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examined it closely, turning it this way and that, and told his companions that he had never seen a more beautiful gem. Then he said:
When Abu Muslim sent Ziyad bin Salih to China, Salih sent a stone to
Abu Muslim which in turn he sent to Abu al-'Abbas Saffah. Saffah
gave it to 'Abd Allah bin Ali. Through him it reached Mahdi and
from the latter to Rashid. One day Rashid was winding thread
round the bow and bending it when the stone fell from his ring. He
had the place searched, but the stone could not be found. Rashid
was deeply grieved. The Imam for Prayer, noticing the Caliph's grief,
purchased a beautiful stone for 20,000 dinars and had it sent to him
but the Caliph would not be pacified. When he saw the gem, he said:
"How can it bear comparison with the gem I have lost?"
Having narrated this story, Mamun said: "I shall make this insignificant
stone useless," and returned the stone to Fadl bin Rabi'. He told the
messenger to tell Fadl bin Rabi' that the days of Abu al-'Abbas were
over.
When the stone reached Fadl bin Rabi' he was silent and later told
his confidant that Mamun would not live for more than a year. The news reached Mamun before evening, but he did not disclose the matter to anyone. When 'Abbas bin Musayyab died, Mamun attended his funeral.
There at the Bab al-Sham (the Syrian Gate), he was met by a son of Fadl bin Rabi' who began to eulogise the Caliph, and introduced himself as the son of Fadl bin Rabi'. Mamun asked him to come close. When he had drawn nearer, he whispered in his ear: "Tell Abu al-'Abbas that the time has passed". 53 'Umar bin 'Abd al-'Aziz, although extremely pious and eschewing
worldly goods — indeed, he was indifferent to worldly and mundane things — yet he kept precious stones well guarded and had many a precious jewel in the Government treasury. He learned that his son, 'Abd Allah had bought a stone for a thousand dirhams. He wrote to him: I have been informed that thou hast bought a ring, the inset of which
has cost a thousand dirhams. I command thee to abjure it and sell it. Feed a thousand hungry people with the sale price thou shalt get for it, and get thyself a ring made of silver, with the inset also cast in silver. Have this inscribed upon it: "May God have Mercy upon him who has recognised himself." 'Abd Allah fulfilled the command of his father. Coming back to the stone lost by al-Rashid between the gate and the palace, it is quite possible that someone who found it might have made away with it or that it was swallowed by some bird or snatched by an eagle under the impression that it was a piece of flesh. 'Abd Allah bin Marwan bin Muhammad |
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