You perform the pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah...

You perform the pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah; you fight our foe, and you secure the safety of the highways; the weak feel secure through you against being devoured by the strong, and it is through you that the creed stands; so, you are surely the best of men and the most just of imams." As for Abu Thuayb, he answered al-Mansour thus: "You, by Allah, in my view, are the very worst of all men; you took what belonged to Allah and His Messenger, and you confiscated the shares of those of kin, and of the orphans, and of the indigent; you annihilated the weak and exhausted the strong then took their wealth; so, what will be your excuse tomorrow when you stand before Allah?" Abu Ja`far al-Mansour said to him, "Woe unto you!

What do I hear you saying?! Have you lost your mind?! Look and tell me: Who do you see in front of you?" He said, "Yes, I see swords, but it is only death, and it is something which cannot be avoided; the sooner it comes the better." After this conversation, al-Mansour dismissed Ibn Abu Thuayb and Ibn Sam`an, keeping Malik. Having granted him security, he said to him, "O Abu Abdullah! Go back to your country well-guided and guiding others.

But if you prefer to stay with us, we will not prefer anyone over you, nor will we regard anyone as your peer." Al-Mansour then sent each one of them a money sack containing five thousand dinars with one of his policemen. He instructed the policeman thus: "Give each one of these men one of these sacks. If Malik ibn Anas takes it, leave him alone, and if he does not, there is no harm on him if he refuses it.

But if Abu Thuayb take it, cut his head off and bring it to me, but if he gives it back to you, leave him alone and do not harm him. If Ibn Sam`an refuses to take his, kill him and bring his head to me, but if he takes it, let that secure his safety." Malik says, "The policeman took the sacks to all three of us. Ibn Sam`an accepted it, so he was safe. Abu Thuayb refused to accept it, so he was safe.

As for me, I was, by Allah, in need of it, so I took it."[^82] This incident demonstrates to us the fact that Malik knew very well how unjust and oppressive this caliph was. Yet, due to the friendly ties between him and al-Mansour, he begged him, invoking the name of Muhammad and his kinship to him, not to press him to express his opinion.