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Among the tales told is that Yahya ibn Khalid and Abd Allah ibn Malik al-Khuza‘i harbored a secret enmity which neither allowed to show. The cause was the great affection that the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, bore Abd Allah ibn Malik, so great that Yahya ibn Khalid and his sons used to say, “Abd Allah has bewitched the Commander of the Faithful.” Thus a long time passed, with rancor lodged in their hearts. It happened that al-Rashid appointed Abd Allah ibn Malik al-Khuza‘i governor of Armenia and sent him there. Once he was established in the seat of government, a man from Iraq set out to seek him. This man possessed learning, intelligence, and discernment, but his means had dwindled, his wealth was gone, and his fortunes had fallen into ruin. He therefore forged a letter in Yahya ibn Khalid’s name to Abd Allah ibn Malik and traveled to Armenia. When he reached the governor’s gate, he handed the letter to one of his chamberlains, who took it to Abd Allah ibn Malik al-Khuza‘i. He opened it, read it, and considered it carefully, then realized that it was forged and ordered the man brought before him. When the man stood in his presence, he invoked blessings upon him and praised him and those gathered in his company. Abd Allah ibn Malik said to him, “What drove you to undertake so arduous a journey and come to me with a forged letter? But take heart: we shall not let your efforts go unrewarded.” The man replied, “May God prolong the life of our lord the vizier! If my arrival burdens you, seek no pretext for withholding your bounty. God’s earth is wide, and the Provider lives. The letter I brought you from Yahya ibn Khalid is genuine, not forged.” Abd Allah said, “I shall write to my agent in Baghdad and instruct him to inquire into this letter you have brought me. If it proves genuine and not forged, I shall appoint you governor of one of my provinces, or, if you prefer a gift, give you two hundred thousand dirhams, together with horses, fine riding camels, and robes of honor. But if the letter is forged, I shall order you beaten with two hundred strokes of a rod and have your beard shaved.” Then Abd Allah ordered that he be taken to a chamber and supplied with all he needed until the truth of his affair was known. He wrote to his agent in Baghdad as follows: “A man has come to me bearing a letter which he claims is from Yahya ibn Khalid, but I am suspicious of it. You must not neglect this matter. Go yourself and ascertain the truth about this letter, then send me a swift reply, so that we may know whether the man speaks truth or falsehood.” When the letter reached the agent in Baghdad, he mounted his horse … But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she fell silent, leaving her permitted tale untold.

Then, when it was the three hundred and seventh night,

She said: I have heard, O fortunate King, that when the letter reached Abd Allah ibn Malik al-Khuza‘i’s agent in Baghdad, he mounted at once and went to the house of Yahya ibn Khalid. He found him seated with his companions and intimates, greeted him, and handed him the letter. Yahya ibn Khalid read it and said to the agent, “Come back tomorrow, and I shall write you an answer.” After the agent had gone, he turned to his companions and asked, “What should be the reward of a man who carries a forged letter in my name to my enemy?” Each of his companions offered an opinion, proposing one punishment or another. Yahya said to them, “You are mistaken in what you have said. What you propose betrays a mean and petty spirit. You all know how close Abd Allah stands to the Commander of the Faithful, and you know the anger and enmity between him and me. Now God Most High has brought this man forward as a means of reconciliation between us, guided him to this end, and appointed him to quench the fire of rancor in our hearts, which has been growing for twenty years, so that through him our relations may be set right. It is therefore my duty to fulfill this man’s hopes and mend his fortunes, and to write a letter on his behalf to Abd Allah ibn Malik al-Khuza‘i, asking him to show the man still greater generosity and to continue to excuse and honor him.” When his companions heard this, they invoked blessings upon him and marveled at his generosity and abundant nobility of spirit. Then he called for paper and an inkwell and wrote to Abd Allah ibn Malik in his own hand as follows:

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Your letter has reached me—may God prolong your life—and I have read it, rejoicing in your well-being, your continued prosperity, and the fullness of your good fortune. You supposed that this worthy man had forged a letter in my name and carried no message from me. This is not so: I wrote the letter myself, and it is no forgery. My hope in your generosity, your kindness, and your noble character is that you will fulfill this honorable man’s hopes and wishes, show due regard for his dignity, and help him attain his desire. Bestow upon him your overflowing kindness and abundant favors. Whatever you do for him, I shall regard as done for me, and I shall be grateful for it.

Then he addressed the letter, sealed it, and handed it to the agent, who sent it on to Abd Allah. When Abd Allah read it, he rejoiced at its contents, summoned the man, and said to him, “Which of the two things I promised would you prefer, so that I may have it brought before you?” The man replied, “The gift is dearer to me than anything else.” So he ordered that the man be given two hundred thousand dirhams and ten Arabian horses, five with silk caparisons and five with ornamented ceremonial saddles, twenty chests of garments, ten mounted slaves, and precious jewels befitting such gifts. Then he bestowed a robe of honor upon him, treated him generously, and sent him off to Baghdad in great splendor. On reaching Baghdad, the man went to the gate of Yahya ibn Khalid’s house before visiting his own family and asked leave to enter. The chamberlain went in to Yahya and said, “My lord, at our gate is a man of evident dignity, handsome in appearance and prosperous in condition, with many servants, who asks to be admitted to your presence.” Yahya gave him permission to enter. When the man came in, he kissed the ground before him, and Yahya asked, “Who are you?” He replied, “My lord, I am the man whom the tyranny of time had slain, whom you raised from the grave of calamity and brought into the paradise of fulfilled desires. I am the man who forged a letter in your name and carried it to Abd Allah ibn Malik al-Khuza‘i.” Yahya asked him, “How did he treat you? What did he give you?” He replied, “Through your helping hand, your goodness of heart, your boundless favors, your all-embracing generosity, your noble spirit, and your abundant grace, he gave me so much that he made me rich, endowed me with possessions, and showered me with gifts. I have brought all his bounty and presents with me, and here they are at your gate. The command is yours, and their disposal rests in your hands.” Yahya said to him, “What you have done for me is finer than what I have done for you. It is I who owe you a great debt of gratitude for your splendid kindness, for you have changed the enmity between me and that honored man into friendship and affection. I shall therefore give you wealth equal to what Abd Allah ibn Malik bestowed upon you.” Then he ordered that the man be given money, horses, and chests of clothing equal to those Abd Allah had given him. Thus, through the magnanimity of these two generous men, his former prosperity was restored.