Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3256
The Year 213 AH
وَفِيهَا اسْتَعْمَلَ الْمَأْمُونُ غَسَّانَ بْنَ عَبَّادٍ عَلَى السِّنْدِ، وَسَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ بِشْرَ بْنَ دَاوُدَ خَالَفَ الْمَأْمُونَ، وَجَبَى الْخَرَاجَ فَلَمْ يَحْمِلْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا، فَعَزَمَ عَلَى تَوْلِيَةِ غَسَّانَ، فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: أَخْبَرُونِي عَنْ غَسَّانَ، فَإِنِّي أُرِيدُهُ لِأَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ. فَأَطْنَبُوا فِي مَدْحِهِ، فَنَظَرَ الْمَأْمُونُ إِلَى أَحْمَدَ بْنِ يُوسُفَ وَهُوَ سَاكِتٌ، فَقَالَ: مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَحْمَدُ ؟ فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، ذَلِكَ رَجُلٌ مَحَاسِنُهُ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ مَسَاوِئِهِ، لَا يُصْرَفُ بِهِ إِلَى طَبَقَةٍ إِلَّا انْتَصَفَ مِنْهُمْ، فَمَهْمَا تَخَوَّفْتَ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَنْ يَأْتِيَ أَمْرًا يَعْتَذِرُ مِنْهُ. فَأَطْنَبَ فِيهِ، فَقَالَ: لَقَدْ مَدَحْتَهُ عَلَى سُوءِ رَأْيِكَ فِيهِ. قَالَ: لِأَنِّي كَمَا قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ: كَفَى شُكْرًا لِمَا أَسْدَيْتَ أَنِّي صَدَقْتُكَ فِي الصِّدِيقِ وَفِي عُدَاتِي قَالَ: فَأُعْجِبَ الْمَأْمُونُ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ وَأَدَبِهِ.
Translation
✧ In this year, al-Maʾmūn appointed Ghassān b. ʿAbbād over al-Sind. The reason for that was that Bishr b. Dāwūd had opposed al-Maʾmūn and collected the kharāj but did not send any of it. So he resolved to appoint Ghassān, and said to his companions: “Tell me about Ghassān, for I want him for a great matter.” They spoke at length in his praise. Al-Maʾmūn looked at Aḥmad b. Yūsuf, who was silent, and said: “What do you say, O Aḥmad?” He said: “O Commander of the Faithful, that is a man whose merits are more than his faults. He is not turned against any class but he exacts justice from them. Whatever you fear for him, he will never do a thing for which he must apologize.” He spoke at length about him. Al-Maʾmūn said: “You have praised him despite your poor opinion of him.” He said: “Because, as the poet said: It is thanks enough for what you have bestowed that I have spoken truly to you about friend and foe alike.” He said: Al-Maʾmūn was impressed by his words and his refinement.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.