Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (9/60)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

to al-Rashīd, he entrusted the reins of government back to Yaḥyā, elevated his standing, and used to address him as, “Father.” Thus he became one of the greatest of viziers, and sons were born to him who themselves rose to kingship—above all Jaʿfar. And what will make you grasp who Jaʿfar was? His story is astonishing, his affair extraordinary: he kept ascending in rank until he was sharing the Caliph’s wealth, his pleasures, and his control over the realms. Then, in a single day, the table was overturned: Jaʿfar was killed, while his father and brothers were thrown into prison where they remained until they died. How foolish is the one who lets the world deceive him!

al-Aṣmaʿī said: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Khālid say,

“This world is but a succession of regimes;
wealth is only a loan.
Those before us are an example for us,
and in us lies a lesson for those after us.” (1)

Isḥāq al-Mawṣilī said: “Whenever Yaḥyā rode out, his regular gift to any petitioner was two hundred dirhams. I once came to him and complained of straitened circumstances. He said, ‘What can I do for you? I have nothing at the moment. But the deputy of the governor of Egypt has just come, asking me to request a gift for him from his master. I refused, yet he persisted. I have learned that you own a slave-girl worth three thousand dinars; so let me ask him for her, and do not let her go for less than thirty thousand dinars.’

“Not long after, the man arrived, bargained with me over the girl, and offered twenty thousand. I weakened and sold her. When I came back to Yaḥyā he reproached me and said, ‘Now the deputy of the governor of Persia has come to me with the same request. Take your girl from me; when he bargains with you, do not let her go for less than fifty thousand dinars.’

“The envoy came, and I sold her for thirty thousand dinars. When I returned to Yaḥyā he said, ‘Did we not teach you better? Take back your girl!’

“I replied, ‘I have already gained fifty thousand dinars from her, and now she returns to me. She is free, and I have married her.’

It is related that one of Yaḥyā’s sons said to him, while they were all in chains, ‘Father, after commanding and forbidding…’

(1) Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 6, p. 179; the passage placed within brackets is taken from this source.

إِلَى الرَّشِيْدِ، رَدَّ إِلَى يَحْيَى مَقَالِيْدَ الأُمُوْرِ، وَرَفَعَ مَحَلَّهُ، وَكَانَ يُخَاطِبُهُ: يَا أَبِي، فَكَانَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الوُزَرَاءِ، وَنَشَأَ لَهُ أَوْلاَدٌ صَارُوا مُلوَكاً، وَلاَ سِيَّمَا جَعْفَرٌ، وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا جَعْفَرٌ؟ لَهُ نَبَأٌ عَجِيْبٌ، وَشَأْنٌ غَرِيْبٌ، بَقِيَ فِي الارتِقَاءِ فِي رُتْبَةٍ، شَرَكَ الخَلِيْفَةَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِ، وَلَذَّاتِهِ، وَتَصَرُّفِهِ فِي المَمَالِكِ، ثُمَّ انْقَلْبَ الدَّسْتُ فِي يَوْمٍ، فَقُتِلَ، وَسُجِنَ أَبُوْهُ وَإِخوَتُهُ إِلَى المَمَاتِ، فَمَا أَجهَلَ مَنْ يَغتَرُّ بِالدُّنْيَا! وَقَالَ الأَصْمَعِيُّ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بنَ خَالِدٍ يَقُوْلُ: الدُّنْيَا دُوَلٌ، وَالمَالُ عَارِيَّةٌ، وَلَنَا بِمَنْ قَبْلَنَا أُسْوَةٌ، وَ [فِيْنَا] لِمَنْ بَعْدَنَا عِبْرَةٌ (١) . قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ المَوْصِلِيُّ: كَانَتْ صِلَةُ يَحْيَى إِذَا رَكِبَ لِمَنْ سَأَلَهُ مائَتَيْ دِرْهَمٍ، أَتَيْتُهُ وَقَدْ شَكَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ ضِيْقاً، فَقَالَ: مَا أَصْنَعُ بِكَ؟ مَا عِنْدِي شَيْءٌ، وَلَكِنِّي قَدْ جَاءنِي خَلِيْفَةُ صَاحِبِ مِصْرَ، يَسْأَلُ أَنْ أَسْتَهْدِي صَاحِبَهُ شَيْئاً، فَأَبَيْتُ، فَأَلَحَّ، وَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّ لَكَ جَارِيَةً بِثَلاَثَةِ آلاَفِ دِيْنَارٍ، فَهُوَذَا أَسْتَهدِيهِ إِيَّاهَا، فَلاَ تَنْقُصْهَا مِنْ ثَلاَثِيْنَ أَلْفَ دِيْنَارٍ شَيْئاً. قَالَ: فَمَا شَعَرتُ إِلاَّ وَالرَّجُلُ قَدْ أَتَى، فَسَاوَمَنِي بِالجَارِيَةِ، فَبَذَلَ عِشْرِيْنَ أَلْفاً، فَلِنْتُ، فَبِعتُهَا، فَلَمَّا أَتَيْتُ يَحْيَى، عَنَّفَنِي، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَهَذَا خَلِيْفَةُ صَاحِبِ فَارِسَ، قَدْ جَاءنِي فِي نَحْوِ هَذَا، فَخُذْ جَارِيَتَكَ مِنِّي، فَإِذَا سَاوَمَكَ، لاَ تَنقُصْهَا مِنْ خَمْسِيْنَ أَلْفَ دِيْنَارٍ. قَالَ: فَأَتَانِي، فَبِعتُهَا بِثَلاَثِيْنَ أَلْفاً، فَلَمَّا صِرْتُ إِلَى يَحْيَى، قَالَ: أَلَمْ نُؤَدِّبْكَ؟ خُذْ جَارِيَتَكَ. قُلْتُ: قَدْ أَفَدتُ بِهَا خَمْسِيْنَ أَلْفَ دِيْنَارٍ، ثُمَّ تَعُوْدُ إِلَيَّ، هِيَ حُرَّةٌ، وَإِنِّيْ قَدْ تَزَوَّجْتُهَا. قِيْلَ: إِنَّ وَلداً لِيَحْيَى، قَالَ لَهُ وَهُمْ فِي القُيُوْدِ: يَا أَبَةِ، بَعْدَ الأَمْرِ وَالنَّهْيِ

(١) " الكامل " لابن الأثير ٦ / ١٧٩، وما بين حاصرتين منه.