“My master, by venturing out you are exposing yourself to danger. You are the foremost of judges, and among the people are those upon whom sentence has been passed and others whose faith is weak.”

He replied, “My brother, how could I ever attain such a rank, and how could I hope for martyrdom? I do not go out courting peril; I go out trusting in Allah, for I am under His protection. Know, then, that His decree is inescapable and there is no refuge from Him except with Him.”

Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad said: In one of the years toward the end of al-Nāṣir’s reign, the land was struck by drought. The caliph ordered the judge Mundhir ibn Saʿīd to lead the people in the istisqāʾ (prayer for rain). Mundhir fasted for several days and prepared himself. The populace gathered at the open prayer-ground of al-Rabaḍ, while al-Nāṣir climbed to the highest part of his palace to observe the throng. Mundhir was late in arriving; then he emerged on foot in a posture of deep humility and rose to preach. When he beheld the people’s state he wept and sobbed, and he opened his sermon with the words, “Peace be upon you.” He then fell silent like one exhausted—something wholly uncharacteristic of him. The people looked at one another, unsure what had come over him. Then he burst forth and said, “Peace be upon you! Your Lord has prescribed mercy for Himself” — the verse [al-Anʿām 6:54]. “Seek forgiveness from your Lord and repent to Him; draw near to Him with righteous deeds.” The crowd broke into tears, raising their voices in prayer and humble entreaty. He preached with great eloquence, and the assembly did not disperse until a tremendous rain began to fall.

On another occasion he led the prayer for rain and called out to the people: “O mankind, you are the ones in need of Allah” — the two verses [Fāṭir 35:15-16] — and he moved the people to weep.

He added: I heard someone relate that al-Nāṣir’s envoy once came to summon him for the istisqāʾ. Mundhir said to the envoy, “I am on my way, but I wonder what the caliph is doing today.” The envoy replied, “Never have I seen him more humbled than he is today. He is alone, wearing the roughest of garments, seated upon the bare earth; his wailing and confession of sins are loud, and he is saying: ‘My Lord, this forelock of mine is in Your hand. Will You punish the flock while You are the most judicious and the most equitable of judges, that—’