Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (17/88)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

Among those who narrated from him were his sons al-Mufaḍḍal (1), Masʿada (2), Saʿd, and al-Sarī (3), together with Abū Muḥammad al-Khallāl, Ḥamza b. Yūsuf al-Sahmī, Abū al-Qāsim al-Tanūkhī, and many others besides them.

Qāḍī Abū al-Ṭayyib said: When the Imām Abū Saʿd arrived in Baghdad he stayed there for some time, after which he performed the pilgrimage. The jurists convened two teaching sessions for him; one was chaired by Shaykh Abū Ḥāmid al-Isfarāyinī, and the other by Abū Muḥammad al-Bāfī (4).

Ḥamza al-Sahmī (5) said: Abū Saʿd was the leading scholar of his age—pre-eminent in jurisprudence and its principles, in Arabic language, composition, legal documents, and dialectical theology. He authored a large work on the principles of jurisprudence from which many scholars graduated. Alongside his deep piety he was known for ascetic striving, sincere counsel to Islam, generosity, and fine character, and al-Sahmī was unstinting in extolling him.

He passed away midway through Rabīʿ al-Ākhir, on a Friday night in 396 AH. As an honor from Allah, death overtook him during the Maghrib prayer while he was reciting, “It is You we worship and You we ask for help,” and his soul departed—may Allah have mercy on him (6).

(1) See his biography in Al-Ansab, vol. 1, p. 252, and in Tabaqat al-Isnawi, vol. 1, p. 53. (2) His life is also recorded in Al-Ansab, vol. 1, pp. 252–253. (3) For his entry, consult Tabaqat al-Isnawi, vol. 1, p. 53. Ibn al-Ismaili had another son, Abu al-Hasan Mubashshir, and two daughters; see Tarikh Jurjan, p. 108, and Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari, p. 209. (4) See Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 6, p. 310; Al-Muntazam, vol. 7, p. 231; and Al-Bidaya wa-l-Nihaya, vol. 11, p. 336, where the name “al-Bafi” is mistakenly rendered “al-Baji.” Abu Muhammad al-Bafi was treated above under no. 36, while Abu Hamid al-Isfarayini will appear under no. 111. (5) Tarikh Jurjan, pp. 106–107. (6) See Tarikh Jurjan, p. 107; Al-Muntazam, vol. 7, p. 231; and Al-Bidaya wa-l-Nihaya, vol. 11, p. 336.

حَدَّثَ عَنْهُ: بنوهُ المُفَضَّل (١) ، وَمَسْعَدة (٢) ، وَسَعْدٌ، وَالسَّرِيّ (٣) ، وَأَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الخَلاَّل، وَحَمْزَةُ بنُ يُوْسُفَ السَّهْمِيّ، وَأَبُو القَاسِمِ التَّنُوْخِيّ، وَخَلْقٌ سِوَاهُم. قَالَ القَاضِي أَبُو الطَّيِّبِ: وَرد أَبُو سَعْدٍ الإِمَامُ بَغْدَادَ، فَأَقَامَ بهَاسنَةً، ثُمَّ حَجَّ، عَقَدَ لَهُ الفُقَهَاء مَجْلِسَيْنِ، تولَى أَحَدَهُمَا الشَّيْخُ أَبُو حَامِدٍ الإِسْفَرَايِيْنِيّ، وَالآخر أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ البَافِي (٤) . وَقَالَ حَمْزَةُ السَّهْمِيُّ (٥) :كَانَ أَبُو سَعْدٍ إِمَامَ زَمَانِه، مُقَدّماً فِي الفِقْهِ وَأُصُوْلِهِ وَالعَرَبِيَّةِ وَالكِتَابَةِ وَالشُرُوْطِ وَالكَلاَمِ، صَنَّفَ فِي أُصُوْلِ الفِقْهِ كِتَاباً كَبِيْراً، وَتَخَرَّجَ بِهِ جَمَاعَةٌ، مَعَ الوَرَعِ الثَخِيْنِ، وَالمُجَاهَدَة وَالنُّصْحِ لِلإِسْلاَمِ، وَالسَّخَاءِ وَحُسْنِ الخُلُق، وَبَالَغَ السَّهْمِيُّ فِي تَعْظِيْمِهِ. تُوُفِّيَ: فِي نِصْفِ رَبِيْعٍ الآخِرِ لَيْلَةَ جُمُعَة، سَنَةَ سِتٍّ وَتِسْعِيْنَ وَثَلاَثِ مائَةٍ، فَتُوُفِّيَ إِكرَاماً مِنَ اللهِ لَهُ فِي صَلاَةِ المَغْرِبِ وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ: ﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِين﴾ فَفَاضَتْ نَفْسُه ﵀ (٦) .

(١) انظر ترجمته في " الأنساب " ١ / ٢٥٢، و" طبقات الاسنوي " ١ / ٥٣. (٢) ترجمته في " الأنساب " ١ / ٢٥٢، ٢٥٣. (٣) ترجمته في " طبقات " الاسنوي ١ / ٥٣. ولابن الاسماعيلي من الاولاد أيضا أبو الحسن مبشر وابنتان. انظر " تاريخ جرجان " ١٠٨، و" تبيين كذب المفتري " ٢٠٩. (٤) انظر " تاريخ بغداد " ٦ / ٣١٠، و" المنتظم " ٧ / ٢٣١، و" البداية والنهاية " ١١ / ٣٣٦ وتحرف فيه " البافي " إلى " الباجي "، وأبو محمد البافي تقدمت ترجمته برقم (٣٦) ، وأبو حامد الاسفراييني سترد ترجمته برقم (١١١) . (٥) في " تاريخ جرجان " ١٠٦، ١٠٧. (٦) انظر " تاريخ جرجان " ١٠٧، و" المنتظم " ٧ / ٢٣١، و" البداية والنهاية " ١١ / ٣٣٦.