Imām Abū Dāwūd and the Father of the Caliph 🤝 👑

Al-Khattābi rahimullah (d.388 AH) narrates in his Ma’ālim al-Sunan from the servant of Abū Dāwūd , Abū Bakr ibn Jābir that he said:

I was with him in Baghdād, thus we performed Maghrib when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Hence, he opened it and there was a servant saying, "This is the governor Abū Aḥmad al-Muwaffaq (the father of the caliph to be and uncle of the current caliph) seeking permission," so I went [back inside] to Abū Dāwūd and I informed him of his presence, and he gave him permission. Hence, he entered and sat, then Abū Dāwūd turned to him and said, "What has bought you here oh governor?" To which the governor replied, "Three requests." So, he asked, "What are they?" He replied, "That you move to Basrah and make it your home so that the students of knowledge can travel to you from the corners of the world, hence, it (Basrah) becomes popular, for indeed it has become deserted, and the people have abandoned it due to that which it (Basrah) went through with the trials of the Zanj." He (Abū Dāwūd) replied, "That's one, what is the second [request]?" He said, "That you narrate the book Al-Sunan to my children." Abū Dāwūd said, "Agreed, present the third [request]," he then requested, "Make a special gathering for them (my children), for indeed, the children of the caliphs do not sit with the general people." He (Abū Dāwūd) said, "As for this, there is no way to it [happening], because the people, whether noble or ignoble are treated equally in [the field of] sacred knowledge."