Abu Bakr al-Khatib (1) related: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ya‘qūb informed us; Muḥammad ibn Na‘īm al-Ḍabbī narrated to us; I heard Abū al-Walīd Ḥassān ibn Muḥammad the jurist say: I heard Abū al-‘Abbās Ibn Surayj say: I heard Ismā‘īl ibn Isḥāq the judge say:

“I once entered upon al-Mu‘taḍid while a number of youthful Byzantines, handsome of face, were standing over him. I kept looking at them, and al-Mu‘taḍid noticed me contemplating them. When I rose to leave, he signalled for me to stay, so I remained a while. When the room had emptied he said to me, ‘O judge, by Allah, never in my life have I undone my trousers for anything unlawful.’”

Al-Bayhaqī transmitted—through al-Ḥākim, Ḥassān ibn Muḥammad, Ibn Surayj the judge, and Ismā‘īl ibn Isḥāq—who said:

“I entered upon al-Mu‘taḍid one day and he handed me a book. I read it and found that it contained for him every dispensation drawn from the slips of the scholars. I said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, only a zindiq would compile this.’ He asked, ‘Why so?’ I replied, ‘The one who permits nabidh (fermented date drink) does not permit mut‘a (temporary marriage), and the one who permits mut‘a does not permit nabidh (2). Whoever gathers the slips of the scholars and then acts on them destroys his religion.’ So he ordered that the book be burned (3).”

Al-Khatib (4) also narrated with his chain from Ṣāfī al-Ḥaramī, the palace servant, who said:

“Al-Mu‘taḍid, while I was with him, arrived at the residence of Shaghb (5), where his son al-Muqtadir, Ja‘far, was seated (6). Around him were about ten maidservants and some boys of his own age, and before him stood a silver platter bearing a cluster of grapes—grapes were extremely scarce at that time. He would eat a single grape and then pass one grape to each person seated with him. Al-Mu‘taḍid left him and sat in another room, weighed down with anxiety.

“I said to him, ‘What troubles you, O Commander of the Faithful?’

“He replied, ‘Woe to you! By Allah, were it not for the Fire and for disgrace I would certainly kill this boy, for in his death lies the welfare of the nation.’

“I said, ‘I seek Allah’s protection for you, O Commander of the Faithful; curse Satan.’

“He answered, ‘Woe to you, Ṣāfī! This boy is extraordinarily generous—children by nature resist generosity, yet he has reached its utmost limit. After me the people will accept no ruler but one of my offspring. Al-Muktafī will succeed me, yet his days will be short because of the illness he carries—the swine disease. When he dies, this Ja‘far will be set over the people; he will pour the entire wealth of the treasury into the hands of his favourites, so smitten is he with them and so recent is his parting from their company. The affairs of the Muslims will be squandered, the frontiers left unguarded, and turmoil, rebels, and evils will abound.’