perhaps I shall see it.”

ʿAbd Allah laughed and said, “Give it to him.” (1)

Abu ʿUbayda said: On the day of Siffin, ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar was in command of the contingents of Quraysh, Asad, and Kinana.

Hammad ibn Yazid narrated: Hisham told us, from Muhammad, who said:

ʿUthman once passed by a salt flat and asked, “Whose land is this?”

He was told, “ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar bought it for sixty thousand.”

ʿUthman replied, “I would not want it for the price of a sandal strap.”

ʿAbd Allah then divided it into eight plots, stationed workers there, and put them to work. Later ʿUthman said to ʿAli, “Will you not restrain your nephew’s son and put him under guardianship? He has bought a salt flat for sixty thousand!”

ʿAli said, “So I went to him.”

Some time afterward ʿUthman rode out, saw the property, and sent word to ʿAbd Allah: “Give me two shares of it.”

ʿAbd Allah answered, “By Allah, not until you send those before whom you belittled me so they may ask me for it; otherwise, I will not do it.” (2)

ʿUthman then sent word: “I have done so.”

ʿAbd Allah said, “By Allah, I will not let you have the two shares for less than one hundred and twenty thousand.”

ʿUthman replied, “I take them.” (3)

Al-ʿUmari reported that Ibn Jaʿfar once advanced al-Zubayr one million.

When al-Zubayr died, his son came to Ibn Jaʿfar and said, “I have found in my father’s ledgers that he has one million against you.”

He replied, “That is correct.”

Later he met him again and said, “Abu Jaʿfar, I was mistaken; the money is owed by him to you.”

He said, “Then let it be his.”

The son answered, “I do not want that.” (4)