Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3587
The Year 279 AH
طَرَفٍ مِنْ سِيرَتِهِ وَأَخْبَارِهِ [ المعتضد ] قال أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَمْدُونَ قَالَ: كَانَ الْمُعْتَضِدُ فِي بَعْضِ مُتَصَيِّدَاتِهِ فَجَازَ بِعَسْكَرِهِ، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ، فَصَاحَ نَاطُورٌ فِي قَرَاحِ قِثَّاءٍ، فَاسْتَدْعَاهُ وَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ سَبَبِ صِيَاحِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَخَذَ بَعْضُ الْجَيْشِ مِنَ الْقِثَّاءِ شَيْئًا. فَقَالَ: اطْلَبُوهُمْ فَجَاءُوا بِثَلَاثَةِ أَنْفُسٍ، فَقَالَ: هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَخَذُوا الْقِثَّاءَ؟ فَقَالَ النَّاطُورُ: نَعَمْ، فَقَيَّدَهُمْ فِي الْحَالِ، وَأَمَرَ بِحَبْسِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الْغَدِ أَنْفَذَهُمِ إِلَى الْقَرَاحِ، فَضَرَبَ أَعْنَاقَهُمْ فِيهِ، وَسَارَ، فَأَنْكَرَ النَّاسُ ذَلِكَ وَتَحَدَّثُوا بِهِ، وَمَضَتْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مُدَّةٌ طَوِيلَةٌ. فَجَلَسْتُ أُحَادِثُهُ لَيْلَةً فَقَالَ لِي: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، هَلْ يَعِيبُ النَّاسُ شَيْئًا عَرَفَنِي حَتَّى أُزِيلَهُ؟ قُلْتُ: كَلَّا يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ! فَقَالَ: أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ بِحَيَاتِي إِلَّا [ مَا ] صَدَقْتِنِي. قُلْتُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَأَنَا آمِنٌ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قُلْتُ: إِسْرَاعُكَ إِلَى سَفْكِ الدِّمَاءِ قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا هَرَقْتُ دَمًا مُنْذُ وُلِّيتُ [ الْخِلَافَةَ ] إِلَّا بِحَقِّهِ قَالَ: فَأَمْسَكْتُ إِمْسَاكَ مَنْ يُنْكِرُ عَلَيْهِ. فَقَالَ: بِحَيَاتِي مَا يَقُولُونَ؟ قُلْتُ: يَقُولُونَ إِنَّكَ قَتَلْتَ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ الطَّيِّبِ، وَكَانَ خَادِمُكَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ جِنَايَةٌ ظَاهِرَةٌ. قَالَ: دَعَانِي إِلَى الْإِلْحَادِ فَقُلْتُ [ لَهُ ] يَا هَذَا، أَنَا ابْنُ عَمِّ صَاحِبِ الشَّرِيعَةِ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَامُهُ، وَأَنَا [ الْآنَ ] مُنْتَصِبٌ مَنْصِبَهُ، فَأُلْحِدُ حَتَّى أَكُونَ مَنْ؟. فَسَكَتُّ سُكُوتَ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الْكَلَامَ فَقَالَ [ لِي ] فِي وَجْهِكَ كَلَامٌ ! فَقُلْتُ: النَّاسُ يَنْقِمُونَ عَلَيْكَ أَمْرَ الثَّلَاثَةِ [ الْأَنْفُسِ ] الَّذِينَ قَتَلَتْهُمْ فِي الْقَرَاحِ. [ فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ أَخَذُوا الْقِثَّاءَ ] وَإِنَّمَا كَانُوا لُصُوصًا حُمِلُوا مِنْ مَوْضِعِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَوَافَقَ ذَلِكَ أَمْرَ الْقِثَّاءِ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أُصُولَ عَلَى الْجَيْشِ بِأَنَّ مَنْ عَاثَ مِنْ عَسْكَرِي وَأَفْسَدَ فِي هَذَا الْقَدْرِ كَانَتْ هَذِهِ عُقُوبَتِي لَهُ، لِيَكُفُّوا عَمَّا فَوْقَهُ، وَلَوْ أَرَدْتُ قَتْلَهُمْ لَقَتَلْتُهُمْ فِي الْحَالِ، وَإِنَّمَا حَبَسَتْهُمْ وَأَمَرْتُ بِإِخْرَاجِ اللُّصُوصِ مِنْ غَدٍ مُغَطَّيْنَ الْوُجُوهَ لِيُقَالَ إِنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْقِثَّاءِ فَقُلْتُ: كَيْفَ تَعْلَمُ الْعَامَّةُ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: بِإِخْرَاجِ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ أَخَذُوا الْقِثَّاءَ وَإِطْلَاقِي لَهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: هَاتُوا الْقَوْمَ ! فَجَاءُوا بِهِمْ وَقَدْ تَغَيَّرَتْ حَالُهُمْ مِنَ الْحَبْسِ وَالضَّرْبِ، فَقَالَ: مَا قِصَّتُكُمْ؟ فَقَصُّوا عَلَيْهِ قِصَّتَهُمْ، فَقَالَ: أَتَتُوبُونَ مِنْ مِثْلِ هَذَا الْفِعْلِ حَتَّى أُطْلِقَكُمْ؟ قَالُوا: نَعَمْ ! فَأَخَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ التَّوْبَةَ، وَخَلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَأَمَرَ بِإِطْلَاقِهِمْ، وَرَدِّ أَرْزَاقِهِمْ [ عَلَيْهِمْ ] فَانْتَشَرَتِ الْحِكَايَةُ وَزَالَتْ عَنْهُ التُّهْمَةُ. وعن إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ الْقَاضِيَ قال: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الْمُعْتَضِدِ وَعَلَى رَأْسِهِ أَحْدَاثُ رُومٍ صِبَاحُ الْوُجُوهِ، فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَرَآنِي الْمُعْتَضِدُ وَأَنَا أَتَأَمَّلُهُمْ، فَلَمَّا أَرَدْتُ الْقِيَامَ أَشَارَ إِلَيَّ فَمَكَثْتُ سَاعَةً فَلَمَّا خَلَا قَالَ لِي: أَيُّهَا الْقَاضِي، وَاللَّهِ مَا حَلَلْتُ سَرَاوِيلِي عَلَى حَرَامٍ قَطُّ. وعَنْ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حَمْدُونَ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي الْمُعْتَضِدُ لَيْلَةً وَقَدْ قُدِّمَ إِلَيْهِ الْعَشَاءُ: لَقِّمْنِي، وَكَانَ الَّذِي قَدِمَ دَرَارِيجُ وَفَرَارِيجُ، فَلَقَّمْتُهُ مِنْ صَدْرِ فَرُّوجٍ، فَقَالَ: لَا لَقِّمْنِي مِنْ فَخْذِهِ، فَلَقَّمْتُهُ لُقَمًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: هَاتِ مِنَ الدَّرَارِيجِ فَلَقَّمْتُهُ مِنْ أَفْخَاذِهَا. فَقَالَ: وَيْلَكَ، هُوَ ذَا تَتَنَادَرُ عَلَيَّ هَاتِ مِنْ صُدُورِهِنَّ ! فَقُلْتُ: يَا مَوْلَايَ رَكِبْتُ الْقِيَاسَ، فَضَحِكَ. فَقُلْتُ: [ أَنَا ] إِلَى كَمْ أُضْحِكُكَ وَلَا تُضْحِكُنِي؟ قَالَ: شُلَّ الْمَطْرَحَ وَخُذْ مَا تَحْتَهُ، فَأَشَلْتُهُ فَإِذَا دِينَارٌ وَاحِدٌ ! فَقُلْتُ: آخُذُ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، فَقُلْتُ: بِاللَّهِ هُوَ ذَا تَتَنَادَرُ عَلَيَّ أَنْتَ السَّاعَةَ عَلَيَّ ! خَلِيفَةٌ يُجِيزُ نَدِيمَهُ بِدِينَارٍ. قَالَ: وَيْلَكَ لَا أَجِدُ لَكَ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ حَقًّا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ هَذَا، وَلَا تَسْمَحُ نَفْسِي أَنْ أُعْطِيَكَ شَيْئًا مِنْ مَالِي، وَلَكِنْ هُوَ ذَا أَحْتَالُ لَكَ بِحِيلَةٍ تَأْخُذُ فِيهَا خَمْسَةَ آلَافِ دِينَارٍ ! فَقَبَّلْتُ يَدُهُ، فَقَالَ: إِذَا [ كَانَ ] غَدًا وَجَاءَ الْقَاسِمُ [ يَعْنِي ] ابْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، فَهُوَ ذَا أُسَارُّكَ حِينَ تَقَعُ عَيْنِي عَلَيْهِ سِرَارًا طَوِيلًا أَلْتَفِتُ فِيهِ [ إِلَيْهِ كَالْمُغْضَبِ، وَانْظُرْ أَنْتَ ] إِلَيْهِ فِي خِلَالِ ذَلِكَ كَالْمُخَالِسِ لِي نَظَرَ التَّرَثِّي لَهُ، فَإِذَا انْقَطَعَ السِّرَارُ، فَاخْرُجْ وَلَا تَبْرَحْ مِنَ الدِّهْلِيزِ أَوْ يَخْرُجُ، فَإِذَا خَرَجَ خَاطَبَكَ بِجَمِيلٍ، وَأَخَذَكَ إِلَى دَعْوَتِهِ، وَسَأَلَكَ عَنْ حَالِكَ فَاشْكُّ الْفَقْرَ وَالْخَلَّةَ، وَقِلَّةَ حَظِّكَ مِنِّي، وَثِقَلِ ظَهْرِكَ بِالدَّيْنِ وَالْعِيَالِ، وَخُذْ مَا يُعْطِيكَ، وَاطْلُبْ كُلَّ مَا تَقَعُ عَلَيْهِ عَيْنُكَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَمْنَعُكَ حَتَّى تَسْتَوْفِيَ الْخَمْسَةَ آلَافِ دِينَارٍ، فَإِذَا أَخَذْتَهَا فَسَيَسْأَلُكَ عَمَّا جَرَى لَنَا فَأُصَدِّقُهُ، وَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُكَذِّبَهُ، وَعَرِّفْهُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ حِيلَةٌ مِنِّي عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى وَصَلَ إِلَيْكَ هَذَا، وَحَدِّثْهُ بِالْحَدِيثِ [ كُلِّهِ ] عَلَى شَرْحِهِ، وَلْيَكُنْ إِخْبَارُكَ إِيَّاهُ [ بِذَلِكَ ] بَعْدَ امْتِنَاعٍ شَدِيدٍ وَإِحْلَافٍ مِنْهُ لَكَ بِالطَّلَاقِ وَالْعَتَاقِ أَنْ تَصْدُقَهُ، وَبَعْدَ أَنْ تَخْرَجَ مِنْ دَارِهِ [ تَأْخُذُ ] كُلَّ مَا يُعْطِيكَ إِيَّاهُ، وَتَجْعَلُهُ فِي بَيْتِكَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنْ غَدٍ حَضَرَ الْقَاسِمُ فَحِينَ رَآهُ بَدَأَ يُسَارُّنِي وَجَرَتِ الْقِصَّةُ عَلَى مَا وَضَعَنِي عَلَيْهِ. فَخَرَجْتُ، فَإِذَا الْقَاسِمُ فِي الدِّهْلِيزِ يَنْتَظِرُنِي فَقَالَ [ لِي ]: يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ، مَا هَذَا الْجَفَاءُ مَا تَجِيئُنِي وَلَا تَزُورُنِي وَلَا تَسْأَلُنِي حَاجَةً؟ فَاعْتَذَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ بِاتِّصَالِ الْخِدْمَةِ [ عَلَيَّ ] فَقَالَ: مَا تُقْنِعُنِي هَذَا إِلَّا أَنْ تَزُورَنِي الْيَوْمَ وَتَتَفَرَّجَ، فَقُلْتُ: أَنَا خَادِمُ الْوَزِيرِ، فَأَخَذَنِي إِلَى طَيَّارِهِ، وَجَعَلَ يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ حَالِي وَأَخْبَارِي، وَأَشْكُو إِلَيْهِ الْخَلَّةَ، وَالْإِضَافَةَ، وَالدَّيْنَ، [ وَالْبَنَاتِ ] وَجَفَاءَ الْخَلِيفَةِ، وَإِمْسَاكَ يَدِهِ، فَيَتَوَجَّعَ وَيَقُولُ: يَا هَذَا، مَا لِي لَكَ وَلَنْ يَضِيقَ عَلَيْكَ مَا يَتَوَسَّعُ عَلَيَّ أَوْ تَتَجَاوَزُكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَحَصَّلَتْ لِي أَوْ يَتَخَطَّاكَ حَظٌّ نَازِلٌ فِي فِنَائِي، وَلَوْ عَرَّفْتَنِي لَعَاوَنْتُكَ عَلَى إِزَالَةِ هَذَا كُلِّهِ عَنْكَ، فَشَكَرْتُهُ وَبَلَغْنَا دَارَهُ، فَصَعِدَ وَلَمْ يَنْظُرْ فِي شَيْءٍ، وَقَالَ: هَذَا يَوْمُ أَحْتَاجُ أَنْ أُخْتَصَّ فِيهِ بِالسُّرُورِ بِأَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ فَلَا يَقْطَعُنِي أَحَدٌ عَنْهُ. فَأَمَرَ كُتَّابَهُ بِالتَّشَاغُلِ بِالْأَعْمَالِ، وَخَلَا بِي فِي دَارِهِ الْخَلْوَةَ، وَجَعَلَ يُحَادِثُنِي وَيَبْسُطُنِي، وَقُدِّمَتِ الْفَاكِهَةُ، فَجَعَلَ يُلَقِّمُنِي بِيَدِهِ، وَجَاءَ الطَّعَامُ، وَكَانَتْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلُهُ [ وَهُوَ يَسْتَزِيدُنِي فَلَمَّا جَلَسَ لِلشُّرْبِ ] وَقَعَ لِي بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافِ دِينَارٍ، فَأَخَذْتُهَا فِي الْوَقْتِ، وَأَحْضَرَنِي ثِيَابًا وَطِيبًا وَمَرْكَبًا، فَأَخَذْتُ ذَلِكَ، وَكَانَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ صِينِيَّةٌ فِضَّةٌ فِيهَا مَغْسَلُ فِضَّةٍ، وَخُرَّدًا ذِي بَلُّورٍ وَكُوزٍ وَقَدَحٍ بَلُّورٍ، فَأَمَرَ بِحَمْلِهِ إِلَى الطِّيَارَةِ، وَأَقْبَلْتُ كُلَّ مَا رَأَيْتُ شَيْئًا حَسَنًا لَهُ قِيمَةٌ وَافِرَةٌ طَلَبْتُهُ، وَحَمَلَ إِلَيَّ فَرْشًا نَفِيسًا أَوْ قَالَ: هَذَا لِلْبَنَاتِ ! فَلَمَّا تَقَوَّضُ أَهْلُ الْمَجْلِسِ خَلَا بِي، وَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ ! أَنْتَ عَالِمٌ بِحُقُوقِ أَبِي عَلَيْكَ، وَمَوَدَّتِي لَكَ ! فَقُلْتُ: أَنَا خَادِمُ الْوَزِيرِ فَقَالَ: أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ، وَتَحْلِفُ أَنَّكَ تَصْدُقُنِي عَنْهُ ! فَقُلْتُ: السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ ! فَحَلَّفَنِي بِاللَّهِ وَبِالطَّلَاقِ وَالْعَتَاقِ عَلَى الصِّدْقِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي: بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ سَارَّكَ الْخَلِيفَةُ الْيَوْمَ فِي أَمْرِي؟ فَصَدَقْتُهُ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا جَرَى حَرْفًا بِحَرْفٍ فَقَالَ: فَرَّجْتَ عَنِّي، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ هَذَا هَكَذَا مَعَ سَلَامَةِ نِيَّتِهِ لِي أَسْهَلُ [ عَنْهُ كُلَّ مَا جَرَى ] عَلَيَّ. فَشَكَرْتُهُ وَوَدَّعْتُهُ، وَانْصَرَفْتُ إِلَى بَيْتِي فَلَمَّا كَانَ بِالْغَدِ بَاكَرْتُ الْمُعْتَضِدَ فَقَالَ: هَاتِ حَدِيثَكَ ! فَنَسَّقْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: احْفَظِ الدَّنَانِيرَ، وَلَا يَقَعُ لَكَ أَنِّي أَعْمَلُ مِثْلَهَا مَعَكَ بِسُرْعَةٍ. وعن أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الطَّلْحِيُّ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَحَدُ خَدَمِ الْمُعْتَضِدِ الْمُخْتَصِّينَ بِخِدْمَتِهِ قَالَ: كُنَّا حَوْلَ سَرِيرِ الْمُعْتَضِدِ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ نِصْفَ النَّهَارِ، وَقَدْ نَامَ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَكَلَ، وَكَانَ رَسْمُنَا أَنْ نَكُونَ حَوْلَ سَرِيرِهِ إِذَا نَامَ [ مَنَامَهُ ] مِنْ لَيْلٍ أَوْ نَهَارٍ، فَانْتَبَهَ مُنْزَعِجًا قَالَ: يَا خَدَمُ يَا خَدَمُ، فَأَسْرَعْنَا الْجَوَابَ. فَقَالَ: وَيَلْكُمُ أَغِيثُونِي، وَالْحَقُوا الشَّطَّ فَأَوَّلُ مَلَّاحٍ تَرَوْنَهُ مُنْحَدَرًا فِي سَفِينَةٍ فَارِغَةٍ، فَاقْبِضُوا عَلَيْهِ، وَجِيئُونِي بِهِ، وَوَكِّلُوا بِسَفِينَتِهِ. فَأَسْرَعْنَا فَوَجَدْنَا مَلَّاحًا فِي سُمَيْرِيَّةٍ مُنْحَدَرًا وَهِيَ فَارِغَةٌ فَقَبَضْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَوَكَّلْنَا بِالسُّمَيْرِيَّةِ فَأَصْعَدْنَاهُ إِلَيْهِ فَحِينَ رَآهُ الْمَلَّاحُ كَادَ يَتْلَفُ، فَصَاحَ عَلَيْهِ صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً عَظِيمَةً كَادَتْ رُوحُهُ تَخْرُجُ مَعَهَا، فَقَالَ: أَصْدِقْنِي يَا مَلْعُونُ عَنْ قِصَّتِكَ مَعَ الْمَرْأَةِ الَّتِي قَتَلْتَهَا وَسَلَبْتَهَا الْيَوْمَ وَإِلَّا ضَرَبْتُ عُنُقَكَ. قَالَ: فَتَلَعْثَمَ، وَقَالَ: نَعَمْ كُنْتُ الْيَوْمَ سَحَرًا فِي مُشْرَعَتِي الْفُلَانِيَّةِ، فَنَزَلَتْ امْرَأَةٌ لَمْ أَرَ مِثْلَهَا، وَعَلَيْهَا ثِيَابٌ فَاخِرَةٌ، وَحُلِيٌّ كَثِيرٌ وَجَوْهَرٌ، فَطَمِعْتُ فِيهَا، وَاحْتَلْتُ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى سَدَدْتُ فَاهَا وَغَرَّقْتُهَا، وَأَخَذْتُ جَمِيعَ مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهَا، وَلَمْ أَجْتَرِئْ عَلَى حَمْلِ سَلَبِهَا إِلَى بَيْتِي لِئَلَّا يَفْشُوَ الْخَبَرَ عَلَيَّ، فَعَمِلْتُ عَلَى الْهَرَبِ، وَانْحَدَرْتُ السَّاعَةَ لِأَمْضِيَ إِلَى وَاسِطٍ، فَعَوَّقَنِي هَؤُلَاءِ الْخَدَمُ وَحَمَلُونِي. فَقَالَ: وَأَيْنَ الْحُلِيُّ وَالسَّلَبُ. فَقَالَ: فِي صَدْرِ السَّفِينَةِ تَحْتَ الْبَوَارِي. فَقَالَ الْمُعْتَضِدُ لِلْخَدَمِ جِيئُونِي بِهِ، فَمَضَوْا وَأَحْضَرُوهُ وَقَالَ: خُذُوا الْمَلَّاحَ فَغَرِّقُوهُ ! فَفَعَلُوا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَنْ يُنَادَى بِبَغْدَادَ كُلِّهَا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ خَرَجَتْ إِلَى الْمُشْرَعَةِ الْفُلَانِيَّةِ سَحَرًا وَعَلَيْهَا ثِيَابٌ وَحُلِيٌّ يَحْضُرُ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا، وَيُعْطِي صِفَةَ مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهَا وَيَأْخُذُهُ، فَقَدْ تَلِفَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ، فَحَضَرَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي أَوِ الثَّالِثِ أَهْلُ الْمَرْأَةِ فَأَعْطَوْهُ صِفَةَ مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهَا، فَسَلَّمَ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِمْ قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا: يَا مَوْلَايَ، أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ؟ فَقَالَ: رَأَيْتُ فِي مَنَامِي كَأَنَّ شَيْخًا أَبْيَضَ الرَّأْسِ وَاللِّحْيَةِ وَالثِّيَابِ، وَهُوَ يُنَادِي: يَا أَحْمَدُ ! خُذْ أَوَّلَ مَلَّاحٍ يَنْحَدِرُ السَّاعَةَ فَاقْبِضْ عَلَيْهِ، وَقَرِّرْهُ خَبَرَ الْمَرْأَةِ الَّتِي قَتَلَهَا الْيَوْمَ وَسَلَبَهَا، وَأَقِمْ عَلَيْهِ الْحَدَّ فَكَانَ مَا شَهِدْتُمْ. وعن أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ حُورِيٍّ وَكَانَ يَصْحَبُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي عَوْفٍ [ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَلْزَمُ ابْنَ أَبِي عَوْفٍ ] سِنِينَ لِجِوَارٍ بَيْنَنَا وَمَوَدَّةٍ، وَكَانَ رَسْمِي أَنْ أَجِيءَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَتَمَةِ، فَحِينَ يَرَانِي يَمُدُّ رِجْلَهُ فِي حِجْرِي فَأَغْمِزُهَا وَأُحَادِثُهُ، وَيَسْأَلُنِي عَنِ الْحَوَادِثِ بِبَغْدَادَ، فَكُنْتُ أَسْتَقْرِئُهَا لَهُ، فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَنَامَ قَبَضَ رِجْلَهُ، فَقُمْتُ إِلَى بَيْتِي وَقَدْ مَضَى ثُلْثُ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ نِصْفَهُ أَوْ أَقَلَّ [ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ ]، عَلَى هَذَا سِنِينَ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ جَاءَنِي رَجُلٌ كَانَ يُعَامِلُنِي، فَقَالَ: قَدْ دُفِعْتُ إِلَى أَمْرٍ إِنْ تَمَّ عَلَيَّ افْتَقَرْتُ. قُلْتُ: مَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ رَجُلٌ: كُنْتُ أُعَامِلُهُ فَاجْتَمَعَ لِي عَلَيْهِ أَلْفُ دِينَارٍ، فَطَالَبْتُهُ، فَوَهَبَنِي عُقْدَ جَوْهَرِ قَوْمٍ بِأَلْفِ دِينَارٍ إِلَى أَنْ يَفْتَكَّهُ بَعْدَ الشُّهُورِ أَوْ أَبِيعَهُ، فَأَذِنَ لِي فِي ذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ أَمْسِ وَجَّهَ مُؤْنِسٌ صَاحِبُ الشُّرْطَةِ مَنْ كَبَسَ دُكَّانِي، وَفَتَحَ صُنْدُوقِي، وَأَخَذَ الْعُقْدَ، فَقُلْتُ: أَنَا أُخَاطِبُ ابْنَ أَبِي عَوْفٍ، فَيُلْزِمُهُ بِرَدِّهِ، فَقَالَ: وَأَنَا مُدْلٌّ بِابْنِ أَبِي عَوْفٍ لِمَكَانِي مِنْهُ، وَمَكَانِهِ مِنَ الْمُعْتَضِدِ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ جِئْتُ وَحَادَثْتُهُ عَلَى رَسْمِي، وَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ فِي جُمْلَةِ حَدِيثِي الْعُقْدَ، فَلِمَا سَمِعَ نَحَّى رِجْلَهُ مِنْ حِجْرِي، وَقَالَ: مَا أَنَا وَهَذَا؟ أُعَادِي صَاحِبَ شُرْطَةِ خَلِيفَةٍ ! فَوَرَدَ عَلَيَّ أَمْرٌ عَظِيمٌ، فَخَرَجْتُ [ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ ] بِنِيَّةِ أَنْ لَا أَعُودَ، فَلَمَّا صَلَّيْتُ الْعَتَمَةَ مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الْمُقْبِلَةِ جَاءَنِي خَادِمٌ لِابْنِ أَبِي عَوْفٍ وَقَالَ: لِمَ تَأَخَّرْتَ اللَّيْلَةَ ؟ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُتْشَكِيًا جِئْنَاكَ. فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ وَقُلْتُ: أَمْضِي اللَّيْلَةَ، فَلَمَّا رَآنِي مَدَّ رِجْلَهُ، وَأَقْبَلْتُ أُحَدِّثُهُ بِحَدِيثٍ مُتَكَلِّفٍ، فَصَبَرَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ قَبَضَ رِجْلَهُ، فَقُمْتُ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، انْظُرْ إِيشٍ تَحْتَ الْمُصَلَّى فَخُذْهُ، فَرَفَعْتُ الْمُصَلَّى فَإِذَا بِرُقْعَةٍ، فَأَخَذْتُهَا وَتَقَدَّمْتُ إِلَى الشَّمْعَةِ، فَإِذَا فِيهَا يَا مُؤْنِسُ ! جَسَرْتَ عَلَى قَصْدِ دُكَّانِ رَجُلٍ تَاجِرٍ، وَفَتَحْتَ صُنْدُوقَهُ، وَأَخَذْتَ مِنْهُ عُقْدَ جَوَاهِرٍ، وَأَنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا ! وَاللَّهِ لَوْلَا أَنَّهَا أَوَّلُ غَلْطَةٍ غَلَطَتْهَا مَا جَرَى فِي ذَلِكَ مُنَاظَرَةٌ ! ارْكَبْ بِنَفْسِكَ إِلَى دُكَّانِ الرَّجُلِ حَتَّى تَرُدَّ الْعَقْدَ بِيَدِكَ فِي الصُّنْدُوقِ ظَاهِرًا. فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: مَا هَذَا ! فَقَالَ: هَذَا خَطُّ الْمُعْتَضِدِ، مَثَّلْتُ بَيْنَ وَجْدِكَ وَبَيْنَ مُؤْنِسٍ، فَاخْتَرْتُكَ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَخَذْتُ خَطَّ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمَا تَرَاهُ، فَامْضِ وَأَوْصَلْهُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَبَّلْتُ رَأْسَهُ. وَجِئْتُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ، فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهِ وَمَضَيْنَا إِلَى مُؤْنِسٍ، فَسَلَّمْتُ التَّوْقِيعَ إِلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ اسْوَدَّ وَجْهُهُ، وَارْتَعَدَ حَتَّى سَقَطَتِ الرُّقْعَةُ مِنْ يَدِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا هَذَا [ اللَّهُ ] بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ ! هَذَا شَيْءٌ مَا عَلِمْتُ بِهِ فَألَّا تَظَلَّمْتَهُ إِلَيَّ وَإِنْ لَمْ أُنْصِفْكُمْ فَإِلِى الْوَزِيرِ، بَلَّغْتُمْ الْأَمْرَ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَوَّلِ وَهْلَةٍ ! قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ بِعِلْمِكَ جَرَى وَالْعُقْدُ مَعَكَ فَأَحْضِرْهُ، فَقَالَ: خُذْ الْأَلْفَ دِينَارٍ الَّتِي عَلَيْهِ السَّاعَةَ، وَاكْتُبُوا عَلَى الرَّجُلِ بِبُطْلَانِ مَا ادَّعَاهُ فَقُلْتُ: لَا نَفْعَلُ ! فَقَالَ: أَلْفٌ وَخَمْسُمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ قُلْتُ: وَاللَّهِ لَا نَرْضَى حَتَّى تَرْكَبَ بِنَفْسِكَ إِلَى الدُّكَّانِ، فَتَرُدَّ الْعَقْدَ، فَرَكِبَ وَرَدَّ الْعُقْدَ إِلَى مَكَانِهِ. قصة المعتضد بالله والأسد قَالَ الْمُحْسِنُ: وَبِهِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُدْلِجِيُّ قَالَ: بَلَغَنِي عَنْ خَفِيفٍ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيِّ قَالَ: كُنْتُ مَعَ مَوْلَايَ الْمُعْتَضِدِ فِي بَعْضِ مُتَصَيِّدَاتِهِ، وَقَدِ انْقَطَعَ عَنِ الْعَسْكَرِ، وَلَيْسَ مَعَهُ [ أَحَدٌ ] غَيْرِي، فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا أَسَدٌ، فَقَصَدْنَا فَقَالَ لِي الْمُعْتَضِدُ: يَا خَفِيفُ، أَفَيَكُ خَيْرٌ؟ قُلْتُ: لَا يَا مَوْلَايَ ! فَقَالَ: وَلَا حَتَّى تُمْسِكَ فَرَسِي وَأَنْزِلُ أَنَا إِلَى الْأَسَدِ؟ فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى ! فَنَزَلَ وَأَعْطَانِي فَرَسَهُ، وَشَدَّ أَطْرَافَ ثِيَابِهِ فِي مِنْطَقَتِهِ، وَاسْتَلَّ سَيْفَهُ، وَرَمَى الْقِرَابَ إِلَيَّ فَأَخَذْتُهُ، وَأَقْبَلَ يَمْشِي إِلَى الْأَسَدِ، فَطَلَبَهُ الْأَسَدُ، فَحِينَ قَرُبَ مِنْهُ وَثَبَ الْأَسَدُ عَلَيْهِ، فَتَلْقَاهُ الْمُعْتَضِدُ بِضَرْبَةٍ، فَإِذَا يَدُهُ قَدْ طَارَتْ فَتَشَاغَلَ الْأَسَدُ بِالضَّرْبَةِ، فَثَنَاهُ بِأُخْرَى، فَفَلَقَ هَامَتَهُ فَخَرَّ صَرِيعًا، وَدَنَا مِنْهُ وَقَدْ تَلِفُّ، فَمَسَحَ السَّيْفَ فِي صُوفَةٍ وَرَجَعَ إِلَيَّ، وَغَمَدَ السَّيْفَ، وَرَكِبَ، ثُمَّ عَدَّنَا إِلَى الْعَسْكَرِ وَصَحِبْتُهُ إِلَى أَنْ مَاتَ مَا سَمِعَتْهُ يُحَدِّثُ بِحَدِيثِ الْأَسَدِ، وَلَا عَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ لَفَظَ فِيهِ بِلَفْظَةٍ، فَلَمْ أَدْرِ مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ أَعْجَبُ مِنْ شَجَاعَتِهِ وَشِدَّتِهِ ! أَمْ قِلَّةِ احْتِفَالِهِ بِمَا صَنَعَ حَتَّى كَتَمَهُ ! أَوْ مِنْ عَفْوِهِ عَنِّي، فَمَا عَاتَبَنِي عَلَى ضَنِّي بِنَفْسِي. قَالَ الْمُحْسِنُ: بسنده عن الْقَاضِي أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ - وَكَانَ يُنَادِمُ الْمُعْتَضِدَ بِاللَّهِ - قَالَ: بَيْنَا الْمُعْتَضِدُ فِي مَجْلِسِ سُرُورٍ، إِذْ دَخَلَ بَدْرُ فَقَالَ: يَا مَوْلَايَ، قَدْ أَحْضَرْنَا الْقَطَّانَ الَّذِي مِنْ بَرَكَةِ زَلْزَلَ، فَنَهَضَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ وَلَبِسَ قَبَاءً، وَأَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ حَرْبَةً، وَقَعَدَ فِي مَجْلِسٍ قَرِيبٍ مِنَّا، وَقَدْ مُدَّتْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُ سِتَارَةٌ، نُشَاهِدُ مِنْ وَرَائِهَا، فَأُدْخِلَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْخٌ ضَعِيفٌ، فَقَالَ لَهُ بِصَوْتٍ شَدِيدٍ وَوَجْهِ مُقَطِّبٍ وَنَظَرِ مُغْضَبٍ: أَنْتَ الْقِطَّانُ الَّذِي قُلْتَ أَمْسِ مَا قُلْتَ ؟ فَأُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ لِمَا تَدَاخَلَهُ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالرَّوْعِ وَنُحِّيَ [ عَنْهُ ] سَاعَةً حَتَّى سَكَنَ، ثُمَّ أُعِيدَ إِلَى حَضْرَتِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: وَيْلَكَ، تَقُولُ فِي سُوقِكَ لَيْسَ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ مَنْ يَنْظُرُ فِي أُمُورِهِمْ فَأَيْنَ أَنَا وَمَا شَغْلِي غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ. قَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ! أَنَا رَجُلٌ عَامِّيٌّ، وَمَعِيشَتِي مِنَ الْقُطْنِ الَّذِي أُعَامِلُ فِيهِ النِّسَاءَ وَأَهْلَ الْجَهْلِ وَلَا تَمْيِيزَ عِنْدَ مِثْلِي فِيمَا يَلْفِظُ بِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا اجْتَازَ بِي رَجُلٌ ابْتَعْتُ مِنْهُ، وَكَانَ مِيزَانُهُ وَوَزْنُهُ تَطْفِيفًا، فَقُلْتُ مَا قُلْتُ، وَإِنَّمَا أَعْنِي بِهِ الْمُحْتَسِبَ عَلَيْنَا. فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُعْتَضِدُ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّكَ أَرَدْتَ [ بِهِ ] الْمُحْتَسِبَ؟ قَالَ: أَيْ وَاللَّهِ، وَأَنَا تَائِبٌ [ مِنْ ] أَنْ أَقُولَ مِثْلَ مَا قَلْتُهُ أَبَدًا، فَأَمَرَ بِأَنْ يُحْضَرَ الْمُحْتَسِبُ وَيُنْكَرَ عَلَيْهِ [ فِي ] تَرْكِ النَّظَرِ فِي هَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ، وَرَسَمَ لَهُ اعْتِبَارَ الصَّنْجِ وَالْمَوَازِينِ عَلَى السُّوقَةِ وَالطَّوَّافِينَ، وَمُرَاعَاتِهِمْ حَتَّى لَا يُبْخَسُوا، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلشَّيْخِ: انْصَرِفْ فَلَا بَأْسَ عَلَيْكَ ! وَعَادَ إِلَيْنَا فَضَحِكَ وَانْبَسَطَ، وَرَجَعَ إِلَى مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ. فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: يَا مَوْلَايَ ! أَنْتَ تَعْرِفُ فُضُولِي فَتَأْذَنُ لِي أَنْ أُورِدَ مَا فِي نَفْسِي؟ فَقَالَ: قُلْ ! قُلْتُ: مَوْلَانَا كَانَ عَلَى أَكْمِلِ مَسَرَّةٍ، فَتَرَكَ ذَاكَ وَتَشَاغَلَ بِخِطَابِ كَلْبٍ مِنَ السُّوقَةِ، قَدْ كَانَ يَكْفِيهِ أَنْ يَصِيحَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ رِجَالِ الْمَعُونَةِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ تَقْنَعْ بِإِيصَالِهِ إِلَى مَجْلِسِهِ حَتَّى غَيَّرَ لِبَاسَهُ، وَأَخَذْتَ سِلَاحَهُ، وَاسْتَقْبَحْتَ مُنَاظَرَتَهُ بِنَفْسِهِ لِأَجْلِ كَلِمَةٍ تَقُولُهَا الْعَامَّةُ دَائِمًا وَلَا يُمَيِّزُونَ مَا فِيهَا، فَقَالَ: يَا حَسَنُ ! أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ مَا يَجُرُّهُ هَذَا الْقَوْلُ إِذَا تَدَاوَلَتْهُ الْأَلْسُنُ، وَوَعَتْهُ الْأَسْمَاعُ، وَحَصَلَ فِي الْقُلُوبِ، لِأَنَّهُ مَتَى أُلِفَ وَلَقَّنَهُ هَذَا عَنْ هَذَا لَمْ يُؤْمَنْ أَنْ يُولَدَ لَهُمْ فِي نُفُوسِهِمُ امْتِعَاضًا لِلدِّينِ أَوِ السِّيَاسَةِ، يَخْرُجُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى إِثَارَةِ الْفِتَنِ، وَإِفْسَادِ النِّظَامِ، وَلَيْسَ شَيْءٌ أَبْلَغُ فِي [ هَذَا مِنْ ] قَطْعِ هَذِهِ الْأَسْبَابِ، وَحَسْمِ مَوَادِّهَا مِنْ إِزَالَةِ دَوَاعِيهَا وَمُوجِبَاتِهَا، وَقَدْ طَارَتْ رُوحُ هَذَا الْقِطَّانِ بِمَا شَاهَدَ وَسَمِعَهُ، وَسَيُحَدِّثُ بِهِ، وَيَزِيدُ فِيهِ، وَيُعَظِّمُ الْأَمْرَ وَيُفَخِّمُهُ، وَسَمِعَ مَا تَقَدَّمْنَا بِهِ فِي أَمْرِ الْمُحْتَسِبِ، وَمَا نَحْنُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ مُرَاعَاةِ الْكَبِيرِ وَالصَّغِيرِ، وَيَنْشُرُ بَيْنَ الْعَامَّةِ بِمَا يَكُفُّ أَلْسِنَتَهَا، وَيُقِيمُ الْهَيْبَةَ فِي نُفُوسِهَا، وَلِيَكُونَ مَا تَكَلَّفْتُ مِنْ هَذَا [ التَّعَبِ ] الْقَلِيلِ قَدْ كَفَانِي التَّعَبَ الْكَثِيرَ، فَأَقْبَلْنَا نَدْعُو لَهُ. قَالَ الْمُحْسِنُ: وَحَدَّثَنَا الْقَاضِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ الْهَاشِمِيُّ أَنَّ شَيْخًا مِنَ التُّجَّارِ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى أَحَدِ الْقُوَّادِ فِي أَيَّامِ الْمُعْتَضِدِ بِاللَّهِ مَالٌ، قَالَ التَّاجِرُ: فَمَاطَلَنِي بِهِ وَسَلَكَ مَعِي سَبِيلَ الْأَلْطَاطِ فِيهِ، وَكَانَ يَحْجُبُنِي إِذَا حَضَرْتُ بَابَهُ، وَيَضَعُ غِلْمَانَهُ عَلَى الِاسْتِخْفَافِ بِي، وَالِاسْتِطَالَةِ عَلَى إِذَا رُمْتُ لِقَاءَهُ وَخِطَابَهُ، وَتَظَلَّمْتُ إِلَى عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ مِنْهُ، فَمَا نَفَعَنِي ذَلِكَ، وَعَمِلْتُ عَلَى الظُّلَامَةِ إِلَى الْمُعْتَضِدِ بِاللَّهِ، وَبَيْنَا أَنَا مَرْوٍ فِي أَمْرِي قَالَ لِي بَعْضُ أَصْدِقَائِي: عَلَى أَنْ آخُذَ لَكَ مَالَكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ إِلَى ظُلَامَةٍ، فَاسْتَبْعَدْتُ هَذَا وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ. فَجِئْنَا إِلَى خَيَّاطِ شَيْخٍ فِي سُوقِ الثُّلَاثَاءِ يُقْرِئُ الْقُرْآنَ فِي مَسْجِدٍ هُنَاكَ، وَيَخِيطُ بِأُجْرَةٍ فَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ قِصَّتِي، وَشَرَحَ لَهُ صُورَتِي، وَسَأَلَهُ أَنْ يَقْصِدَ الْقَائِدَ وَيُخَاطِبَهُ فِي الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيَّ مِنْ حَقِّي، وَكَانَتْ دَارُ الْقَائِدِ قَرِيبَةً مِنْ مَسْجِدِ الْخَيَّاطِ، فَنَهَضَ مَعَنَا وَمَشَيْنَا فَخِفْتُ بَادِرَةَ الْقَائِدِ وَسَطْوَتَهُ، وَتَصَوَّرْتُ أَنَّ قَوْلَ الْخَيَّاطِ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَعَ مِثْلِهِ مَعَ مَحَلِّهِ وَبَسَطْتِهِ، وَقُلْتُ لِصَدِيقِي: قَدْ عَرَّضْنَا هَذَا الشَّيْخَ وَنُفُوسَنَا لِمَكْرُوهِ عَظِيمٍ، وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَرَاهُ غِلْمَانُهُ، وَقَدْ أَوْقَعُوا بِهِ، وَإِذَا كَانَ لَا يَقْبَلُ قَوْلَ الْوَزِيرِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ فَبِالْأَوْلَى أَنْ لَا يَقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَلَا يُفَكِّرَ فِيهِ، فَضَحِكَ وَقَالَ: لَا عَلَيْكَ!. وَجِئْنَا إِلَى بَابِ الْقَائِدِ، فَحِينَ رَأَى غِلْمَانُهُ الْخَيَّاطَ تَلَقَّوْهُ وَأَعْظَمُوهُ، وَأَهْوَوْا لِيُقَبِّلُوا يَدَهُ فَمَنَعَهُمْ مَنْهَا وَقَالُوا: مَا جَاءَ بِكَ أَيُّهَا الشَّيْخُ؟ فَإِنَّ قَاعِدَنَا رَاكِبٌ، فَإِنْ كَانَ لَكَ أَمْرٌ نَقُومُ بِذِكْرِهِ لَهُ، وَتَنْتَجِزُّهُ إِيَّاهُ فَعَلْنَا، وَإِنْ أَرَدْتَ الْجُلُوسَ وَالِانْتِظَارَ فَالدَّارُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ ! فَلَمَّا سَمِعْتُ ذَلِكَ قَوِيَتْ نَفْسِي، وَدَخَلْنَا وَجَلَسْتُ، وَرَآنِي الْقَائِدُ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ أَكْرَمَهُ إِكْرَامًا شَدِيدًا وَقَالَ لَهُ: لَسْتُ أَنْزِعُ ثِيَابِي حَتَّى تَأْمُرَ بِأَمْرِكَ، فَخَاطَبَهُ فِي شَأْنِي، فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا مَعِي إِلَّا خَمْسَةُ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَتَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهَا وَيَأْخُذَ رُهُونًا مِنْ مَرَاكِبِي الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ بِقِيمَةِ مَا يَبْقَى مِنْ مَالِهِ لِأُعْطِيَهُ إِيَّاهُ بَعْدَ شَهْرٍ، فَبَادَرْتُ أَنَا إِلَى إِجَابَتِهِ وَأَحْضَرْتُ الدَّرَاهِمَ وَالْمَرَاكِبَ بِقِيمَةِ الْبَاقِي، فَقَبَضْتُهَا وَأَشْهَدْتُ الْخَيَّاطَ وَصَدِيقِي عَلَيْهِ بِأَنَّ الرَّهْنَ عِنْدِي إِلَى مُدَّةِ شَهْرٍ، فَإِنْ جَازَ كُنْتُ وَكَيْلَهُ فِي بَيْعِهِ، وَآخُذُ مَالِي مِنْ ثَمَنِهِ. وَخَرَجْنَا فَلَمَّا بَلَغْنَا مَسْجِدَ الْخَيَّاطِ وَدَخَلْنَا طَرَحْتُ الدَّرَاهِمَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَقُلْتُ [ لَهُ ]: قَدْ رَدَّ اللَّهُ مَالِي بِكَ وَعَلَى يَدَيْكَ، فَخُذْ مَا تُرِيدُ مِنْهُ عَلَى طِيبِ قَلْبٍ مِنِّي ! فَقَالَ: يَا هَذَا، مَا أسْرَعَ مَا قَابَلْتَنِي بِالْقَبِيحِ عَلَى الْجَمِيلِ، انْصَرِفْ بِمَالِكَ بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ فِيهِ. قُلْتُ: قَدْ بَقِيَتْ لِي حَاجَةٌ، قَالَ: قُلْ ! قُلْتُ: أُحِبُّ أَنْ تُخْبِرَنِي عَنْ سَبَبِ طَاعَةِ هَذَا الْقَائِدِ لَكَ مَعَ إِقْلَالِهِ الْفِكْرَ بِأَكَابِرِ الدَّوْلَةِ. فَقَالَ: قَدْ بَلَغْتَ غَرَضَكَ، فَلَا تَقْطَعْنِي عَنْ شُغْلِي بِحَدِيثٍ لَا فَائِدَةَ [ لَكَ ] فِيهِ. فَأَلْحَحْتُ عَلَيْهِ. فَقَالَ: أَنَا رَجُلٌ أُقْرِئُ [ وَأَؤُمُّ بِالنَّاسِ ] فِي هَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ مُنْذُ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً، لَا أَعْرِفُ كَسْبًا إِلَّا مِنَ الْخِيَاطَةِ، وَكُنْتُ صَلِّيْتُ الْمَغْرِبَ مُنْذُ مُدَّةٍ، وَخَرَجْتُ أُرِيدُ مَنْزِلِي، فَاجْتَزْتُ عَلَى تُرْكِيٍّ كَانَ فِي هَذِهِ الدَّارِ، وَأَوْمَأَ إِلَى دَارٍ بِالْقُرْبِ مِنْهُ، وَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ جَمِيلَةُ الْوَجْهِ قَدِ اجْتَازَتْ عَلَيْهِ، فَعَلِقَ بِهَا وَهُوَ سَكْرَانُ، فَطَالَبَهَا بِالدُّخُولِ إِلَى دَارِهِ، وَهِيَ تَمْتَنِعُ وَتَسْتَغِيثُ وَتَقُولُ فِي كَلَامِهَا: إِنَّ زَوْجِي قَدْ حَلَفَ بِطَلَاقِي أَنْ لَا أَبِيتَ عَنْهُ وَإِنْ أَخَذَنِي هَذَا وَغَصَبَنِي نَفْسِي وَبَيَّتَنِي عِنْدَهُ خَرِبَ بَيْتِي، وَلَحِقَنِي مِنَ الْعَارِ مَا لَا تَدْحَضُهُ الْأَيَّامُ عَنِّي ! وَمَا أَحَدٌ يُعِينُهَا وَلَا يَمْنَعُهُ مِنْهَا. ، فَجِئْتُ إِلَى التُّرْكِيِّ، وَرَفُقْتُ بِهِ فِي أَنْ يُخَلِّيَ عَنْهَا، فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ وَضَرَبَ رَأْسِي بِدَبُّوسٍ كَانَ فِي يَدِهِ فَشَجَّهُ، وَأَدْخَلَ الْمَرْأَةَ فَصِرْتُ إِلَى مَنْزِلِي وَغَسَلْتُ الدَّمَ عَنْ وَجْهِي، وَشَدَدْتُ رَأْسِي وَخَرَجْتُ لِصَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ، فَلِمَا فَرَغْنَا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ قُلْتُ لِمَنْ حَضَرَ قُومُوا مَعِي إِلَى هَذَا التُّرْكِيِّ عَدُوِّ اللَّهِ لِنُنْكِرَ عَلَيْهِ، وَنُخْرِجَ الْمَرْأَةَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، فَقَامُوا، وَجِئْنَا فَضَجَجْنَا عَلَى بَابِهِ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا فِي عِدَّةٍ مِنْ غِلْمَانِهِ، فَأَوْقَعَ بِنَا وَقَصَدَنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ الْجَمَاعَةِ بِالضَّرْبِ الشَّدِيدِ الَّذِي يَكَادُ يُتْلِفُنِي. فَحُمِلْتُ إِلَى مَنْزِلِي وَأَنَا لَا أَعْقِلُ أَمْرِي، وَنِمْتُ قَلِيلًا لِلْوَجَعِ، فَطَارَ النَّوْمُ مِنْ عَيْنِي، وَسَهِرْتُ مُسْتَلْقِيًا عَلَى فِرَاشِي مُفَكِّرًا فِي أَمْرِ الْمَرْأَةِ وَأَنَّهَا مَتَى أَصْبَحَتْ طُلِّقَتْ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ: هَذَا رَجُلٌ قَدْ شَرِبَ طُولَ لَيْلَتِهِ وَلَا يَعْرِفُ الْأَوْقَاتِ، فَلَوْ أَذَّنْتُ لَوَقَعَ لَهُ أَنَّ الْفَجْرَ قَدْ طَلَعَ، فَرُبَّمَا أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْأَةَ، فَمَضَتْ إِلَى بَيْتِهَا و [ تَبِيتُ ]، وَبَقِيَتْ فِي حِبَالِ زَوْجِهَا، فَتَكُونُ قَدْ خَلَصَتْ مِنْ أَحَدِ الْمَكْرُوهَيْنِ، فَخَرَجْتُ مُتَحَامِلًا إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ، وَصَعِدْتُ الْمَنَارَةَ وَأَذَّنْتُ، وَجَلَسْتُ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَى الطَّرِيقِ أَرْتَقِبُ خُرُوجَ الْمَرْأَةِ مِنَ الدَّارِ، وَاعْتَقَدْتُ أَنْ أُقِيمَ إِنْ تَرَاخِيَ الْأَمْرُ فِي ذَلِكَ لِئَلَّا يَشُكُّ فِي الصَّبَاحِ، فَمَا مَضَتْ سَاعَةٌ حَتَّى امْتَلَأَ الشَّارِعُ خَيْلًا وَرِجَالًا وَمَشَاعِلَ، وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: مَنِ الَّذِي أَذَّنَ السَّاعَةَ، فَفَزِعْتُ وَسَكَتُّ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ أُخَاطِبُهُمْ وَأَصْدُقُهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يُعِينُونَنِي عَلَى خُرُوجِ الْمَرْأَةِ، فَصِحْتُ مِنَ الْمَنَارَةِ: أَنَا أَذَّنْتُ ! قَالُوا: انْزِلْ وَأَجِبْ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ! فَنَزَلْتُ وَمَضَيْتُ مَعَهُمْ، فَإِذَا [ هُمْ ] غِلْمَانُ بَدْرٍ، فَأَدْخِلْنِي إِلَى الْمُعْتَضِدِ بِاللَّهِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُ هِبْتُهُ وَأَخَذْتِنِي رِعْدَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ، فَقَالَ لِي: اسْكُنْ، مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى الْآذَانِ فِي غَيْرِ وَقْتِهِ وَأَنْ تَغُرَّ النَّاسَ فَيَخْرُجُ ذُو الْحَاجَةِ فِي غَيْرِ حِينِهِ، وَيُمِسُكَ الْمُرِيدُ الصَّوْمَ فِي وَقْتٍ قَدْ أُبِيحُ لَهُ فِيهِ الْأَكْلُ وَالشُّرْبُ؟ فَقُلْتُ: يُؤَمِّنُنِي أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِأَصْدُقَهُ، قَالَ: أَنْتَ آمِنٌ ! فَقَصَصْتُ عَلَيْهِ قِصَّةَ التُّرْكِيِّ، وَأَرَيْتُهُ الْآثَارَ [ الَّتِي ] فِي رَأْسِي وَوَجْهِي، فَقَالَ: يَا بَدْرُ ! عَلَيَّ بِالْغُلَامِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ [ فَأُحْضِرَا ] فَسَأَلَهَا الْمُعْتَضِدُ عَنْ أَمْرِهَا، فَذَكَرَتْ لَهُ مِثْلَ مَا ذَكَرْتُهُ، فَأَمَرَ بِإِنْفَاذِهَا إِلَى زَوْجِهَا مَعَ ثِقَةٍ يُدْخِلُهَا دَارَهَا، وَيَشْرَحُ لِزَوْجِهَا خَبَرَهَا، وَيَأْمُرُهُ عَنْهُ بِالتَّمَسُّكِ بِهَا، وَالْإِحْسَانِ إِلَيْهَا. ثُمَّ اسْتَدْعَانِي، وَوَقَفْتُ فَجَعَلَ يُخَاطِبُ الْغُلَامَ وَيُسْمِعُنِي، وَيَقُولُ: كَمْ رِزْقُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: كَذَا وَكَذَا. وَكَمْ عَطَاؤُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: كَذَا. وَكَمْ وَظِيفَتُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: كَذَا. وَكَمْ كُسْوَتُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: كَذَا. إِلَى أَنَّ عَدَدَ شَيْئًا كَثِيرًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: كَمْ لَكَ؟ جَارِيَةُ. قَالَ: كَذَا فَقَالَ: فَمَا كَانَ لَكَ فِي هَذِهِ النِّعْمَةِ، وَفِي هَؤُلَاءِ الْجَوَارِي مَا يَكْفِيكَ وَيَكُفُّكَ عَنْ مَحَارِمِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَخَرْقِ سِيَاسَةِ السُّلْطَانِ، وَالْجَرَاءَةِ عَلَيْهِ؟ وَمَا كَانَ عُذْرُكَ فِي الْوُثُوبِ عَلَى مَنْ أَمَرَكَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَاكَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ؟ فَأُسْقِطَ فِي يَدِ الْغُلَامِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ جَوَابٌ يُورِدُهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: يُحْضَرُ جُوَالِقُ وَمَدَاقُّ الْجِصِّ، وَقُيُودٌ وَغُلٌّ. فَأُحْضِرَ جَمِيعُ ذَلِكَ فَقَيَّدَهُ وَغَلَّهُ وَأَدْخَلَهُ الْجَوَالِقَ، وَأَمَرَ الْفَرَّاشِينَ فَدَقُّوهُ بِمَدَاقِّ الْجِصِّ وَهُوَ يَصِيحُ، إِلَى أَنْ خَفَتَ صَوْتُهُ وَانْقَطَعَ حِسُّهُ، وَأَمَرَ بِهِ وَطُرِحَ إِلَى دِجْلَةَ. وَتَقَدَّمَ إِلَى بَدْرٍ [ بِتَحْوِيلِ ] مَا فِي دَارِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي: قَدْ شَاهَدْتَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ ! مَتَى رَأَيْتَ [ يَا شَيْخُ ] مُنْكَرًا كَبِيرًا أَوْ صَغِيرًا، فَأَنْكِرْهُ وَلَوْ عَلَى هَذَا - وَأَوْمَأَ إِلَى بَدْرٍ - وَمَنْ تَقَاعَسَ عَنِ الْقَبُولِ مِنْكَ فَالْعَلَّامَةُ بَيْنَنَا أَنْ تُؤَذِّنَ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْوَقْتِ لِأَسْمَعَ صَوْتَكَ فَأَسْتَدْعِيَكَ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ: فَدَعَوْتُ لَهُ وَانْصَرَفْتُ، وَشَاعَ الْخَبَرُ فِي [ الْجُنْدِ وَ ] الْغِلْمَانِ، فَمَا سَأَلْتُ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ بَعْدَهَا إِنْصَافًا أَوْ كَفًّا عَنْ قَبِيحٍ إِلَّا أَطَاعَنِي كَمَا رَأَيْتَ، خَوْفًا مِنَ الْمُعْتَضِدِ بِاللَّهِ، وَمَا احْتَجْتُ أَنْ أُؤَذِّنَ فِي مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ إِلَى الْآنِ. وعن الْعَبَّاسَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو الْغَنَوِيَّ قال: لَمَّا أَسَرَنِي أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْقُرْمُطِيُّ، وَكَسَرَ الْعَسْكَرَ الَّذِي كَانَ بَعَثَهُ مَعِي الْمُعْتَضِدُ إِلَى قِتَالِهِ، وَحَصَلْتُ فِي يَدِهِ يَئِسْتُ مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ، فَأَنَا يَوْمًا عَلَى تِلْكَ الصُّورَةِ، إِذْ جَاءَنِي رَسُولُهُ، فَأَخَذَ قُيُودِي، وَغَيَّرَ ثِيَابِي، وَأَدْخَلَنِي إِلَيْهِ، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَجَلَسْتُ، فَقَالَ: أَتَدْرِي لِمَ اسْتَدْعَيْتُكَ؟ قُلْتُ: لَا ! قَالَ: إِنَّكَ رَجُلٌ عَرَبِيٌّ، وَمِنَ الْمُحَالِ إِذَا اسْتَوْدَعَتْكَ أَمَانَةً أَنْ تُخْفِيَهَا، وَلَا سِيَّمَا مَعَ مَنِّي عَلَيْكَ بِنَفْسِكَ. قُلْتُ: هُوَ كَذَلِكَ. فَقَالَ: إِنِّي فَكَّرْتُ، فَإِذَا لَا طَائِلَ فِي قَتْلِكَ، وَفِي نَفْسِي رِسَالَةٌ إِلَى الْمُعْتَضِدِ، لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَهَا غَيْرُكَ، فَرَأَيْتُ إِطْلَاقَكَ وَتَحْمِيلَكَ إِيَّاهَا إِنْ حَلَفْتَ أَنَّكَ إِنْ سِيرَتُكَ إِلَيْهِ تُؤَدِّيهَا، فَحَلَفْتُ لَهُ. فَقَالَ: قُلْ لِلْمُعْتَضِدِ يَا هَذَا، لَمْ تَخْرِقْ هَيْبَتَكَ، وَتَقْتُلْ رِجَالَكَ، وَتُطْمِعُ أَعْدَاءَكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ، وَتَبْعَثُ فِي طَلَبِي الْجُيُوشَ، وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ مُقِيمٌ فِي فَلَاةٍ، لَا زَرْعَ فِيهَا وَلَا ضَرْعَ، وَقَدْ رَضِيتُ لِنَفْسِي بِخُشُونَةِ الْعَيْشِ، وَالْعِزَّ بِأَطْرَافِ هَذِهِ الرِّمَاحِ، وَلَا اغْتَصَبْتُكَ بَلَدًا، وَلَا أَزَلْتُ سُلْطَانَكَ عَنْ عَمَلِكَ، وَمَعَ هَذَا فَوَ اللَّهِ لَوْ أَنْفَذْتَ إِلَيَّ جَيْشَكَ كُلَّهُ مَا جَازَ يَظْفَرُ بِي، لِأَنِّي رَجُلٌ نَشَأْتُ فِي الْقَشَفِ، فَاعْتَدْتُهُ أَنَا وَرِجَالِي، وَلَا مَشَقَّةَ عَلَيْنَا فِيهِ، وَأَنْتَ تُنْفِذُ جُيُوشَكَ مِنَ الْجُيُوشِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالرَّيْحَانِ، فَيَجِيئُونَ مِنَ الْمَسَافَةِ الْبَعِيدَةِ الشَّاقَّةِ، وَقَدْ قَتَلَهُمُ السَّفَرُ قَبْلَ قِتَالِنَا، وَإِنَّمَا غَرَضُهُمْ أَنْ يَبْلُغُوا غَرَضًا مِنْ مُوَاقَفَتِنَا سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ يَهْرُبُونَ، وَإِنْ هُمْ هَزَمُونِي بَعُدْتُ عِشْرِينَ فَرْسَخًا، أَوْ ثَلَاثِينَ، وَجُلْتُ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ شَهْرًا أَوْ شَهْرَيْنِ، ثُمَّ كَبَسْتُهُمْ عَلَى غِرَّةٍ فَقَتَلْتُهُمْ، وَإِنْ كَانُوا مُحْتَزِبِينَ فَمَا يُمْكِنُهُمْ أَنْ يَطُوفُوا خَلْفِي فِي الصَّحَارَى، وَلَا تَحْمِلُهُمُ الْإِقَامَةُ فِي أَمَاكِنِهِمْ، فَأَنْتَ تُنْفِقُ الْأَمْوَالَ، وَتَكَلُّفُ الرِّجَالَ الْأَخْطَارَ، وَأَنَا سَلِيمٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَهَيْبَتُكَ تَتَخَرَّقُ فِي الْأَطْرَافِ، كُلَّمَا جَرَى عَلَيْكَ هَذَا فَإِنِ اخْتَرْتَ بَعْدُ مُحَارَبَتِي فَاسْتَخَرْتَ اللَّهَ، وَإِنْ أَمْسَكَتْ فَذَلِكَ إِلَيْكَ. ثُمَّ سَيَّرَنِي وَأَنْفَذَ مَعِي عِدَّةً إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ وَسَرْتُ مِنْهَا إِلَى الْحَضْرَةِ، وَدَخَلْتُ إِلَى الْمُعْتَضِدِ، فَأَخْبَرَتْهُ بِمَا قَالَ فِي خَلْوَةٍ فَرَأَيْتُهُ يَتَمَعَّطُ فِي جِلْدِهِ غَيْظًا حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيَسِيرُ إِلَيْهِ بِنَفْسِهِ، وَخَرَجْتُ فَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ذَكَرَهُ. قَالَ الْقَاضِي: كَأَنَّهُ عَرَفَ صِدْقَ قَوْلِهِ فَكَفَّ عَنْهُ. وعن خَفِيفٌ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ حَاجِبُ الْمُعْتَضِدِ قَالَ: كُنْتُ وَاقِفًا بِحَضْرَةِ الْمُعْتَضِدَ إِذْ دَخَلَ بَدْرٌ، وَهُوَ يَبْكِي وَقَدِ ارْتَفَعَ الصُّرَاخُ مِنْ دَارِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ، فَأَعْلَمَ الْمُعْتَضِدَ الْخَبَرَ، فَقَالَ: أَوَ قَدْ صَحَّ الْخَبَرُ أَوْ هِيَ غَشْيَةٌ؟ قَالَ: بَلْ قَدْ تُوُفِّيَ وَشَدَّ لِحْيَتَهُ فَرَأَيْتُ الْمُعْتَضِدَ قَدْ سَجَدَ، فَأَطَالَ السُّجُودَ. فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ قَالَ لَهُ بَدْرٌ: وَاللَّهِ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَقَدْ كَانَ صَحِيحَ الْمُوَالَاةِ، مُجْتَهِدًا فِي خِدْمَتِكَ، عَفِيفًا عَنِ الْأَمْوَالِ ! قَالَ: أَفَظَنَنْتَ يَا بَدْرُ أَنِّي سَجَدْتُ سُرُورًا بِمَوْتِهِ؟ إِنَّمَا سَجَدْتُ شُكْرًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى، إِذْ وَفَّقَنِي فَلَمْ أَصْرِفْهُ وَلَمْ أُوحِشْهُ، وَلِي فِي جَنْبِ وَرَثَتِهِ مَا خَلَّفَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ كَسْبِهِ مَعِي، مَا لَعَلَّهُ قِيمَةُ أَلْفَيْ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ، وَقَدْ عَمِلْتُ عَلَى أَخْذِ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُمْ، وَأَنْ أَسْتَوْزِرَ أَحَدَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ: إِمَّا جَرَادَةُ وَهُوَ أَقْوَى الرَّجُلَيْنِ فِي نَفْسِي لِهَيْبَتِهِ فِي قُلُوبِ الْجَيْشِ، وَالْآخِرُ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفُرَاتِ، وَهُوَ أَعْرَفُ بِمَوَاقِعِ الْمَالِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ بَدْرٌ: يَا مَوْلَايَ، غَرَسْتَ غَرْسًا حَتَّى إِذَا مَا أَثْمَرَ قَلَعْتَهُ ! أَنْتَ رِبَّيْتَ الْقَاسِمَ وَقَدْ أَلِفَ خِدْمَتَكَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ، وَعَرَفَ مَا يُرْضِي حَاشِيَتَكَ، وَجَرَادَةُ رَجُلٌ مُنْكَرٌ، وَيَخْرُجُ مِنَ الْحَبْسِ جَائِعًا، وَابْنُ الْفُرَاتِ لَا هَيْبَةَ لَهُ فِي النُّفُوسِ، وَإِنَّمَا يَصْلُحُ أَنْ يَكُونَ بِحَضْرَةِ وَزِيرٍ يُمْشِي لَهُ أَمْرَ الْمَالِ، وَمَالُ الْقَاسِمِ، وَوَرَثَتُهُ لَكَ. أَيُّ وَقْتٍ أَرَدْتَهُ أَخَذْتَهُ. فَرَاجَعَهُ الْمُعْتَضِدُ وَبَيَّنَ لَهُ فَسَادَ هَذَا الرَّأْيِ، فَعَدَلَ عَنِ الْمُنَاظَرَةِ إِلَى تَقْبِيلِ الْأَرْضِ مَرَّاتٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُعْتَضِدُ: قَدْ أَجَبْتُكَ فَامْضِ إِلَى الْقَاسِمِ فَعَزِّهِ ثَانِيَةً، وَبَشِّرْهُ بِتَقْرِيرِ رَأْيِي عَلَى اِسْتِوْزَارِهِ لِتُسَلِّهِ عَنْ مُصَابِهِ، وَمُرْهُ بِالْبُكُورِ إِلَى الْجَامِعِ، فَوَلَّى بَدْرٌ فَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ، فَدَعَانِي الْمُعْتَضِدُ فَعُدْتُ، فَقَالَ: أَرَأَيْتَ مَا جَرَى؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ ! فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَا يَقْتُلُ بَدْرًا غَيْرُ الْقَاسِمِ ! فَمَا تَمَّ لِلْقَاسِمِ التَّدْبِيرُ مَعَ الْمُكْتَفِي حَتَّى قَتَلَ بَدْرًا !. قَالَ خَفِيفٌ: رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الْمُعْتَضِدَ ! كَأَنَّهُ نَظَرَ هَذَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ سَتْرٍ. وَقَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ: كُنْتُ يَوْمًا بِحَضْرَةِ الْمُعْتَضِدِ وَخَادِمٍ مِنْ خَدَمِهِ بِيَدِهِ الْمِذَبَّةُ، فَبَيْنَا هُوَ يَذُبُّ إِذْ ضَرَبَ بِالْمِذَبَّةِ قَلَنْسُوَةَ الْمُعْتَضِدِ، فَسَقَطَتْ فَكِدْتُ أَخْتَلِطُ إِعْظَامًا لِلْحَالِ، وَالْمُعْتَضِدُ عَلَى حَالِهِ لَمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ وَلَمْ يُنْكِرْ شَيْئًا، ثُمَّ دَعَا غُلَامًا فَقَالَ لَهُ: هَذَا الْغُلَامُ قَدْ نَعَسَ فَزِدْ فِي عَدَدِ خَدَمِ الْمِذَبَّةِ وَلَا تُنْكِرُ عَلَيْهِ بِفِعْلِهِ، قَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ: فَقَبَّلْتُ الْأَرْضَ، وَقُلْتُ: وَاللَّهِ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا سَمِعْتُ بِمِثْلِ هَذَا، وَلَا ظَنَنْتُ أَنْ حِلْمًا يَسَعُ مِثْلَهُ. ثُمَّ دَعَوْتُ لَهُ. فَقَالَ: هَلْ يَجُوزُ غَيْرُ هَذَا؟ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْبَائِسَ لَوْ دَارَ فِي خَلَدِهِ مَا جَرَى لَذَهَبَ عَقْلُهُ وَتَلِفَ، وَإِنَّمَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُلْحَقَ الْإِنْكَارُ بِالْمُتَعَمَّدِ لَا بِالسَّاهِي وَالْغَالِطِ. وَذَكَرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ الْهَمَذَانِيُّ أَنَّ الْمُعْتَضِدَ أَرَادَ تَجْهِيزَ جَيْشٍ، فَعَجَزَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ بَيْتُ مَالِ الْعَامَّةِ، فَأُخْبِرَ بِمَجُوسِيٍّ لَهُ مَالٌ عَظِيمٌ، فَاسْتَدْعَاهُ يَسْتَقْرِضُ مِنْهُ، وَقَالَ: إِنَّا نُعِيدُ الْعِوَضَ، فَقَالَ: مَالِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَلْيَأْخُذْ مَا يَشَاءُ. فَقَالَ: مِنْ أَيْنَ وَقَعْتَ بِنَا أَنَّنَا نَرُدُّ [ الْعِوَضَ؟ ] فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، يَأْتَمِنُكَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى عِبَادِهِ وَبِلَادِهِ فَتُؤَدِّي الْأَمَانَةَ، وَتَفِيضُ الْعَدْلَ، وَتَحْكُمُ بِالْحَقِّ، وَأَخَافُكَ عَلَى جُزْءٍ مِنْ مَالِي؟ فَدَمَعَتْ عَيْنَاهُ، فَقَالَ: انْصَرَفَ قَدْ وَفَّرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَالَكَ وَأَغْنَانَا عَنِ الْقَرْضِ مِنْكَ، وَمَتَّى كَانَتْ لَكَ حَاجَةٌ فَحِجَابُنَا مَرْفُوعٌ عَنْكَ، وَلَمْ يَسْتَقْرِضْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا. فَلَمًّا وَلِيَ الْمُعْتَضِدُ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ إِلَّا قَرَارِيطُ وَالْحَضْرَةُ مُضْطَرِبَةٌ وَالْأَعْرَابُ عَابِثُونَ فَأَصْلَحَ الْأُمُورَ، وَحَمَى الْبَيْضَةَ، وَبَالَغَ فِي الْعِمَارَةِ، وَأَنْصَفَ فِي الْمُعَامَلَةِ، وَاقْتَصَدَ فِي النَّفَقَةِ، فَمَاتَ وَفِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ بِضْعَةَ عَشْرَ أَلْفِ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ. وَخَرَجَ يَوْمًا فَعَسْكَرَ بِبَابٍ الشَّمَّاسِيَّةِ، وَنَهَى [ أَحَدًا ] أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْ بُسْتَانِ أَحَدٍ شَيْئًا، فَأُتِيَ بِأَسْوَدَ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَذْقًا مَنْ بُسْرٍ، فَتَأَمَّلَهُ فَأَمَرَ بِضَرْبِ عُنُقِهِ، ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ: وَيَلْكُمُ تَدْرُونَ مَا تَقُولُ الْعَامَّةُ؟ قَالُوا: لَا ! قَالَ: يَقُولُونَ مَا فِي الدُّنْيَا أَقْسَى قَلْبًا مِنْ هَذَا الْخَلِيفَةِ، وَلَا أَقَلَّ دِينًا مِنْهُ، لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: "لَا قَطْعَ فِي ثَمَرٍ وَلَا كَثَرٍ"، وَالْكَثَرُ: الْجِمَارُ، فَمَا رَضِيَ أَنْ يَقْطَعَ فِي هَذَا حَتَّى قَتَلَ، وَاللَّهِ مَا قَتَلْتُ الْأَسْوَدَ بِسَبَبِ هَذَا ! وَلَكِنَّ لِي مَعَهُ خَبَرٌ طَرِيفٌ، اسْتَأْمَنَ هَذَا مِنْ عَسْكَرِ الزِّنْجِ إِلَى أَبِي الْمُوَفَّقِ، فَخَلَعَ عَلَيْهِ وَوَصَلَهُ، فَرَأَيْتُهُ يَوْمًا وَقَدْ نَازَعَ رَجُلًا فِي شَيْءٍ، فَضَرَبَهُ بِفَأْسٍ، فَقَطَعَ يَدَهُ فَمَاتَ الرَّجُلُ، فَحَمَلَهُ النَّاسُ إِلَى أَبِي [ الْمُوَفَّقِ ] فَأَهْدَرَ دَمَ الْمَقْطُوعِ الْيَدِ، وَأَطْلَقَ الْأَسْوَدَ لِيَتَأَلَّفَ الزِّنْجَ بِذَلِكَ الْفِعْلِ، فَاغْتَظْتُ، وَقُلْتُ: تَرَى أَتَمَكَّنُ مَنْ قَتْلِ هَذَا الْأَسْوَدِ وَأُنَفِّذُ حُكْمَ اللَّهِ [ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ] فِيهِ، فَوَ اللَّهِ مَا وَقَعَتْ عَيْنِي عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ، فَقَتَلْتُهُ بِذَلِكَ الرَّجُلِ. وَرُفِعَ إِلَى الْمُعْتَضِدِ أَنَّ قَوْمًا يَجْتَمِعُونَ وَيَرْجُفُونَ وَيَخُوضُونَ فِي الْفُضُولِ، وَقَدْ تَفَاقَمَ فَسَادُهُمْ، فَرَمَى بِالرُّقْعَةِ إِلَى وَزِيرِهِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ فَقَالَ: الرَّأْيُ صَلْبُ بَعْضِهِمْ وَإِحْرَاقُ بَعْضِهِمْ ! فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ بَرَّدْتَ لَهِيبَ غَضَبِي بِقَسْوَتِكَ هَذِهِ، وَنَقَلْتَنِي إِلَى اللِّينِ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَشَرْتُ بِالْحَرْقِ، وَمَا عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ تَسْتَجِيزُ هَذَا فِي دِينِكَ، أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الرَّعِيَّةَ وَدِيعَةُ اللَّهِ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانِهَا، وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى سَائِلُهُ عَنْهَا؟ أَمَا تَدْرِي أَنَّ أَحَدًا مِنَ الرَّعِيَّةِ لَا يَقُولُ مَا يَقُولُ إِلَّا لِظُلْمٍ قَدْ لَحِقَهُ أَوْ لِحَقِّ جَارِهِ أَوْ دَاهِيَةٍ قَدْ نَالَتْهُ أَوْ نَالَتْ صَاحِبَهُ؟ ثُمَّ قَالَ: سَلْ عَنِ الْقَوْمِ، فَمَنْ كَانَ سَيِّئَ الْحَالِ فَصِلْهُ مِنْ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُخْرِجُهُ هَذَا إِلَى الْبَطَرِ فَخَوِّفْهُ، فَفَعَلَ فَصَلَحَتِ الْأَحْوَالُ. من شعر المعتضد بالله وَكَانَ لِلْمُعْتَضِدِ جَارِيَةٌ يُحِبُّهَا وَتُحِبُّهُ غَايَةَ الْمَحَبَّةِ، فَمَاتَتْ، فَجَزِعَ عَلَيْهَا جَزَعًا مَنَعَهُ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ وَالشَّرَابِ فَقَالَ: يَا حَبِيبًا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْدِ لُهُ عِنْدِي حَبِيبُ أَنْتَ عَنْ عَيْنِي بَعِيدٌ وَمِنَ الْقَلْبِ قَرِيبُ لَيْسَ لِي بَعْدَكَ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ اللَّهْوِ نَصِيبُ لَكَ مِنْ قَلْبِي عَلَى قَلْبِي وَإِنْ بِنْتَ رَقِيبُ وَخَيَالِي مِنْكَ مُذْ غِبْتَ خَيَالُ مَا يَغِيبُ لَوْ تَرَانِي كَيْفَ لِي بَعْدَكَ عَوْلٌ وَنَحِيبُ وَفُؤَادِي حَشْوَةٌ مِنْ حُرَقِ الْحُزْنِ لَهِيبُ لَتَيَقَّنْتَ بِأَنِّي بِكَ مَحْزُونٌ كَئِيبُ مَا أَرَى نَفْسِي وَإِنْ وَطِئَتُهَا عَنْكَ تَطِيبُ لِي دَمْعٌ لَيْسَ يَعْصِينِي وَصَبْرٌ مَا يُجِيبُ وَلَهُ: لَمْ أَبْكِ لِلدَّارِ وَلَكِنْ لِمَنْ قَدْ كَانَ فِيهَا مَرَّةً سَاكِنَا فَخَانَنِي الدَّهْرُ بِفِقْدَانِهِ وَكُنْتُ مِنْ قَبْلُ لَهُ آمِنَا وَدَّعْتُ صَبْرِي عِنْدَ تَوْدِيعِهِ وَسَارَ قَلْبِي مَعَهُ ظَاعِنَا فَقَالَ لَهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ: مِثْلُكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ تَهُونُ عَلَيْهِ الْمَصَائِبُ، لِأَنَّهُ يَجِدُ مِنْ كُلِّ فَقِيدٍ خَلَفًا، وَيَقْدِرُ عَلَى مَا يُرِيدُ، وَالْعِوَضُ مِنْكَ لَا يُوجَدُ، وَلَا ابْتَلَى اللَّهُ [ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ] الْإِسْلَامَ بِفَقْدِكَ، وَعَمَّرَهُ بِبَقَائِكَ، فَقَدْ قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ فِي الْمَعْنَى الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ: يَبْكِي عَلَيْنَا وَلَا نَبْكِي عَلَى أَحَدِ إِنَّا لَأَغْلَظُ أَكْبَادًا مِنَ الْإِبِلِ فَضَحِكَ الْمُعْتَضِدُ، وَعَادَ إِلَى عَادَاتِهِ. وَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُعْتَزِّ يُعَزِّي الْمُعْتَضِدَ فِي هَذِهِ الْجَارِيَةِ. يَا إِمَامَ الْهُدَى بِنَا لَا بِكَ الْغَمُّ أَفْنَيْتَنَا وَعِشْتَ سَلِيمَا أَنْتَ عَلَّمْتَنَا عَلَى النِّعَمِ الشُّكْرَ وَعِنْدَ الْمَصَائِبِ التَّسْلِيمَا فَسَلْ عَمَّا مَضَى فَإِنَّ الَّتِي كَانَتْ سُرُورًا صَارَتْ ثَوَابًا عَظِيمَا قَدْ رَضِينَا بِأَنْ نَمُوتَ وَتَحْيَا إِنَّ عِنْدِي فِي ذَاكَ حَظًّا جَسِيمَا مَنْ يَمُتْ طَائِعًا لَدَيْكَ فَقَدْ أُعْطِيَ نُورًا وَمَاتَ مَوْتًا كَرِيمَا
Translation
✧ A portion of his biography and reports [al-Muʿtaḍid] Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh b. Ḥamdūn said: Al-Muʿtaḍid was on one of his hunting excursions and passed by with his army, and I was with him. A watchman shouted in a cucumber field, so he summoned him and asked him the reason for his shouting. He said: “Some of the army took some cucumbers.” He said: “Seek them out.” They brought three persons. He said: “Are these the ones who took the cucumbers?” The watchman said: “Yes.” So he bound them on the spot and ordered them imprisoned. The next day he sent them to the field and struck their necks there, then departed. People disapproved of that and talked about it, and a long time passed. One night I sat conversing with him, and he said to me: “O Abū ʿAbd Allāh, do people find fault with anything about me that I should remove?” I said: “Not at all, O Commander of the Faithful.” He said: “I adjure you by my life to tell me the truth.” I said: “O Commander of the Faithful, am I safe?” He said: “Yes.” I said: “Your hastening to shed blood.” He said: “By God, I have not shed blood since I assumed the caliphate except by its right.” He said: “So I fell silent as one who disapproves of him.” He said: “By my life, what do they say?” I said: “They say you killed Aḥmad b. al-Ṭayyib, and he was your servant, and he had no apparent offense.” He said: “He invited me to atheism. I said to him: ‘O you, I am the cousin of the possessor of the law, God’s blessings and ﷺ, and I now stand in his position, so should I become an atheist and then be who?’” I fell silent as one who wished to speak, and he said to me: “There is something on your face.” I said: “People resent the matter of the three persons you killed in the field.” He said: “By God, those were not the ones who took the cucumbers. Rather they were thieves who were brought from such-and-such a place, and that coincided with the cucumber affair. I wanted to make an example to the army that anyone of my troops who commits mischief and corrupts to this extent, this is my punishment for him, so that they refrain from what is greater. Had I wanted to kill them, I would have killed them at once. But I imprisoned them and ordered the thieves to be brought out the next day with faces covered, so that it would be said: ‘They are the cucumber people.’” I said: “How will the common people know this?” He said: “By bringing out the people who took the cucumbers and releasing them at this hour.” Then he said: “Bring the people.” They brought them, and their condition had changed from imprisonment and beating. He said: “What is your story?” They related their story to him. He said: “Will you repent of such an act so that I may release you?” They said: “Yes.” So he took their repentance, bestowed robes upon them, ordered their release, and restored their stipends to them. The story spread and the accusation against him was removed. From Ismāʿīl b. Isḥāq al-Qāḍī, who said: I entered upon al-Muʿtaḍid while at his head were young Byzantine slave boys, bright of face. I looked at them, and al-Muʿtaḍid saw me examining them. When I wanted to leave, he signaled to me, so I stayed for a while. When we were alone, he said to me: “O judge, by God, I have never loosened my trousers for anything forbidden.” From Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh b. Ḥamdūn, who said: Al-Muʿtaḍid said to me one night when dinner was brought to him: “Feed me.” What was brought were partridges and young chickens. I fed him from the breast of a young chicken. He said: “No, feed me from its thigh.” I fed him morsels. Then he said: “Bring from the partridges.” I fed him from their thighs. He said: “Woe to you! You are making fun of me. Bring from their breasts!” I said: “My master, I followed analogy.” He laughed. I said: “How long shall I make you laugh and you do not make me laugh?” He said: “Lift the cushion and take what is beneath it.” I lifted it, and there was a single dinar! I said: “Shall I take this?” He said: “Yes.” I said: “By God, you are making fun of me now! A caliph who rewards his boon companion with one dinar.” He said: “Woe to you, I find no greater right for you in the public treasury than this, and my soul does not permit me to give you anything of my own wealth. But I will contrive a trick by which you may take five thousand dinars!” I kissed his hand. He said: “Tomorrow when al-Qāsim, meaning b. ʿUbayd Allāh, comes, I will whisper to you when my eye falls upon him a long whisper, turning toward him as if angry, and you look at him during that as if you secretly sympathize with him. When the whisper ends, go out and do not leave the vestibule until he comes out. When he comes out, he will address you kindly, take you to his invitation, and ask about your condition. Complain of poverty and want, your small share from me, the weight of debt and dependents upon your back. Take what he gives you, and ask for everything your eye falls upon, for he will not refuse you until you have received the five thousand dinars. When you take them, he will ask you about what happened between us, so tell him the truth, and beware of denying it. Let him know that it was a trick from me against him until this reached you. Tell him the whole story in detail, and let your telling him be after strong reluctance and after he swears to you by divorce and manumission that you tell the truth, and after you leave his house take everything he gives you and put it in your house.” The next day al-Qāsim came. When he saw him, he began whispering to me, and the affair proceeded as he had arranged for me. I went out, and there was al-Qāsim in the vestibule waiting for me. He said to me: “O Abū Muḥammad, what is this aloofness? You do not come to me, visit me, or ask me for any need.” I excused myself by the constant service. He said: “This does not satisfy me unless you visit me today and relax.” I said: “I am the servant of the vizier.” So he took me to his boat, and began asking me about my condition and news, while I complained to him of want, poverty, debt, daughters, the caliph’s aloofness, and his withholding hand. He expressed sympathy and said: “O you, what is mine is yours. Whatever I have in abundance will not be narrow for you, nor will any blessing that comes to me pass you by, nor any fortune that descends in my courtyard. Had you informed me, I would have helped you remove all this from you.” I thanked him. We reached his house. He went up without looking into anything and said: “This is a day I need to be alone in joy with Abū Muḥammad, so let no one interrupt me.” He ordered his secretaries to occupy themselves with work, and he was alone with me in his private chamber, conversing and entertaining me. Fruit was brought, and he fed me with his hand. Food came, and this was his way, while he kept asking me for more. When he sat for drinking, he assigned me three thousand dinars, which I took on the spot. He brought me clothes, perfume, and a mount, and I took that. Before me was a silver tray containing a silver ewer, crystal goblets, a jug, and a crystal cup. He ordered it carried to the boat. I proceeded to ask for every fine thing of great value I saw, and he sent me precious furnishings, or he said: “This is for the daughters.” When the company dispersed, he was alone with me and said: “O Abū Muḥammad, you know my father’s rights upon you and my affection for you.” I said: “I am the servant of the vizier.” He said: “I want to ask you something, and you must swear to tell me the truth about it.” I said: “Hearing and obedience.” He made me swear by God, by divorce, and by manumission to be truthful. Then he said to me: “About what did the caliph whisper to you today concerning me?” I told him the truth of everything that happened, word for word. He said: “You have relieved me. That it be like this, along with the soundness of his intention toward me, is easier for me than all that has befallen me.” I thanked him, bade him farewell, and went home. The next morning I went early to al-Muʿtaḍid, and he said: “Tell me your story.” I related it in order. He said: “Keep the dinars, and let it not occur to you that I will do the like for you again so quickly.” From Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Ṭalḥī, who said: One of al-Muʿtaḍid’s servants specially entrusted with his service told me: One day we were around al-Muʿtaḍid’s bed at midday, and he had slept after eating. It was our custom to be around his bed when he slept, whether by night or day. He woke up startled and said: “O servants, O servants!” We hurried to answer. He said: “Woe to you! Help me! Go to the riverbank, and the first boatman you see coming down in an empty boat, seize him and bring him to me, and take charge of his boat.” We hurried and found a boatman in a small boat coming down, empty. We seized him and took charge of the boat, and brought him up. When the boatman saw him, he nearly perished. Al-Muʿtaḍid cried out at him with one great shout that almost made his soul leave him, saying: “Tell me the truth, you accursed one, about your affair with the woman you killed and robbed today, or I shall strike your neck.” He stammered and said: “Yes, today at dawn I was at my such-and-such landing place. A woman came down, the like of whom I have never seen, wearing fine clothes, much jewelry, and gems. I coveted her and tricked her until I stopped her mouth and drowned her. I took everything that was on her. I did not dare carry her spoil to my house lest the news spread against me, so I planned to flee and came down now to go to Wāsiṭ. These servants stopped me and brought me.” He said: “Where are the jewelry and the spoil?” He said: “In the prow of the boat under the mats.” Al-Muʿtaḍid said to the servants: “Bring it to me.” They went and brought it. He said: “Take the boatman and drown him.” They did so. Then he ordered a proclamation throughout all Baghdad concerning a woman who had gone out to such-and-such landing place at dawn wearing clothes and jewelry: “Whoever knows her should come forward, give the description of what was on her, and take it, for the woman has perished.” On the second or third day the woman’s family came, gave the description of what was on her, and he handed it over to them. He said: “We said: ‘O master, was it revealed to you?’ He said: ‘I saw in my sleep as if an old man, white of head, beard, and clothes, was calling: “O Aḥmad! Take the first boatman coming down this hour, seize him, and examine him about the woman he killed and robbed today, and carry out the legal punishment upon him.” And it was what you witnessed.’” From Abū Bakr b. Ḥūrī, who used to accompany Abū ʿAbd Allāh b. Abī ʿAwf: He said: I kept the company of Ibn Abī ʿAwf for years due to our being neighbors and affection. My habit was to come every night after nightfall. When he saw me, he would stretch out his leg into my lap, and I would massage it and converse with him, and he would ask me about events in Baghdad. I would recount them to him. When he wanted to sleep, he would withdraw his leg, and I would rise to go home after a third or half of the night had passed, or less or more. This went on for years. One day a man who used to do business with me came to me and said: “I have been confronted with a matter which, if it comes to pass, will ruin me.” I said: “What is it?” He said: “There was a man with whom I had dealings, and a thousand dinars accumulated for me against him. I demanded payment, and he gave me a jewel necklace of some people as a pledge for a thousand dinars until he redeems it after some months or I sell it, and he permitted me that. Yesterday Muʾnis, the chief of police, sent someone who raided my shop, opened my coffer, and took the necklace.” I said: “I will speak to Ibn Abī ʿAwf, and he will compel him to return it.” He said: “I rely on Ibn Abī ʿAwf because of my standing with him and his standing with al-Muʿtaḍid.” That night I came and conversed with him as usual, and I mentioned the necklace in the course of my talk. When he heard it, he moved his leg from my lap and said: “What have I to do with this? Should I make an enemy of the police chief of a caliph?” A great matter fell upon me, and I left his house intending not to return. When I had prayed nightfall the next night, a servant of Ibn Abī ʿAwf came to me and said: “Why were you late tonight? If you are ill, we will come to you.” I felt ashamed and said: “I will go tonight.” When he saw me, he stretched out his leg, and I began talking to him with forced conversation. He bore that for a while, then withdrew his leg, and I rose. He said: “O Abū Bakr, see what is under the prayer mat and take it.” I lifted the prayer mat, and there was a note. I took it and went to the candle. In it was written: “O Muʾnis! You have dared to aim at the shop of a merchant, opened his coffer, and taken from it a necklace of jewels, while I am alive! By God, were it not that this is your first mistake, there would be no debate about it. Mount by yourself and go to the man’s shop and return the necklace with your own hand openly into the coffer.” I said to Abū ʿAbd Allāh: “What is this?” He said: “This is al-Muʿtaḍid’s handwriting. I weighed your distress against Muʾnis, and I chose you over him, so I obtained the Commander of the Faithful’s handwriting as you see. Go and deliver it to him.” I kissed his head. I went to the man, took him by the hand, and we went to Muʾnis. I handed the rescript to him. When he saw it, his face darkened, and he trembled until the note fell from his hand. Then he said: “O you, God is between me and you! This is something I knew nothing about. Why did you not complain to me, and if I did not give you justice, then to the vizier? You brought the matter to the Commander of the Faithful from the very first!” He said: “I said: ‘It happened with your knowledge, and the necklace is with you, so produce it.’” He said: “Take the thousand dinars that are owed to him right now, and write against the man that his claim is void.” I said: “We will not do that.” He said: “A thousand and five hundred dinars.” I said: “By God, we will not accept until you ride yourself to the shop and return the necklace.” So he rode and returned the necklace to its place. The story of al-Muʿtaḍid bi-llāh and the lion Al-Muḥsin said: Through this chain Abū Aḥmad al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-Mudlijī narrated to us, saying: It reached me from Khafīf al-Samarqandī, who said: I was with my master al-Muʿtaḍid on one of his hunting excursions. He had become separated from the army, and no one was with him but me. A lion came out upon us and made for us. Al-Muʿtaḍid said to me: “O Khafīf, is there any good in you?” I said: “No, my master.” He said: “Not even to hold my horse while I dismount to the lion?” I said: “Yes.” So he dismounted, gave me his horse, tucked the ends of his garments into his belt, drew his sword, threw the scabbard to me, and I took it. He advanced walking toward the lion. The lion sought him. When he drew near, the lion leaped upon him, and al-Muʿtaḍid met it with a blow, and its paw flew off. The lion was distracted by the blow, and he followed it with another, splitting its skull, and it fell slain. He approached it while it was dying, wiped the sword on a woolen cloth, returned to me, sheathed the sword, and mounted. Then we returned to the army. I accompanied him until he died, and I never heard him speak of the lion incident, nor did I know that he uttered a single word about it. I did not know at which to marvel more: his courage and strength, or his lack of concern for what he had done so much that he concealed it, or his pardon of me, for he never reproached me for grudging my own life. Al-Muḥsin said: with his chain of transmission from al-Qāḍī Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan b. Ismāʿīl b. Isḥāq—he was a boon companion of al-Muʿtaḍid bi-llāh—he said: While al-Muʿtaḍid was in a session of delight, Badr entered and said, “O my master, we have brought the cotton merchant from the blessing of Zalzal.” So he rose from his seat, put on a short robe, took a spear in his hand, and sat in a place near us; a curtain was stretched between us and him, and we could observe from behind it. Then a feeble old man was brought in before him, and he said to him in a loud voice, with a frowning face and an angry look, “Are you the cotton merchant who said yesterday what you said?” He fainted because of the fear and terror that overcame him, and he was moved aside for a while until he became calm. Then he was brought back before him, and he said to him, “Woe to you! You say in your market, 'The Muslims have no one to look after their affairs'? Where am I, then, and what is my occupation other than that?” He said: “O Commander of the Faithful! I am a common man, and my livelihood is from the cotton with which I deal with women and ignorant people. Someone like me has no discernment in what he utters. A man passed by me from whom I bought, and his scale and weighing were fraudulent, so I said what I said, and by it I meant only the market inspector who is over us.” Al-Muʿtaḍid bi-llāh said to him, “You meant the market inspector by it?” He said, “Yes, by God, and I repent [from] ever saying the like of what I said.” So he ordered that the market inspector be brought and that he be rebuked for failing to oversee these matters. He instructed him to verify the weights and scales used by the common people and the itinerant traders and to watch over them so that they are not cheated. Then he said to the old man, “Go away; there is nothing against you!” And he returned to us, laughed, relaxed, and went back to what he had been before. Then I said to him, “O my master! You know my forwardness, so will you permit me to say what is on my mind?” He said, “Speak!” I said, “Our master was in the most perfect delight, yet he left that and occupied himself with addressing a dog of the common people. It would have sufficed him that one of the men of the shurṭa shout at him. Moreover, you were not content to have him brought to your presence until you changed your clothing, took up your weapon, and considered it abhorrent to confront him yourself—all for a word that the common people constantly say and do not discern what it contains.” He said, “O Ḥasan! You know what such a saying leads to when tongues pass it on, ears retain it, and it settles in hearts. For if it becomes familiar and they teach it to one another, there is no guarantee that it will not breed in their souls resentment for religion or for political order, through which they go out to stir up sedition and corrupt the system. Nothing is more effective in [this than] cutting off these causes and severing their sources by removing their incentives and occasions. This cotton merchant's spirit has flown because of what he witnessed and heard, and he will speak of it, add to it, magnify the matter, and aggrandize it. He also heard what we ordered concerning the market inspector and how we watch over both great and small, and he will spread it among the common people in a way that restrains their tongues and establishes awe in their souls. Thus the little [trouble] I undertook will have spared me great trouble.” So we proceeded to pray for him. Al-Muḥsin said: Al-Qāḍī Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wāḥid al-Hāshimī narrated to us that a sheikh among the merchants was owed money by one of the commanders in the days of al-Muʿtaḍid bi-llāh. The merchant said: He procrastinated with me over it and treated me with refusal in the matter. He used to hold me back when I came to his door, and set his servants to belittle me and to behave arrogantly toward me whenever I sought to meet him and speak to him. I complained of him to ʿUbayd Allāh b. Sulaymān, but that did not help me. I resolved upon carrying a complaint to al-Muʿtaḍid bi-llāh. While I was brooding over my affair, one of my friends said to me: “I will get your money for you without any need for a complaint.” I thought this unlikely, yet I went with him. We came to an old tailor in the Tuesday Market who taught the Qurʾān in a mosque there and sewed for a wage. He related my story to him, explained my situation to him, and asked him to go to the commander and speak to him about giving me my right. The commander's house was near the tailor's mosque. He rose and went with us, and we walked. But I feared the commander's sudden violence and his might, and I imagined that the tailor's words would not help with such a man, given his rank and power. I said to my friend, “We have exposed this sheikh and ourselves to great harm. No sooner will his servants see him than they will fall upon him. And if he does not accept the words of the vizier ʿUbayd Allāh b. Sulaymān, then all the more he will not accept from him or give him any thought.” He laughed and said, “Don't worry!” We came to the commander's gate. When his servants saw the tailor, they received him, honored him greatly, and rushed to kiss his hand, but he prevented them. They said, “What brings you, O sheikh? Our master is away riding. If you have some matter, we will mention it to him, and if you want it carried out for you, we will do it. If you wish to sit and wait, the house is before you!” When I heard that, my spirits were strengthened. We entered, and I sat. The commander saw me, and when he saw the sheikh, he honored him with great honor and said to him, “I will not take off my clothes until you command what you wish.” So he spoke to him concerning my affair. He said, “By God, I have with me only five thousand dirhams. Ask him to take them and take as pledges some of my gold and silver harnesses worth the remainder of his money, so that I may give it to him after a month.” I hastened to accept, and I brought the dirhams and the harnesses worth the remainder, took possession of them, and had the tailor and my friend witness that the pledge was with me for one month, and that if it expired I would be his agent to sell it and take my money from its price. We went out, and when we reached the tailor's mosque and entered, I threw the dirhams before him and said to him, “God has restored my money through you and at your hands. Take from it what you wish with a good heart from me!” He said, “O man, how quickly you repay good with evil! Go away with your money; may God bless you in it.” I said, “I still have one request.” He said, “Say it!” I said, “I would like you to tell me the reason for this commander's obedience to you despite his disregard for the great men of the state.” He said, “You have achieved your purpose, so do not cut me off from my work with talk that has no benefit [for you].” But I insisted. He said: “I am a man who has taught the Qurʾān [and led the people in prayer] in this mosque for forty years, and I know no earning except from tailoring. Some time ago I had prayed the sunset prayer and gone out heading for my house. I passed by a Turk who was in this house—and he pointed to a house nearby—and suddenly a beautiful-faced woman passed by him. He grabbed hold of her while he was drunk, demanding that she enter his house. She refused and cried for help, saying in her words: 'My husband has sworn by my divorce that I should not spend the night away from him. If this man takes me, violates me, and makes me spend the night with him, my household will be ruined and such disgrace will cling to me as the days will never erase!' And there was no one to help her or prevent him from her. I went to the Turk and gently asked him to let her go, but he refused and struck my head with a mace he had in his hand, gashing it. He took the woman inside. I went to my house, washed the blood from my face, bandaged my head, and went out for the late night prayer. When we finished the prayer, I said to those present: 'Rise with me against this Turk, God's enemy, to reproach him and bring the woman out of his place.' They rose, and we came and shouted at his door. He came out to us with several of his servants, fell upon us, and singled me out from the crowd with a severe beating that nearly destroyed me. I was carried to my house, not knowing my own condition, and I slept a little because of the pain. Then sleep fled from my eyes, and I lay awake on my bed thinking about the woman and that when morning came she would be divorced. Then I said: 'This man has drunk all night and does not know the times. If I give the call to prayer, he may think dawn has broken and perhaps he will let the woman out. She will go to her house and spend the night there, remaining in her husband's bond, and so she will be saved from one of the two evils.' So I dragged myself to the mosque, climbed the minaret, gave the call to prayer, and sat watching the road, waiting for the woman to come out of the house. I resolved to perform the iqāma if the matter was delayed, so that he would not doubt that morning had come. Less than an hour passed before the street was filled with horses, men, and torches, and they were saying: 'Who gave the call to prayer just now?' I was terrified and fell silent. Then I said, addressing them and telling them the truth about my situation, hoping they would help me get the woman out. I shouted from the minaret: 'I gave the call!' They said: 'Come down and answer the Commander of the Faithful!' So I came down and went with them, and they turned out to be Badr's servants. They brought me before al-Muʿtaḍid bi-llāh. When I saw him, I was awed and seized by violent trembling. He said to me: 'Calm down. What made you give the call to prayer at other than its time and deceive people, so that a man with a need goes out at other than the proper hour, and a person who intends to fast refrains at a time when eating and drinking were still permitted for him?' I said: 'Will the Commander of the Faithful grant me safety so that I may tell him the truth?' He said: 'You are safe!' So I related to him the story of the Turk, and showed him the marks on my head and face. He said: 'O Badr! Bring me the slave and the woman.' They were brought, and al-Muʿtaḍid asked her about her affair, and she told him the same as I had told him. He ordered that she be sent to her husband with a trusted agent who would bring her into her house and explain her story to her husband, and command him on his behalf to hold fast to her and treat her kindly. Then he summoned me, and I stood before him. He began to address the slave and make me hear, saying: 'How much is your stipend?' He said: 'Such and such.' 'And how much is your gift?' He said: 'Such and such.' 'And how much is your allowance?' He said: 'Such and such.' 'And how much is your clothing allowance?' He said: 'Such and such.' Until he had enumerated many things. Then he said: 'How many maidservants do you own?' He said: 'Such and such.' He said: 'In this blessing and with these maidservants was there not enough to suffice you and keep you from God's forbidden things, from violating the sultan's policy, and from daring against him? What was your excuse for leaping upon someone who commanded you to do good and forbade you from evil?' The slave was confounded and had no answer to give. Then he said: 'Bring a sack, plaster mallets, shackles, and a fetter.' All that was brought. He fettered him and bound him in irons, put him into the sack, and ordered the carpet-beaters to pound him with the plaster mallets while he screamed, until his voice faded and his breathing ceased. Then he ordered him to be thrown into the Tigris. He instructed Badr [to confiscate] what was in his house. Then he said to me: 'You have witnessed all that! Whenever you see, O sheikh, a forbidden act, great or small, forbid it—even against this one'—and he pointed to Badr—'and whoever is slow to accept it from you, the sign between us is that you give the call to prayer at such an hour so that I may hear your voice and summon you.' The sheikh said: So I prayed for him and departed, and the news spread among the [soldiers and] servants. After that, whenever I asked any of them for justice or to desist from an evil, he obeyed me as you have seen, out of fear of al-Muʿtaḍid bi-llāh. And I have not needed to give the call to prayer at such an hour until now. And from al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAmr al-Ghanawī, who said: When Abū Saʿīd al-Qarmaṭī captured me and defeated the army that al-Muʿtaḍid had sent with me to fight him, and I fell into his hands, I despaired of life. While I was in that condition one day, his messenger came to me, removed my shackles, changed my clothes, and brought me before him. I greeted him and sat down. He said: 'Do you know why I summoned you?' I said: 'No!' He said: 'You are an Arab man, and it is impossible that if I entrust you with a message you would conceal it, especially since I am doing you a favor with your life.' I said: 'It is so.' He said: 'I have reflected, and there is no benefit in killing you. I have in mind a message to al-Muʿtaḍid that no one but you should convey. So I have decided to release you and entrust it to you if you swear that when you travel to him you will deliver it.' So I swore to him. He said: 'Say to al-Muʿtaḍid: “O man, do not tear your prestige, kill your men, make your enemies covet your life, and send armies in pursuit of me. I am a man living in a wilderness where there is no crop and no cattle. I have accepted for myself a rough life and honor at the tips of these spears. I have not seized a land from you, nor removed your authority from any province. And with all this, by God, if you sent your entire army against me, it would never capture me, because I am a man brought up in hardship, and I and my men are accustomed to it; it is no burden on us. But you send your armies from among luxuries, snow, and sweet basil, and they come from long, arduous distances, and the journey kills them before fighting us. Their only goal is to stand facing us for one hour, then flee. And if they defeat me, I withdraw twenty or thirty parasangs and roam the desert for a month or two, then fall upon them unawares and kill them. Even if they are in large numbers, they cannot follow me through the deserts, nor can they endure staying in their places. So you spend wealth and burden men with dangers, while I am free of that, and your prestige is torn at the frontiers every time this happens to you. If after this you choose to fight me, then seek God's guidance; and if you hold back, that is up to you.”' Then he sent me off and dispatched a number of men with me to Kufa. I traveled from there to the capital and went in to al-Muʿtaḍid, and I informed him privately of what he had said. I saw him writhing in his skin with rage until I thought he would go after him in person. I left, and I did not see him mention it after that. The qāḍī said: It was as if he recognized the truth of his words and so held back from him. And from Khafīf al-Samarqandī, al-Muʿtaḍid's chamberlain, who said: I was standing in the presence of al-Muʿtaḍid when Badr entered weeping, and the outcry had risen from the house of ʿUbayd Allāh b. Sulaymān at his death. He informed al-Muʿtaḍid of the news. He said: 'Has the report been confirmed, or is it merely a swoon?' He said: 'No, he has died, and his beard has been tied.' I saw al-Muʿtaḍid prostrate himself, and he prolonged the prostration. When he raised his head, Badr said to him: 'By God, O Commander of the Faithful, he was indeed true in his loyalty, diligent in your service, and abstinent from [taking] wealth!' He replied: 'Did you think, O Badr, that I prostrated out of joy at his death? I prostrated only in gratitude to God Almighty, since He granted me success so that I did not dismiss him or alienate him; and I have, on behalf of his heirs, what he left them from his earnings with me, the value of which may be two million dinars. I have resolved to take that from them, and to appoint as vizier one of two men: either Jarādah, who is the stronger of the two in my estimation because of the awe he commands in the hearts of the army, or Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Furāt, who is more knowledgeable about the sources of wealth.' Badr said to him: 'My lord, you planted a tree, and when it bore fruit you uprooted it! You raised al-Qāsim, and he has become accustomed to serving you for ten years, and he knows what pleases your entourage. Jarādah is an unknown man, and he will come out of prison hungry. Ibn al-Furāt has no awe in people's hearts; he is only fit to be in the presence of a vizier who directs the financial affairs for him. As for al-Qāsim's wealth, his heirs belong to you; whenever you wish, you may take it.' Al-Muʿtaḍid argued back and explained to him the flaw in this opinion, but Badr turned from debate to kissing the ground repeatedly. Al-Muʿtaḍid then said to him: 'I have granted your request. Go to al-Qāsim, console him again, and give him the good news of my firm decision to appoint him as vizier, so as to distract him from his loss. Tell him to come early to the mosque.' Badr departed, and I went out with him, then al-Muʿtaḍid called me back, and I returned. He said: 'Did you see what happened?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'By God, none will kill Badr except al-Qāsim!' And indeed, before al-Qāsim's scheme against al-Muktafī was complete, he killed Badr!' Khafīf said: 'May God have mercy on al-Muʿtaḍid! It was as if he saw this from behind a veil.' ʿUbayd Allāh b. Sulaymān said: 'I was one day in the presence of al-Muʿtaḍid, and a servant of his was holding a fly-whisk. While he was whisking, he struck al-Muʿtaḍid's cap with the fly-whisk and it fell. I almost lost my composure out of awe for the situation, while al-Muʿtaḍid remained as he was, unchanged, and did not object at all. Then he called a page and said: "This servant has dozed off, so increase the number of fly-whisk servants, and do not reproach him for what he did." ʿUbayd Allāh said: I kissed the ground and said: "By God, O Commander of the Faithful, I have never heard of anything like this, nor did I think that forbearance could encompass such a thing." Then I prayed for him. He said: "Is anything else proper? I know that if this poor fellow had realized what happened, he would have lost his mind and perished. Reproach should apply only to the deliberate offender, not to the heedless or mistaken."' Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Malik al-Hamadhānī mentioned that al-Muʿtaḍid wanted to equip an army, but the public treasury was unable to do so. He was told of a Magian who had great wealth, so he summoned him to borrow from him, saying: 'We shall repay the equivalent.' The man said: 'My wealth is at the disposal of the Commander of the Faithful; let him take what he wishes.' He said: 'How did it occur to you that we would repay [the equivalent]?' He said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, God Almighty entrusts you with His servants and His lands, so you fulfill the trust, dispense justice, and rule by truth; shall I fear you over a portion of my wealth?' His eyes filled with tears, and he said: 'Go, for God, Mighty and Majestic, has preserved your wealth and made us independent of borrowing from you. Whenever you have a need, our curtain is lifted for you.' And he did not borrow anything from him. When al-Muʿtaḍid took power, there was nothing in the treasury but small coins, the capital was in turmoil, and the Bedouins were causing mischief. He set affairs right, protected the realm, went to great lengths in construction, acted justly in dealings, and was frugal in expenditure. He died leaving in the treasury more than ten million dinars. One day he went out and encamped at Bāb al-Shammāsiyyah, and he forbade anyone from taking anything from anyone's orchard. A black man was brought to him who had taken a bunch of unripe dates. He looked at him and ordered his neck to be struck. Then he turned to his companions and said: 'Woe to you! Do you know what the common people will say?' They said: 'No.' He said: 'They will say: "There is no one in the world with a harder heart than this caliph, nor one with less religion, because the Prophet ﷺ said: 'There is no amputation for fruit or palm pith'—al-kathar is the palm pith. And he was not content with amputating for this, but even killed!" By God, I did not kill the black man because of this; but I have a curious history with him. He sought safe-conduct from the Zanj army and came to my father al-Muwaffaq, who bestowed a robe of honor on him and gave him gifts. One day I saw him quarrel with a man over something, and he struck him with an axe and cut off his hand, and the man died. The people carried him to my father, who disregarded the blood of the man whose hand was cut off and released the black man, to win over the Zanj by that act. I was angered and said: "Do you think I will ever be able to kill this black man and enforce God's judgment upon him?" By God, my eye did not fall on him except at this hour, so I killed him for that man.' It was reported to al-Muʿtaḍid that some people were gathering, spreading rumors, and engaging in idle talk, and their corruption had grown severe. He tossed the note to his vizier ʿUbayd Allāh b. Sulaymān, who said: 'The right course is to crucify some of them and burn others!' He said: 'By God, you have cooled the flame of my anger with this harshness of yours, and you have moved me to leniency from where you suggested burning. I did not know that you would permit this in your religion. Do you not know that the subjects are God's trust with their ruler, and that God Almighty will question him about them? Do you not know that no one among the subjects says what they say except because of injustice that has befallen him, or the right of his neighbor, or a calamity that has struck him or his companion?' Then he said: 'Inquire about these people. Whoever is in straitened circumstances, give him support from the treasury; whoever is led by this to insolence, frighten him.' He did so, and conditions improved. Of al-Muʿtaḍid billāh's poetry: Al-Muʿtaḍid had a slave girl whom he loved and who loved him with the utmost love. She died, and he grieved for her so intensely that he was prevented from eating and drinking. He said: O beloved, who had no equal in my eyes, you are far from my sight but near to my heart. I have no share in any amusement after you. You have over my heart, even though you are gone, a watcher from within my heart. My image of you since you departed is an image that never leaves. If you could see how I wail and lament after you, and my heart is filled with the burning flames of grief, you would be certain that I am sorrowful and despondent because of you. I do not think my soul, even if I tread it down, will ever be at ease without you. My tears do not disobey me, but patience does not answer. And he also said: I did not weep for the abode, but for the one who once dwelt there. Time betrayed me by taking him away, and I had felt secure from it before. I bade farewell to my patience when I bade him farewell, and my heart departed with him as he left. ʿUbayd Allāh b. Sulaymān said to him: 'One like you, O Commander of the Faithful, should find calamities easy to bear, because he finds a replacement for every lost one, and he is able to obtain what he wants; but a replacement for you cannot be found. May God, Mighty and Majestic, not afflict Islam with losing you, and may He prolong its life by your survival. The poet said concerning the meaning you mentioned: He weeps for us, but we weep for no one; we are indeed harder-hearted than camels.' Al-Muʿtaḍid laughed and returned to his usual ways. ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Muʿtazz said, consoling al-Muʿtaḍid over this slave girl: O Imam of guidance, grief is upon us, not upon you; you have destroyed us while you remain unscathed. You taught us gratitude for blessings, and submission at calamities. So ask no more about what has passed, for she who was a joy has become a great reward. We are content to die while you live; in that I have an immense fortune. Whoever dies obedient to you has been given light and has died a noble death.
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