مكاتبة نصر ابن فتوح
The letter of the excellent shaykh has arrived—may God prolong his life and continue His support and favors to him. We examined it and understood everything he mentioned; we praised God for his safety and thanked Him for it.
As to what you mentioned concerning another person, someone concerned with these matters: when the noble one—may God strengthen him—learned of it, although extremely ill in body, he said: “These estates were included because of the shares owed to me in these places, and also because of the community of good, trustworthy friends who described these places to us.”
If these people have fallen short of what was required of them in encouraging the cultivation and maintenance of the estates, and have not accepted the agent whom we sent to them, but have considered the first agent to be their own man and refuse a replacement, this demonstrates betrayal on the part of all of them. When the cultivator colludes with the agent, it is evidence of the loss of the owner's property.
I have seen my noble master resolve to dissolve the guarantee—I mean the guarantee for these estates—and to be satisfied with the shares that belong to him. We have learned of the good conduct of these two men, of their paying what still remained due from them, and of their submitting what they held. We thank them for this and distinguish them from the others; may God reward them well.
I have seen my noble master resolve to dissolve the guarantee—I mean the guarantee for these estates—and to be content with the shares that belong to him. He will transfer these two trustworthy men to them, for time has exposed the condition of the others and disclosed their inner intentions through their failure to distinguish right from wrong.
What could be more astonishing than the people of an estate claiming authority over its owner to decide whom he should appoint as their agent? If those people and the agent were truly trustworthy, they would not agree upon the loss of the owner’s property. He has treated them fairly, not unjustly; his only aim is their welfare.
Even more astonishing, the agent himself admits to us the fraud and theft he has committed, together with Musharraf—may God not preserve them. The community bears witness concerning them, yet the cultivators say of the agent: “He is trustworthy; we do not want another.”
The noble one said: “We shall make plain his actions and theirs. As for what we have with them, we shall take from it whatever can be agreed upon. If they prevent us from obtaining some part of what they hold, we shall reckon it to God and free ourselves from them and their machinations.” The noble one consulted certain heads of the government, including a person with influence at the bureau, about dissolving this guarantee. That person agreed, and he is now striving to dissolve it. He has directed that his equipment or goods in the estates be taken to another place until God makes possible something better.
Since the matter stands thus, the man sent to ʿAmmār must not remain with the people for even an hour. Let him go back to one of the places we mentioned to him and commanded him to withdraw to, and write to us about it, so that we may tell him what to do. You will be praised and thanked for what you have done; proceed with it, and success comes from God.
Concerning the linen that has arrived, be diligent in selling it and collecting the price. If you use the proceeds to buy oil from the districts of Palestine, that will be better. Tell us about ʿĪsā and Ḥarb, and what happened in their trading. If you wish to send the letter to be read before the shaykhs, do so, but do not return to them concerning it.
Furthermore, the elder Shaykh Ḥasan was with us and witnessed all of Masʿūd's betrayal and wrongful actions. By God, I reproached him for accepting such behavior and forbade him to do so. I told him: “You intend to go to the estate without bearing witness to what you have seen and heard of this liar’s treachery. If so, God will punish you, for you are a deceiver.” By God, I commanded him to remain with me, but the wretched man prevented him. He departed on the understanding that he would return and stay with me before going away. He went off, remained for three days, and afterward came and told me that he had lost his way to the place.
By Almighty God, he had left the place and returned to it more than ten times before making that statement! He was not ashamed of this absurd excuse. Rather, the other man had been preventing him and others from reaching us, so that his wrongdoing would not be exposed before the Helpers and the rest.
As for ʿAlī, the brother of al-ʿAzzāl, this man has spent his life being made to practice deception and lying in religious affairs at every turn, until he lost all trustworthiness. I wrote to them: “If this ʿAlī comes to you claiming to have received a command and saying, ‘This is the guarantor's command,’ do not accept it from him. Do not entrust him with anything in your hands; he uses such devices and others like them.”
We shall endure these circumstances until we can extricate ourselves from these people in a seemly fashion. If they withhold what they possess of the religion and the remainder of the trade, we shall rely on God against them. If thereafter we have the power to do anything, we shall do it when their affair reaches open denial. I send you my fullest greeting, and the same to the community with you. Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and His blessings upon the best of the prophets. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best Trustee.
By God, by God, do not let ʿAmmār remain among them for even one hour, lest they contrive some trick against him, for the people have become corrupt. Write to me upon his arrival at whatever place he reaches. Be diligent in sending someone who can reach him to travel toward Abū Jumʿa, and write about his arrival. Tell me whether anyone has come to him from his family, and what you have heard of Ḥasan al-Maghribī and his family. Ask about their trade, and whether anything from either of them has reached the vicinity of Tripoli. Explain all that to me, together with everything you do, in a prompt reply to this letter, and insist upon the courier's speed in answering, God willing. Through Him comes success.
Extract from another letter:
More serious still is that my brother ʿAmmār traded as people normally trade with their money, from one land to another. The people of the estate tricked him and took his property, and I do not know whether he is alive or dead. What value could the entire estate have, even if the man were killed because of it? God curse such wicked souls! Do not mention to us again the cultivation of this estate. The guarantee for it has been dissolved and what goods were there have been given up. As for what remains with them, whoever is able may demand it without committing injustice against them.
Peace.