the foremost families grew fond of him. She renounced the worldly luxury, happiness, and prestige she had enjoyed, married him, and stayed with him in his hut, worshipping until they both passed away.
It is said that her name was Jawharah.

[Then came the year 188 AH]

In that year Ibrāhīm ibn Jibrīl (1) led the summer campaign; he entered Byzantine territory through the Darb al-Ṣafṣāf pass. Nikephoros came out to confront him, but received three wounds, fled in defeat, and more than forty thousand of his troops were killed. The Muslims seized over four thousand beasts of burden as spoils.

That same year al-Qāsim ibn al-Rashīd took up station on the frontier at Marj Dābiq, and Hārūn al-Rashīd performed the pilgrimage with the people—it was his final ḥajj. When Abū Bakr ibn ʿAyyāsh saw the caliph returning from the pilgrimage and passing through Kūfa, he said, “Al-Rashīd will never perform ḥajj again, and no caliph after him will ever perform it.”

During this journey al-Rashīd met the eccentric ascetic Bahlūl, who offered him a salutary admonition. We have transmitted, through the chamberlain al-Faḍl ibn al-Rabīʿ:

He said, “I made the pilgrimage with al-Rashīd. As we passed through Kūfa we found Bahlūl the madman babbling. I told him, ‘Be quiet, the Commander of the Faithful is approaching.’ He fell silent, but when the litter drew level with him he said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, Ayman ibn Nābil (2) told me—Qudāmah ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-ʿĀmirī narrated to us—that he said: I saw the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, at Minā riding a camel whose saddle was worn; there was no pushing, no striking, and no one crying, “Make way! Make way!”’

Al-Faḍl continued, ‘I said, “O Commander of the Faithful, it is only Bahlūl.” He replied, “I know him. Speak, Bahlūl.” So Bahlūl recited:

Assume you gained dominion over the whole earth,
And all mankind obeyed your every word—then what?
Tomorrow your abode will be the depth of a grave,
And this one – then that – will heap its dust upon you.

Al-Rashīd said, ‘You have spoken well, Bahlūl. Anything else?’
He replied, ‘Yes, O Commander of the Faithful. Whoever is granted wealth and beauty by Allah, then remains chaste in his beauty and generous with his wealth, will be recorded in Allah’s register among the righteous.’

Thinking he wanted assistance, the caliph said, ‘We have ordered that your debts be paid.’
Bahlūl answered, ‘Do not do that, O Commander of the Faithful. One debt is not settled with another. Return the rights to their owners and settle the debt of your own soul with your own soul.’

Al-Rashīd said, ‘We have ordered that a stipend be assigned to you for your subsistence.’
He replied, ‘Do not do that, O Commander of the Faithful. Exalted is He—He will not provide for you and forget me. I have lived a lifetime with no allowance ever granted me. Go on your way; I have no need of your stipend.’

The caliph said, ‘Here are one thousand dinars—take them.’
Bahlūl replied, ‘Return them to their rightful owners; that will be better for you. What would I do with them?’