He was skilled in the East, and surpassed them in the principles of religion and jurisprudence. The debate ended when they were defeated and he prevailed over them.

It seems that the inability of the jurists to confront this learned man caused them to feel envy and hatred towards him.

He said: "The one who commands good and forbids evil is not a corrupt man, but rather a corrupt man whose evil is to be feared." He asked him to kill him because of that, and to shed his blood. But the prince hesitated to kill a man who only spoke the truth he heard with his own ears.

Ibn Wahib was aware of the danger of this man and the extent of his thinking and planning. He insisted that the prince imprison him, but he refused, saying: "Why should I take a Muslim and imprison him? We have not established any right against him. Is imprisonment not akin to killing? But order him to leave the country and go wherever he wishes."

When he insisted on this, warning of the man's dangers and the extent of his intentions for change, saying: "This is the owner of the marked dirham. Put a chain on him so that you do not hear the drum. This is the description of the owner of the marked dirham."

The eyes of the Murabits, named Bayan ibn Uthman, dissuaded him from his resolve, saying: "What will be said about you in the land? Will you imprison a man who knows God, and is the most knowledgeable of God's people on earth?" So he let him go.

See Ibn al-Qalanisi, Dhayl Tarikh Dimashq, p. 292. Ibn Khaldun, al-Ibar, vol. 6, p. 467. The sources do not mention the content of this debate. As for what Ibn Abi Zar' mentioned, it is the content of the debate that took place in Aghmat. See al-Qurtas, p. 121-122. See also al-Ghanaymi, Qiyam Dawlat al-Muwahhidin, p. 189.

Ibn Khaldun described it, saying: "They [the jurists] were filled with envy and resentment towards him because he adopted the Ash'ari doctrine and denied their rigidity in the interpretation of the ambiguous verses." See Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 8, p. 295. Ibn al-Khatib, A'lam al-A'lam, vol. 3, p. 53. Al-Marrakushi, al-Mu'jib, p. 169.

He says: "And the discussion occurred between them [the jurists], and they agreed that he was a Kharijite who corrupts people and seduces the masses." See Ibn al-Qalanisi, Dhayl Tarikh Dimashq, p. 292. Abu al-Fida, Mukhtasar fi Akhbar al-Bashar, vol. 2, p. 233.

See al-Zarkashi, Tarikh al-Dawlatayn, p. 57. Al-Baidhaq, Akhbar al-Mahdi, p. 58. It was rumored among the Murabits that their king would end at the hands of a man who used dirhams with angles. See Ibn Khaldun, al-Ibar, vol. 6, p. 469. See also Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 8, p. 295. Al-Nuwayri, Nihayat al-Arab, vol. 22, pp. 57-58.