abdullah bin abi marwan alfarsi told me i rode with thamamah bin ashras to abu abbad the scribe regarding some matters that the people of armenia the mutazilites and shiites had written to me about. so we came to him and he treated thamamah with respect and seated him at the head of the gathering. he sat opposite him and with him were a group of notables. we talked for a while then thamamah spoke to me about my matter and i brought out the peoples letters and he read them. they had written letters to abu abbad and they were his friends during the days when he was in armenia. so he said to me come to me early tomorrow so that i may write their answers god willing. so i said may god make me your ransom order the chamberlain when you come to give me permission. so he became angry at what i said and became furious and said when am i ever kept away who should have a chamberlain or someone who has a chamberlain over me!
وحدثني عبد الله بن أبي مروان الفارسي قال ركبت مع ثمامة بن أشرس إلى أبي عباد الكاتب، في حوائج كتب إلي فيها أهل إرمينية من المعتزلة والشيعة، فأتيناه فأعظم ثمامة وأقعده في صدر المجلس وجلس قبالته، وعنده جماعة من الوجوه، فتحدثنا ساعة ثم كلمة ثمامة في حاجتي، وأخرجت كتب القوم فقرأها، وقد كانوا كتبوا إلى أبي عباد كتبا، وكانوا أصدقاءه أيام كونه بإرمينية، فقال لي بكر إلي غدا حتى أكتب جواباتها إن شاء الله. فقلت جعلني الله فداك، تأمر الحاجب إذا جئت أن يأذن لي. فغضب من قولي واستشاط وقال متى حجبت أنا، أولى حاجب، أو لأحد علي حجاب!.