His companions profited from the world on his account, yet he would not allow anyone to speak ill of them; to him they were above reproach.
Whenever he saw a dhimmī (non-Muslim under Muslim rule) riding, he would set out to kill him. He once caught a respectable man known as Ibn Shuʿah and, with his staff, put out the man’s eye; the injury went without compensation.
It is said that he petitioned the sultan to abolish certain taxes that could not possibly be repealed. The sultan lost his temper and exclaimed, “Get up—may God never aid you!” then jabbed him with his staff, knocking his skullcap to the ground. Al-Khubūshānī was taken aback. Later the sultan went into battle and was defeated, and he attributed the setback to al-Khubūshānī’s supplication (1). He therefore came, kissed al-Khubūshānī’s hands, and sought his pardon.
The chamberlain of Egypt’s deputy, al-Muẓaffar Taqī al-Dīn ʿUmar, came to him and said, “Taqī al-Dīn sends you greetings.” Al-Khubūshānī (2) replied, “Rather say ‘Shaqī al-Dīn—may God withhold His peace from him!’”
The chamberlain said, “He apologizes and claims there is no place in his domain where mizr (beer) is sold (3).”
“He is lying,” al-Khubūshānī retorted.
“If there is such a place, show it to us,” the chamberlain responded.
“Come closer,” he said, so the man stepped forward and he seized
(1) Taj al-Subki comments: “Notice what adh-Dhahabi says here in his History, namely: ‘The sultan presumed that this happened through his prayer.’ Had the story involved someone who shared adh-Dhahabi’s own creed among the innovators, he would have made a great fuss about it.” (Tabaqat, 7/16). This remark exemplifies Taj al-Subki’s recurrent bias against his teacher adh-Dhahabi in several passages of the book. He really should not have gone so far, to the extent that he says about al-Khubushani: “Our position is that his statements about either Hanafis or Shafiʿis should not be listened to, nor should their biographies be taken from his writings, for he is exceedingly prejudiced against them.” What is astonishing, however, is that al-Subki filled his own work with quotations from adh-Dhahabi—including this very biography. Compare his words with his practice—may Allah pardon him.
(2) This phrase has been supplied by the present editors because the context requires it and to make the meaning plain.
(3) Mazr: a fermented drink made from millet—some say from barley or wheat—see Ibn al-Athir, al-Nihaya, 4/324. It resembles today’s “beer.” It is reported that Taqi ad-Din ʿUmar, nephew of Sultan Salah ad-Din, owned establishments where mazr was sold. Shaykh al-Khubushani wrote a note to Salah ad-Din informing him of the matter; the sultan forwarded it to his nephew and asked him to placate the shaykh. The nephew rode to visit al-Khubushani. When he arrived, the doorkeeper asked him to wait at the entrance of the shaykh’s madrasa while arrangements were made, and a conversation then took place between them as related above (see Tarikh al-Islam, Tabaqat al-Subki, and other sources).