and he elevated his sons to the rank of kings, magnifying their prestige to the utmost for a time, until al-Rashīd put his son Jaʿfar ibn Yaḥyā to death, jailed Yaḥyā, and the Barmakid dominion collapsed—as we have already noted in the entry on Jaʿfar.
Al-Aṣmaʿī said, “I heard Yaḥyā say:
‘This world turns in cycles, wealth is only a loan, those before us are a model for us, and in us lies a lesson for those who will follow.’ (1)”
Ishāq al-Mawṣilī related: “Whenever Yaḥyā rode out, anyone who approached him received a gratuity of two hundred dirhams.
“My father told me: ‘I once complained to Yaḥyā about my straitened circumstances. He said, “What can I do? I have nothing at hand, but I will point you to something—only be a man about it. The agent of the governor of Egypt has come asking me to request a gift from him. I refused, but he persisted. I have heard that you were offered three thousand dinars for one of your slave-girls. I shall now ask him for that girl and inform him that she has pleased me; do not let her go for less than thirty thousand dinars.”
“‘By Allah, no sooner had he spoken than the man came to bargain with me. He offered twenty thousand dinars for the girl, and I did not have the heart to turn it down.
“‘When I reported to the vizier, he said, “You really are something! Had you only shown a little patience. Here is the deputy of the governor of Persia who has come to me with the same request. Take your slave-girl back, and when he negotiates with you, do not let her go for less than fifty thousand dinars.”
“‘So the man came again; I softened and sold her for thirty thousand.
“‘When I returned to the vizier, he said, “Did the first lesson not deter you from repeating the mistake? Take your slave-girl back.”
“‘I replied, “I have already gained fifty thousand dinars from her. I call you to witness that she is now free, and that I have married her.” (2)’”
It is said that while Yaḥyā’s sons were in chains in prison they said to him, “Father! After all our honor, have we come to this?”
He answered, “My sons! It was the prayer of one we wronged—overlooked by us, but not overlooked by Allah.”