Nomad tricks entire city just to meet Al-Ma’mun

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I WAS baffled by an awkward story about a Bedouin (nomad) who wanted to meet the seventh Abbasid Caliph Al-Ma’mun, but whose appeals to see the caliph were not granted throughout a year.

The story is about a Bedouin merchant who was a member of the deep state and was attacked by bandits and was robbed of all his money.

He resorted to meeting the Caliph to report and complain to him, but his attempts throughout a year to have an audience with him failed.

Therefore, he devised a trick to make sure he will be put before the caliph.

On a Friday, he called out to the people of the Abbasid capital, Baghdad, and started claiming that he possesses what is not for Allah, and he has what is not with Allah. He went on claiming that he has what Allah did not create, he loves temptation, hates the truth, bears witness to what he hasn’t seen, and prays without ablution.

When people heard such weird claims, he was arrested and brought before the Caliph Al-Ma’mun.

The nomad owned up to his claims, but explained that he did so as a trick in order to seek audience with the caliph, after trying unsuccessfully for an entire year.

He went on to report his ordeal with the bandits with the hope that the caliph will compensate him.

The caliph then ordered him to elaborate the claims he made in public.

He explained, “When I said I possess what is not for Allah, I meant that I have a wife and a child, and Almighty Allah doesn’t.

When I said I have what Allah did not create, I meant I deceive and lie, something that the Almighty doesn’t”.

Regarding his love of temptation, he referred to the Quranic verse – “Know that your wealth and children are a temptation for you…” and he affirmed that he loves wealth and children.

When he said he hates the truth, he meant he hated death, which unfortunately is a truth and reality.

“When I said I bear witness to what I have not seen, I meant I believe in Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) even though I have never seen him. When I said I pray without ablution, I meant is that wishing peace and blessings to Prophet Muhammad is done without ablution”.

Al-Ma’mun was satisfied with the explanations given by the nomad, and ordered the payment of his compensation for what the bandits looted from him.

This anecdote leads us to an Egyptian popular proverb which says not to haste in judging something instantly, but instead sleep on it.

Recently, it has become a global norm that the first 100 days of any government – new era – are the test through which people can predict the outcome of the performance of those who assume major responsibilities in the state.

Therefore, in those countries especially the ones with monarchy, there is no immunity for the sons of kings or the crown princes. All of them are held accountable like the rest of the citizens.

We have recently seen some examples of this in Britain, Spain, and various other countries.

With the technological development and the great openness experienced in democratic countries, nothing is hidden from the ruler.

Instead of the ruler disguising during the day and going to the markets to find out the conditions of the people, or visiting the homes of the poor at night, the officials can just read what is published in the media, which has become the main source for knowing the conditions of the people, and remedy the challenges they suffer from.

Nowadays, people no longer need tricks to reach the decision-making centers to present their cases, except in the narrowest limits, especially in countries where leaders close their doors, most notably the countries where the intelligence units dominate everything, similar to what happened during the era of Abdul Nasser in Egypt, and also in Libya, Iraq, and others where the fear of “morning raids” kept people up whole night.

These methods have led to unparalleled chaos in those countries. The people have paid a very heavy price, and some of them are still paying it.

In some Gulf countries, the rulers have enacted a good practice, such as the rule established by the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the beginning of his rule. During one of the occasions in 2017, he said, “I always repeat these words – blessed is the one who informs me of my flaws. I also say that – our doors are open, our phones are open, and our ears are attentive to every citizen”.

An observer of the developments in Saudi Arabia is well aware that the policy of open doors and constant information from the highest authorities on what people need or the problems they suffer from is the main source of many royal orders that are based on fairness to the Saudis.

What is impressive about the pursuit of the state’s renaissance is what the Vice President of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid did in 2012 when he visited a government department, and found the doors of its managers closed.

He immediately ordered the removal of the doors and sent a message on Twitter, “I passed by a government department unannounced and I was surprised by the number of managers behind closed doors. On the same day, I ordered a carpenter to remove all those doors”.

This open-door policy has made the UAE one of the most developed countries in the region. Therefore, the Kuwaitis rejoiced over the field visit of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf to the Ministries Complex. We hope such visits will continue in all state facilities, and  become a good practice.

The majority of Kuwaitis today believe that the rulers should work on continuous visits to government institutions and headquarters, and inquire about people’s issues directly.

A strong state is the one where leaders work with full transparency until advisors and aides of the deep state isolate them from their people.

Last week, His Highness the Prime Minister was in the field, and tomorrow His Highness the Crown Prince may do the same. 

Nonetheless, we hope that the leadership will allow social media to be active in revealing the facts, without imprisoning those who send Twitter messages. Instead, it should take the facts from what is tweeted and leave the rubbish out.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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