Notes on the Call of the Arabs: Al-Ma'mun Does Justice to a Woman

Qahtaba ibn Humayd said: One day, while I was at al-Ma'mun's court, when he had sat to hear grievances, a woman came forward in the garb of travel, wearing shabby clothes. She stood before him and said:

"Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful."

Al-Ma'mun said, "And upon you be peace. Speak your need."

She said: "I have come to seek redress against the chief of a people, who wrested my estates from me unjustly and scattered my family and children from me."

Al-Ma'mun said to her, "Bring your adversary tomorrow, and we shall see you righted against him."

On the morrow, the first to come before him was that woman. She said, "Peace, O Commander of the Faithful." He said, "And upon you be peace. Where is the adversary?" She said, "He who stands at your head, O Commander of the Faithful"—

and she pointed to al-Abbas, his son.
The Commander ordered his chamberlain to take al-Abbas by the hand and seat him with her in the litigants' place. Her speech began to rise above the speech of al-Abbas, and Ahmad ibn Abi Khalid said to her: "O handmaid of God, you are before the Commander of the Faithful, and it is the Emir you are addressing—so lower your voice." But al-Ma'mun said: "Let her be, brother, for it is right that has made her speak, and wrong that has struck him dumb." Then he ruled that her estate be restored to her, and punished al-Abbas for his injustice.