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that Harun was innocent of extravagance and wastefulness does not fit the events on which the
historians have unanimously agreed and that indicate
[1] Al‐Dimyari, Hayat al‐Hayawan, vol. 2, pp. 188‐189.
[2] Ibn Khaldun, Tarikh, vol. 1, p. 14.
that Harun wasted and plundered the properties of the Muslims. None of the writers has agreed
with him on this statement. Ahmed Amin, known for his deviation from Islam and his partiality,
has not agreed with him when he said: “We do not agree with him (Ibn Khaldun) on that which is
concluded from his statement that he (Harun) was far from extravagance and luxury, that he led a
simple life, and that he did not commit a forbidden thing. For this is also excessiveness in the
sanctification Harun’s conduct does not show, especially as it concerns rhetorical proofs. For the
nearness of his time to that of al‐Mansur does not require that he lived as he did. Indeed he
declared several times that luxury and comfort at the time of al‐Rashid was more than that at the
time of al‐Mansur. If the nearness of the time was enough as a proof, we would not see that al‐
Ma’mun, whose time was near to that of al‐Rashid, follow his behavior.
“The wonder is that he has specified long chapters in which he has dealt with describing the
civilization, the comfort, and the luxury during the days of al‐Rashid, al‐Amin, and al‐Ma’mun and
their giving variety to food and drink. It is he who has agreed with al‐Mas‘udi and al‐Teberi on
what they have narrated in respect with the wedding of al‐Ma’mun and Bouran, daughter of al‐
Hasan, and that al‐Ma’mun gave her during her dowry on the night of her wedding ceremony a
thousand stone of corundum and kindled ambergris candles, each one weighed Mann (a dry
measure =815,39 g). He ordered carpets to be spread out for her. Each carpet was woven in gold
and inlaid with pearls and corundum.”[1]
Is this not going too far in luxury? Did the nearness of the time of al‐Ma’mun to that of al‐Rashid
make the people lead a simple life just as the nearness of the time of al‐Rashid to that of al‐
Mansur did, as he says?
Indeed Ibn Khaldun is mistaken in his describing the time of al‐Rashid with simplicity, and that he
and his people were far from extravagance and luxury.[2]
Al‐Joumerd’s Defense
Not only Ibn Khaldun stood alone in this weak speech but also Dr. ‘Abd al‐Jebbar al‐Joumerd
shared him in that. When he found no way to criticize those reports indicating al‐Rashid’s going
too far in practicing extravagance, he began searching for him excuses and justifications. He has
said: “If we study the social and the then prevailing situation, and (if) we remember what we have
previously said in respect with the amount of the properties the state taxes produced to the
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