Before him were unsheathed, poisoned swords. Then he summoned a few trustworthy servants of his, and he took an oath and a covenant from each of us with his tongue, and no one else was present. He said: 'This covenant is binding upon you if you do what I command you and do not violate any part of it.' We said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Let each of you take one of these swords in his hand, and go and enter upon Ali bin Musa in his chamber. If you find him sitting or standing, do not speak to him. Place your swords upon him and strike him with them until you satisfy yourselves and mix his flesh with his blood and his bones. Then throw his carpet over him and wipe your swords, and come to me. I have assigned to each of you ten purses of money and ten fertile lands, and favor with me as long as I live and remain.'" He said: "We took the swords and entered upon him, may his glory be exalted, in his chamber. We found him lying down, moving his eyes and hand, and speaking words we did not understand. The servants hastened with the swords to him, and I placed my sword aside, standing and looking at him until the servants did to him what Al-Ma'mun had commanded them. Then they threw his carpet over him and wiped their swords and went out until they entered upon Al-Ma'mun. He said to them: 'What did you do?' They said: 'What you commanded us to do.' I thought they would say that I had not struck him with my sword or advanced towards him. He said: 'Which of you was the quickest to strike him with the sword?' They said: 'Subayh Al-Daylami.' Then he said: 'Do not repeat anything that happened or what you did, or you will lose your favor with me, hasten your demise, and lose the Hereafter and the World.'" He said: "When the dawn broke, Al-Ma'mun went out and sat in his assembly, bareheaded, with his clothes unbuttoned, and feigned his death and sat for condolences. Before people reached him, he stood up barefoot, walking to the chamber to look at him, and I was before him. When he entered upon him in his chamber, he heard a murmur, and he trembled. Then he said: 'Who is with him?' We said: 'We do not know.' He said: 'Hurry up and look.' Subayh said: 'I hurried to the room, and behold, my Master was sitting in his chamber, continuing his glorification (tasbih).' Al-Ma'mun trembled and shivered. Then he said: 'You betrayed me, may Allah curse you!' Then he turned to me from among the group and said: 'O Subayh,' I said: 'At your service, O my Master,' and I fell on my face. He said to me: 'Get up and say to him: {They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will complete His light, even though the disbelievers dislike it.}'"¹