Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3120
The year 198 AH
ذِكْرُ طَرَفٍ مِنْ أَخْبَارِ الْمَأْمُونِ وَسِيرَتِهِ كَانَ الْمَأْمُونُ يَحْفَظُ الْقُرْآنَ، وَقَدْ سَمِعَ الْحَدِيثَ مِنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، وَحَمَّادِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، وَهُشَيْمٍ، وَغَيْرِهِمْ، وَكَانَ لَهُ حَظٌّ مِنْ عُلُومٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، وَأَسْنَدَ الْحَدِيثَ. قَالَ الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبَّادٍ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: لَمْ يَحْفَظِ الْقُرْآنَ مِنَ الْخُلَفَاءِ إِلَّا عُثْمَانُ وَالْمَأْمُونُ، وَكَانَ الْمَأْمُونُ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَثِيرًا، فَرَوَى عَنْهُ ذُو الرِّئَاسَتَيْنِ أَنَّهُ خَتَمَ فِي رَمَضَانَ ثَلَاثَةً وَثَلَاثِينَ خَتْمَةً، وَكَانَ يَحْفَظُ الْحَدِيثَ وَيَرْوِيهِ. قَالَ أَبُو حَامِدٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ: الْمَأْمُونُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: "مَوْلَى الْقَوْمِ مِنْهُمْ" وَقَالَ مَرَّةً: "مَوْلَى الْقَوْمِ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ". قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ: بَلَغَ الْمَأْمُونُ أَنَّ أَبَا حُذَيْفَةَ حَدَّثَ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ عَنْهُ، فَأَمَرَ لَهُ بِعَشَرَةِ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ. قَالَ أَبُو عُمَرَ الْحَوْضِيُّ: لَمَّا دَخَلَ الْمَأْمُونُ مِصْرَ قَامَ إِلَيْهِ فَرَجٌ الْأَسْوَدُ مَوْلَاهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي كَفَاكَ أَمْرَ عَدُوِّكَ، وَدَانَ لَكَ الْعِرَاقَانِ وَالشَّامَانِ وَمِصْرُ وَخُرَاسَانُ، وَأَنْتَ ابْنُ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالْعَالِمُ بِهِ. فَقَالَ: وَيْحَكَ يَا فَرَجُ، قَدْ بَقِيَتْ لِي خَلَّةٌ. قُلْتُ: وَمَا هِيَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ؟ قَالَ: جُلُوسِي فِي عَسْكَرٍ، وَمُسْتَمْلٍ يَجِيءُ فَيَقُولُ: مَنْ ذَكَرْتَ ؓ ؟ فَأَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا الْحَمَّادَانِ: حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ وَحَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "مَنْ عَالَ ابْنَتَيْنِ أَوْ أُخْتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً حَتَّى يَمُتْنَ أَوْ يَمُوتَ عَنْهُنَّ كَانَ مَعِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ كَهَاتَيْنِ" فَأَوْمَأَ حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ بِالْوُسْطَى وَالْإِبْهَامِ. وعن مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ بِالْمَصِّيصَةِ وَبِهَا الْمَأْمُونُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَأَذِنَ يَوْمًا [لِلنَّاسِ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ ] شَابٌّ وَبِيَدِهِ مَحْبَرَةٌ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، صَاحِبُ حَدِيثٍ مُنْقَطِعٍ بِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَأْمُونُ: أَيَّ شَيْءٍ تَحْفَظُ مِنْ بَابِ كَذَا ؟ فَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ الْفَتَى شَيْئًا، فَمَا زَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْأَحْوَصِ، وَحَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَتَّى ذَكَرَ الْبَابَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَإِيشِ تَحْفَظُ فِي بَابِ كَذَا ؟ فَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ الْفَتَى شَيْئًا، فَمَا زَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَحَدَّثَنَا فُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ، حَتَّى ذَكَرَ الْبَابَ، ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَى الْفَضْلِ فَقَالَ: أَحَدُهُمْ يَطْلُبُ الْحَدِيثَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَنَا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ، أَعْطُوهُ ثَلَاثَةَ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ. قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَوْنٍ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُيْيَنَةَ يَقُولُ: جَمَعَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَجَلَسَ لِلنَّاسِ، فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، مَاتَ أَخِي وَخَلَفَ سِتَّمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ، أَعْطَوْنِي دِينَارًا وَاحِدًا وَقَالُوا: هَذَا نُصِيبُكَ. قَالَ: فَحَسَبَ الْمَأْمُونُ ثُمَّ قَالَ: هَكَذَا نُصِيبُكَ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ، فَقَالَتِ الْعُلَمَاءُ: كَيْفَ عَلِمْتَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ؟ فَقَالَ لَهَا: هَذَا الرَّجُلُ خَلَفَ أَرْبَعَ بَنَاتٍ. قَالَتْ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: فَلَهُمَا الثُّلْثَانِ أَرْبَعُمِائَةٍ وَخَلَفَ وَالِدَةً فَلَهَا السُّدُسُ مِائَةٌ، وَخَلَفَ زَوْجَةً فَلَهَا الثُّمُنُ خَمْسَةٌ وَسَبْعُونَ دِينَارًا، بِاللَّهِ لَكِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَخًا. قَالَتْ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: أَصَابَهُمْ دِينَارَانِ دِينَارَانِ، وَأَصَابَكِ دِينَارٌ. طرف من مناظرات المأمون قَالَ قَحْطَبَةُ بْنُ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ قَحْطَبَةَ: حَضَرْتُ الْمَأْمُونَ يُنَاظِرُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْقَاسِمِ النوشجَانِيَّ يَقُولُ فِي شَيْءٍ وَمُحَمَّدٌ يُفْضِي لَهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَأْمُونُ: أَرَاكَ تَنْقَادُ لِي إِلَى مَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ يَسُرُّنِي قَبْلَ وُجُوبِ الْحُجَّةِ عَلَيْكَ، وَلَوْ شِئْتُ أَنْ أَقِيسَ الْأُمُورَ بِفَضْلِ بَيَانٍ، وَطُولِ لِسَانٍ، وَأُبَّهَةِ الْخِلَافَةِ، وَسَطْوَةِ الرِّئَاسَةِ لَصَدَقْتُ وَإِنْ كُنْتُ كَاذِبًا، وَصَوَّبْتُ، وَإِنْ كُنْتُ مُخْطِئًا وَعَدَّلْتُ، وَإِنْ كُنْتُ جَائِرًا، وَلَكِنْ لَا أَرْضَى إِلَّا بِإِزَالَةِ الشُّبْهَةِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الْحُجَّةِ، وَإِنَّ شَرَّ الْمُلُوكِ عَقْلًا وَأَسْخَفُهُمْ رَأْيًا مَنْ رَضِيَ بِقَوْلِهِمْ: صَدَقَ الْأَمِيرُ. قَالَ: قَالَ ابْنُ الْأَعْرَابِيِّ: بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ الْمَأْمُونُ فَصِرْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ فِي بُسْتَانِ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَكْثَمَ، فَرَأَيْتُهُمَا مُوَلِّيَيْنِ، فَجَلَسْتُ، فَلَمَّا أَقْبَلَا قُمْتُ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ بِالْخِلَافَةِ، فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ لِيَحْيَى: يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ، مَا أَحْسَنَ أَدَبَهُ، رَآنَا مُوَلِّيَيْنِ فَجَلَسَ، ثُمَّ رَآنَا مُقْبِلَيْنِ فَقَامَ ثُمَّ رَدَّ السَّلَامَ وَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَحْسَنِ مَا قِيلَ فِي الشَّرَابِ فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، قَوْلُهُ: تُرِيكَ الْقَذَى مِنْ دُونِهَا وَهِيَ دُونَهُ إِذَا ذَاقَهَا مَنْ ذَاقَهَا يَتَمَنْطَقُ فَقَالَ: أَشْعَرُ مِنْهُ الَّذِي يَقُولُ: - يَعْنِي أَبَا نُوَاسٍ - فَتَمَشَّتْ فِي مَفَاصِلِهِمْ كَتَمَشِّي الْبُرْءِ فِي السَّقَمِ فَعَلَتْ فِي الْبَيْتِ إِذْ مُزِجَتْ مِثْلَ فِعْلِ الصُّبْحِ فِي الظُّلَمِ وَاهْتَدَى سَارِي الظَّلَامِ بِهَا كَاهْتِدَاءِ السَّفَرِ بِالْعَلَمِ فَقُلْتُ: فَائِدَةٌ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَقَالَ: أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِ هِنْدِ بِنْتِ عُتْبَةَ: نَحْنُ بَنَاتُ طَارِقْ نَمْشِي عَلَى النَّمَارِقْ مَنْ طَارِقٌ هَذَا ؟ قَالَ: فَنَظَرْتُ فِي نَسَبِهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْهُ. فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، مَا أَعْرِفُ فِي نَسَبِهَا ! فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا أَرَادَتِ النَّجْمَ، فَانْتَسَبَتْ إِلَيْهِ لِحُسْنِهَا، مِنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ. فَقُلْتُ: فَائِدَتَانِ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ: أَنَا بُؤْبُؤُ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ [وَأَنْتَ بُؤْبُؤُهُ ]. ثُمَّ دَفَعَ إِلَيَّ بِعَنْبَرَةَ وَكَانَ يُقَلِّبُهَا فِي يَدِهِ، فَبِعْتُهَا بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ. قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ الشَّاعِرُ: أَعَلِمْتَ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَا يُبْصِرُ الشِّعْرَ ! ؟ فَقُلْتُ: وَمَنْ يَكُونُ أَفْرَسَ مِنْهُ ! ؟ وَاللَّهِ إِنَّا لَنَنْشُدُ أَوَّلَ الْبَيْتِ فَيَسْبِقُ إِلَى آخِرِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَكُونَ سَمِعَهُ. قَالَ: إِنِّي أَنْشَدْتُهُ شَيْئًا أَجَدْتُ فِيهِ، فَلَمْ أَرَهُ تَحَرَّكَ لَهُ، فَأَسْمِعْهُ: أَضْحَى إِمَامُ الْهُدَى الْمَأْمُونُ مُشْتَغِلًا بِالدِّينِ وَالنَّاسُ بِالدُّنْيَا مَشَاغِيلُ فَقُلْتُ: مَا زِدْتَهُ عَلَى أَنْ جَعَلْتَهُ عَجُوزًا فِي مِحْرَابِهَا فِي يَدِهَا سُبْحَةٌ، فَمَنْ يَقُومُ بِأَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا إِذَا كَانَ مَشْغُولًا عَنْهَا، وَهُوَ الْمُطَوَّقُ بِهَا ؟ أَلَا قُلْتَ كَمَا قَالَ جَرِيرٌ لِعُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ: فَلَا هُوَ فِي الدُّنْيَا مُضَيِّعٌ نَصِيبَهُ وَلَا عَرَضُ الدُّنْيَا عَنِ الدِّينِ شَاغِلُهُ قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي دُؤَادٍ: أُدْخِلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ عَلَى الْمَأْمُونِ فَقَالَ: مَا حَمْلَكَ عَلَى خِلَافِنَا ؟ قَالَ: آيَةٌ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. قَالَ: وَمَا هِيَ ؟ قَالَ: قَوْلُهُ: وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ قَالَ لَهُ الْمَأْمُونُ: أَلَكَ عِلْمٌ بِأَنَّهَا مُنَزَّلَةٌ ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: وَمَا دَلِيلُكَ ؟ قَالَ: إِجْمَاعُ الْأُمَّةِ. قَالَ: فَكَمَا رَضِيتَ بِإِجْمَاعِهِمْ فِي التَّنْزِيلِ فَارْضَ بِإِجْمَاعِهِمْ فِي التَّأْوِيلِ. قَالَ: صَدَقْتَ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. طرف من نابهة المأمون وكرمه قَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَكْثَمَ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَكْمَلَ آلَةٍ مِنَ الْمَأْمُونِ. وَجَعَلَ يُحَدِّثُ بِأَشْيَاءَ اسْتَحْسَنَهَا مَنْ كَانَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ لَيْلَةً أُذَاكِرُهُ وَأُحَدِّثُهُ، ثُمَّ نَامَ وَانْتَبَهَ وَقَالَ: يَا يَحْيَى، انْظُرْ أَيْشِ عِنْدَ رِجْلِي. فَنَظَرْتُ فَلَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا. فَقَالَ: شَمْعَةٌ، فَتَبَادَرَ الْفَرَّاشُونَ. فَقَالَ، انْظُرُوا، فَنَظَرُوا، فَإِذَا تَحْتَ فِرَاشِهِ حَيَّةٌ بِطُولِهِ، فَقَتَلُوهَا، فَقُلْتُ: قَدِ انْضَافَ إِلَى كَمَالِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ. فَقَالَ: مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ، وَلَكِنْ هَتَفَ بِي هَاتِفٌ السَّاعَةَ وَأَنَا نَائِمٌ: يَا رَاقِدَ اللَّيْلِ انْتَبِهْ إِنَّ الْخُطُوبَ لَهَا سُرَى ثِقَةُ الْفَتَى بِزَمَانِهِ ثِقَةٌ مُحَلَّلَةُ الْعُرَى فَانْتَبَهْتُ، فَعَلِمْتُ أَنْ قَدْ حَدَثَ أَمْرٌ إِمَّا قَرِيبٌ، وَإِمَّا بِعِيدٌ. فَتَأَمَّلْتُ مَا قَرُبَ فَكَانَ مَا رَأَيْتُ. عَنْ أَبِي الْعَيْنَاءِ قَالَ: قَصَدَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ الْمَأْمُونَ فَوَقَفَ عَلَى بَابِهِ سَنَةً لَا يَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ، فَصَاحَ الْأَعْرَابِيُّ يَوْمًا: نَصِيحَةٌ، نَصِيحَةٌ. قَالَ: فَأُدْخِلَ عَلَى الْمَأْمُونِ فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا أَعْرَابِيُّ، مَا نَصِيحَتُكَ ؟ قَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، رَأَيْتُ الْبَارِحَةَ رُؤْيَا، وَقَدْ أَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ تُفَسِّرَهَا لِي. فَتَبَسَّمَ الْمَأْمُونُ وَقَالَ: مَا الرُّؤْيَا ؟ فَأَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ: إِنِّي رَأَيْتُكَ فِي مَنَامِي سَيِّدِي يَا ابْنَ الْإِمَامِ عَلَى الْجَوَادِ السَّابِقِ وَكَسَوْتَنِي حُلَلًا طَرَائِفَ حُسْنُهَا يَزْهُو لَدَيَّ مَعَ الْكُمَيْتِ الْفَائِقِ فَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ: ادْفَعُوا إِلَى الْأَعْرَابِيِّ خُلْعَةً وَفَرَسًا كُمَيْتًا بِسَرْجِهِ وَلِجَامِهِ. فَلَمَّا دُفِعَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ: وَأَجَزْتَنِي بِخَرِيطَةٍ مَمْلُوءَةٍ ذَهَبًا وَأُخْرَى بِاللُّجَيْنِ الْفَائِقِ فَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ: يُدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ أَلْفُ دِينَارٍ، وَأَلْفُ دِرْهَمٍ، فَقَبَضَ ذَلِكَ وَأَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ: وَأَجَزْتَنِي بِخَرِيدَةٍ رُومِيَّةٍ حَسْنَاءَ تَشْفَعُ بِالْغُلَامِ الْفَائِقِ فَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ: يُدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا أَعْرَابِيُّ، إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تَرَى مِثْلَ هَذِهِ، فَرُبَّمَا لَمْ تَجِدَ مَنْ يُفَسِّرُهَا لَكَ. عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ قَالَ: كُنْتُ يَوْمًا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمَأْمُونِ، فَجَعَلَ لَا يَمُرُّ عَلَيْهِ غُلَامٌ مِنْ غِلْمَانِهِ إِلَّا أَعْتَقَهُ، وَعَلَى رَأْسِهِ غُلَامٌ نَظِيفٌ، نَظِيفُ الثِّيَابِ، وَكُنْتُ أُحِبُّ أَنْ يَعْتِقَهُ فِيمَنْ يَعْتِقُ، فَلَمَّا تَنَحَّى الْغُلَامُ قُلْتُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، رَأَيْتُ لَا يَمُرُّ أَحَدٌ مِنْ غِلْمَانِكَ إِلَّا أَعْتَقْتَهُ وَعَلَى رَأْسِكَ غُلَامٌ مِنْ صِفَتِهِ وَحَالِهِ، وَكُنْتُ أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَعْتِقَهُ. فَقَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ آبَائِهِ يَرْفَعُ الْحَدِيثَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "طِينَةُ الْمُعْتِقِ مِنْ طِينَةِ الْمُعْتَقِ" وَالَّذِي رَأَيْتَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِي حِجَامٌ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ طِينَتِنَا حِجَامٌ. عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا قَالَ: بَكَّرَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ يَقْرَأُ عَلَى الْمَأْمُونِ قِصَصًا، فَجَاعَ، فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ قِصَّةٌ فِيهَا فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ الْيَزِيدِيُّ، فَقَرَأَ: الثَّرِيدِيُّ. فَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ: يَا غُلَامُ، صَحْفَةٌ مَمْلُوءَةٌ ثَرِيدًا لِأَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ، فَإِنَّهُ أَصْبَحَ جَائِعًا. فَاسْتَحْيَى وَقَالَ: مَا أَنَا بِجَائِعٍ، وَلَكِنَّ صَاحِبَ الْقِصَّةِ أَحْمَقُ، نَقَطَ عَلَى الْيَاءِ ثَلَاثَ نُقَطٍ. فَقَالَ: مَا أَنْفَعَ جَمْعَهُ لَكَ. فَأُحْضِرَتِ الصَّحْفَةُ مَمْلُوءَةً ثَرِيدًا وَعِرَاقًا وَوَدِكًا، فَخَجِلَ أَحْمَدُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَأْمُونُ: بِحَيَاتِي لِمَا مِلْتَ إِلَيْهَا فَأَكَلْتَ. فَعَدَلَ فَأَكَلَ حَتَّى اكْتَفَى وَغَسَلَ يَدَهُ، وَعَاوَدَ الْقِرَاءَةَ، وَمَرَّتْ قِصَّةُ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانٍ الْحِمَصِيِّ، فَقَرَأَ: الْخَبِيصِيُّ فَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ: يَا غُلَامُ، جَامٌ مَمْلُوءٌ خَبِيصًا لِأَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ، فَإِنَّ طَعَامَهُ كَانَ مَبْتُورًا. فَاسْتَحْيَى وَقَالَ: يَا سَيِّدِي، صَاحِبُ الْقِصَّةِ أَحْمَقُ، فَتَحَ الْمِيمَ فَصَارَتْ سَنَتَيْنِ. فَقَالَ: لَوْلَا حُمْقُهُ وَحُمْقُ صَاحِبِهِ مُتَّ الْيَوْمَ جُوعًا، فَأُتِيَ بِجَامٍ مَمْلُوءٍ خَبِيصًا، فَخَجِلَ، فَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ: بِحَيَاتِي أَلَا مِلْتَ نَحْوَهُ فَأَكَلْتَ. فَأَكَلَ وَغَسَلَ يَدَهُ، وَعَاوَدَ الْقِرَاءَةَ، فَمَا أَسْقَطَ حَرْفًا حَتَّى انْقَضَى الْمَجْلِسُ. وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْجَهْمِ: دَعَانِي الْمَأْمُونُ فَقَالَ: أَنْشِدْنِي بَيْتَ مَدْحٍ نَادِرٍ. فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ: يَجُودُ بِالنَّفْسِ إِذْ ضَنَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِهَا وَالْجُودُ بِالنَّفْسِ أَقْصَى غَايَةِ الْجُودِ فَقَالَ: قَدْ وَلَّيْتُكَ هَمَذَانَ، فَأَنْشِدْنِي بَيْتَ هِجَاءٍ نَادِرٍ فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ: قَبُحَتْ مَنَاظِرُهُ فَحِينَ خَبُرْتُهُ حَسُنَتْ مَنَاظِرُهُ لِقُبْحِ الْمُخْبَرِ فَقَالَ: قَدْ وَلَّيْتُكَ الدِّينَوَرَ، فَأَنْشِدْنِي بَيْتَ مَرْثِيَّةٍ نَادِرًا، فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ: أَرَادُوا لِيُخْفُوا قَبْرَهُ عَنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَطِيبُ تُرَابِ الْقَبْرِ دَلَّ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ فَقَالَ: قَدْ وَلَّيْتُكَ نَهَاوَنْدَ، فَأَنْشِدْنِي بَيْتَ غَزَلٍ. فَأَنْشَدْتُهُ: حُبٌّ مُجِدٌّ وَحَبِيبٌ يَلْعَبُ وَالْقَلْبُ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا يَذْهَبُ
Translation
✧ An account of some of the reports about al-Maʾmūn and his conduct Al-Maʾmūn knew the Qurʾān by heart. He had heard hadith from Mālik b. Anas, Ḥammād b. Zayd, Hushaym, and others, and he had a share of many sciences, and he transmitted hadith with chains of narration. Al-Qāsim b. Muḥammad b. ʿAbbād said: I heard my father say: None of the caliphs memorized the Qurʾān except ʿUthmān and al-Maʾmūn. Al-Maʾmūn used to recite the Qurʾān a great deal. Dhū al-Riʾāsatayn related from him that he completed the Qurʾān in Ramaḍān thirty-three times, and he memorized hadith and transmitted it. Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Naysābūrī said: Al-Maʾmūn, the Commander of the Faithful, narrated from his father, from his grandfather, from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Prophet ﷺ said: "A people's mawlā is one of them." And once he said: "A people's mawlā is from their own selves." Muḥammad b. Qudāma said: It reached al-Maʾmūn that Abū Ḥudhayfa had narrated this hadith on his authority, so he ordered that he be given ten thousand dirhams. Abū ʿUmar al-Ḥawḍī said: When al-Maʾmūn entered Egypt, Faraj al-Aswad, his mawlā, stood up to him and said: O Commander of the Faithful, praise be to God who has sufficed you in the matter of your enemy, and the two Iraqs, the two Syrias, Egypt, and Khurasan have submitted to you, and you are the cousin of the Messenger of God ﷺ and the one knowledgeable about him. He replied: Woe to you, O Faraj, one quality remains for me. I said: And what is it, O Commander of the Faithful? He said: My sitting in a military camp, with a mustamlī coming and saying: Whom did you mention, ؓ ? Then I say: The two Ḥammāds narrated to us: Ḥammād b. Salama and Ḥammād b. Zayd said: Thābit al-Bunānī narrated to us, from Anas b. Mālik, who said: The Messenger of God ﷺ said: "Whoever cares for two daughters, or two sisters, or three, until they die or he dies leaving them, will be with me in Paradise like these two." And Ḥammād b. Salama gestured with his middle finger and thumb. From Muḥammad b. Sahl, who said: I was in al-Maṣṣīṣa, and al-Maʾmūn, the Commander of the Faithful, was there. One day he gave permission [for the people to enter], and a young man stood before him with an inkwell in his hand and said: O Commander of the Faithful, a hadith scholar cut off from his sources. Al-Maʾmūn said to him: What do you memorize from such-and-such a chapter? The youth did not mention anything. Al-Maʾmūn kept saying: Hushaym narrated to us, Abū al-Aḥwaṣ narrated to us, Wakīʿ narrated to us, until he completed the chapter. Then he said: And what do you memorize in such-and-such a chapter? The youth did not mention anything. Al-Maʾmūn kept saying: Ḥajjāj b. Muḥammad narrated to us, and so-and-so and so-and-so narrated to us, until he completed the chapter. Then he turned to al-Faḍl and said: One of them seeks hadith for three days and then says, "I am one of the hadith scholars." Give him three thousand dirhams. Muḥammad b. ʿAwn said: I heard Ibn ʿUyayna say: The Commander of the Faithful gathered the scholars and sat for the people. A woman came and said: O Commander of the Faithful, my brother died and left six hundred dinars. They gave me one dinar and said: This is your share. He said: Al-Maʾmūn calculated and then said: This is your share, may God have mercy on you. The scholars said: How did you know, O Commander of the Faithful? He said to her: This man left four daughters. She said: Yes. He said: They receive two-thirds, four hundred. He left a mother, who receives one-sixth, one hundred. He left a wife, who receives one-eighth, seventy-five dinars. By God, you have twelve brothers. She said: Yes. He said: They received two dinars each, and you received one dinar. An account of some of al-Maʾmūn's debates Qaḥṭaba b. Ḥumayd b. Qaḥṭaba said: I attended al-Maʾmūn debating Muḥammad b. al-Qāsim al-Nūshajānī about something, and Muḥammad was yielding to him and affirming him. Al-Maʾmūn said to him: I see you yielding to me in what you think pleases me before proof has been established against you. If I wished to judge matters by eloquence of speech, length of tongue, the pomp of the caliphate, and the force of authority, I would have confirmed you even if I were lying, and deemed you correct even if I were wrong, and considered you just even if I were unjust. But I am not satisfied except with the removal of doubt and the victory of argument. The worst of kings in intellect and the most foolish of them in opinion is the one who is content with their saying: "The commander has spoken the truth." He said: Ibn al-Aʿrābī said: Al-Maʾmūn summoned me, and I went to him while he was in Yaḥyā b. Aktham's garden. I saw them with their backs turned, so I sat down. When they approached, I stood and greeted him with the greeting of the caliphate. I heard him say to Yaḥyā: O Abū Muḥammad, how excellent is his courtesy! He saw us with our backs turned and sat down; then he saw us approaching and stood up. Then he returned the greeting and said: O Muḥammad, tell me the finest thing said about wine. I said: O Commander of the Faithful, the saying: It shows you the mote from beyond it, while it is beneath it; When he who tastes it tastes it, he girds himself. He said: More poetical than that is what he says—meaning Abū Nuwās: It crept through their joints like the creeping of recovery through sickness. It did in the house, when mixed, like the action of dawn in darkness. The night traveler was guided by it as the traveler is guided by the waymark. I said: A benefit, O Commander of the Faithful. He said: Tell me about the saying of Hind bt. ʿUtba: We are the daughters of Ṭāriq; We walk upon the cushions. Who is this Ṭāriq? He said: I examined her lineage and did not find him. I said: O Commander of the Faithful, I do not know anyone in her lineage! He said: She only meant the star, and she claimed descent from it because of her beauty, from the saying of God, mighty and glorious: By the sky and the night visitor. I said: Two benefits, O Commander of the Faithful. He said: I am the source of this matter [and you are its source]. Then he handed me an ambergris bead that he had been turning in his hand, and I sold it for five thousand dirhams. Ibn Abī Ḥafṣa the poet said: Did you know that the Commander of the Faithful does not discern poetry?! I said: Who could be more discerning than he? By God, we recite the first hemistich and he anticipates its end without having heard it. He said: I recited to him something I did well, and I did not see him moved by it. So he recited: The Imam of guidance, al-Maʾmūn, has become occupied with religion, while the people are occupied with the world. I said: You did nothing but make him an old woman in her prayer niche with a rosary in her hand. Who would manage the affairs of the world if he were occupied away from it, when he is entrusted with it? Why did you not say as Jarīr said to ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz: He is not one who squanders his share in this world, nor does the world's goods distract him from religion. Ibn Abī Duʾād said: A man from the Kharijites was brought before al-Maʾmūn, and he said: What led you to oppose us? He said: A verse in the Book of God, mighty and glorious. He said: And what is it? He said: His saying: Whoever does not judge by what God has sent down, those are the disbelievers. Al-Maʾmūn said to him: Do you know that it was sent down? He said: Yes. He said: What is your proof? He said: The consensus of the community. He said: Just as you accepted their consensus regarding the revelation, accept their consensus regarding its interpretation. He said: You have spoken the truth. Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful. Accounts of al-Maʾmūn's excellence and generosity Yaḥyā b. Aktham said: I have never seen anyone more complete in equipment than al-Maʾmūn. He began to relate things that those present in his gathering admired. Then he said: I was with him one night, conversing with him and narrating to him. Then he slept and woke, and said: O Yaḥyā, look what is at my foot. I looked and saw nothing. He said: A candle. The servants rushed forward. He said: Look. They looked, and there beneath his mattress was a snake as long as he was. They killed it. I said: To the perfection of the Commander of the Faithful has been added knowledge of the unseen. He said: God forbid! Rather a caller called to me just now while I was sleeping: O sleeper of the night, awake! Calamities travel by night. A youth's trust in his time is a trust with its knots untied. So I awoke, and I knew that something had happened, whether near or far. I considered what was near, and it was what you saw. From Abū al-ʿAynāʾ, who said: A bedouin sought al-Maʾmūn and stood at his gate for a year without reaching him. One day the bedouin cried out: Advice! Advice! He said: He was admitted to al-Maʾmūn, and he said to him: O bedouin, what is your advice? He said: O Commander of the Faithful, last night I saw a dream, and I would like you to interpret it for me. Al-Maʾmūn smiled and said: What is the dream? He began to recite: I saw you in my sleep, my master, O son of the Imam, on the foremost steed. And you clothed me in splendid robes whose beauty shone for me with the superb bay horse. Al-Maʾmūn said: Give the bedouin a robe of honor and a bay horse with its saddle and bridle. When it was given to him, he said: O Commander of the Faithful: And you rewarded me with a full purse of gold and another with superb silver. Al-Maʾmūn said: Give him a thousand dinars and a thousand dirhams. He took that and began to recite: And you rewarded me with a Byzantine maiden, beautiful, interceding with a superb young slave. Al-Maʾmūn said: Give him that. Then he said: O bedouin, beware of seeing anything like this again, for you might not find someone to interpret it for you. From ʿUmar b. Abī Sulaymān b. ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAlī b. ʿAbd Allāh b. al-ʿAbbās, who said: One day I was before al-Maʾmūn, and he did not let any of his young male slaves pass by him without freeing him. On his head there was a clean young slave, with clean clothes, and I wanted him to free him among those he freed. When the slave moved away, I said: O Commander of the Faithful, I have seen that no one of your slaves passes by you but you free him, and at your head there is a slave of such description and condition, and I wished that you would free him. He said: My father narrated to me, from his forefathers, raising the hadith to the Prophet ﷺ, that he said: "The clay of the one who frees is from the clay of the one freed." The one you saw at my head is a cupper, and I disliked that a cupper should be from our clay. From al-Ḥārith b. Muḥammad, who said: One of our companions informed me, saying: Aḥmad b. Abī Khālid went early to read reports to al-Maʾmūn, and he was hungry. A report passed him containing so-and-so b. so-and-so al-Yazīdī, and he read: al-Tharīdī. Al-Maʾmūn said: O boy, a bowl full of tharīd for Abū al-ʿAbbās, for he has become hungry this morning. He felt ashamed and said: I am not hungry, but the writer of the report is a fool; he placed three dots on the yāʾ. He said: How useful his gathering is for you. The bowl was brought, full of tharīd, meat, and fat, and Aḥmad was embarrassed. Al-Maʾmūn said to him: By my life, you must incline to it and eat. So he leaned over and ate until he was satisfied, washed his hand, and resumed reading. A report of so-and-so b. so-and-so al-Ḥimṣī passed, and he read: al-Khabīṣī. Al-Maʾmūn said: O boy, a bowl full of khabīṣ for Abū al-ʿAbbās, for his meal was cut short. He felt ashamed and said: O my master, the writer of the report is a fool; he opened the mīm so it became two teeth. He said: Were it not for his foolishness and that of his companion, you would have died today of hunger. A bowl full of khabīṣ was brought, and he was embarrassed. Al-Maʾmūn said: By my life, will you not incline to it and eat? He ate, washed his hand, and resumed reading, and he did not drop a single letter until the session ended. Muḥammad b. al-Jahm said: Al-Maʾmūn summoned me and said: Recite to me a rare verse of praise. I recited: He gives his own life when the miser begrudges his; and giving one's life is the utmost limit of generosity. He said: I have appointed you governor of Hamadhān. Recite to me a rare verse of satire. I recited: His appearance was ugly, but when I tested him, his appearance seemed fair because of the ugliness within. He said: I have appointed you governor of al-Dīnawar. Recite to me a rare verse of elegy. I recited: They wished to hide his grave from his enemy, but the fragrance of the grave's soil pointed to the grave. He said: I have appointed you governor of Nahāwand. Recite to me a verse of love poetry. I recited: A serious love and a beloved who plays; the heart between them is lost.
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