[Machine] I was sent by Ibn Ayyash bin Abi Rabia to Umar bin Abdul Aziz for his needs. I entered upon him and there was a scribe with him who was writing. I greeted him and he replied with greetings. Then, I said, "Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful, and the mercy of Allah." He said, "O son of Ziyad, we do not deny the first thing you said." The scribe was reading to him the grievances that came from Basra. Then, he told me to sit, so I sat on a step near the door while he listened to the scribe reading. Umar was sighing heavily. When he finished, he dismissed everyone in the room until only I and him were present. He sat in front of me and placed his hands on my knees. Then, he said, "O son of Abi Ziyad, have you worn this armor?" I said, "Yes, I have a padded armor made of wool and I have rested from what we were in." Then, he asked me about the righteous men and women of Madinah, and he asked me about the matters he had commanded them in Madinah, and I informed him. Then, he said, "O son of Abi Ziyad, don't you see what has happened to me?" I said, "Rejoice, O Commander of the Faithful, for I hope good for you." He said, "Never, never." Then, he cried until I also mourned for him. I said, "O Commander of the Faithful, some of your actions are praiseworthy, for I hope good for you." He said, "Never, never. I neither insult nor am I insulted, I neither strike nor am I struck, I neither harm nor am I harmed." He said, and then he cried until I also mourned for him. So, I stayed until he fulfilled my needs, and he wrote to my master asking him to sell me, but he refused and then freed me.
أَرْسَلَنِي ابْنُ عَيَّاشِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ فِي حَوَائِجَ لَهُ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَعِنْدَهُ كَاتِبٌ يَكْتُبُ فَقُلْتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَقَالَ وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ ثُمَّ انْتَهَيْتُ فَقُلْتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ زِيَادٍ إِنَّا لَسْنَا نُنْكِرُ الْأُولَى الَّتِي قُلْتَ وَالْكَاتِبُ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْهِ مَظَالِمَ جَاءَتْ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ فَقَالَ لِي اجْلِسْ فَجَلَسْتُ عَلَى أُسْكُفَّةِ الْبَابِ وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْهِ وَعُمَرُ يَتَنَفَّسُ الصَّعْدَاءَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَخْرَجَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي الْبَيْتِ حَتَّى وَصِيفًا كَانَ فِيهِ ثُمَّ قَامَ يَمْشِي إِلَيَّ حَتَّى جَلَسَ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ وَوَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتِي ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَبِي زِيَادٍ اسْتَدْفَأْتَ فِي مِدْرَعَتِكَ هَذِهِ؟ قَالَ وَعَليَّ مِدْرَعَةٌ مِنْ صُوفٍ وَاسْتَرَحْتَ مِمَّا نَحْنُ فِيهِ؟ ثُمَّ سَأَلَنِي عَنْ صُلَحَاءِ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ رِجَالِهِمْ وَنِسَائِهِمْ فَمَا تَرَكَ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا إِلَّا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ وَسَأَلَنِي عَنْ أُمُورٍ كَانَ أَمَرَ بِهَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَبِي زِيَادٍ أَمَا تَرَى مَا وَقَعْتُ فِيهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَبْشِرْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو لَكَ خَيْرًا قَالَ هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ ثُمَّ بَكَى حَتَّى جَعَلْتُ أَرْثِي لَهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بَعْضُ مَا تَصْنَعُ فَإِنِّي أَرْجُو لَكَ خَيْرًا قَالَ هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ أَشْتِمُ وَلَا أُشْتَمُ وَأَضْرِبُ وَلَا أُضْرَبُ وَأُوذِي وَلَا أُوذَى قَالَ ثُمَّ بَكَى حَتَّى جَعَلْتُ أَرْثِي لَهُ فَأَقَمْتُ حَتَّى قَضَى حَوَائِجِي وَكَتَبَ إِلَى مَوْلَايَ يَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَبِيعَنِي مِنْهُ ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَ مِنْ تَحْتِ فِرَاشِهِ عِشْرِينَ دِينَارًا فَقَالَ: اسْتَعِنْ بِهَذِهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ لَكَ فِي الْفَيْءِ حَقٌّ أَعْطَيْنَاكَ إِنَّمَا عَبْدٌ، فَأَبَيْتُ أَنْ آخُذَهَا فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا هِيَ مِنْ نَفَقَتِي فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِي حَتَّى أَخَذْتُهَا وَكَتَبَ إِلَى مَوْلَايَ يَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَبِيعَنِي مِنْهُ فَأَبَى وَأَعْتَقَنِي