Caliphate of Hārūn al-Rashīd son of al-Mahdī

The oath of allegiance was given to him on the very night his brother died—Friday night, in the first half of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, 170 AH. Hārūn al-Rashīd was then twenty-two years old. He immediately sent for Yaḥyā ibn Khālid al-Barmakī, released him from prison—al-Hādī had resolved that same night to kill both Yaḥyā and Hārūn, even though al-Rashīd was Yaḥyā’s foster-son—and appointed him vizier. He put Yūsuf ibn al-Qāsim ibn Ṣabīḥ in charge of the chancery; it was Yūsuf who delivered the sermon before him until the people pledged allegiance to the new caliph upon the pulpit at ʿĪsābādh.

It is also said that when al-Hādī died in the night, Yaḥyā ibn Khālid came to al-Rashīd and found him asleep.
“Rise, O Commander of the Faithful,” he said.
Al-Rashīd answered, “How often will you startle me? If that man were to hear you speak like this, it would be reckoned among my greatest sins against him.”
“He is dead,” Yaḥyā replied.
Hārūn sat up and said, “Advise me about the provinces.” Yaḥyā began naming each district together with the man he proposed for it, and al-Rashīd ratified every appointment.

While they were thus engaged someone else arrived, announcing, “Good news, O Commander of the Faithful—this very hour a son has been born to you!”
“He is ʿAbd Allāh,” Hārūn replied. “He is al-Maʾmūn.”

At daybreak he led the funeral prayer for his brother al-Hādī, buried him at ʿĪsābādh, and swore that he would not perform the ẓuhr prayer except in Baghdad. Once the burial was complete he ordered the beheading of the commander Abū ʿIṣmah. The reason was that Abū ʿIṣmah, together with Jaʿfar ibn al-Hādī, had jostled al-Rashīd on a bridge. Abū ʿIṣmah had said, “Be patient—wait until the heir-apparent passes,” and al-Rashīd had replied, “Hearing and obedience to the prince,” whereupon Jaʿfar and Abū ʿIṣmah crossed over and left al-Rashīd standing, humbled. When he became caliph he had Abū ʿIṣmah executed.

He then set out for Baghdad. Upon reaching the city’s bridge he summoned divers and said, “I dropped a ring here that my father al-Mahdī bought for me for one hundred thousand. Not long ago I sent to al-Hādī asking for it; I tossed it to the messenger and it fell at this spot.” The divers plunged after it, found it, and al-Rashīd rejoiced greatly.

When al-Rashīd installed Yaḥyā ibn Khālid as vizier he said to him, “I have placed the affairs of the subjects in your hands; I have lifted that burden from my neck and set it upon yours. Appoint whomever you wish and dismiss whomever you wish.” Concerning this Ibrāhīm ibn al-Muṣilī composed:

Have you not seen how wan the sun once seemed?
But when Hārūn assumed command its light grew bright.
Through the blessed favor of Allah’s trustee, Hārūn the open-handed:
Hārūn rules the realm, and Yaḥyā is his vizier.

Hārūn further ordered Yaḥyā ibn Khālid not to decide any matter without consulting his mother al-Khayzurān. She therefore became the one consulted in every affair—approving or annulling, enacting and judging.

In that same year al-Rashīd directed that the portion for “those near of kin” be distributed equally among the Banū Hāshim. In it as well he pursued a number of zindiqs and put many of them to death; one of the Family of the Prophet also rose in revolt against him. During that year al-Amīn—Muḥammad ibn al-Rashīd, son of Zubaydah—was born, on Friday the sixth of Shawwāl. That year saw the completion of the city of Ṭarsūs at the hands of Faraj, the Turkish eunuch, and people took up residence there. In the same year the Commander of the Faithful, al-Rashīd, led the pilgrimage and gave