Muḥammad ibn Sahl al-Marwazī

Muḥammad ibn Sahl al-Marwazī related to us. He said: Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm related to me. He said: ʿAlī ibn ʿĪsā related to us. He said: Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, the teacher—who was imam of Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan’s mosque—informed us. He said: There was a woman who had lost her reason and had a nickname. When called by it, she would curse. A man called her by it, and she accused his parents of illicit intercourse, while both were alive. She was brought before Ibn Abī Laylā, who imposed two prescribed punishments in one sitting, flogged her in the mosque, and imposed both punishments while she was standing. This reached Abū Ḥanīfa, may God have mercy on him. He said: ‘He erred in several respects. He imposed two punishments for the man’s parents, although they were alive and were the parties entitled to complain; this man was not such a party. He imposed two punishments in one place, though two punishments are not combined [until one has abated]. He imposed two punishments, although someone who accuses many people is subject to only one prescribed punishment. He punished her standing, although a woman is not subjected to a prescribed punishment standing. He punished her although she had lost her reason, and such a woman is not punished, for the pen is lifted from her. He stretched her out, although a woman is not stretched out. He flogged her in the mosque, although prescribed punishments are not carried out in the mosque.’ ʿAlī said: Bishr ibn Yaḥyā informed me of the final point.

The bracketed qualification [حتى يخف أحدهما] is retained in its brief form; no additional procedural condition has been supplied.

Muḥammad ibn Sahl related to us. He said: Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Tawba al-Hamdānī related to me. He said: I heard Layth ibn Naṣr say: When Abū Ḥanīfa was pressed to accept judicial office and refused, he was beaten, brought out of the palace, and paraded around. Ibn Shubruma saw him and said: ‘What harm would it have done this poor man to accept?’ Ibn Abī Laylā said to him: ‘He is a poor man in your eyes and mine, but tomorrow he will be better than you and me.’

Muḥammad ibn Sahl al-Marwazī related to us. He said: Muḥammad ibn Hāniʾ related to us. He said: ʿAlī ibn ʿĪsā related to us. He said: Yaḥyā ibn Naṣr ibn Ḥājib related to us. He said: Ibn Hubayra wanted to write a document between himself and the Khārijites resembling a truce, or a peace agreement. He told Ibn Abī Laylā and Ibn Shubruma: ‘Write it.’ They asked him for a month’s delay and wrote it, but Ibn Hubayra was not satisfied. He was told: ‘In Kufa there is a man skilled in examining such matters.’ He summoned him. When he arrived, he gave him the document Ibn Shubruma and Ibn Abī Laylā had written, with people present. Abū Ḥanīfa, may God have mercy on him, read it and said: ‘It is all mistaken except the names of God Most High mentioned in it.’ Ibn Hubayra said: ‘Will you write it?’ He said: ‘Yes, if you wish.’ He said: ‘I do wish it.’ He said: ‘When do you want me to write it?’ Ibn Hubayra said: ‘Now.’ Abū Ḥanīfa said: ‘Call a scribe.’ He called one, and Abū Ḥanīfa dictated a good document that satisfied those present. That was the first day on which Abū Ḥanīfa was preferred over Ibn Abī Laylā and Ibn Shubruma.

Muḥammad ibn Sahl al-Marwazī related to us. He said: Muḥammad ibn Hāniʾ related to me. He said: I heard Khallād ibn Yaḥyā in Mecca say: Misʿar said—and he mentioned a similar report.

The Arabic abbreviates the account with مثله; the preceding report’s narrative is not repeated here.