when he had done what he had done the debtor turned to his friend and said what prompted you to say this? why did you not say it to this man at my table and speak this to someone you do not know how to deal with? and further by god i wanted to delay it until i sold the fruit and we hoped for its sweetness. but you did good to him and did evil to us and you hastened his money. go boy and strike that fruit in the market and sell it for what it is worth so that he may take his money in full. then he rode to him but he refused to take it. when the matter became more serious he said i think that the one who prompted your friend to do what he said was an arab and i am a freedman. if you make your intercessors from among the freedmen i will take this money but if you do not i will not take it. so althaqafi gathered all the shuubis in basra until they demanded that he take the money.
فلما صنع ما صنع أقبل الغريم على صاحبه فقال ما دعاك إلى هذا الكلام؟ لم تقوله لهذا الرجل على مائدتي، وتقدم بهذا الكلام على من لا تعرف كيف موقع الأمور منه؟ وبعد، فقد والله أردت مطله الى أن أبيع الثمر، ورجونا حلاوته. فقد أحسنت إليه، وأسأت إلينا وعجلت عليه ماله. اذهب يا غلام، فاضرب بذلك الثمر السوق ٤ ، فبعه بما بلغ، فيأخذ ماله كملا ٥ . ثم ركب إليه، فأبى أن يأخذه، فلما كثر الأمر في ذلك قال أظن الذي دعا صاحبك الى ما قال إنه عربي وأنا مولى ٦ . فإن جعلت شفعاءك من الموالي أخذت هذا المال، وإن لم تفعل فإني لا آخذه . فجمع الثقفي كل شعوبي ٧ بالبصرة حتى طلبوا إليه ٨ أخذ المال.