the lamp, then he would say, “has–si”—an exclamation uttered when one feels pain (1). He would further rebuke himself: “What induced you, O Ahnaf, to do such-and-such on such-and-such a day?”

Muslim ibn Ibrahim related to us: Abu Kaʿb, the silk merchant, narrated to us, from Abu al-Asfar: al-Ahnaf was once appointed over Khurasan. One bitterly cold night he became junub, yet he did not wake his servants; instead he broke the ice and performed the ritual bath.

ʿAbd Allah ibn Bakr al-Muzani reported on the authority of Marwan al-Asfar (2) that he heard al-Ahnaf say:
“O Allah, if You forgive me, You are worthy of that; and if You punish me, I am worthy of that.”

Mughīrah said: Al-Ahnaf lost an eye, and he remarked, “It has been gone forty years, and I have never complained of it to anyone.”

Ibn ʿAwn reports from al-Hasan: They once spoke about something concerning Muʿawiyah while al-Ahnaf remained silent, so they said, “Abu Bahr, why will you not speak?” He replied, “I fear Allah if I lie, and I fear you if I tell the truth.”

Al-Ahnaf also said: “I marvel at anyone who has twice passed through the passage of urine—how can he be arrogant!”

Sulaiman al-Taymi relates that al-Ahnaf declared: “There are three traits in me, and I mention them only for whoever wishes to take heed: I never approached the door of a ruler unless I had been summoned; I never intervened between two people until they invited me between them; and I never mention anyone after he has left my company except in good (3).”

He likewise said: “No one has ever disputed with me without my conducting myself by certain principles: if he was above me, I acknowledged his rank; if he was below me, I lifted my dignity above him; and if he was my equal, I treated him with generosity.”

And he said: “I am not truly forbearing, but I feign forbearance (4).”