193 — Abū Abd Allah Jafar ibn Idrīs al-Qazwīnī narrated to us: Ahmad ibn al-Mumtani ibn Ubayd Allah al-Qurashī al-Taymī narrated to us: Abū al-Fadl Sālih ibn Alī ibn Yaqūb ibn al-Mansūr al-Hāshimī informed us—and he was one of the leading men of Banū Hāshim, a man of dignity and standing among them. He said:
I attended al-Muhtadī-Billāh, the Commander of the Faithful, when he had ⦗541⦘ seated himself in the public audience hall to examine the affairs of the Muslims. I watched as the people’s petitions were read to him from beginning to end. He would order that a written decision be entered upon them and that letters be prepared for their petitioners; each document would then be sealed and handed to its owner in his presence. This pleased me, and I began looking at him. He noticed and looked toward me, whereupon I lowered my gaze. This happened between us three times: whenever he looked at me, I lowered my gaze, and whenever he became occupied, I looked at him.
He said to me, “Sālih!”
I replied, “At your service, Commander of the Faithful,” and rose to my feet.
He asked, “Is there something concerning us on your mind that you feel you must say?” Or he said, “that you wish to say?”
I replied, “Yes, my master, Commander of the Faithful.”
He told me, “Return to your place.”
I returned, and he resumed examining the petitions. When he arose, he told the chamberlain, “Sālih must not leave.” The people departed, and then he granted me permission to enter. I had become deeply concerned for my life. I entered and invoked blessings upon him.
He told me to sit, so I sat. He then said, “Sālih, will you tell me what was on your mind, or shall I tell you what I thought was on your mind?”
I replied, “Commander of the Faithful, do whatever you resolve upon and command.”
He said, “Then I shall tell you. It is as though I saw you admiring what you witnessed from us and saying to yourself, ‘What an excellent caliph ours would be, if only he did not profess that the Quran is created!’”
A grave fear entered my heart, and I became anxious for my life. Then I said to myself, “O soul, will you die more than once? Will you die before your appointed time? Is lying permissible, whether in earnest or in jest?” ⦗542⦘
I therefore said, “By Allah, Commander of the Faithful, nothing occurred to me other than precisely what you have said.”
He lowered his head for a long while, then said to me, “Woe to you! Listen to what I have to say. By Allah, you shall hear the truth from me.”
My distress was relieved, and I said, “My master, who is more entitled to speak the truth than you, when you are the vicegerent of the Lord of all worlds and a kinsman of the Master of the messengers, from the first to the last?”
He said to me:
“I continued to profess that the Quran was created during the early part of al-Wāthiq’s caliphate, until Ahmad ibn Abī Du’ād brought before us an elder from Syria, from the people of Adana. The elder was brought before al-Wāthiq in fetters. He had a handsome face, was tall ⦗543⦘, and had dignified gray hair. I saw that al-Wāthiq felt abashed before him and had compassion for him. He kept drawing him nearer until he was close to him.
“The elder offered an excellent greeting and prayed for him most eloquently yet briefly. Al-Wāthiq told him, ‘Sit down.’ Then he said, ‘Elder, debate Ibn Abī Du’ād concerning whatever he puts forward to you.’
“The elder replied, ‘Commander of the Faithful, Ibn Abī Du’ād is of little substance, is easily flustered, and is too weak for debate.’
“Al-Wāthiq became angry, and his compassion for the elder gave way to anger against him. He said, ‘Abū Abd Allah Ibn Abī Du’ād acts childishly, is of little account, and is too weak to debate someone like you?’
“The elder replied, ‘Compose yourself, Commander of the Faithful, and permit me to debate him.’
“Al-Wāthiq said, ‘I summoned you for no other purpose than to debate.’
“The elder said, ‘Ahmad ibn Abī Du’ād, to what have you called the people and me?’
“He replied, ‘To affirm that the Quran is created, because everything other than Allah is created.’
“The elder said, ‘Commander of the Faithful, if you deem it appropriate, keep careful account of what he and I say.’
“He replied, ‘I shall.’
“The elder then said, ‘Tell me, Ahmad: Is this doctrine of yours obligatory and integral to the creed ⦗544⦘ of the religion, such that the religion cannot be complete unless this assertion of yours is professed?’
“He replied, ‘Yes.’
“The elder said, ‘Ahmad, tell me: When Allah Most High sent the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—to His servants, did the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—conceal anything that Allah Most High had commanded concerning His religion?’
“He replied, ‘No.’
“The elder asked, ‘Did the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—then call the Muslim nation to this doctrine of yours?’
“Ibn Abī Du’ād remained silent.
“The elder said, ‘Speak!’ But he remained silent. The elder turned to al-Wāthiq and said, ‘Commander of the Faithful, that is one.’
“Al-Wāthiq replied, ‘One.’
“The elder then said, ‘Ahmad, tell me: When Allah Most High revealed the Quran to the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and said, “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion” [al-Mā’ida: 3], was Allah Most High truthful when He declared His religion complete, or are you truthful in declaring it deficient, so that the religion is not complete until this doctrine of yours is professed?’
“Ibn Abī Du’ād remained silent.
“The elder said, ‘Answer me, Ahmad!’ But he gave no answer.
“The elder said, ‘Commander of the Faithful, that makes two.’
“Al-Wāthiq replied, ‘Two.’ ⦗545⦘
“The elder then said, ‘Ahmad, tell me: Did the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—know this doctrine of yours, or was he unaware of it?’
“Ibn Abī Du’ād replied, ‘He knew it.’
“The elder asked, ‘Did he then call the people to it?’
“Ibn Abī Du’ād remained silent.
“The elder said, ‘Commander of the Faithful, that makes three.’
“Al-Wāthiq replied, ‘Three.’
“The elder then said, ‘Ahmad, was the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—permitted, despite knowing it as you claim, not to require it of his nation?’
“He replied, ‘Yes.’
“The elder asked, ‘And were Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and Alī—may Allah be pleased with them—also permitted to refrain from doing so?’
“Ibn Abī Du’ād replied, ‘Yes.’
“The elder turned away from him and faced al-Wāthiq. He said, ‘Commander of the Faithful, I told you at the outset that Ahmad acts childishly, is of little account, and is too weak for debate. Commander of the Faithful, if you cannot allow yourself to refrain from this doctrine, as the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and Alī—may Allah be pleased with them—were permitted to refrain from it, then may Allah grant no latitude to anyone who will not accept the same latitude that they enjoyed in this matter.’ ⦗546⦘
“Al-Wāthiq said, ‘Indeed! If we cannot allow ourselves to refrain from this doctrine, as the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and Alī—may Allah be pleased with them—were permitted to refrain from it, then may Allah grant us no latitude. Cut off the elder’s fetters!’
“When they were cut off, the elder reached for them to take them, but the blacksmith struggled with him over them. Al-Wāthiq said, ‘Let the elder take them.’
“The elder took them and placed them in his sleeve.
“Al-Wāthiq asked the blacksmith, ‘Why did you struggle with him over them?’
“The elder replied, ‘Because I intend to instruct the executor of my will that, when I die, he must place them between my body and my shroud. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, I will use them to plead my case before Allah Most High against this wrongdoer. I will say, “My Lord, ask this servant of Yours why he fettered me, terrified my family, children, and brothers without right, and imposed this upon me.”’
“The elder wept, al-Wāthiq wept, and we too wept. Al-Wāthiq then asked the elder to absolve him completely of the harm that had befallen him.
“The elder replied, ‘By Allah, Commander of the Faithful, I absolved you completely from the very first day, out of honor for the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—since you are a member of his family.’
“Al-Wāthiq said, ‘I have a request to make of you.’
“The elder replied, ‘If it is within my power, I shall fulfill it.’
“Al-Wāthiq said, ‘Remain with us so that our young men may benefit from you.’
“The elder replied, ‘Commander of the Faithful, sending me back to the place from which ⦗547⦘ this wrongdoer removed me will benefit you more than my remaining at your court. I shall tell you why: I will return to my family and children and stop them from praying against you, for I left them doing so.’
“Al-Wāthiq said to him, ‘Then accept from us a gift that will help you meet the needs of life.’
“The elder replied, ‘Commander of the Faithful, it is not lawful for me. I have no need of it, for I am strong and sound in body.’
“He said, ‘Then ask for whatever you need.’
“The elder asked, ‘Will you grant it, Commander of the Faithful?’
“He replied, ‘Yes.’
“The elder said, ‘Then let me depart for the frontier at once and grant me leave.’
“He replied, ‘You have my leave.’
“The elder bade farewell and departed.”
Sālih said: Al-Muhtadī-Billāh—may Allah have mercy on him—said, “From that day onward, I renounced this doctrine, and I believe that al-Wāthiq-Billāh also renounced it from that time.”