Do you know why the child was frightened and did not come here?

Do you know why the child was frightened and did not come here?' I said, `No.' He said, `By Allah, he was shocked to see how closely you have been sitting to me, for he has never seen anyone besides you doing so; this is why he retreated.'" Malik went on to say, "Then he ordered for me a thousand gold dinars, a great outfit, and another thousand for my son. I sought his permission to depart, which he granted. I stood up, whereupon he bade me farewell and prayed for me, then I hurried out.

The eunuch caught up with me, bringing me the outfit which he put on my shoulder as was their custom upon gaving someone of great importance a present so that he might be seen by people carrying it then handing it over to his servant.

When the eunuch put that outfit on my shoulder, I leaned to avoid it, trying to disclaim it, whereupon Abu Ja`far ordered him to carry it to where my camel was tied."[^78] [^77] He is referring to his cousin Ja`far ibn Sulayman ibn al-Abbas, then his governor over Medina. [^78] Ibn Qutaybah, Tarikh al-Khulafa, Vol. 2, p. 150. Previous…