Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (9/64)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

complaining that the spring rain had scarcely visited them.

What harm would they suffer, were Jaʿfar to ride through their midst—
even if their springtime brought no rain at all?⦗1⦘

Different explanations have been offered for the manner in which Jaʿfar met his death.

One version relates that Jibrīl ibn Bakhtīshūʿ, the court physician,⦗2⦘ said: “I was sitting with al-Rashīd when Yaḥyā ibn Khālid entered; he used to come in without asking leave. He gave the greeting, and al-Rashīd returned it only weakly, whereupon Yaḥyā fell silent in confusion.

“Harun then asked me, ‘Jibrīl, does anyone enter upon you without permission?’
“‘No,’ I replied.
“‘Then what of us?’ he said.

“At that Yaḥyā leapt to his feet and said, ‘May Allah ever set me before you, Commander of the Faithful! By Allah, it was only a favor you singled me out for, and I now repent of it.’ Al-Rashīd felt abashed and said, ‘I meant nothing you would dislike, but people talk.’⦗3⦘

Another account, transmitted by Thumāmah, states: “The first thing that alerted Yaḥyā ibn Khālid to the change in his fortunes was that Muḥammad ibn al-Layth sent a letter to al-Rashīd admonishing him, in which he wrote: ‘Yaḥyā will avail you nothing before Allah.’ Al-Rashīd showed the letter to Yaḥyā and asked, ‘Do you know Muḥammad ibn al-Layth?’

“‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘he is suspect in matters of Islam.’

“So al-Rashīd had him imprisoned. When the Barmakids were struck down, he had Muḥammad brought before him and asked, ‘Do you love me?’

“‘No, by Allah,’ he replied.

“‘You say that?’

“‘Yes. You shackled my legs and kept me from my family without any fault of mine, save the word of a spiteful man who schemes against Islam and its people, and loves irreligion and its devotees.’

“Al-Rashīd released him and asked, ‘Do you love me now?’

“‘No, nor do I hate you,’ he said.

“So al-Rashīd ordered that one hundred thousand be given to him and asked again, ‘Do you love me?’

“He replied:

(1) Wafayat al-A‘yan, vol. 1, p. 330. (2) He was the personal physician, companion, and intimate confidant of the caliph Harun al-Rashid. His position grew so strong that al-Rashid declared to his courtiers: “Anyone who has a request for me should present it to Jibril, for I will grant whatever he asks on your behalf.” Military commanders therefore sought him out for all their affairs. After al-Rashid’s death he served the new caliph al-Amin; when al-Ma’mun came to power, he first imprisoned him, then released him and restored him to the high standing he had enjoyed under al-Rashid. He remained in favour until his death in 213 AH/828 CE and was buried in the Monastery of Mar Girgis at al-Mada’in. See: Tabaqat al-Atibba, pp. 187, 201. (3) Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 8, p. 287.

مَا ضَرَّهُم إِذْ مَرَّ فِيْهِم جَعْفَرٌ ... أَنْ لاَ يَكُوْنَ رَبِيْعَهُم مَمْطُورَا (١) قَدِ اخْتُلِفَ فِي سَبَبِ مَصْرَعِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَى أَقْوَالٍ: فَقِيْلَ: إِنَّ جِبْرِيْلَ بنَ بختيَشوعَ الطَّبِيْبَ (٢) قَالَ: إِنِّيْ لَقَاعِدٌ عِنْدَ الرَّشِيْدِ، فَدَخَلَ يَحْيَى بنُ خَالِدٍ، وَكَانَ يَدْخُلُ بِلاَ إِذنٍ، فَسَلَّمَ، فَردَّ الرَّشِيْدُ ردّاً ضَعِيْفاً، فَوَجَمَ يَحْيَى. فَقَالَ هَارُوْنُ: يَا جِبْرِيْلَ! يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْكَ أَحَدٌ بِلاَ إِذنٍ؟ قُلْتُ: لاَ. قَالَ: فَمَا بَالُنَا؟ فَوَثَبَ يَحْيَى، وَقَالَ: قَدَّمَنِي اللهُ يَا أَمِيْرَ المُؤْمِنِيْنَ قِبَلَكَ، وَاللهِ مَا هُوَ إِلاَّ شَيْءٌ خَصَصْتَنِي بِهِ، وَالآنَ فَتُبْتُ، فَاسْتَحْيَى الرَّشِيْدُ، وَقَالَ: مَا أَرَدْتُ مَا تَكرَهُ، وَلَكِنَّ النَّاسَ يَقُوْلُوْنَ (٣) . وَقِيْلَ: إِنَّ ثُمَامَةَ قَالَ: أَوَّلُ مَا أَنْكَرَ يَحْيَى بنُ خَالِدٍ مِنْ أَمرِهِ، أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بنَ اللَّيْثِ رَفَعَ رِسَالَةً إِلَى الرَّشِيْدِ، يَعِظُهُ، وَفِيْهَا: إِنَّ يَحْيَى لاَ يُغنِي عَنْكَ مِنَ اللهِ شَيْئاً، فَأَوْقَفَ الرَّشِيْدُ يَحْيَى عَلَى الرِّسَالَةِ، وَقَالَ: أَتعرفُ مُحَمَّدَ بنَ اللَّيْثِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، هُوَ مُتَّهَمٌ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ. فَسَجَنَهُ، فَلَمَّا نُكِبَتِ البَرَامِكَةُ، أَحضرَهُ، وَقَالَ: أَتُحِبُّنِي؟ قَالَ: لاَ وَاللهِ. قَالَ: أَتَقُوْلُ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَضَعتَ فِي رِجلَيَّ القَيدَ، وَحُلْتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عِيَالِي بِلاَ ذَنْبٍ، سِوَى قَوْلِ حَاسدٍ يَكِيدُ الإِسْلاَمَ وَأَهْلَهُ، وَيُحبُّ الإِلْحَادَ وَأَهْلَهُ. فَأَطلَقَهُ، وَقَالَ: أَتُحِبُّنِي؟ قَالَ: لاَ، وَلاَ أُبْغِضُكَ. فَأَمَرَ لَهُ بِمائَةِ أَلفٍ، وَقَالَ: أَتُحِبُّنِي؟ قَالَ:

(١) " وفيات الأعيان " ١ / ٣٣٠. (٢) كان طبيب هارون الرشيد وجليسه وخليله، يقال: إن منزلته ما زالت تقوى عند الرشيد حتى قال لأصحابه: من كانت له حاجة إلي، فليخاطب بها جبريل، فإني أفعل كل ما يسألني فيه، ويطلبه مني. فكان القواد يقصدونه في كل أمورهم، ولما توفي الرشيد خدم الامين، فلما ولي المأمون سجنه، ثم أطلقه وأعاده إلى مكانته عند أبيه الرشيد، فلم يزل إلى أن توفي سنة ٢١٣ هـ، ودفن في دير مار جرجس بالمدائن. " طبقات الاطباء ": ١٨٧، ٢٠١. (٣) " تاريخ الطبري " ٨ / ٢٨٧.