makes you weep? Your father has already lived fifty-seven years; how much longer can he possibly remain alive?

Ibn Ḥumayd said: Yaʿqūb al-Qummī narrated to us, from Jaʿfar ibn Abī al-Mughīrah, from Saʿīd, who said:

“The people were struck by drought for three years during the reign of one of the kings of the Children of Israel. The king proclaimed, ‘Either He will surely send the sky (rain) down upon us, or we shall harm Him.’

They said, ‘How can you harm Him when He is in heaven and you are on earth?’

He replied, ‘I will kill His friends among the people of earth; that will hurt Him.’

So Allah sent down the rain upon them. (1)

Asbagh ibn Zayd related, from al-Qāsim al-Aʿraj, who said: “Saʿīd ibn Jubayr used to weep in the night until his eyesight grew dim.” (2)

It is also reported from Ibn Shihāb [al-Zuhrī], who said: “Saʿīd ibn Jubayr would lead us in prayer, modulating his voice with the Quran.” (3)

Ath-Thawrī narrated, from Ḥammād, that Saʿīd said, “I completed the recitation of the Quran in two rakʿahs inside the Kaʿbah.” (4)

Jarīr aḍ-Ḍabbī reported, from Ashʿath ibn Isḥāq, that it was said: “Saʿīd ibn Jubayr is the touchstone of the scholars.” (5)

Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah narrated, from Abū Sinān, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: “A scorpion stung me. My mother made me swear to seek a healing incantation, so I gave the practitioner the hand that had not been stung, for I disliked breaking her oath.” (6)