Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (1/119)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

Maʿmar likewise corroborated it, transmitting from Ayyūb.

Abū al-Ghanāʾim al-Qaysī and a number of others informed us in writing, saying: Ḥanbal informed us; Hibatullāh informed us; Ibn al-Mudhhīb informed us; al-Qaṭīʿī narrated to us; ʿAbdullāh narrated to us; my father narrated to me; ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿAmr narrated to us; Kathīr ibn Zayd—on the authority of al-Muṭṭalib, from ʿUmar ibn Saʿd, from his father—reported:

His son ʿĀmir came to him, whereupon he said, “My dear son! In the midst of civil strife you would have me place myself at the head of affairs? Never, by Allah, unless I am handed a sword which, if I struck a Muslim with it, would be blunted, yet if I struck an unbeliever, would kill him. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, ‘Allah loves the self-sufficient, the inconspicuous, the God-fearing.’ (1)”

Al-Zubayr related to us: Muḥammad ibn al-Ḍaḥḥāk al-Ḥizāmī narrated to us, from his father, who said:

ʿAlī stood upon the pulpit of Kūfa and, when the two arbiters fell into disagreement, he declared, “I had forbidden you from this arbitration, but you disobeyed me.”

A dark-skinned youth rose and said, “By Allah, you did not forbid us; rather, you ordered us and urged us on (2). Then, when the outcome displeased you, you absolved yourself and laid the blame on us.”

ʿAlī ﵁ replied, “What concern is this speech of yours? May Allah disfigure you! By Allah, when the community was united you were obscure within it, but when turmoil erupted you shot up in it like the stars—"

(1) Its chain is sound. The report is found in Ahmad, al-Musnad 1/177 and in Abu Nuaym, Hilyat al-awliya 1/94; Ahmad also cites it 1/168, and Muslim records it (no. 2965, opening of Kitab al-Zuhd) through Abu Bakr al-Hanafi, from Bukayr b. Mismar, from Amir b. Saad: Saad b. Abi Waqqas was tending his camels when his son Umar arrived. On seeing him Saad said: “I seek refuge in Allah from the evil of this rider.” The son dismounted and exclaimed, “You have retired to your camels and sheep while people are struggling for power!” Saad struck his own chest and replied, “Be quiet. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Allah loves the servant who is devout (taqi), self-sufficient (ghani), and inconspicuous (khafi).’” – Here, ghani means rich in spirit, while khafi (with the letter kha) denotes a humble, withdrawn worshipper who shuns notoriety and does not seek people’s attention. (2) “Dhamartana” means “you spurred us on and urged us.” The noun dhamr denotes an exhortation combined with blame for delay. The editor of the printed edition misunderstood the word and substituted “wadaʿawtana” (“and you called us”).

وَتَابَعَهُ: مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوْبَ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الغَنَائِمِ القَيْسِيُّ، وَجَمَاعَةٌ كِتَابَةً، قَالُوا: أَنْبَأَنَا حَنْبَلٌ، أَنْبَأَنَا هِبَةُ اللهِ، أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ المُذْهِبِ، أَنْبَأَنَا القَطِيْعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ المَلِكِ بنُ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَنَا كَثِيْرُ بنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنِ المُطَّلِبِ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيْهِ: أَنَّهُ جَاءهُ ابْنُهُ عَامِرٌ، فَقَالَ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ! أَفِي الفِتْنَةِ تَأْمُرُنِي أَنْ أَكُوْنَ رَأْساً؟ لاَ وَاللهِ، حَتَّى أُعْطَى سَيْفاً، إِنْ ضَرَبْتُ بِهِ مُسْلِماً نَبَا عَنْهُ، وَإِنْ ضَرَبْتُ كَافِراً قَتَلَهُ. سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُوْلُ: (إِنَّ اللهَ يُحِبُّ الغَنِيَّ، الخَفِيَّ، التَّقِيَّ (١)) . الزُّبَيْرُ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بنُ الضَّحَّاكِ الحِزَامِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيْهِ، قَالَ: قَامَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَى مِنْبَرِ الكُوْفَةِ، فَقَالَ حِيْنَ اخْتَلَفَ الحَكَمَانِ: لَقَدْ كُنْتُ نَهَيْتُكُم عَنْ هَذِهِ الحُكُوْمَةِ، فَعَصَيْتُمُوْنِي. فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ فَتَى آدَمُ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّكَ -وَاللهِ- مَا نَهَيْتَنَا، بَلْ أَمَرْتَنَا، وَذَمَرْتَنَا (٢) ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنْهَا مَا تَكْرَهُ بَرَّأْتَ نَفْسَكَ، وَنَحَلْتَنَا ذَنْبَكَ. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ ﵁: مَا أَنْتَ وَهَذَا الكَلاَم، قَبَّحَكَ اللهُ! وَاللهِ لَقَدْ كَانَتِ الجَمَاعَةُ، فَكُنْتَ فِيْهَا خَامِلاً، فَلَمَّا ظَهَرَتِ الفِتْنَةُ نَجَمْتَ فِيْهَا نُجُوْمَ

(١) سنده حسن وهو في " المسند " ١ / ١٧٧، و" الحلية " ١ / ٩٤. وأخرجه أحمد ١ / ١٦٨، ومسلم (٢٩٦٥) في أول الزهد، من طريق أبي بكر الحنفي، عن بكير بن مسمار، عن عامر بن سعد، قال: كان سعد بن أبي وقاص في إبله، فجاءه ابنه عمر، فلما رآه سعد قال: أعوذ بالله من شر هذا الراكب. فنزل. فقال له: أنزلت في إبلك وغنمك وتركت الناس يتنازعون الملك بينهم؟ فضرب سعد في صدره فقال: اسكت. سمعت رسول الله، ﷺ، يقول: " إن الله يحب العبد التقي، الغني، الخفي ". المراد بالغنى هنا: غنى النفس. والخفي: بالخاء المعجمة: ومعناه الخامل المنقطع إلى العبادة، أي الذي لا يبغي الشهرة ولا يتعرض للناس من أجلها. (٢) ذمرتنا: أي حضضتنا، وحثثتنا. والذمر: الحث مع لوم واستبطاء. وقد التبست على محقق المطبوع، فأثبت مكانها " ودعوتنا ".