They relate that Ibrahim, son of al-Mahdí, brother of Harun al-Rashid, when the Caliphate devolved to Al-Maamun the son of his brother Harun, refused to acknowledge his nephew and betook himself to Rayy where he claimed the throne and abode thus a year and eleven months and twelve days. Meanwhile his nephew, Al-Maamun, awaited his return to allegiance and his accepting a dependent position till, at last, despairing of this, he mounted with his horsemen and footmen and repaired to Rayy in quest of him. Now when the news came to Ibrahim, he found nothing for it but to flee to Baghdad and hide there, fearing for his life; and Maamun set a price of an hundred thousand gold pieces upon his head, to be paid to whoever might betray him. (Said Ibrahim) "When I heard of this price I feared for my head"—

When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy third night

When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy fourth night

'Even so,' answered I, and she said, 'Fear not: no harm shall befall you,' and redoubled in kindness to me. So I tarried with her three days, at the end of which time she said to me, "I am in fear for you, lest that man happen upon you and betray you to what you dread; so save yourself by flight. I besaught her to let me stay till nightfall, and she said, 'There is no harm in that.' So, when the night came, I put on my woman's gear and betook me to the house of a freed woman who had once been our slave. When she saw me she wept and made a show of affliction and praised Almighty Allah for my safety. Then she went forth, as if she would go to market intent on hospitable thoughts, and I fancied all was right; but, before long, suddenly espied Ibrahim al-Mosili making for the house amongst his troopers and servants, and led by a woman on foot; and looking narrowly at her behold,

Ibrahim Bin al-Mahdi and the Barber Surgeon 109 she was the freed woman, the mistress of the house, in which I had taken refuge. So she delivered me into their hands, and I saw death face to face. They carried me, in my woman's attire, to Al-Maamun who called a general council and had me brought before him. When I entered I saluted him by the title of Caliph, saying, 'Peace be on you, O Commander of the Faithful!' and he replied, 'Allah give you neither peace nor long life.' I rejoined, 'According to your good pleasure, O Commander of the Faithful!; it is for the claimant of blood revenge to decree punishment or pardon; but mercy is nigher to piety; and Allah has set your pardon above all other pardon, even as He made my sin to excel all other sin. So, if you punish, it is of yours equity, and if you pardon, it is of your bounty.' And I repeated these couplets,

'My sin to you is great, But greater your degree: So take revenge, or else Remit in clemency: If I in deeds have not Been generous, generous be!'

(Said Ibrahim), At this Al-Maamun raised his head to me and I hastened to add these two couplets,

'I've sinned enormous sin, But pardon in you lies: If pardon you, 'tis grace; Justice If you chastise!'

Then Al-Maamun bowed his head and repeated,

'I am (when friend would raise a rage that mote Make spittle choke me, sticking in my throat) His pardoner, and pardon his offence, Fearing lest I should live a friend without.'

(Said Ibrahim), Now when I heard these words I scented mercy, knowing his disposition to clemency. The he turned his son Al-Abbas and his brother Abu Ishak and all his chief officers there present and said to them, 'What deem you of his case?' They all counselled him to do me dead, but they differed as to the manner of my death. Then He said to his Wazir Ahmad bin al-Khálid, 'And what say you, O Ahmad?' He answered, 'O Commander of the Faithful, If you slay him, we find the like of you who has slain the like of him; but If you pardon him, we find not the like of you that has pardoned the like of him.' "—

When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy fifth night

And he also recited,

Be mild to brother mingling What is wrong with what is right: Kindness to him continue Whether good or graceless people: Abstain from all reproaching, If he joy or vex your sprite: See not that what you love And what hatest go unite? That joys of longer life tide Ever fade with hair turned white? That thorns on branches growing For the pluckt fruit catch your sight? Who never has done evil, Doing good for sole delight? When tried the sons of worldliness they mostly work unright."

(Ibrahim said, "Now when I heard these couplets, I withdrew my woman's veil from my head and cried out, with my loudest voice, Allah is Most Great! By God, the Commander of the Faithful pardons me!' he said, 'No harm shall come to you, O uncle;' and I rejoined, 'O Commander of the Faithful, my sin is too sore for me to excuse it and your mercy is too much for me, to speak thanks for it.' And I chanted these couplets to a likely motive:

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'Who made all graces all collected He In Adam's loins, our Seventh Imam, for you, You have the hearts of men with reverence filled, Enguarding all with heart humility; Rebelled I never by delusion whelmed For object other than your clemency; And you have pardoned me whose like was never Pardoned before, though no man pled my plea: Have pitied little ones like Kata's young, And mother's yearning heart a son to see.'

Maamun said, 'I say, following our lord Joseph (on whom and on our Prophet be blessing and peace!) let there be no reproach cast on you this day. Allah forgives you; for He is the most merciful of those who show mercy. Indeed I pardon you, and restore to you your goods and lands, O uncle, and no harm shall befall you.' So I offered up devout prayers for him and repeated these couplets,

'You have restored my wealth sans greed, and before So did, you deignedest my blood to spare: Then if I shed my blood and wealth, to gain Your grace, till even shoon from foot I tear Twere but repaying what you lentest me, And what unloaned no man to blame would care: Were I ungrateful for your lavisht boons, Baser than you'rt benificent I were!'

Then Al-Maamun showed me honour and favour and said to me,

'O uncle Abu Ishak and Al-Abbas counselled me to put you to death.' So I answered, 'And they both counselled you right O Commander of the Faithful, but you have done after yours own nature and have put away what I feared with what I hoped.' Rejoined Al-Maamun, 'O uncle, you did extinguish my rancour with the modesty of yours excuse, and I have pardoned you with out making you drink the bitterness of obligation to intercessors.' Then he prostrated himself in prayer a long while, after which he raised his head and said to me, 'O uncle, know you why prostrated myself?' Answered I, 'Perhaps you did this in thanksgiving to Allah, for that He has given you the mastery over yours enemy.' He replied, 'Such was not my design, but rather to thank Allah for having inspired me to pardon you and for having cleared my mind towards you. Now tell me your tale.' So I told him all that had befallen me with the barber, the trooper and his wife and with my freed woman who had betrayed me. So he summoned the freed woman, who was in her house, expecting the reward to be sent to her, and when she came before him he said to her, 'What moved you to deal thus with your lord?' she said, 'Lust of money.'

Asked the Caliph 'Have you a child or a husband?'; and she answered, 'No;' whereupon he bade them give her an hundred stripes with a whip and imprisoned her for life. Then he sent for the trooper and his wife and the barber surgeon and asked the soldier what had moved him to do thus. 'Lust of money,' He said; whereupon the Caliph said, 'It beffits you to be a barber cupper,' and committed him to one whom he charged to place him in a barber cupper's shop, where he might learn the craft. But he showed honour to the trooper's wife and lodged her in his palace, saying, 'This is a woman of sound sense and fit for matters of moment.' Then He said to the barber cupper, 'truly, you have shown worth and generosity which call for extraordinary honour.' So he commanded the troopers house and all that was within it to be given him and bestowed on him a dress of honour and in addition fifteen thousand dinars to be paid annually. And men tell the following tale concerning

The City of Many Columned Iram 113