Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (20/595)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

of knowledge and letters in Zabīd, and he would say to me:
“You are the outstanding man of this age—its favored one—for you have come to be numbered among the foremost merchants and men of wealth, among the eminent jurists who issue legal opinions, and among the finest men of letters. Congratulations to you!”

ʿUmārah also related that al-Ṣāliḥ ibn Ruzzīk once conferred with him and asked, “What is your belief concerning Abū Bakr and ʿUmar?”

I replied, “I believe that, were it not for the two of them, Islam would not have remained—either for us or for you—and that loving them is obligatory.”

He laughed; he was a disciplined, perceptive man who had heard the discourse of the Sunni jurists.

I say: this was forbearance on al-Ṣāliḥ’s part despite his Rāfiḍī leanings.

ʿUmārah composed in his praise:
Had he not perceived the excellence (1) of which the rest of mankind is ignorant,
Virtue itself would have found no market with him. (2)
Even if between us there were but a bow’s span,
Leagues and stages of reverence still separate us. (3)

He also said:
In my chaste devotion to the fawn-eyed beloved I have excuses—
Since my tears confessed, denial is no longer possible. (4)
In supple waists, in kissing rosy cheeks,
In clasping youthful breasts lie my wishes and desires.
This is my choice; agree if you are pleased,
Otherwise, leave me to what I love and prefer.
Blame me off-hand and pardon me in passing—
For in the degrees of love people occupy many stages. (5)

(1) Al-Rawdatayn reads: adrā. (2) Al-Rawdatayn reads: ladayhi. (3) The two lines are quoted in Al-Rawdatayn, vol. 1, p. 226. (4) Al-Nukat al-Asriyya reads: mā ʿan hawā. (5) The verses are recorded in Al-Nukat al-Asriyya, p. 265; Al-Rawdatayn, vol. 1, p. 225; the first three of them also appear in Al-Kamil, vol. 11, p. 401, and Al-Bidaya, vol. 12, p. 276.

العِلْمِ وَالأَدب بِزَبِيْدَ يَقُوْلُ لِي: أَنْتَ خَارِجِيُّ هَذَا الوَقْت وَسَعيدُه، لأَنَّك أَصْبَحتَ تُعدّ مِنْ أَكَابِر التُّجَّار وَأَهْل الثَّروَة، وَمِنْ أَعْيَانِ الفُقَهَاء الَّذِيْنَ أَفتَوا، وَمِنْ أَفْضَلِ أَهْلِ الأَدب، فَهَنِيئاً لَكَ. وَحَكَى عُمَارَةُ: أَنَّ الصَّالِح بنَ رُزِّيْكٍ فَاوَضَه، وَقَالَ: مَا تَعتقدُ فِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ؟ قُلْتُ: أَعْتَقِد أَنَّه لَولاَهُمَا لَمْ يَبْقَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَلاَ عَلَيْكُم، وَأَنَّ مَحَبَّتَهُمَا وَاجِبَة. فَضَحِكَ، وَكَانَ مُرتَاضاً حصيفاً، قَدْ سَمِعَ كَلاَم فُقَهَاءِ السُّنَّة. قُلْتُ: هَذَا حِلمٌ مِنَ الصَّالِح عَلَى رَفضِه. وَلِعُمَارَةَ فِيْهِ: وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَدْرِي (١) بِمَا جَهلَ الورَى ... مِنَ الفَضْلِ لَمْ تَنفُقْ عَلَيْهِ (٢) الفَضَائِلُ لَئِنْ كَانَ مِنَّا قَابَ قوسٍ فَبَينَنَا ... فَرَاسخُ مِنْ إِجْلاَلِهِ وَمَرَاحِلُ (٣) وَلَهُ: لِي فِي هَوَى (٤) الرَّشَأِ العُذْرِيِّ أَعذَارُ ... لَمْ يَبْقَ لِي مُذْ أَقرَّ الدَّمْعُ إِنْكَارُ لِي فِي القُدودِ وَفِي لَثمِ الخُدودِ وَفِي ... ضَمِّ النُّهودِ لُبَانَاتٌ وَأَوطَارُ هَذَا اخْتيَارِي فَوَافِقْ إِن رَضِيتَ بِهِ ... أَوْ لاَ فَدَعْنِي وَمَا أَهوَى وَأَختَارُ لُمْنِي جُزَافاً وَسَامِحنِي مُصَارفَةً ... فَالنَّاسُ فِي دَرَجَاتِ الحُبِّ أَطوَارُ (٥)

(١) في " الروضتين ": أدرى. (٢) في " الروضتين ": لديه. (٣) البيتان في " الروضتين " ١ / ٢٢٦. (٤) في " النكت العصرية ": ما عن هوى. (٥) الابيات في " النكت العصرية " ٢٦٥، و" الروضتين " ١ / ٢٢٥، والثلاثة الأولى منها في " الكامل " ١١ / ٤٠١، و" البداية " ١٢ / ٢٧٦.