the Lady.”

Ḥafṣ retorted, “You fool! You first confess the debt and then claim it is owed by the Lady? Speak up, man—what do you want?”

The Khorāsānī creditor replied, “May Allah guide the judge: either he pays me my money or you keep him in custody.”

Ḥafṣ turned to the debtor. “What do you say, O Magian?”

He answered, “The money is with the Lady.”

The judge ordered, “Take him away to prison.”

After he had been jailed, the news reached Umm Jaʿfar. Angered, she sent word to al-Sindi: “Dispatch someone to fetch Marzubān”—for at that time the judges confined debtors in the common jail. Al-Sindi hurried over and released him. When Ḥafṣ learned of this he said, “So I imprison him and al-Sindi sets him free! I shall not resume my seat until Marzubān is returned to jail.”

Al-Sindi went to Umm Jaʿfar and pleaded, “For Allah’s sake, spare me! This is Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth we are dealing with, and I fear the Commander of the Believers will say to me, ‘By whose order did you release him?’ Send him back to prison and I will speak to Ḥafṣ about his case.”

She agreed, and Marzubān was taken back to jail. Umm Jaʿfar then said to Hārūn, “This judge of yours is a fool. He imprisoned my steward and treated him with disrespect. Order him to withdraw from the bench and hand his duties over to Abū Yūsuf.” Hārūn granted her request in writing, and the news reached Ḥafṣ.

He said to the creditor, “Bring me witnesses so I can issue a writ against the Magian for the money.” Ḥafṣ convened his court and recorded the judgment against the Magian. Just then a messenger arrived with a letter from Hārūn and announced, “This is a letter from the Commander of the Believers.”

Ḥafṣ replied, “Stay where you are; we are occupied—let us finish.”

The messenger insisted, “A letter from the Commander of the Believers!”

Ḥafṣ said, “Do as you are told.”

When he had completed the writ, Ḥafṣ took the letter, read it, and said, “Convey my greetings to the Commander of the Believers and inform him that his letter has reached me and I have already carried out the ruling.”

The messenger exclaimed, “By Allah, I know exactly what you have done: you refused to accept the Commander of the Believers’ letter until you had finished your own business. I swear I shall report this to him!”

Ḥafṣ replied, “Tell him whatever you please.”

The messenger went to Hārūn and informed him. Hārūn laughed and said to the chamberlain, “Instruct that thirty thousand dirhams be given to Ḥafṣ.” Yaḥyā ibn Khālid mounted his horse and met Ḥafṣ as he was leaving the court