1256 – ‘Abd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to me; ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ayyash, the client of Banu Jusham, narrated to us, from his father, from a certain shaykh—whom he actually named and who had lived long enough to know the reason ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd Allah was expelled—who said:

‘Amir once passed by one of the governor’s officers who was dragging a dhimmi while the man was crying out to him for help. ‘Amir turned to the dhimmi and asked, “Have you paid your jizya (poll-tax)?” He replied, “Yes.” ‘Amir then faced the officer and said, “What do you want with him?” He answered, “I want him to sweep the governor’s residence.”

‘Amir turned back to the dhimmi and asked, “Are you content to do that for him?” The man replied, “It will keep me from my own trade.” ‘Amir said to the officer, “Leave him.” He replied, “I will not leave him.” ‘Amir repeated, “Leave him,” and again the man said, “I will not leave him.”

Thereupon ‘Amir put down his cloak and declared, “By Allah, the covenant of Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—shall not be violated while I am alive!” He then rescued the dhimmi from the officer’s grasp. News of the incident climbed the administrative ladder until it became the cause for his banishment.

The governor of Basra, Ibn ‘Amir, came to see him. Someone announced, “The governor is at the door.” ‘Amir granted him permission to enter while he himself was lying asleep on his bardāʿah (saddle-pad).

Ibn ‘Amir said, “This is a letter from the Commander of the Believers about you. It alleges that you do not eat meat, you do not marry women, you do not eat clarified butter, and you speak ill of the imams.”

‘Amir replied, “As for your saying that I do not eat meat: I once passed by a butcher crying out, ‘Hypocrisy, hypocrisy!’ until he slaughtered the animal, and I loathe the flesh of any beast over which the name of Allah has not been pronounced. When we crave meat, we slaughter a sheep we have raised ourselves and then eat its meat.

“As for your saying that I do not eat clarified butter: I used to see them during our military expeditions cut into a sheep for its fat and then roast it together with that fat—yet that is carrion. Still, I may eat some of what comes to us from this desert of ours.

“As for your charge that I malign the imams—Allah forbid that I should ever disparage an imam!

“And as for your saying that I do not marry women: I pledged myself to my Lord—exalted is He—before your mother even gave birth to you.”

Humran said to him, “May Allah not increase the likes of you among the Muslims!”—meaning people like you. ‘Amir replied, “Rather, may Allah increase the likes of you among the Muslims, for the Muslims are in need of those who take care of essential affairs.”