beauty should go hand in hand with sweetness, and with diligent effort comes dominion; once dominion arrives, every desired aim is realized.

Story: ʿAbd Allah ibn Ṭāhir related that Yaʿqūb ibn Layth’s power soared, his status rose, his name and reputation became renowned, and he took possession of Kerman, Fars, Khurasan, and Qasr al-Wāq. The caliph in those days was al-Muʿtamid, who wrote to him: “You were once a coppersmith; how did you learn the management of kingship?” Yaʿqūb replied, “The Master who granted me dominion is the One who granted me its administration.”

It was recorded in the time of Azdashir: “Every noble who refuses to set foot upon the carpet of knowledge ends in humiliation, and every slave who lacks fear of God Almighty—though he be otherwise complete—will end in remorse.”

Maxim: One day ʿAbd Allah ibn Ṭāhir asked his father, “How long will this sovereignty remain with us and within our house?” He answered, “So long as the carpet of justice and equity is spread in this audience hall.”

Maxim: Al-Maʾmūn once sat to adjudicate disputes and legal cases. A petition was brought before him, so he handed it to his vizier al-Faḍl ibn Sahl and said, “Judge this case—dispose of it at once—for the celestial sphere turns so swiftly that it scarcely rests in one state.”

The author of this book says: It is incumbent upon intelligent and discerning kings to ponder these reports, to seize their share of the days of their reign, to give redress to the oppressed, and to satisfy the needs of petitioners. They must be certain that the heavens never revolve in a single orbit: one can place no reliance on worldly dominion, and the divine decree cannot be repelled by armies, great wealth, or vast stores. When sovereignty collapses, riches vanish, and men perish, regret is useless once the foot has slipped, as the foregoing story makes clear.

Story: When Marwān, the last of the Umayyad caliphs, reviewed his army, it numbered three hundred