Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (14/475)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

—the revolt of Ibn al-Muʿtazz broke out, the vizier al-ʿAbbās was killed, and Ibn al-Furāt was appointed vizier in 296 AH. He soon consolidated his position, governed well and justly, and was known for generosity, magnanimity and dignity. He was a master of dīwān accounting and had three sons—al-Muḥassin, al-Faḍl and al-Ḥusayn. He was dismissed in Dhū al-Ḥijjah of 299 AH, but returned to office in 304 AH after the removal of ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā. Seventeen months later he was replaced by Ḥāmid b. al-ʿAbbās. Once again he held the vizierate in 311 AH and put his son al-Muḥassin in charge of the bureaus; the son acted tyrannically, seizing property, torturing people and perpetrating injustices, while the father also wronged many and wiped out a number of opponents, so he was dismissed in less than a year.

It is said that he presented the hadith scholars with twenty thousand dirhams.

Several authorities relate that the official who reported to Ibn al-Furāt informed him that one of the petitioners had bought some bread and cheese and eaten it in the vestibule. Troubled by this, Ibn al-Furāt ordered a kitchen to be set up for all who came with petitions, and the arrangement remained in force throughout his tenure.

Ibn Fāris the philologist said: Abu al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī narrated to us: A man told me:

“I used to serve the vizier Ibn al-Furāt. When he was imprisoned he had five hundred dinars with me. I coaxed the jailer until I was admitted. When he saw me he was astonished and asked, ‘Do you need something?’

“I produced the gold and said, ‘You can make use of this.’

“He took it from me, then returned it, saying, ‘Keep it with you as a trust.’

“I went back. After some time he was released and returned to his seat of power. I came to him, but he lowered his head, never looking me in the eye, and his avoidance continued until I had spent the gold and my circumstances became dire. Then one day he said to me, ‘Ships from India have arrived; appraise their cargo, collect the public treasury’s due, and take our fee.’

“So I went home; my wife gave me a veil and two earrings, which I sold to equip myself. I traveled downriver, inspected the ships, collected the duty and the vizier’s fee, and returned to Baghdad. The vizier said, ‘Hand over the treasury’s share and take our fee home with you.’

“I said, ‘It is twenty-five…’"

فِتْنَةُ ابْنِ المُعْتَزِّ، وَقُتِلَ العَبَّاسُ الوَزِيْرُ، فَوَزَرَ ابْنُ الفُرَاتِ سَنَةَ سِتٍّ وَتِسْعِيْنَ، وَتَمَكَّنَ، فَأَحسَنَ وَعَدَلَ، وَكَانَ سَمحاً مِفضَالاً مُحْتَشِماً، رَأْساً فِي حِسَابِ الدِّيْوَانِ، لَهُ ثَلاَثَةُ بَنِيْنَ؛ المُحَسَّنُ وَالفَضْلُ وَالحُسَيْنُ، ثُمَّ عُزِلَ فِي ذِي الحِجَّةِ، سَنَةَ تِسْعٍ وَتِسْعِيْنَ، ثُمَّ وَزَرَ فِي سَنَةِ أَرْبَعٍ وَثَلاَثِ مائَةٍ إِثرَ عَزلِ عَلِيِّ بنِ عِيْسَى، ثُمَّ عُزِلَ بَعْدَ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْراً بِحَامِدِ بنِ العَبَّاسِ، ثُمَّ وَلِيَهَا سَنَةَ (٣١١) ، وَوَلَّى وَلَدَهُ المُحَسّنَ الدَّوَاوِيْنَ، فَعَسَفَ وَصَادَرَ وَعَذَّبَ، وَظَلَمَ أَبُوْهُ أَيْضاً، وَاسْتَأْصَلَ جَمَاعَةً، فَعُزِلَ بَعْدَ سَنَةٍ إِلاَّ أَيَّاماً. وَقِيْلَ: إِنَّهُ وَصَلَ المُحَدِّثِيْنَ بِعِشْرِيْنَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ. وَذَكَرَ جَمَاعَةٌ: أَنَّ صَاحِبَ خَبَرِ ابْنِ الفُرَاتِ رُفِعَ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَربَابِ الحَوَائِجِ اشْتَرَى خُبزاً وَجُبْناً، فَأَكَلَهُ فِي الدِّهلِيزِ، فَأَقْلَقَهُ هَذَا، وَأَمرَ بِنَصْبِ مَطْبَخٍ لِمَنْ يَحضُرُ مِنْ أَربَابِ الحَوَائِجِ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ طُوْلَ أَيَّامِه. قَالَ ابْنُ فَارِسٍ اللُّغَوِيُّ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الحَسَنِ البَصْرِيُّ: قَالَ لِي رَجُلٌ: كُنْتُ أَخدُمُ الوَزِيْرَ ابْنَ الفُرَاتِ، فَحُبِسَ وَلَهُ عِنْدِي خَمْسُ مائَةِ دِيْنَارٍ، فَتَلَطَّفْتُ بِالسَّجَّانِ حَتَّى أُدخِلْتُ، فَلَمَّا رَآنِي، تَعَجَّبَ، وَقَالَ: أَلَكَ حَاجَةٌ؟ فَأَخْرَجتُ الذَّهَبَ، وَقُلْتُ: تَنْتَفِعُ بِهَذَا. فَأَخَذَهُ مِنِّي، ثُمَّ رَدَّهُ، وَقَالَ: يَكُوْن عِنْدَك وَدِيعَةً. فَرَجَعتُ، ثُمَّ أُفْرِجَ عَنْهُ بَعْدَ مُدَّةٍ، وَعَادَ إِلَى دَسْتِهِ، فَأَتَيْتُه، فَطَأَطَأَ رأْسَهُ، وَلَمْ يَمْلأْ عَيْنَيْهِ مِنِّي، وَطَال إِعْرَاضُهُ، حَتَّى أَنفَقتُ الذَّهَبَ، وَسَاءتْ حَالِي إِلَى يَوْمٍ، فَقَالَ لِي: وَرَدَتْ سُفُنٌ مِنَ الهِنْدِ، ففسرهَا وَاقْبِضْ حَقَّ بَيْتِ المَالِ، وَخُذْ رَسْمَنَا. فَعُدتُ إِلَى بَيْتِي، فَأَعطَتْنِي المَرْأَةُ خِمَاراً وَقُرْطَتَيْنِ، فَبِعتُ ذَلِكَ، وَتَجَهَّزتُ بِهِ، وَانحَدَرْتُ، وَفَسَّرْتُ السُّفنَ، وَقَبَضْتُ الحَقَّ وَرَسَمَ الوَزِيْرِ، وَأَتَيْتُ بَغْدَادَ، فَقَالَ الوَزِيْرُ: سَلِّمْ حَقَّ بَيْتِ المَالِ، وَاقبِضِ الرَّسْمَ إِلَى بَيْتِكَ. قُلْتُ: هُوَ خَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُوْنَ