Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (19/398)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

Saʿd ibn Abī ʿImāmah related:

“One night I was sitting in my house after everyone had fallen asleep when the door was knocked. A chamberlain and a servant appeared, the servant carrying a candle. The chamberlain said, ‘In the name of Allah,’ and I was ushered in to al-Mustazhir, on whose face lay clear traces of grief. I began recounting anecdotes, offering admonitions, and speaking of the insignificance of this world, yet his expression did not change. Then I turned to tales of generous men and other such stories, and still he remained unmoved. I thought to myself, ‘He is not going to sleep, nor will he allow me to sleep.’

“So I said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, I have a question.’

“He replied, ‘Ask.’

“I said, ‘Promise you will not hide the answer from me.’

“He said, ‘I will not.’

“I said, ‘By Allah, has a debt to a merchant fallen due upon you? Has your boat been wrecked? Have raiders struck one of your caravans so that time has grown tight for you? I have a ṭabaq khilāf (a tray of valuables) that I will lend you, and you can go about bārizī in the lanes. Allah never withholds provision. This is a great anxiety, and tonight you have made me share it with you.’

“He laughed until he reclined and said, ‘Up now—may Allah deal kindly with you and show you favor.’

“I rose, and the servant followed me with dinars and a chest of clothes.

“It is said that Ibn Muqallad the singer performed for al-Mustazhir; the caliph was delighted and gave him 200 dinars and a block of camphor weighing 3 ratls, encased in gold.

“Abū Ṭālib ibn ʿAbd al-Samīʿ said: Among al-Mustazhir’s sayings were:

‘The finest treasure a person stores for his worldly life is a good reputation, and for his Hereafter an abundant reward.
A man’s stinginess over a single fals comes from the baseness of his soul.
Patience in hardship produces benefits.
The etiquette of the petitioner is more useful than the means he employs.
The capital of the intelligent never suffers loss, and its profit will appear on the Day of Assembly.’

“He also composed pleasing verse.

“Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik al-Hamadhānī said: Al-Mustazhir bi-Allah died in the pre-dawn hours of the night of …”

سَعْد بن أَبِي عِمَامَة، قَالَ: كُنْتُ لَيْلَة جَالِساً فِي بَيْتِي، وَقَدْ نَامَ النَّاسُ، فَدُقَّ البَابُ، فَإِذَا بفَرَّاشٍ وَخَادمٍ مَعَهُ شَمعَة، فَقَالَ: بِسْمِ اللهِ، فَأُدْخِلْتُ عَلَى المُسْتظهر، وَعَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ غَمٍّ، فَأَخَذتُ فِي الحِكَايَات وَالموَاعِظِ وَتَصْغِيْرِ الدُّنْيَا، وَهُوَ لاَ يَتَغَيَّرُ، وَأَخَذتُ فِي حِكَايَات الكِرَام وَغَيْر ذَلِكَ، فَقُلْتُ: هَذَا لاَ يَنَامُ، وَلاَ يَدعُنِي أَنَامُ. فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَمِيْرَ المُؤْمِنِيْنَ، لِي مَسْأَلَةٌ. قَالَ: قُلْ. قُلْتُ: وَلاَ تَكْتُمنِي؟ قَالَ: لاَ. قُلْتُ: بِاللهِ حَلَّ عَلَيْك نَقدَةٌ لِلبَائِع، أَوِ انكسَرَ زورقُكَ، أَوْ وَقعُوا عَلَى قَافلَةٍ لَكَ، وَضَاق وَقْتُكَ؟ عِنْدِي طبقُ خِلاَفٍ أَنَا أُقرِضه لَكَ، وَتبقَى بَارزِياً فِي الدُّروب وَمَا يُخلِي الله مِنْ رِزق، فَهَذَا هَمٌّ عَظِيْم، وَقَدْ مرستَنِي اللَّيْلَة. فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى اسْتلقَى، وَقَالَ: قُمْ، فَعلَ اللهُ بِكَ وَصنع. فَقُمْتُ، وَتبعنِي الخَادِم بِدَنَانِيْرَ وَتَختِ ثِيَاب. قِيْلَ: إِنَّ ابْنَ مُقَلد العَوَّاد غَنَّى المُسْتظهر، فَسَرَّه، فَأَعْطَاهُ مائَتَيْ دِيْنَار، وَقطعَةَ كَافُوْر زِنَةَ ثَلاَثَةِ أَرطَالٍ مُقَمَّعَة بِذَهَبٍ. قَالَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ بنُ عبد السمِيْع: كَانَ مِنْ أَلْفَاظ المُسْتظهر: خيرُ ذَخَائِرِ المَرْءِ لِدنِيَاهُ ذِكرٌ جَمِيْلٌ، وَلآخِرَتِهِ ثَوَابٌ جَزِيل. شُحُّ المَرْءِ بِفَلْسِهِ مِنْ دَنَاءةِ نَفْسِهِ. الصَّبْرُ عَلَى الشَّدَائِدِ يُنْتج الفَوَائِد. أَدبُ السَّائِلِ أَنفعُ مِنَ الوَسَائِل. بضَاعَة العَاقِلِ لاَ تَخْسَرُ، وَرِبْحُهَا يَظْهَرُ فِي المَحْشَرِ. وَلَهُ نَظْمٌ حسن. قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ عَبْدِ المَلِكِ الهَمَذَانِيّ: تُوُفِّيَ المُسْتظهر بِاللهِ سحر لَيْلَة