- ʿAbd Allah narrated to us, my father narrated to us, Sayyar narrated to us, Jaʿfar narrated to us, and Thabit said:
ʿAbd Allah ibn Ziyad, the nephew of Safwan ibn Muhriz al-Mazini, was arrested. People pressed the matter on his behalf; there was no one left who did not speak about him, yet Safwan found no success in securing his release. That night he stayed in his prayer-corner, praying, until he dozed off in the middle of his prayer ⦗208⦘. While he slept, someone came to him in a dream and said, “O Safwan, rise and seek your need directly from its source.” He replied, “I shall.” He rose, performed ablution with water, prayed, and supplicated.
Ibn Ziyad was then alerted to Safwan’s request. The guards and police arrived with torches, the prison doors were opened, and Safwan’s nephew was brought out and taken before Ibn Ziyad. Ibn Ziyad asked, “Are you Safwan’s nephew?” He answered, “Yes,” so he set him free.
Safwan was unaware of any of this until someone knocked at his door. He said, “Who is it?” The man replied, “It is so-and-so. The governor was roused in the middle of the night; the guards and police came with torches, the prison doors were opened, and I was brought out and released—after a guarantee had been provided, that is.”