Historical Tales and Anecdotes of the Time of the Early Khalifahs/The generous Creditor

by Muhammad Diyab al-Atlidi

THE GENEROUS CREDITOR.

AHMED-IBN-MÛSA^[1] is reported to have said, "I never saw a man of more firmness of character, or greater knowledge and clearness in argument, than one of whom word was brought to el-Mansûr that he held possession of certain goods belonging to the Benu-ʾOmeyyah. So el-Mansûr commanded er-Rabîià, his chamberlain, to have him summoned. And when he appeared before him, el-Mansûr said, "It has been reported to us that thou holdest a deposit of money and arms belonging to the Benu-ʾOmeyyah. Produce it, therefore, that we may place it in the Bait-el-Mâl."^[2]

Then said the man, "O Commander of the Faithful! art thou heir to the Benu-ʾOmeyyah?"

"No," replied el-Mansûr.

"Then why," continued the man, "dost thou seek for information concerning those possessions of the Benu-ʾOmeyyah which are in my hands, if thou art neither their heir nor their executor?"

So el-Mansûr was silenced for a time, and then remarked, "Verily the Benu-ʾOmeyyah oppressed the people and forced money from the Muslims."

To this the man replied, "It is necessary, Commander of the Faithful, that eye-witnesses whom the judge can (by reason of their respectability) receive, should testify that the goods now in my possession did belong to the Benu-ʾOmeyyah, and that they are identical with what the Benu-ʾOmeyyah forced from the people. For surely the Commander of the Faithful is aware that the Benu-ʾOmeyyah had wealth of their own besides that which, according to the statement of the Commander of the Faithful, they forced from the Muslims."

So el-Mansûr reflected for a space, and presently said, "O Rabîià! the man has spoken the truth. We do not want anything from him." Then addressing the man, he added, "Hast thou a wish?"

"Yes," he replied.

"What is it?" asked el-Mansûr.

"That thou," said he, "shouldst judge between me and him who denounced me to thee. For by Allâh! O Commander of the Faithful! I have neither money nor arms belonging to the Benu-ʾOmeyyah. But I was brought before thee, and I knew what thou art in justice and equity, and in following after right and forsaking oppression, and I was therefore confident that the speech of which I made use when thou didst ask me about the goods would be the surest and the safest."

Then cried el-Mansûr, "O Rabîià! let him be confronted with the man who denounced him."

So they were brought face to face. And the man who had been accused, said, "O Commander of the Faithful! this one took five hundred dinârs from me and ran away, and I have a legal document against him."

Then el-Mansûr questioned the other man, and he acknowledged the debt. So el-Mansûr asked, "What possessed thee to accuse him falsely?"

He replied, "I wished his death, in order that the money might be mine."

Then said the first man, "Verily, O Commander of the Faithful! I make a free gift to him thereof because. that he has caused me to stand before thee, and has brought me into the presence of thy Council. And I give him another five hundred dinârs by reason of the words thou hast spoken to me."

So el-Mansûr praised his deed, and extolled him, and sent him back to his country highly honoured. And el-Mansûr always said, "I never in my life saw any one like this old man, nor one possessing greater firmness of mind, nor one who could overcome me in argument as did he; nor have I ever seen clemency and generosity equal to his.

 

1. Ahmed-ibn-Mûsa-ibn-Abi-Máryam, el-Luluy, a member of the tribe of Khuzâáh, was a teacher of the Kurân readings and the Traditions. The date of his death is not mentioned by Ibn-Khalikân.
2. See Note *, p. 22.