Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (3/461)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

Al-Asmaʿi narrated: A woman once brought a braised chicken and said to Ibn Jaʿfar, “May my father be your ransom! This chicken was like my own daughter, and I vowed that I would not lay her to rest except in the most honorable place I could find. By Allah, there is nothing on earth more honorable than your stomach.” He replied, “Take it from her—and send something to her.” The narrator then listed various kinds of gifts he sent, until the woman exclaimed, “May my father be your ransom! Surely Allah does not love the wasteful.” (1)

Hisham related from Ibn Sirin: A man once brought a consignment of sugar to Madinah, but it would not sell. When ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar heard of this, he ordered his steward to buy the entire lot and let the people take it freely.

Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar reported that ʿUbayd Allah ibn Abi Mulaykah, from his father, from his grandfather, said: Ibn Abi ʿAmmar—then the leading jurist of the Hijaz—entered a slave market, and a dealer showed him a slave-girl. He became enamored of her and was overcome with distress, for he did not have her price. ʿAtaʾ, Tawus, and Mujahid went to him, admonishing him.

News of this reached ʿAbd Allah. He bought the girl for forty thousand, adorned and jeweled her, then summoned Ibn Abi ʿAmmar and asked, “What has become of your love for so-and-so?”

He replied, “She is the one whose memory has ravished my heart; my soul is wholly preoccupied with her.”

Ibn Jaʿfar said, “Girl, bring her out.” She emerged, resplendent in jewelry and fine garments. He said, “She is yours; may Allah bless her for you.”

Ibn Abi ʿAmmar declared, “You have shown a favor that none but Allah shows.”

As he departed with her, Ibn Jaʿfar said, “Boy, send along with him one hundred thousand dirhams.”

Ibn Abi ʿAmmar replied, “By Allah, if we have been promised the bliss of the Hereafter, you have already hastened for me the bliss of this world.” (2)

Many other reports speak of ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar’s generosity and munificence. (3)

…He then performed two rakʿahs, and during his prostration he remained long in supplication. Once he had finished praying, he told his servant: “Dig where I placed my forehead.” The servant dug, and a spring that he had caused to gush forth appeared. Ibn al-Zubayr said to him: “Release me from our agreement.” He replied: “As for the supplication I made and God’s response to it, I will not release you.” The parcel he had acquired thus became more fertile than what remained in Ibn al-Zubayr’s hands. (1) Ibn ʿAsakir, Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 9, p. 38b. (2) Ibn ʿAsakir, Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 9, p. 39a–b. (3) The report is also quoted by Ibn ʿAsakir; see vol. 9, p. 34b and the pages that follow.

عَنِ الأَصْمَعِيِّ: أَنَّ امْرَأَةً أَتَتْ بِدَجَاجَةٍ مَسْمُوطَةٍ، فَقَالَتْ لابْنِ جَعْفَرٍ: بِأَبِي أَنْتَ! هَذِهِ الدَّجَاجَةُ كَانَتْ مِثْل بِنْتِي، فَآلَيْتُ أَنْ لاَ أَدْفِنَهَا إِلاَّ فِي أَكْرَمِ مَوْضِعٍ أَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ؛ وَلاَ وَاللهِ مَا فِي الأَرْضِ أَكْرَمُ مِنْ بَطْنِكَ. قَالَ: خُذُوهَا مِنْهَا، وَاحْمِلُوا إِلَيْهَا. فَذَكَرَ أَنْوَاعاً مِنَ العَطَاءِ، حَتَّى قَالَتْ: بِأَبِي أَنْتَ! إِنَّ اللهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ المُسْرِفِيْنَ (١) . هِشَامٌ: عَنِ ابْنِ سِيْرِيْنَ: أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَلَبَ سُكَّراً إِلَى المَدِيْنَةِ، فَكَسَدَ، فَبَلَغَ عَبْدَ اللهِ بنَ جَعْفَرٍ، فَأَمَرَ قَهْرَمَانَهُ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَهُ، وَأَنْ يُنْهِبَهُ النَّاسَ. ذَكَرَ: الزُّبَيْرُ بنُ بَكَّارٍ، أَنَّ عُبَيْدَ اللهِ بنَ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيْهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ: دَخَلَ ابْنُ أَبِي عَمَّارٍ وَهُوَ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقِيهُ أَهْلِ الحِجَازِ عَلَى نَخَّاسٍ، فَعَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ جَارِيَةً، فَعَلِقَ بِهَا، وَأَخَذَهُ أَمْرٌ عَظِيمٌ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَهُ مِقْدَارُ ثَمَنِهَا، فَمَشَى إِلَيْهِ عَطَاءٌ، وَطَاوُوْسٌ، وَمُجَاهِدٌ، يَعْذُلُوْنَهُ. وَبَلَغَ خَبَرُهُ عَبْدَ اللهِ، فَاشْتَرَاهَا بِأَرْبَعِيْنَ أَلفاً، وَزَيَّنَهَا، وَحَلاَّهَا، ثُمَّ طَلَبَ ابْنَ أَبِي عَمَّارٍ، فَقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ حُبُّكَ فُلاَنَةً؟ قَالَ: هِيَ الَّتِي هَامَ قَلْبِي بِذِكْرِهَا، وَالنَّفْسُ مَشْغُولَةٌ بِهَا. فَقَالَ: يَا جَارِيَةُ، أَخْرِجِيهَا. فَأَخْرَجَتْهَا تَرْفُلُ فِي الحُلِيِّ وَالحُلَلِ، فَقَالَ: شَأْنُكَ بِهَا، بَارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ فِيْهَا. فَقَالَ: لَقَدْ تَفَضَّلتَ بِشَيْءٍ مَا يَتَفَضَّلُ بِهِ إِلاَّ اللهُ. فَلَمَّا وَلَّى بِهَا، قَالَ: يَا غُلاَمُ! احْمِلْ مَعَهُ مائَةَ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ. فَقَالَ: لَئِنْ -وَاللهِ - وُعِدْنَا نَعِيْمَ الآخِرَةِ، فَقَدْ عَجَّلْتَ نَعِيْمَ الدُّنْيَا (٢) . وَلِعَبْدِ اللهِ بنِ جَعْفَرٍ أَخْبَارٌ فِي الجُوْدِ وَالبَذْلِ (٣) .

= فصلى ركعتين، وسجد فأطال السجود يدعو، فلما قضى ما أراد من الدعاء، قال لغلامه: احفر في موضع سجودي، فحفر، فإذا عين قد أنبطها، فقال له ابن الزبير: أقلني، فقال: أما دعائي وإجابة الله إياي، فلا أقيلك، فصار ما أخذ منه أعمر مما في يدي ابن الزبير. (١) ابن عساكر ٩ / ٣٨ ب. (٢) ابن عساكر ٩ / ٣٩ آ، ب. (٣) أوردها ابن عساكر، انظرها في ٩ / ٣٤ ب وما بعدها.