Yūsuf until he became learned in jurisprudence.⦗1⦘

Thumāmah ibn Ashras said, “I have never seen anyone more eloquent than Jaʿfar al-Barmakī and al-Maʾmūn.”

It is related that a man once sought to apologise to Jaʿfar. Jaʿfar replied, “Allah has spared you the need to excuse yourself to us by accepting your excuse Himself, and He has spared us the need to think ill of you by the affection we bear you.”⦗2⦘

Jahzah narrated: “Maymūn ibn Mihrān told us; al-Rashīdī told me; Muhadhdhab, the chamberlain of al-ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad—meaning the brother of al-Manṣūr—reported:

Al-ʿAbbās fell into hardship. He produced a casket containing jewels worth one million, carried it to Jaʿfar, and said, ‘I need 500,000 for it.’

‘Certainly,’ Jaʿfar replied, and took the casket.

When al-ʿAbbās returned home, he found that the casket had already preceded him, together with one million. Jaʿfar then entered upon al-Rashīd and spoke to him about al-ʿAbbās, whereupon the caliph ordered that 300,000 dinars be given to him.

Ibrāhīm al-Mawṣilī related: “Al-Rashīd performed the ḥajj, with Jaʿfar and me in his company.

Jaʿfar said to me, ‘Find me a slave-girl unrivalled in singing and refinement.’

I was directed to a girl the like of whom I had never seen. She sang, and sang exquisitely. Her owner said, ‘I will not sell her for less than 40,000 dinars.’

‘I have bought her,’ I replied.

Jaʿfar was delighted with her, and the girl said, ‘My master, what are you intending?’

He answered, ‘You know the prosperity we have been enjoying; I wanted you to pass into the possession of this king, so that you might be fortunate.’

She said, ‘Had I the power over you that you have over me, I would not sell you for the whole world. Remember the pledge’—for he had sworn never to profit from her price. His eyes filled with tears and he said to Jaʿfar, ‘Bear witness that she is free, and that I have—”