After the plot had been carried out...

After the plot had been carried out, al-Hadi had been killed and become a motionless body in his palace, Yehya hurried to the prison and walked towards al-Rashid, who was sleeping. He woke him, and he got up in terror. Yehya said to him: Rise, Commander of the faithful! Al-Rashid became angry, so he rebuked him, saying to him: You always terrify [1] Subh al-A'sha, vol. 3, p. 270. me due to your admiration for my succession! You are fully aware of my condition with this man (al-Hadi).

If he hears of this, what will my affair with him? Yehya smiled at him and said to him: Al-Hadi has died. This is his ring. His minister al-Herrani is at the door. Al-Rashid rose happily. He immediately went to the palace where his brothers corpse was. He came to know of the affair. He spent that night there. It was a historical night full of important events of which were: Al-Rashid left prison and was appointed as a caliph.

His Persian slave girl, Merajil, born him a male baby, and he named him Abd Allah, who is better known as al-Mamun. Concerning that night, they said: It was the night of the caliphs. On it a caliph died, a caliph was given the pledge of allegiance, and a caliph was born. In the morning al-Rashid rose and performed the prayer over his brother and buried him in the garden of his palace.[1] Then the notable men of Baghdad went to al-Rashid to pledge allegiance to him.

When the White Palace was full of the people from among different classes, Yousif b. al-Qasim b. Sabeeh al-Katib ascended the pulpit and addressed them, saying: Surely Allah, the Great and Almighty, has made his vicegerent Musa al-Hadi die and appointed al-Rashid as Commander of the faithful. He (al-Rashid) has promised to have mercy on the people, to establish justice, to spread the truth among them, to protect their souls and their honors from the disobedient apostates.

Then he turned to the people and asked them to hurry to give the pledge of allegiance, saying: Rise to your pledge of allegiance and give the bargain of your faith. The people hurried to give al-Rashid the pledge of allegiance and declared their pleasure with him. All things were completed in the White Palace. So al-Rashid decided to leave Iyabad and to go to Baghdad. However, Yehya advised him to delay, that he might prepare for him popular festivals.

Nevertheless, al-Rashid did not yield to that. He along with his procession immediately headed for his capital (Baghdad).