْنَنَا لَيْسَ يُعْلَمُ فَغَنَّتْهُ، ثُمَّ شَرِبَ رِطْلًا ثَالِثًا، وَقَالَ: غَنِّينِي جَعَلَنِي اللَّهُ فِدَاكِ: أَحْسَنُ مَا كُنَّا تَفَرُّقُنَا وَخَانَنَا الدَّهْرُ، وَمَا خُنَّا فَلَيْتَ ذَا الدَّهْرَ لَنَا مَرَّةً عَادَ لَنَا يَوْمًا كَمَا كُنَّا قَالَ: ثُمَّ قَامَ الشَّابُّ إِلَى دَرَجَةٍ هُنَاكَ فَعَلَاهَا، ثُمَّ أَلْقَى نَفْسَهُ مِنْ أَعْلَاهَا عَلَى أُمِّ رَأْسِهِ فَمَاتَ. فَقَالَ الرَّشِيدُ: عَجِلَ الْفَتَى، وَاللَّهِ لَوْ لَمْ يَعْجَلْ لَوَهَبْتُهَا لَهُ. وَفَضَائِلُهُ، وَمَكَارِمُهُ، وَمَآثِرُهُ، وَأَشْعَارُهُ كَثِيرَةٌ جِدًّا، قَدْ أَوْرَدَ الْأَئِمَّةُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا كَثِيرًا، وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ ذَلِكَ أُنْمُوذَجًا صَالِحًا، وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ. مرض ووفاة هارون الرشيد ومراثيه وَقَدْ كَانَ الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ يَقُولُ: لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ أَعَزَّ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ مَوْتِ هَارُونَ الرَّشِيدِ وَإِنِّي لَأَدْعُو اللَّهَ أَنْ يَزِيدَ فِي عُمُرِهِ مِنْ عُمُرِي. قَالُوا: فَلَمَّا مَاتَ الرَّشِيدُ، وَظَهَرَتْ تِلْكَ الْفِتَنُ وَالِاخْتِلَافَاتُ، وَالْقَوْلُ بِخَلْقِ الْقُرْآنِ، عَرَفْنَا مَا كَانَ يَحْمِلُ الْفُضَيْلَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ. وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ مَا رَآهُ فِي مَنَامِهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، وَفِيهِ تُرْبَةٌ حَمْرَاءُ، وَقَائِلٌ يَقُولُ: هَذِهِ تُرْبَةُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَكَانَتْ بِطُوسَ. وَقَدْ رَوَى ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ أَنَّ الرَّشِيدَ رَأَى فِي مَنَامِهِ قَائِلًا يَقُولُ: كَأَنِّي بِهَذَا الْقَصْرِ قَدْ بَادَ أَهْلُهُ .......... الشِّعْرَ إِلَى آخِرِهِ. وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ رَآهُ أَخُوهُ مُوسَى الْهَادِي، وَأَبُوهُ مُحَمَّدٌ الْمَهْدِيُّ، فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَقَدَّمْنَا أَنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِحَفْرِ قَبْرِهِ فِي حَيَاتِهِ، وَأَمَرَ بِقِرَاءَةِ خَتْمَةٍ فِيهِ، وَأَنَّهُ حُمِلَ حَتَّى نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ: إِلَى هَاهُنَا تَصِيرُ يَابْنَ آدَمَ! وَيَبْكِي، وَأَمَرَ أَنْ يُوَسَّعَ عِنْدَ صَدْرِهِ، وَأَنْ يُمَدَّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رِجْلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَقُولُ مَا أَغْنَى عَنِّي مَالِيَهْ هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ [ الْحَاقَّةِ: 28، 29 ] وَيَبْكِي. وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّ آخَرَ مَا تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ حِينَ احْتُضِرَ: اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعْنَا بِالْإِحْسَانِ، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا الْإِسَاءَةَ، يَا مَنْ لَا يَمُوتُ، ارْحَمْ مَنْ يَمُوتُ. وَكَانَ مَرَضُهُ بِالدَّمِ، وَقِيلَ: بِالسُّلِّ. وَكَانَ جِبْرِيلُ بْنُ بَخْتَيْشُوعَ يَكْتُمُهُ مَا بِهِ مِنَ الْعِلَّةِ، فَأَمَرَ الرَّشِيدُ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مَاءَهُ فِي قَارُورَةٍ، وَيَذْهَبَ بِهِ إِلَى جِبْرِيلَ فَيُرِيَهُ إِيَّاهُ، عَلَى أَنَّهُ لِمَرِيضٍ عِنْدَهُ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ عِنْدَهُ: هَذَا مِثْلُ مَاءِ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلِ. فَفَهِمَ صَاحِبُ الْقَارُورَةِ مَنْ عَنَى بِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ حَالِ صَاحِبِ هَذَا الْمَاءِ؛ فَإِنَّ لِي عَلَيْهِ مَالًا، فَإِنْ كَانَ بِهِ رَجَاءٌ، وَإِلَّا أَخَذْتُهُ مِنْهُ. فَقَالَ: اذْهَبْ فَتَخَلَّصْ مِنْهُ؛ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَعِيشُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا. فَلَمَّا جَاءَ، وَأَخْبَرَ الرَّشِيدَ، بَعَثَ إِلَى جِبْرِيلَ فَتَغَيَّبَ حَتَّى مَاتَ الرَّشِيدُ. وَقَدْ قَالَ الرَّشِيدُ فِي هَذِهِ الْحَالِ: إِنِّي بِطُوسَ مُقِيمٌ مَا لِي بِطُوسَ حَمِيمُ أَرْجُو إِلَهِي لِمَا بِي فَإِنَّهُ بِي رَحِيمُ لَقَدْ أَتَانِي بِطُوسَ قَضَاؤُهُ الْمَحْتُومُ وَلَيْسَ إِلَّا رِضَائِي وَالصَّبْرُ وَالتَّسْلِيمُ وَقَالَ الْهَيْثَمُ بْنُ عَدِيٍّ: لَمَّا حَضَرَتِ الرَّشِيدَ الْوَفَاةُ غُشِيَ عَلَيْهِ، فَفَتَحَ عَيْنَيْهِ مِنْهَا فَرَأَى الْفَضْلَ بْنَ الرَّبِيعِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ، فَقَالَ: يَا فَضْلُ 000 أَحِينَ دَنَا مَا كُنْتُ أَرْجُو دُنُوَّهُ رَمَتْنِي عُيُونُ النَّاسِ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبِ فَأَصْبَحْتُ مَرْحُومًا وَكُنْتُ مُحَسَّدًا فَصَبْرًا عَلَى مَكْرُوهِ تِلْكَ الْعَوَاقِبِ سَأَبْكِي عَلَى الْوَصْلِ الَّذِي كَانَ بَيْنَنَا وَأَنْدُبُ أَيَّامَ السُّرُورِ الذَّوَاهِبِ قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ صَاعِدٍ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ الرَّشِيدِ وَهُوَ يَجُودُ بِنَفْسِهِ، فَدَعَا بِمِلْحَفَةٍ غَلِيظَةٍ، فَاحْتَبَى بِهَا، وَجَعَلَ يُقَاسِي مَا يُقَاسِي، فَنَهَضْتُ، فَقَالَ: اقْعُدْ. فَقَعَدْتُ طَوِيلًا لَا يُكَلِّمُنِي وَلَا أُكَلِّمُهُ، فَنَهَضْتُ، فَقَالَ: أَيْنَ يَا سَهْلُ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: ( مَا يَسَعُ قَلْبِي [ أَنْ أَرَى ] أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُعَانِي مِنَ الْمَرَضِ مَا يُعَانِي )، فَلَوِ اضْطَجَعْتَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ [ كَانَ أَرْوَحَ ]. فَضَحِكَ ضِحْكَ صَحِيحٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا سَهْلُ، اذْكُرْ فِي هَذِهِ الْحَالِ قَوْلَ الشَّاعِرِ: وَإِنِّي مِنْ قَوْمٍ كِرَامٍ يَزِيدُهُمْ شِمَاسًا وَصَبْرًا شِدَّةُ الْحَدَثَانِ ثُمَّ مَاتَ. يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ لِثَلَاثٍ خَلَوْنَ مِنْ جُمَادَى الْآخِرَةِ سَنَةَ ثَلَاثٍ وَتِسْعِينَ وَمِائَةٍ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ تُوُفِّيَ فِي جُمَادَى الْأُولَى. وَقِيلَ: فِي رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ. وَلَهُ مِنَ الْعُمُرِ خَمْسٌ، وَقِيلَ: سِتٌّ، وَقِيلَ: سَبْعٌ، وَقِيلَ: ثَمَانٍ وَأَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً. وَمُدَّةُ وِلَايَتِهِ لِلْخِلَافَةِ ثَلَاثٌ وَعِشْرُونَ سَنَةً، وَشَهْرٌ، وَثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا. وَقِيلَ: وَثَلَاثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ. وَصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ ابْنُهُ صَالِحٌ، وَدُفِنَ بِقَرْيَةٍ مِنْ قُرَى طُوسَ يُقَالُ لَهَا سَنَابَاذُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، وَسَامَحَهُ، وَأَدْخَلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: قَرَأْتُ عَلَى خِيَامِ الرَّشِيدِ بِسَنَابَاذَ، وَالنَّاسُ مُنْصَرِفُونَ مِنْ طُوسَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِهِ: مَنَازِلُ الْعَسْكَرِ مَعْمُورَةٌ وَالْمَنْزِلُ الْأَعْظَمُ مَهْجُورُ خَلِيفَةُ اللَّهِ بِدَارِ الْبِلَى تَسْفِي عَلَى أَجْدَاثِهِ الْمُورُ أَقْبَلَتِ الْعِيرُ تُبَاهِي بِهِ وَانْصَرَفَتْ تَنْدُبُهُ الْعِيرُ وَقَدْ رَثَاهُ أَبُو الشِّيصِ فَقَالَ: غَرَبَتْ فِي الشَّرْقِ شَمْسٌ فَلَهَا الْعَيْنَانِ تَدْمَعْ مَا رَأَيْنَا قَطُّ شَمْسًا غَرَبَتْ مِنْ حَيْثُ تَطْلُعْ وَقَدْ رَثَاهُ الشُّعَرَاءُ بِقَصَائِدَ. قَالَ أَبُو الْفَرَجِ ابْنُ الْجَوْزِيِّ فِي " " الْمُنْتَظَمِ " ": وَقَدْ خَلَّفَ الرَّشِيدُ مِنَ الْمِيرَاثِ مَا لَمْ يُخَلِّفْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْخُلَفَاءِ، مِنَ الْجَوَاهِرِ، وَالْأَثَاثِ، وَالْأَمْتِعَةِ سِوَى الضِّيَاعِ، وَالدُّورِ مَا قِيمَتُهُ مِائَةُ أَلْفِ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ، وَخَمْسَةٌ وَثَلَاثُونَ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ. قَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ وَكَانَ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ لِمَصَالِحِ النَّاسِ تِسْعُمِائَةِ أَلْفِ أَلْفٍ، وَنَيِّفٍ. نِسَائِهِ وَأَوْلَادِهِ تَزَوَّجَ أُمَّ جَعْفَرٍ زُبَيْدَةَ بِنْتَ عَمِّهِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْمَنْصُورِ، فِي سَنَةِ خَمْسٍ وَسِتِّينَ وَمِائَةٍ فِي حَيَاةِ أَبِيهِ الْمَهْدِيِّ، فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ مُحَمَّدًا الْأَمِينَ، وَمَاتَتْ فِي سَنَةِ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ. وَتَزَوَّجَ أَمَةَ الْعَزِيزِ أُمَّ وَلَدٍ كَانَتْ لِأَخِيهِ مُوسَى الْهَادِي فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الرَّشِيدِ. وَتَزَوَّجَ أُمَّ مُحَمَّدٍ بِنْتَ صَالِحٍ الْمِسْكِينِ، وَالْعَبَّاسَةَ بِنْتَ عَمِّهِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ، فَزُفَّتَا إِلَيْهِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ وَثَمَانِينَ وَمِائَةٍ بِالرَّقَّةِ. وَتَزَوَّجَ عَزِيزَةَ بِنْتَ الْغِطْرِيفِ، وَهِيَ بِنْتُ خَالِهِ أَخِي أُمِّهِ الْخَيْزُرَانِ وَتَزَوَّجَ ابْنَةَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ الْعُثْمَانِيَّةَ، وَيُقَالُ لَهَا: الْجُرَشِيَّةُ. لِأَنَّهَا وُلِدَتْ بِجُرَشَ بِالْيَمَنِ. وَتُوُفِّيَ الرَّشِيدُ عَنْ أَرْبَعِ حَرَائِرَ: زُبَيْدَةَ، وَعَبَّاسَةَ، وَابْنَةِ صَالِحٍ، وَالْعُثْمَانِيَّةِ هَذِهِ. وَأَمَّا الْحَظَايَا مِنَ الْجَوَارِي فَكَثِيرٌ جِدًّا حَتَّى قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ فِي دَارِهِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ جَارِيَةٍ. وَأَمَّا أَوْلَادُهُ الذُّكُورُ فَمُحَمَّدٌ الْأَمِينُ بْنُ زُبَيْدَةَ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ الْمَأْمُونُ مِنْ جَارِيَةٍ اسْمُهَا مَرَاجِلُ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الْمُعْتَصِمُ مِنْ أُمِّ وَلَدٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا: مَارِدَةُ، وَالْقَاسِمُ الْمُؤْتَمَنُ مِنْ جَارِيَةٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا: قَصْفُ. وَعَلِيٌّ أُمُّهُ أَمَةُ الْعَزِيزِ، وَصَالِحٌ مِنْ جَارِيَةٍ اسْمُهَا رَثْمُ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ أَبُو عِيسَى، وَمُحَمَّدٌ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ، كُلُّ هَؤُلَاءِ مِنْ أُمَّهَاتِ أَوْلَادٍ. وَمِنَ الْإِنَاثِ سَكِينَةُ مِنْ قَصْفَ، وَأُمُّ حَبِيبٍ مِنْ مَارِدَةَ، وَأَرْوَى، وَأُمُّ الْحَسَنِ، وَأُمُّ مُحَمَّدٍ حَمْدُونَةَ، وَفَاطِمَةُ، وَأُمُّهَا غُصَصُ، وَأُمُّ سَلَمَةَ، وَخَدِيجَةُ، وَأُمُّ الْقَاسِمِ، وَرَمْلَةُ، وَأُمُّ عَلِيٍّ، وَأُمُّ الْغَالِيَةِ، وَرَيْطَةُ، كُلُّهُنَّ مِنْ أُمَّهَاتِ أَوْلَادٍ.

Translation

✧ The biography of Hārūn al-Rashīd He is Hārūn al-Rashīd, Commander of the Faithful, son of al-Mahdī Muḥammad b. al-Manṣūr Abī Jaʿfar ʿAbd Allāh b. Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib al-Qurashī al-Hāshimī, Abū Muḥammad, and it is said: Abū Jaʿfar. His mother was al-Khayzurān, an umm walad. He was born in Shawwāl of the year six, and it is said: seven, and it is said: one hundred and forty-eight. It is also said that he was born in the year one hundred and fifty. Allegiance was pledged to him as caliph after the death of his brother Mūsā al-Hādī in Rabīʿ al-Awwal of the year one hundred and seventy, by the covenant of his father al-Mahdī, as has been mentioned earlier. Narrations of Hārūn al-Rashīd He related ḥadīth from his father and his grandfather, and he narrated from al-Mubārak b. Faḍāla, from al-Ḥasan, from Anas b. Mālik that the Messenger of God ﷺ said: "Guard yourselves against the Fire, even with half a date." He mentioned this while he was on the pulpit delivering a sermon to the people. His son narrated from him, as did Sulaymān al-Hāshimī, the father of Isḥāq, and Nubāta b. ʿAmr. Attributes and jihād of Hārūn al-Rashīd Al-Rashīd was fair, tall, stout, and handsome. He had raided the summer expedition several times during his father's lifetime, and he concluded a truce between the Muslims and the Byzantines after his siege of Constantinople. The Muslims faced great hardship and severe fear in that, and the peace was with the woman Ilyūn, who was titled Augusta, on condition of much tribute that she would pay to the Muslims every year. The Muslims in the east and west rejoiced at this, as has been mentioned earlier. This is what prompted his father to pledge allegiance to him as heir apparent after his brother Mūsā al-Hādī, and that was in the year one hundred and sixty-six. Then, when the caliphate came to him after his brother in the year one hundred and seventy, he was of the best conduct among people, the most frequent in raiding and performing hajj himself. For this reason Abū al-Saʿlī said of him: Whoever seeks to meet you or desires it, let him go to the two sacred precincts or the farthest frontiers, in the land of the enemy on a lean horse, and in the land of the Kaʿbah on a camel saddle. No creature has encompassed the frontiers other than you among those appointed over affairs. He used to give as charity from his own wealth every day one thousand dirhams. When he performed hajj, he took with him one hundred jurists and their sons; and when he did not perform hajj, he sent three hundred with ample provision and complete clothing. He loved to emulate his grandfather Abū Jaʿfar al-Manṣūr except in giving, for he was swift and generous in giving. He loved jurists and poets, and gave them much, and no kindness or good deed was ever lost with him. The inscription on his signet ring was: "There is no god but God." He used to pray one hundred rakʿahs of supererogatory prayer every day until he departed this world, unless an illness befell him. No good deed of a doer of good was lost with him, nor did he delay it. He loved poetry and poets, inclined toward people of letters and jurisprudence, and disliked disputation in religion. He loved praise, especially from an eloquent poet, and rewarded him generously. When Marwān b. Abī Ḥafṣa praised him with his ode, which included: The frontiers were closed with Hārūn and secured; through him the affairs of the Muslims were firmly settled. He gave him five thousand dinars, a robe of honor, and ten Byzantine slaves, and mounted him on a steed from his own private mount. Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-Khurāsānī said: "Al-Rashīd was the first caliph to play polo and ball, and to shoot arrows at the target, and the first Abbasid caliph to play chess." Al-Ṣūlī said: "He was the first to assign ranks and classes to singers." Some of the humorous situations of Hārūn al-Rashīd Ibn Abī Maryam al-Madanī was the one who made him laugh, and he had merit in reports of the Hijaz and other matters. Al-Rashīd lodged him in his palace and mixed him with his family. One day al-Rashīd woke him for the dawn prayer, and he got up, performed ablution, then caught up with al-Rashīd while he was reciting: "And why should I not worship the One who created me" [Yā Sīn: 22]. Ibn Abī Maryam said: "By God, I do not know." Al-Rashīd laughed, interrupted the prayer, then turned to him and said: "Woe to you! Avoid prayer and the Qurʾān, and you may have everything else." One day al-ʿAbbās b. Muḥammad entered upon al-Rashīd with a silver jar containing excellent perfume, and he began to praise it and express great gratitude for it, and asked al-Rashīd to accept it from him, so he accepted it. Ibn Abī Maryam asked al-Rashīd to give it to him, so he gave it to him. Al-ʿAbbās said to him: "Woe to you! I brought something that I denied myself and preferred my master with it, and you took it." Ibn Maryam swore that he would perfume his anus with it. Then he took some of it and smeared his anus with it, and anointed all his limbs with it, while al-Rashīd could not control his laughter. Then he said to a servant standing there called Khāqān: "Fetch my slave boy." Al-Rashīd said: "Call his slave boy for him." Then he said to him: "Take this perfume and go to your mistress and tell her to perfume her anus with it so that I may return to her and have intercourse with her." Laughter overcame al-Rashīd completely. Then Ibn Abī Maryam turned to al-ʿAbbās b. Muḥammad and said to him: "You came with this perfume praising it before the Commander of the Faithful, under whose authority and in whose hand is everything that the sky rains down and the earth brings forth? And more astonishing than this is that it was said to the Angel of Death: 'Whatever this man commands you, carry it out.' And you praise this perfume before him as if he were a grocer, a baker, a cook, or a date seller." Al-Rashīd nearly perished from intense laughter, then he ordered one hundred thousand dirhams for Ibn Abī Maryam. One day al-Rashīd drank medicine, and Ibn Abī Maryam asked him to be in charge of the chamberlains that day, and whatever he obtained would be between him and the Commander of the Faithful. He appointed him chamberlain. Messengers came with gifts from every side, from Zubayda, the Barmakids, and the great commanders, and what he obtained that day was sixty thousand dinars. On the second day al-Rashīd asked him what he had collected, and he told him. He said: "Where is my share?" He said: "Dismissed." He said: "I have settled with you for ten thousand apples." Al-Rashīd's veneration of knowledge and the traditions of the Messenger of God He summoned Abū Muʿāwiya al-Ḍarīr, Muḥammad b. Khāzim, to hear ḥadīth from him. Abū Muʿāwiya said: "I never mentioned anything from the ḥadīth of the Messenger of God in his presence except that he said: 'May God bless and grant peace upon my master.' When he heard a ḥadīth containing an exhortation, he wept until the ground became wet. One day I ate with him, then I rose to wash my hands, and he poured water over me while I could not see him. Then he said: 'O Abū Muʿāwiya, do you know who is pouring water over you?' I said: 'No.' He said: 'I am.' Abū Muʿāwiya al-Ḍarīr then prayed for him and said: 'I only intended to venerate knowledge.' One day Abū Muʿāwiya narrated to him from al-Aʿmash, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Abū Hurayra the ḥadīth: 'Adam and Moses disputed.' The uncle of al-Rashīd said: 'Where did they meet, O Abū Muʿāwiya?' Al-Rashīd became extremely angry at that and said: 'Do you object to the ḥadīth?! Bring the leather mat and the sword.' It was brought, and people rose to intercede for him, but al-Rashīd said: 'This is heresy.' Then he ordered him imprisoned and said: 'He will not leave until he tells me who prompted him to this.' He swore by binding oaths that no one had told him, and that it was merely a slip from himself, so he released him. Some said: I entered upon Hārūn al-Rashīd while before him was a man whose neck had been struck, and the executioner was wiping his sword on the back of the slain man's neck. Hārūn said: 'I killed him because he said the Qurʾān is created. I killed him as an act of nearness to God, Mighty and Majestic.' A scholar said to him: 'O Commander of the Faithful, look at those who love Abū Bakr and ʿUmar and give them precedence, so honor them and your authority will be strengthened.' Al-Rashīd said: 'Am I not like that?! By God, I am indeed like that: I love them and love whoever loves them, and I punish whoever hates them.' Al-Rashīd's fear and awe of God Ibn al-Simmāk or someone else said to him: 'O Commander of the Faithful, God has not placed anyone above you; strive that none among them be more obedient to God than you.' He said: 'You have shortened the speech but have been eloquent in the exhortation.' One day Ibn al-Simmāk entered upon him, and al-Rashīd asked for water; a jug of cooled water was brought. He said to Ibn al-Simmāk: 'Admonish me.' He said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, how much would you pay for this drink if you were denied it?' He said: 'Half my kingdom.' He said: 'Drink and may it be wholesome.' When he drank, he said: 'What do you think if you were denied its exit from your body, how much would you pay for that?' He said: 'All my kingdom.' He said: 'A kingdom whose value is a drink of water is not worth competing for.' Hārūn wept. Ibn Qutayba said: Al-Riyāshī narrated to us: I heard al-Aṣmaʿī say: I entered upon al-Rashīd while he was trimming his nails on Friday, and I said something to him about that. He said: 'Trimming nails on Thursday is from the Sunnah, and I have heard that trimming them on Friday repels poverty.' I said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, do you fear poverty?!' He said: 'O Aṣmaʿī, is there anyone who fears poverty more than I?' Ibn ʿAsākir narrated from Ibrāhīm b. al-Mahdī who said: One day I was with al-Rashīd, and he called his cook and said: 'Do you have any camel meat in the food?' He said: 'Yes, several kinds of it.' He said: 'Bring it with the food.' When it was placed before him, he took a morsel of it and put it in his mouth, and Jaʿfar al-Barmakī laughed. Al-Rashīd stopped chewing the morsel, turned to him, and said: 'Why are you laughing?' He said: 'Nothing, O Commander of the Faithful; I remembered some words that passed between me and my slave girl last night.' He said: 'By my right over you, you must tell me.' He said: 'Until you eat this morsel.' He threw it from his mouth and said: 'By God, you will tell me.' He said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, how much do you think this food of camel meat costs you?' He said: 'Four dirhams.' He said: 'No, by God, O Commander of the Faithful, rather four hundred thousand dirhams.' He said: 'How is that?' He said: 'You asked your cook for camel meat a long time ago before this day, and he did not have it. I said: 'The kitchen must never be without camel meat, for we slaughter a camel every day because we do not buy camel meat from the market.' So from that day to this day, four hundred thousand dirhams were spent on camel meat, and the Commander of the Faithful did not ask for camel meat except this day.' Jaʿfar said: 'I laughed because the Commander of the Faithful obtained from that only this morsel, so it costs the Commander of the Faithful four hundred thousand.' He said: 'Al-Rashīd wept bitterly, turned to himself reproaching himself, saying: 'You are ruined, by God, O Hārūn.' He ordered the table to be removed from before him, and he continued weeping until the muezzins announced the noon prayer. He went out and prayed with the people, then returned weeping. He ordered two million to be distributed to the poor of the two sacred precincts, one million in each sanctuary as charity; he ordered two million to be given as charity in both sides of Baghdad, the western and eastern; and one million to be given as charity to the poor of Kufa and Basra. Then he went out for the afternoon prayer, then returned weeping until he prayed the sunset prayer, then returned. Abū Yūsuf the judge entered upon him and said: 'What is wrong, O Commander of the Faithful, that you are weeping this day?' He mentioned his affair and the enormous wealth he had spent for his desire, while he obtained only a morsel from it. Abū Yūsuf said to Jaʿfar: 'Was the camel meat they slaughtered wasted, or did people eat it?' He said: 'Rather people ate it.' He said: 'Rejoice, O Commander of the Faithful, in the reward of God for the wealth you spent that the Muslims ate in past days, and for the charity God facilitated for you this day for the poor, and for the fear and awe of God you have been granted this day. God, Exalted, has said: 'But for him who fears the station of his Lord are two gardens' [Al-Raḥmān: 46]. Al-Rashīd ordered four hundred thousand for him, then called for food and ate from it, so his lunch that day became dinner. ʿAmr b. Baḥr al-Jāḥiẓ said: Al-Rashīd combined seriousness and jest as no one else did. Abū Yūsuf was his judge, the Barmakids were his viziers, his chamberlain was al-Faḍl b. al-Rabīʿ, the most prominent of people and the most haughty; his boon companion was his father's uncle al-ʿAbbās b. Muḥammad, the lord of al-ʿAbbāsiyya; his poet was Marwān b. Abī Ḥafṣa, his singer Ibrāhīm al-Mawṣilī, unique in his age in his craft; his percussionist was Zalzal, his flutist Barṣūmā, and his wife was Umm Jaʿfar—meaning Zubayda—and she was the most desirous of people in every good and the swiftest to every kindness and good deed. She brought water into the sacred precinct after it had been prohibited, among other good deeds. Al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī narrated that al-Rashīd used to say: 'We are of a people whose loss is great and whose remnant is good; we inherited the Messenger of God ﷺ, and the caliphate of God, Mighty and Majestic, remains among us.' While al-Rashīd was circumambulating the House one day, a man appeared to him and said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, I wish to speak to you with harsh words.' He said: 'No, nor may your eye be comforted; God sent one better than you to one worse than me and commanded him to speak to him gently.' From Shuʿayb b. Ḥarb, who said: I saw al-Rashīd on the road to Makkah, and I said to myself: 'You must enjoin good and forbid evil.' But I feared, and said: 'He will now strike my neck.' I said: 'There is no avoiding it.' So I called out to him: 'O Hārūn, you have wearied the community and the beasts.' He said: 'Seize him.' I was brought before him, and in his hand was an iron rod with which he played, while he sat on a chair. He said: 'Who is the man?' I said: 'A man from the Muslims.' He said: 'May your mother be bereft of you! Who are you?' I said: 'From the Abnāʾ.' He said: 'What made you call me by my name?' He said: There came to my mind something that had never occurred to me before, and I said: 'I call God by His name: O God, O Merciful; shall I not call you by your name?! God, Glorified, has called the most beloved of His creation to Him by his name: Muḥammad, and He called the most hated of creation by his kunya, saying: 'May the hands of Abū Lahab perish' [Al-Masad: 1]. Al-Rashīd said: 'Take him out, take him out.' And Ibn al-Simmāk said to him one day: O Commander of the Faithful, you shall die alone, and be buried alone, so beware of standing before the Compeller, and of the halting between Paradise and the Fire, when one is seized by the throat, the foot slips, regret befalls, no repentance may be attained, no stumble is pardoned, and no ransom of wealth is accepted. Al-Rashīd began weeping until his voice rose. Yaḥyā b. Khālid said to him: O Ibn al-Simmāk, you have distressed the Commander of the Faithful tonight. Then he arose and left his presence, weeping. And al-Fuḍayl b. ʿIyāḍ said to him in the course of his admonition that night in Makkah: O fair of face, you will be questioned about all of these [people]. God, exalted is He, has said: “And their ties shall be cut asunder” [al-Baqarah: 166]. He said: Layth narrated to us, from Mujāhid: the bonds that existed between them in this world. So he wept until he began to sob. And al-Aṣmaʿī said: One day al-Rashīd summoned me, and he had adorned his dwellings and increased the food, drink, and pleasures therein. Then he summoned Abū al-ʿAtāhiyah and said to him: Describe for us the life and comfort we enjoy. So he began to say: Live as long as you may, safe and sound, in the shade of towering palaces; whatever you desire is brought to you, at evening and at early morn; but when souls rattle in the narrow straitness of the chest, then you will know with certainty that you were only in deception. He said: Al-Rashīd wept bitterly. Al-Faḍl b. Yaḥyā said: The Commander of the Faithful summoned you to gladden him, yet you have saddened him? Al-Rashīd said to him: Leave him; for he saw us in blindness and disliked to increase us in blindness. And through another chain, al-Rashīd said to Abū al-ʿAtāhiyah: Admonish me with some verses of poetry, and be brief. So he began to say: Do not feel safe from death in any extremity or breath, even if you shield yourself with veils and guards. Know that the arrows of death aim to strike every armed and shielded man. You hope for deliverance but have not taken its paths; the ship does not sail on dry land. He said: Al-Rashīd fell down in a faint. Al-Rashīd once imprisoned Abū al-ʿAtāhiyah, and set watchers over him to report what he said. He once wrote on the prison wall: By God, wrongdoing is a cause of blame, and the wrongdoer himself is ever the oppressor. To the Judge of the Day of Requital we go, and with God the adversaries shall meet. He said: So he summoned him and asked him to absolve him, and gave him a thousand dinars, and released him. Al-Ḥusayn b. al-Fahm said, with his chain of transmission from Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah, who said: I entered upon al-Rashīd, and he said: What news of you? I said: In God’s sight, houses do not remain hidden, for endurance and silence have gone on too long. He said: O fellow, a hundred thousand [dirhams] to Ibn ʿUyaynah, to suffice him and his descendants, and not harm al-Rashīd in the least. Al-Aṣmaʿī said: I was with al-Rashīd on the pilgrimage. We passed by a valley, and on its edge there was a beautiful young woman with a bowl before her, begging with it, saying: The crushing waves of the years have ground us down, and the misfortunes of the days have cast us aside. So we have come to you, stretching out our hands for the leftovers of your provisions and food. Seek, then, the reward and recompense from us, O visitors of the Sacred House. Whoever has seen me has seen me and my baggage; so have mercy on my exile and the lowliness of my station. Al-Aṣmaʿī said: I went to al-Rashīd and told him of her situation. He came himself until he stood over her, heard her, pitied her and wept, and ordered the servant Masrūr to fill her bowl with gold. He filled it until it overflowed right and left. And al-Rashīd once heard a bedouin urging on his camels on the road of the pilgrimage, saying: O you who amass worry, do not be grieved; if the fever is decreed for you, you will be fevered. How can you guard yourself when the Pen has run dry and health and sickness have settled upon you? Al-Rashīd said to one of the servants: What do you have with you? He said: Four hundred dinars. He said: Give them to this bedouin. When he had received them, his companion struck him on the shoulder with his hand and said, quoting in verse: I was the companion of Qaʿqāʿ b. ʿAmr, and no companion of Qaʿqāʿ is ever unfortunate. So al-Rashīd ordered one of the servants to give the one who quoted whatever gold he had with him, and it turned out he had two hundred dinars. Abū ʿUbaydah said: The origin of this proverb is that Muʿāwiyah was given a gift—bowls of gold—and he distributed them among his companions. Beside him was Qaʿqāʿ b. ʿAmr, and beside Qaʿqāʿ was a bedouin who received nothing of them. The bedouin lowered his head in shame, so Qaʿqāʿ gave him the bowl that had fallen to his share. The bedouin rose, saying: I was the companion of Qaʿqāʿ b. ʿAmr, and no companion of Qaʿqāʿ is ever unfortunate. One day al-Rashīd came out from Zubaydah’s quarters laughing, and it was said to him: Why do you laugh, O Commander of the Faithful? He said: This woman—meaning his wife Zubaydah—came to me; I ate with her and slept. I did not wake except at the sound of gold being poured. I said: What is this? They said: This is three hundred thousand dinars that have arrived from Egypt. She said: Grant it to me, O cousin. I said: It is yours. Then I had not yet left before she turned belligerent on me and said: What good have I ever seen from you? And al-Rashīd once said to al-Mufaḍḍal al-Ḍabbī: What is the finest thing said about the wolf? And you shall have this ring, whose price is one thousand six hundred dinars. So he recited the poet’s saying: He sleeps with one of his eyelids, and with the other wards off calamities; thus he is both wakeful and slumbering. He said: You did not say this except to rob us of the ring. Then he threw it to him. Zubaydah sent and bought it from him for one thousand six hundred dinars, and sent it to al-Rashīd, saying: I saw that you admired it. He returned it to al-Mufaḍḍal along with the dinars, and said: We would not grant something and then take it back. One day al-Rashīd said to al-ʿAbbās b. al-Aḥnaf: What is the most delicate verse the Arabs have spoken? He said: The saying of Jamīl about Buthaynah: Would that I were blind and deaf, and Buthaynah led me, so that her speech would not be hidden from me. Al-Rashīd said to him: Yet your own verse is more delicate than this, where you said: Love wandered among all of God’s servants, until when it passed by me from among them, it stopped. Al-ʿAbbās said: Yours, O Commander of the Faithful, is more delicate than all of this: Does it not suffice you that you possess me, and that all people are my slaves, and that if you cut off my hands and my feet, I would say, out of love: You have done well; add more! He said: Al-Rashīd laughed and was pleased by that. Al-Silafī reported in the “Ṭuyūriyyāt” with his chain of transmission from Ibn al-Mubārak, who said: “When the caliphate passed to al-Rashīd... a slave-girl of al-Mahdī’s took his fancy. He desired her for himself, but she said: I am not lawful for you; your father had relations with me. Yet he became infatuated with her. He sent for Abū Yūsuf and asked him: Do you have any [legal device] in this matter? He said: O Commander of the Faithful, should every slave-girl who makes a claim be believed?! Do not believe her, for she is not trustworthy.” Ibn al-Mubārak said: “I did not know at whom to marvel more—at this man who had laid his hand on the blood and wealth of the Muslims yet scrupled over his father’s inviolable right; or at this slave-girl who refused herself to the Commander of the Faithful; or at this jurist of the land and its judge, who said: Violate your father’s honor, gratify your desire, and put it on my neck?!” He also reported from ʿAbd Allāh b. Yūsuf, who said: Al-Rashīd said to Abū Yūsuf: “I have bought a slave-girl and wish to have intercourse with her now, before the period of istibrāʾ. Is there any device for that?” He said: “Yes; give her as a gift to one of your sons, then marry her.” And he reported from Isḥāq b. Rāhawayh, who said: “Al-Rashīd summoned Abū Yūsuf at night, and he gave him a legal ruling, so he ordered a hundred thousand dirhams for him. Abū Yūsuf said: If the Commander of the Faithful sees fit … to order that it be delivered before dawn? He said: Deliver it at once. Someone present said: The treasurer is in his house and the doors are locked. Abū Yūsuf said: The gates were locked when he summoned me, yet they were opened!!” It was said: Yaḥyā b. Khālid appointed a man over some tax-collecting work. The man entered upon al-Rashīd to bid him farewell, and with him were Yaḥyā and Jaʿfar. Al-Rashīd said to the two of them: Give him your parting advice! Yaḥyā said: Be frugal, and build well. Jaʿfar said: Be just, and demand justice. Al-Rashīd said: Act justly, and do good. It was said: Al-Rashīd once performed the pilgrimage and entered the Kaʿbah. One of the custodians saw him standing on his toes, saying: O You who possess the needs of those who ask, and know the conscience of the silent! For every request made of You there is a ready answer and a decisive response, and for every silent one You have encompassing knowledge, speaking through Your true promises, Your overflowing favors, and Your vast mercy. Bless Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad; forgive us our sins, and expiate for us our evil deeds, O You whom sins do not harm, from whom hidden things are not concealed, and whose forgiveness of faults does not diminish You. O You who spread the earth upon the water, and closed the air with the sky, and chose for Yourself the most beautiful names! Bless Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, and choose for me the best in all my affairs. O You before whom voices are hushed in all manner of languages, asking You for their needs! Among my needs from You is that You forgive me my sins when You take me in death, and I am placed in my grave, and my family and children are parted from me. O God, to You belongs praise, such praise as surpasses every praise, as Your bounty surpasses all creation. O God, bless Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad with a blessing that is pleasing to him, and bless him with a blessing that is a treasure for him, and reward him on our behalf with the fullest reward. O God, make us live as felicitous ones, and take us as martyrs; make us felicitous and well-provided, and do not make us wretched and deprived. [His consolation upon Ibn al-Mubārak, his generosity and his gifts] Among his virtues: when news reached him of the death of Ibn al-Mubārak, he sat for formal condolences, and ordered the notables to offer him condolences in Ibn al-Mubārak. From the poetry of Hārūn al-Rashīd And from al-Rashīd’s poetry concerning three favorite slave-girls of his inner circle: The three charming maidens have taken possession of my reins, and have settled in every place of my heart. How is it that all creation obeys me, yet I obey them, while they disobey me? That is only because the authority of love, through which they have gained strength, is mightier than my authority. And from his poetry, as cited by the author of al-ʿIqd in his book: She shows aversion, yet hides beneath it affection; the soul is content, while the gaze is angry. O you to whom I have offered my cheek and he has made it slip, for there is no authority over me save the Merciful. Abū Hiffān mentioned that in al-Rashīd’s household there were four thousand slave-girls, among concubines, their servants, the servants of his wife, and his sisters. One day they all assembled before him, and the singing-girls sang to him, and he was greatly delighted. He ordered money to be scattered over them, and the amount that day was six million dirhams. This was narrated by Ibn ʿAsākir. He also narrated that al-Rashīd bought a slave-girl from Madinah and was greatly taken with her. He ordered that her former owners and those attached to them be brought so that he might fulfill their needs. They came, eighty persons in all. He ordered the chamberlain al-Faḍl b. al-Rabīʿ to receive them and write down their needs. Among them was a bedouin man who had stayed in Madinah and was in love with that slave-girl. The chamberlain said to him: What is your need? He said: My need is that the Commander of the Faithful seat me with so-and-so, and I drink three raṭls of wine, and she sings me three songs. He said: Are you mad? He said: No, but present that to the Commander of the Faithful. When he returned to the caliph, he mentioned what the man had said. So he ordered him brought, and that the slave-girl sit with him where [the caliph] could watch them. She sat on a chair, with servants before her, and the man sat on a chair. He drank a raṭl and said to her: Sing to me: My two friends, turn aside, may God bless you both, even if Hind is not in your land, by design. Say to her: It was not error that made us cross, but we crossed deliberately to meet you. Tomorrow the weepers will multiply among us and among you, and my abode will grow farther from your abodes. So she sang to him. Then the servant urged him on, and he drank another raṭl and said: Sing to me, may I be your ransom: Our eyes speak in our faces, so we are silent, while love speaks; we are angry at times and content with a glance, and that between us is not known. So she sang to him. Then he drank a third raṭl and said: Sing to me, may God make me your ransom: The best of what we were was our separation; Time betrayed us, and we did not betray. Would that Time might once return to us a day as we once were. He said: Then the young man rose to a step that was there, climbed it, and threw himself from its top onto his head and died. Al-Rashīd said: The young man was hasty. By God, had he not been hasty, I would have given her to him. His virtues, his generous deeds, his noble qualities, and his poetry are extremely numerous. The imams have recorded much of that, and we have mentioned a good sample of it. To God be praise. Illness and death of Hārūn al-Rashīd, and elegies for him Al-Fuḍayl b. ʿIyāḍ used to say: No one’s death would be more grievous to us than the death of Hārūn al-Rashīd. Indeed, I pray that God may add to his lifespan from my own. They said: When al-Rashīd died and those trials and dissensions appeared, along with the doctrine that the Qurʾān was created, we understood what prompted al-Fuḍayl’s words. We have already mentioned what he saw in his dream concerning that, in which there was red soil, and a voice saying: This is the soil of the Commander of the Faithful. And it was in Ṭūs. Ibn ʿAsākir narrated that al-Rashīd saw in a dream a voice saying: It is as if I see this palace, its people now perished... —the poem to its end. It has already been mentioned that his brother Mūsā al-Hādī saw that, and his father Muḥammad al-Mahdī saw it, but God knows best. We have already mentioned that he ordered his grave to be dug during his lifetime, and ordered a complete recitation of the Qurʾān in it. He was carried until he looked at it, and he began to say: To this place you shall come, O son of Adam! And he wept. He ordered that it be widened at his chest and extended from his feet. Then he began to say: “My wealth has availed me nothing; my power has perished from me” [al-Ḥāqqah: 28–29], and wept. It is said that the last words he spoke when he was on his deathbed were: O God, benefit us through good deeds, and forgive us our misdeeds. O You who do not die, have mercy on one who dies. His illness was with blood, and it was said: with consumption. Jibrīl b. Bakhtīshūʿ used to conceal from him what illness he had, so al-Rashīd ordered a man to take his urine in a glass bottle and go with it to Jibrīl and show it to him, on the pretense that it was for a sick man he had. When he saw it, he said to a man with him: "This is like the urine of that man." The owner of the bottle understood whom he meant, and said to him: "I adjure you by God, inform me about the condition of the owner of this urine; for I have money owed by him. If there is hope for him, then leave it; otherwise I will collect it from him." He said: "Go and free yourself from him; for he will not live but a few days." When he came and informed al-Rashīd, he sent for Jibrīl, but he hid himself until al-Rashīd died. Al-Rashīd said in this state: I am in Ṭūs staying; I have no close friend in Ṭūs. I hope to my God for what is in me, for He is merciful to me. He brought upon me in Ṭūs His decree that is ordained. There is nothing but my contentment, patience, and submission. Al-Haytham b. ʿAdī said: When death came to al-Rashīd, he fell into a swoon. He opened his eyes from it and saw al-Faḍl b. al-Rabīʿ at his head, and said: "O Faḍl... When what I had hoped would draw near has drawn near, the eyes of people struck me from every side. So I have become pitied after having been envied, so patience upon the disliked consequences of those outcomes. I will weep for the union that was between us and lament the passing days of joy. Sahl b. Ṣāʿid said: I was with al-Rashīd while he was at the point of death. He called for a thick wrapper and wrapped himself in it, and began to endure what he endured. I rose to leave, and he said: "Sit." So I sat for a long time, neither of us speaking to the other. Then I rose, and he said: "Where are you going, O Sahl?" I said: "My heart cannot bear to see the Commander of the Faithful suffering from illness what he suffers. If only you would lie down, O Commander of the Faithful, it would be more restful." He laughed the laugh of a healthy man, then said: "O Sahl, remember in this state the words of the poet: I am of a noble people whom the severity of misfortunes increases in pride and patience. Then he died, on Saturday, three nights remaining of Jumādā al-Ākhirah, in the year 193. It was said: he died in Jumādā al-Ūlā. It was said: in Rabīʿ al-Awwal. He was forty-five, or forty-six, or forty-seven, or forty-eight years old. The duration of his tenure as caliph was twenty-three years, one month, and eighteen days; and it was said: and three months. His son Ṣāliḥ prayed over him, and he was buried in a village of the villages of Ṭūs called Sanābādh, may God have mercy on him, pardon him, and admit him to Paradise. Some of them said: I read upon the tents of al-Rashīd at Sanābādh, as the people were departing from Ṭūs after his death: The dwellings of the army are inhabited, while the greatest dwelling is abandoned. God's caliph is in the abode of decay, the winds blow over his graves. The caravan set out boasting of him, and returned mourning him. Abū al-Shīṣ elegized him, saying: A sun has set in the east, so the two eyes shed tears. We have never seen a sun set from where it rises. The poets elegized him with odes. Abu al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzī said in al-Muntaẓam: "Al-Rashīd left behind an inheritance such as no caliph had left before him, of jewels, furnishings, and goods, besides estates and houses, whose value was one hundred thousand thousand dinars and thirty-five thousand thousand dinars." Ibn Jarīr said: "There was in the treasury for the welfare of the people nine hundred thousand thousand and some." His wives and children: He married Umm Jaʿfar Zubaydah bt. his paternal uncle Jaʿfar b. Abī Jaʿfar al-Manṣūr in the year 165 during the lifetime of his father al-Mahdī. She bore him Muḥammad al-Amīn and died in the year 216. He married Amat al-ʿAzīz, an umm walad who had belonged to his brother Mūsā al-Hādī, and she bore him ʿAlī b. al-Rashīd. He married Umm Muḥammad bt. Ṣāliḥ al-Miskīn and al-ʿAbbāsah bt. his paternal uncle Sulaymān b. Abī Jaʿfar, and they were both conducted to him on one night in the year 187 at al-Raqqah. He married ʿAzīzah bt. al-Ghiṭrīf, who was the daughter of his maternal uncle, the brother of his mother al-Khayzurān. He married the daughter of ʿAbd Allāh b. Muḥammad b. ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr b. ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān, the ʿUthmāniyyah, who was called al-Jurashiyyah because she was born at Jurash in Yemen. Al-Rashīd died leaving four free women: Zubaydah, ʿAbbāsah, the daughter of Ṣāliḥ, and this ʿUthmāniyyah. As for the concubines from among the slave women, they were exceedingly numerous; some said that he had in his palace four thousand slave women. As for his male children: Muḥammad al-Amīn b. Zubaydah; ʿAbd Allāh al-Maʾmūn from a slave woman named Marājil; Muḥammad Abū Isḥāq al-Muʿtaṣim from an umm walad called Māridah; al-Qāsim al-Muʾtaman from a slave woman called Qaṣf; ʿAlī, whose mother was Amat al-ʿAzīz; Ṣāliḥ from a slave woman named Rathm; Muḥammad Abū Yaʿqūb; Muḥammad Abū ʿĪsā; Muḥammad Abū al-ʿAbbās; and Muḥammad Abū ʿAlī. All of these were from ummahāt awlād. Among the females: Sukaynah from Qaṣf; Umm Ḥabīb from Māridah; Arwā; Umm al-Ḥasan; Umm Muḥammad Ḥamdūnah; Fāṭimah, whose mother was Ghuṣaṣ; Umm Salamah; Khadījah; Umm al-Qāsim; Ramlah; Umm ʿAlī; Umm al-Ghāliyah; and Rayṭah. All of them were from ummahāt awlād.

Grades by grader

No grade is recorded for this wording.