50-4 Ahmad ibn Ziyad al-Hamadani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Obayd, on the authority of Safwan ibn Yahya, “When Abul Hassan Musa ibn Ja’far passed away and Ar-Ridha’ started to talk (about Divine Leadership), then we feared for his life and I told him, ‘You are expressing a great issue. We are afraid of this oppressor (Harun).’ Ar-Ridha’ said, ‘He can struggle to do whatever he likes, but he cannot affect me at all.’” Safwan added, “A trustworthy person informed me that Yahya ibn Khalid (Al-Barmaki) told the oppressor (Harun), ‘This is his son Ali (Ar-Ridha’ ) who has taken his position and is declaring that he himself is the (Divine) Leader.’ Harun replied, ‘What was the use of what we did to his father? Do you think that we should kill them all?’”The author added, “Indeed all the Barmakites were all enemies of the Members of the Household of God’s Prophet (S) and displayed their animosity.”Barmak who was in charge of an Idol-House called Nobahar in the city of Balkh. Barmak’s son was called Khalid. He started to work in the court of Abdul Malik ibn Marvan, and was able to attain a high position there. He accepted Islam during the era of Hisham ibn Abdul Malik. Later he became one of the heads of the army of Abu Muslim Khorasani. After the downfall of the Umayads, he went to Abul Abbas Saf’fah and became a minister. His son Yahya who was very intelligent was Harun Ar-Rashid’s teacher. It has been said that the majesty of the Abbasids was due to the wisdom of Yahya and his son Ja’far who was a minister in the court of Harun Ar-Rashid.