He asked me, “Do you have any need that I can see to for you?”
I answered, “Yes—most certainly.”

He said, “Go to Nuh ibn Abi Shaddad the money-changer, take from him 1,000 dirhams, and bring them to me.” I did so. When I returned he said, “Keep them yourself and put them toward the price of the house.”
I replied, “I accept them from you, and I thank you.”

We then resumed our writing; we were working on the compilation of the Jamiʿ.

About an hour later I said, “A need has arisen for me, but I do not dare present it to you.” He thought I was hoping for an additional sum.
He said, “Do not stand on ceremony with me. Tell me what you need, for I fear I might be held accountable on your behalf.”
I asked, “How so?”
He replied, “Because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, joined his Companions in brotherhood,” and he cited the report of Saʿd and ʿAbd al-Rahman.

I said, “I absolve you of everything you have mentioned, and I gift you the money you offered me—namely, the half share.” He had said, “I have female servants and a wife, whereas you are unmarried; what I ought to do is divide my wealth and everything else with you so that we are equal, and in that I shall still come out ahead.”

I replied, “May Allah have mercy on you—you have done more than that already: you have granted me a place with you such as you have given to no one else, and you have treated me like a son.” He then recalled my earlier request and asked, “What is your need?”
I said, “Will you fulfil it?”
He answered, “Yes, and I shall be pleased to do so.”
I said, “Then take this thousand ­– you have ordered me to accept it – and spend it on whatever you yourself require.” He accepted, for he had pledged to meet my need.

Two days later we sat down again to work on the Jamiʿ. That day we wrote a great deal until noon, then prayed the noon prayer and went back to writing without having eaten anything. As the time for the mid-afternoon prayer approached, he noticed that I was somewhat uneasy and withdrawn, and he assumed that I was becoming bored.

The truth, however, was that I was constipated; I simply could not stand, and I writhed in discomfort because of it.

Abu ʿAbd Allah went into the house, produced a slip of paper containing 300 dirhams, and said, “Since you would not accept the price of the house, you should at least spend this on some of your needs.” He pressed me, but I would not accept.

Some days later we were again writing until noon, and he handed me—