Imam became aware of this animosity and in order to counteract...

Imam became aware of this animosity and in order to counteract, he wrote a letter to Mutawakkil explaining the personal enmity of the Governor of Madina against him. As a political step Mutawakkil was quick to dismiss the Governor. At the same time he sent a regiment under the command of Yahya ibn Harthama who explained to the Imam in a friendly way that the caliph wished him to stay in Baghdad for a while. He can then come back to Madina. The Imam knew well the motives behind this request.

He realized that the polite invitation meant his banishment from his ancestral city.…