Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (18/192)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

if he fears that some of the jurists will stir up trouble against him (1), then let him keep the matter to himself and not flaunt his practice. His soul may admire itself and crave public recognition; he would then be punished, and the door would be opened for the enemy from within his own self. How many a man has spoken the truth and commanded what is right, yet Allah unleashes against him someone who harms him because his intention is corrupt and he covets religious prominence. This is a subtle disease that seeps into the hearts of jurists, just as it pervades the hearts of benefactors among the wealthy, the founders of endowments, and the builders of ornate tombs. It is the same hidden ailment that runs through soldiers, commanders, and combatants: you see them meet the enemy and the two hosts collide, yet within the fighters lie hidden storehouses (2) and ambushes of ostentation—displays of bravery “so that it may be said,” self-admiration (3), the wearing of gilded qarāqil (gold-brocaded surcoats) (4), decorated helmets, and embellished gear borne by haughty souls on overbearing horsemen. Added to this are negligence of the prayer, oppression of their subjects (5), and the drinking of intoxicants. How, then, can they hope to be granted victory? How can they not be forsaken? O Allah, grant victory to Your religion and guide Your servants.

Whoever seeks knowledge in order to act upon it, knowledge will break him (6) and he will weep for his own soul. But whoever pursues knowledge for teaching posts, fatwa-giving, boasting, and ostentation becomes foolish and swaggering, looks down on people, is destroyed by self-conceit, and is detested by hearts. “He has indeed succeeded who purifies it, and he has indeed failed who corrupts it” (Q 91:9–10)—that is, who buries it under sin and disobedience.

(1) The Majma edition reads: "min tashghab". (2) The Majma edition reads: "mukhba'a" (hidden). (3) The word "al-ajab" (astonishment) does not appear in the Majma edition. (4) The editor of the Majma edition keeps the word "al-iraqi" and notes in the margin: "al-irqiyya is the small cap worn under a turban or a qalansuwa; it is a post-classical term (see al-Taj). The original text had al-araqil, which is a scribal error." In our base manuscript the word is "al-qaraqil"; Lisaan explains that al-qarqal is a kind of garment, said to be a sleeveless robe, and Abu Turab defines it as a woman’s shirt without a collar; the plural is qaraqil. (5) The Majma edition reads: "al-raiyya, wa shurb al-muskir" (the subjects, and the drinking of an intoxicant). (6) The Majma edition has "karh", which is a corrupt reading.

يُشَغِّب (١) عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الفُقَهَاء فَلْيَتَكَتَّم بِهَا وَلاَ يَترَاءى بِفعلهَا، فَرُبَّمَا أَعْجَبته نَفْسُهُ، وَأَحَبّ الظُهُوْر، فَيُعَاقب، وَيَدخل عَلَيْهِ الدَّاخلُ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ، فَكم مِنْ رَجُلٍ نَطَقَ بِالْحَقِّ، وَأَمر بِالمَعْرُوف، فَيُسَلِّطُ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ مَنْ يُؤذِيْه لِسوء قَصدهِ، وَحُبِّهِ لِلرِّئَاسَة الدِّينِيَّة، فَهَذَا دَاءٌ خَفِيٌّ سَارٍ فِي نُفُوْسِ الفُقَهَاء، كَمَا أَنَّهُ دَاءٌ سَارٍ فِي نُفُوْسِ المُنْفِقِين مِنَ الأَغنِيَاء وَأَربَاب الوُقُوْف وَالتُّرب المُزَخْرَفَة، وَهُوَ دَاءٌ خفِيٌّ يَسرِي فِي نُفُوْس الجُنْد وَالأُمَرَاء وَالمُجَاهِدِيْنَ، فَترَاهم يَلتقُوْنَ العَدُوَّ، وَيَصْطَدِمُ الجمعَان وَفِي نُفُوْس المُجَاهِدِيْنَ مُخَبّآتُ (٢) وَكمَائِنُ مِنَ الاختيَالِ وَإِظهَار الشَّجَاعَةِ ليُقَالَ، وَالعجبِ (٣) ، وَلُبْسِ القرَاقل (٤) المُذَهَّبَة، وَالخُوذ المزخرفَة، وَالعُدد المُحلاَّة عَلَى نُفُوْس مُتكبّرَةٍ، وَفُرْسَان مُتجبِّرَة، وَيَنضَاف إِلَى ذَلِكَ إِخلاَلٌ بِالصَّلاَة، وَظُلم لِلرَّعيَّة (٥) ، وَشُرب لِلمسكر، فَأَنَّى يُنْصرُوْن؟ وَكَيْفَ لاَ يُخذلُوْن؟ اللَّهُمَّ: فَانصر دينَك، وَوَفِّق عِبَادك. فَمَنْ طَلَبَ العِلْمَ لِلعمل كَسره (٦) العِلْمُ، وَبَكَى عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَمِنْ طلب العِلْم لِلمدَارس وَالإِفتَاء وَالفخر وَالرِّيَاء، تحَامقَ، وَاختَال، وَازدرَى بِالنَّاسِ، وَأَهْلكه العُجْبُ، وَمَقَتَتْهُ الأَنْفُس* ﴿قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ... وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا﴾ [الشَّمْس:٩ و١٠] أَي دسَّسَهَا بِالفجُور وَالمَعْصِيَة.

(١) طبعة المجمع: من تشغب. (٢) طبعة المجمع: مخبأة. (٣) لفظ " العجب " ليس في طبعة المجمع. (٤) أثبت محقق طبعة المجمع هنا كلمة " العراقي " وقال في الحاشية: " العرقية ما يلبس تحت العمامة والقلنسوة، مولدة. " التاج " وفي الأصل: العراقل، وهي تصحيف " اهـ. وأما عندنا في الأصل: " القراقل " وفي " اللسان ": القرقل: ضرب من الثياب، وقيل: هو ثوب بغير كمين، وقال أبو تراب: القرقل قميص من قمص النساء بلا لبنة، وجمعه قراقل. (٥) طبعة المجمع: الرعية، وشرب المسكر. (٦) طبعة المجمع: " كره " وهو تحريف.