Umar dismisses al-Nu'man ibn Adi from Maysan

Ibn Ishaq relates that Umar ibn al-Khattab appointed al-Nu'man ibn Adi over Maysan in the Basra lands, then dismissed him over verses attributed to him. ¹

Al-Nu'man had been with his father Adi ibn Nadla in the land of Abyssinia, and came back with those of the Muslims who returned; he lived on until Umar's caliphate, when Umar appointed him over Maysan. ¹

Verses al-Nu'man had spoken reached Umar; the editors' note says he wrote them to his wife when he wanted her to go out with him to Maysan and she refused. ¹

When the verses reached Umar he said: "yes, by God — that vexes me"; then he ordered whoever met al-Nu'man to inform him of his dismissal — and dismissed him. ¹

Al-Nu'man came to Umar, excused himself and said he had done nothing of what had reached him — that he was a poet, found a surplus of speech and said what poets say. Umar answered that he would never employ him in any office for as long as he lived, though he had said what he said. ¹

• The book dates the event only by "in Umar's caliphate"; the date in the record is derived from the caliphate's span. ¹
• The editors' note mentions that Umar never appointed anyone of Banu Adi — his own people — other than al-Nu'man ibn Adi; this is the editors' comment, not Ibn Ishaq's text. ¹
• The last hemistich of the verses differs between this book and Mu'jam al-Buldan in naming the songstress; the verses themselves are not reproduced here. ¹