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- Sulayman ibn Abi … related to me, from his father, from Ayyub ibn Samiri—who used to stay with us whenever he was on the road. Ayyub once dispatched a load of grain to Basra with a man, instructing him to sell it on the very day he arrived, at that day’s market price. The man later wrote to him: “I have reached Basra and found the price of grain depressed, so I held on to the goods. The price has now risen, and I expect to make such-and-such a profit.” Al-Hajjaj wrote back: “You have betrayed our trust and acted contrary to our instructions. When this letter reaches you, give the entire proceeds of that grain in charity to the poor of Basra. I can only hope to be spared blame once you have done so.”
١٦٦ - أَخْبَرَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي. . .، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ سَامِرِيٍّ، وَكَانَ يَنْزِلُ عِنْدَنَا دَارِبًا فَبَعَثَ بِطَعَامٍ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ مَعَ رَجُلٍ وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَبِيعَهُ يَوْمَ يَدْخُلُ بِسِعْرِ يَوْمِهِ، فَأَتَاهُ كِتَابُهُ: إِنِّي قَدِمْتُ الْبَصْرَةَ فَوَجَدْتُ الطَّعَامَ مُتَّضِعًا فَحَبَسْتُهُ فَزَادَ الطَّعَامُ، فَأَرَدْتُ فِيهِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ الْحَجَّاجُ «إِنَّكَ قَدْ خُنْتَنَا وَعَمِلْتَ خِلَافَ مَا أَمَرْنَاكَ بِهِ، فَإِذَا أَتَاكَ كِتَابِي، فَتَصَدَّقْ بِجَمِيعِ ثَمَنِ ذَلِكَ الطَّعَامِ عَلَى فُقَرَاءِ الْبَصْرَةِ فَلَيْتَنِي أَسْلَمُ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ»