18 - Abu Bakr al-Marrudhi informed us, saying: I visited Abu Abdullah on the day Ibn Asim al-Rafidi was flogged at the head of the bridge, for he had been given the prescribed legal punishment (hadd). I entered upon Abu Abdullah and saw him joyful, with the traces of happiness apparent on his face. He said to me: "Abu Hurayrah said: 'The establishment of a hadd in the land is better for the land than that it should rain for forty days.'" I said to Abu Abdullah: "I have absolved the Caliph of any responsibility if he owes us anything regarding our affairs." Abu Abdullah smiled, and the one who had ordered his flogging was Ja'far al-Mansur, may Allah have mercy upon him. When the second flogging occurred, in which he died, I entered upon Abu Abdullah, and he began to recite "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return) and ask Allah for well-being.
١٨ - أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْمَرُّوذِيُّ، قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ ضُرِبَ ابْنُ عَاصِمٍ الرَّافِضِيُّ رَأْسَ الْجِسْرِ، وَكَانَ ضُرِبَ الْحَدَّ، فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَرَأَيْتُهُ مُسْتَبْشِرًا يَتَبَيَّنُ فِي وَجْهِهِ أَثَرَ السُّرُورِ، فَقَالَ لِي: إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: «لَإِقَامَةُ حَدٍّ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَيْرٌ لِلْأَرْضِ مِنْ أَنْ تُمْطَرَ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا» ، فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: قَدْ جَعَلْتُ الْخَلِيفَةَ فِي حِلٍّ إِنْ كَانَ يَجِبُ لَنَا عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ أُمُورِنَا، فَتَبَسَّمَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَكَانَ الَّذِي أَمَرَ بِضَرْبِهِ جَعْفَرٌ الْمَنْصُورُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ الضَّرْبِ الثَّانِي الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، فَجَعَلَ يَسْتَرْجِعُ وَيَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَافِيَةَ
