so I hurried out, then had second thoughts. I pulled it from the parchment leaf, felt relieved, and brought him the book.

He said, “Take it to Abū Muḥammad.”

Accordingly, I took it to Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā, informed him, and the two of them met with the judge, saying, “This man contradicts us with lies—restrain him and silence him.”

The judge gathered them a second time. After they had spoken, ʿAbd al-Malik said, “I have already told you what Aṣbagh says about this matter.”

At that ʿAbd al-Aʿlā broke in: “You are lying about Aṣbagh! I transmitted this very question from him exactly as they have related, and here is my notebook.”

The judge read it and addressed ʿAbd al-Malik with words that displeased him. He rebuked him, saying, “Do you issue fatwas for us based on falsehood and error, and oppose your colleagues out of whim? Were it not that I still have some consideration for you, I would punish you!”

ʿAbd al-Aʿlā continued: “When I left, I happened to pass by the residence of Ibn Rustum the chamberlain. I saw ʿAbd al-Malik coming out of it with a cheerful face, so I said, ‘I will certainly go in to see Ibn Rustum.’”

I went in, and before I could even sit he said, “Poor man! Who deceived you—or who drew you—into this affair? You dare oppose someone like Ibn Ḥabīb and call him a liar?”

I replied, “May Allah set your affairs aright; the judge merely asked me, and I answered according to what I know.”

He said, “The emir has sent word to the judge: Who instructed you to consult ʿAbd al-Aʿlā?”

The judge replied praising me, saying, “I do not consider myself at liberty to dispense with consulting someone like him.”

The emir then asked his ministers about ʿAbd al-Aʿlā; they spoke highly of him and described his knowledge and loyalty.

Saʿīd ibn Faḥlūn (1) said: “ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Ḥabīb died on a Saturday, four days into Ramadan of the year 238 AH, from the ailment of stones.”

Another reported that he died in Dhū al-Ḥijjah of the year 239 AH—Allah knows best.