٦- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَلادٍ الْحَنَّاطِ قَالَ اكْتَرَيْتُ بَغْلا إِلَى قَصْرِ ابْنِ هُبَيْرَةَ ذَاهِباً وَجَائِياً بِكَذَا وَكَذَا وَخَرَجْتُ فِي طَلَبِ غَرِيمٍ لِي فَلَمَّا صِرْتُ قُرْبَ قَنْطَرَةِ الْكُوفَةِ خُبِّرْتُ أَنَّ صَاحِبِي تَوَجَّهَ إِلَى النِّيلِ فَتَوَجَّهْتُ نَحْوَ النِّيلِ فَلَمَّا أَتَيْتُ النِّيلَ خُبِّرْتُ أَنَّ صَاحِبِي تَوَجَّهَ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ وَظَفِرْتُ بِهِ وَفَرَغْتُ مِمَّا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ وَرَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ وَكَانَ ذَهَابِي وَمَجِيئِي خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْماً فَأَخْبَرْتُ صَاحِبَ الْبَغْلِ بِعُذْرِي وَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَتَحَلَّلَ مِنْهُ مِمَّا صَنَعْتُ وَأُرْضِيَهُ فَبَذَلْتُ لَهُ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ دِرْهَماً فَأَبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَ فَتَرَاضَيْنَا بِأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِالْقِصَّةِ وَأَخْبَرَهُ الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ لِي وَمَا صَنَعْتَ بِالْبَغْلِ فَقُلْتُ قَدْ دَفَعْتُهُ إِلَيْهِ سَلِيماً قَالَ نَعَمْ بَعْدَ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْماً فَقَالَ مَا تُرِيدُ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ قَالَ أُرِيدُ كِرَى بَغْلِي فَقَدْ حَبَسَهُ عَلَيَّ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْماً فَقَالَ مَا أَرَى لَكَ حَقّاً لأنَّهُ اكْتَرَاهُ إِلَى قَصْرِ ابْنِ هُبَيْرَةَ فَخَالَفَ وَرَكِبَهُ إِلَى النِّيلِ وَإِلَى بَغْدَادَ فَضَمِنَ قِيمَةَ الْبَغْلِ وَسَقَطَ الْكِرَى فَلَمَّا رَدَّ الْبَغْلَ سَلِيماً وَقَبَضْتَهُ لَمْ يَلْزَمْهُ الْكِرَى قَالَ فَخَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَجَعَلَ صَاحِبُ الْبَغْلِ يَسْتَرْجِعُ فَرَحِمْتُهُ مِمَّا أَفْتَى بِهِ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ شَيْئاً وَتَحَلَّلْتُ مِنْهُ فَحَجَجْتُ تِلْكَ السَّنَةَ فَأَخْبَرْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِمَا أَفْتَى بِهِ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ فَقَالَ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْقَضَاءِ وَشِبْهِهِ تَحْبِسُ السَّمَاءُ مَاءَهَا وَتَمْنَعُ الأرْضُ بَرَكَتَهَا قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَمَا تَرَى أَنْتَ قَالَ أَرَى لَهُ عَلَيْكَ مِثْلَ كِرَى بَغْلٍ ذَاهِباً مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ إِلَى النِّيلِ وَمِثْلَ كِرَى بَغْلٍ رَاكِباً مِنَ النِّيلِ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ وَمِثْلَ كِرَى بَغْلٍ مِنْ بَغْدَادَ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ تُوَفِّيهِ إِيَّاهُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي قَدْ عَلَفْتُهُ بِدَرَاهِمَ فَلِي عَلَيْهِ عَلَفُهُ فَقَالَ لا لأنَّكَ غَاصِبٌ فَقُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ عَطِبَ الْبَغْلُ وَنَفَقَ أَلَيْسَ كَانَ يَلْزَمُنِي قَالَ نَعَمْ قِيمَةُ بَغْلٍ يَوْمَ خَالَفْتَهُ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ أَصَابَ الْبَغْلَ كَسْرٌ أَوْ دَبَرٌ أَوْ غَمْزٌ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكَ قِيمَةُ مَا بَيْنَ الصِّحَّةِ وَالْعَيْبِ يَوْمَ تَرُدُّهُ عَلَيْهِ قُلْتُ فَمَنْ يَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ أَنْتَ وَهُوَ إِمَّا أَنْ يَحْلِفَ هُوَ عَلَى الْقِيمَةِ فَتَلْزَمَكَ فَإِنْ رَدَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَيْكَ فَحَلَفْتَ عَلَى الْقِيمَةِ لَزِمَهُ ذَلِكَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ صَاحِبُ الْبَغْلِ بِشُهُودٍ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ قِيمَةَ الْبَغْلِ حِينَ أَكْرَى كَذَا وَكَذَا فَيَلْزَمَكَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَعْطَيْتُهُ دَرَاهِمَ وَرَضِيَ بِهَا وَحَلَّلَنِي فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا رَضِيَ بِهَا وَحَلَّلَكَ حِينَ قَضَى عَلَيْهِ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ بِالْجَوْرِ وَالظُّلْمِ وَلَكِنِ ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِ فَأَخْبِرْهُ بِمَا أَفْتَيْتُكَ بِهِ فَإِنْ جَعَلَكَ فِي حِلٍّ بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ فَلا شَيْ‏ءَ عَلَيْكَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ أَبُو وَلادٍ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفْتُ مِنْ وَجْهِي ذَلِكَ لَقِيتُ الْمُكَارِيَ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا أَفْتَانِي بِهِ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَقُلْتُ لَهُ قُلْ مَا شِئْتَ حَتَّى أُعْطِيَكَهُ فَقَالَ قَدْ حَبَّبْتَ إِلَيَّ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِما السَّلام) وَوَقَعَ فِي قَلْبِي لَهُ التَّفْضِيلُ وَأَنْتَ فِي حِلٍّ وَإِنْ أَحْبَبْتَ أَنْ أَرُدَّ عَلَيْكَ الَّذِي أَخَذْتُ مِنْكَ فَعَلْتُ.
6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from abu Wallad al-Hannat who has said the following: “I once rented a mule to Qasr ibn Hubayrah for both ways for so and so much amount. I left in search of my debtor and when I reached near the bridge of al-Kufah, I was informed that my debtor had gone to al-Nil. I then moved to al-Nil. When I went to al-Nil I was informed that my debtor had gone to Baghdad. I then followed him, found him and finalized whatever was between him and me and we returned to al-Kufah. Going and coming took me fifteen days. I informed the owner of the mule of my reasons for the delay. I wanted to make it a lawful deal and make him agree so I paid him fifteen dirham but he refused to accept it. We then agreed to go to abu Hanifah for judgment. I told my side of the story to him and the man also told his side of the story. He asked me, ‘What did you do to the mule?’ I replied, ‘I have returned it to him safely.’ He (owner) said, ‘Yes, after fifteen days.’ He asked, ‘What do you want from the man?’ He replied, ‘I want the rent for the mule which he kept for fifteen days.’ He said, ‘I do not see any such right in your favor because he rented it to Qasr ibn Hubayrah, and he then violated the agreement and rode it to al-Nil and to Baghdad, so he became responsible for the price of the mule and the rent became void. He then returned the mule safely to you and you have it in your possession so he is not responsible for rent.’ We came out of his office and the owner of mule kept saying, ‘To Allah we belong and to Him we all return.’ I felt sympathy for him because of the fatwa of abu Hanifah against him and I gave him something and asked him not to hold me responsible. I went for al-Hajj in that year and informed abu ‘Abd Allah , about the fatwa of abu Hanifah. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because of this kind of judgments that the sky stops sending water and the earth denies its blessings.’ I then asked abu ‘Abd Allah , ‘What do you say about it?’ I say that you must pay him a similar rent that is charged for a mule from al-Kufah to al-Nil, a similar rent for a mule that is charged from al-Nil to Baghdad, a similar rent that is charged for a mule from Baghdad to al-Kufah. You must pay him.’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I fed the mule with a cost of many dirhams so he must pay for the feed.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, because you usurped it.’ I then said, ‘What could happen if the mule died and was damaged, would he not hold me responsible?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he could do so for the value of the mule on the day you went against the stipulation.’ I then asked, ‘What could happen if the mule became damaged, sustained injuries or so?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You would owe the price between healthy and damaged mule on the day you returned to him.’ I then asked, ‘Who could determine it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You and he (owner of mule) could do so. Either he had to take an oath to confirm the value for which you were responsible. If he turned the oath to you, you then had to take an oath about the value and it became binding on him or the owner of the mule had to present testimony and witness to prove how much the value of the mule was when it was rented and it became binding upon you.’ I then said, ‘I gave him a certain amount of dirham, he agreed and made it lawful in my favor.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He agreed and made it lawful for you because of the fatwa of abu Hanifah, unjustly. However, you must go to him and inform him of my fatwa on this matter to see if he still agrees after knowing it, thereafter there will be nothing on you.’ Abu Wallad al-Hannat has said, ‘As soon as I returned I met al-Mukariy and informed him of the fatwa of abu ‘Abd Allah , and I said to him, “Now say what you want to say so I pay you.” He said, “I feel love for Ja’far ibn Muhammad in my heart and my heart says he has preference over the others. You do not owe me anything even though I love to return what I have taken from you, I still can do so.’”” 