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al- Walid arranged for his Christian companion
a monthly share of the Muslims' public fund, including
wine and pork.
Ansab al-ashraf of al-Baladhuri
Protecting a winebibbing
companion
Abu al-Faraj narrates in the book "al-Aghani",
quoting Ibn al-A'rabi as follows: When al-Walid was
appointed by his brother, 'Uthman, as governor of Kufah,
Abu Zubayd, a Christian poet, joined him. al-Walid provided
him with a house belonging to 'Aqil ibn Abi_Talib and
granted it to him. This offer of the house to a Christian,
addicted to wine, prompted the Muslims of Kufah for
the first time ever to speak ill of and criticize al
Walid, since this Christian entered the mosque in order
to meet al-Walid and accompany him to his house to engage
in nightly revelry and drinking, and while tottering
and drunken, he passed through the mosque to return
home.
al-Walid's conduct clearly showed his carelessness towards
religious affairs and his indifference towards the people's
feelings and beliefs. At a time when he was expected
to abandon wine drinking and check the acts of Abu Zubayd,
his companion, which were against religious laws and
common usage, he on the contrary granted this Christian
the vast lands situated between the red palaces of ash-Sham
and Hira and made those lands a pasture for his flock
and cattle, forbidding others to use them. In return,
for this favour Abu Zubayd composed a poem in his praise.(145)
al-Baladhuri writes: al-Walid arranged for his Christian
companion a monthly allowance from the Muslims' public
fund -including wine and pork. His intimate friends
reminded him such an act would antagonize people towards
him. consequently, he stopped the allowance of wine
and pork and ordered to pay him their price every month
in addition his salary. This governor of Kufah allowed
a Christian to enter a Muslims' mosque.(146)
Another wrong act of al-Walid ibn 'Uqbah resulted in
making people cynical about 'Uthman's government and
his protégé,
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