thousand. I departed with the whole amount; and, so overjoyed was I with the slave-girl that I kept her with me. I then spoke to the ʿAlid, and he said,

“Woe to you! Will you meet Allah tomorrow stained with my blood, when I am the grandson of the Messenger of Allah’s daughter?”

I asked, “Can you offer me any good?”

He replied, “Yes—my prayer for you and my asking Allah to forgive you.”

So I gave him some money and arranged for someone to escort him away by night. The slave-girl, however, had memorised my words and reported them to al-Mahdi. He manned all the roads with guards, they captured the ʿAlid and brought him back.

When morning came I entered upon al-Mahdi, and there sat the ʿAlid; I was dumbfounded.

The Caliph said, “Your blood is now lawful.”

He then kept me for ages in the dungeon; my sight was impaired and my hair grew long.

While I was in that state I was summoned. They led me out, and someone said, “Greet the Commander of the Faithful.”

I had gone blind, yet I offered the greeting. He asked, “Who am I?”

I answered, “Al-Mahdi.”

He said, “May Allah have mercy on al-Mahdi.”

I said, “Then al-Hadi?”

He replied, “May Allah have mercy on al-Hadi.”

I said, “Then al-Rashid.”

“Yes,” he replied, “state your need.”

I said, “To dwell in the vicinity of Mecca.”

He said, “Granted. Anything else?”

I answered, “Nothing remains in me that can be enjoyed.”

He said, “Then go, and may you be rightly guided.”

So I set out for Mecca. ⦗1⦘

His son added, “He did not live long after that.”

I say: He died there in 182 AH.

Yaʿqūb the vizier said, “Al-Mahdi did not like nabidh (fermented date wine), yet he would watch his pages drink it. I would reproach him, saying, ‘Why did you appoint me vizier? After the prayers in the congregational mosque, wine is drunk in your presence and you listen to music!’

He would respond, ‘ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar listened to it.’

I would reply, ‘That is not among his virtues.’”

ʿUbayd Allah ibn Yaʿqūb said, “My father pressed al-Mahdi about listening to music, grew weary of the vizierate, and resolved to resign.

He used to say, ‘A cup of wine that I drink and then repent from is dearer to me than the vizierate, and I—’