Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (4/345)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

Ahmad ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Wahb said: “My uncle related to us; ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAyyash told me, from his father:

When Yazid ibn al-Muhallab was made governor of Khurasan he said, ‘Direct me to a man who possesses every noble quality in full.’ He was directed to Abu Burdah al-Ashʿari. When he arrived, Yazid saw before him an outstanding man; and after conversing with him he found the substance of his character even finer than his appearance. Yazid said, ‘I have put you in charge of such-and-such a part of my administration.’

Abu Burdah asked to be excused, but Yazid refused. Abu Burdah then said, ‘Governor, shall I tell you something my father related to me, which he heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?’

He replied, ‘Tell me.’

Abu Burdah said, ‘My father heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “Whoever undertakes a position while knowing that he is not qualified for it, let him take his seat in the Fire.” I testify, O governor, that I am not qualified for the task to which you have summoned me.’

Yazid answered, ‘You have only increased our desire for your service and our eagerness for you. Go and carry out your commission, for I will not excuse you.’

So Abu Burdah departed and remained among the people for as long as Allah willed. He then sought permission to return to Yazid; permission was granted. He said, ‘Governor, shall I relate to you something my father told me that he heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?’

He said that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “Accursed is the one who asks by the Face of Allah, and accursed is the one who is asked by the Face of Allah and then withholds from the petitioner, so long as he has not asked for something sinful.” I now ask you by the Face of Allah to release me, O governor, from your appointment.’ So Yazid relieved him of it.

It was narrated by al-Ruyani in his Musnad, from Ahmad (1).

Ibn ʿUyaynah said: ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz asked Abu Burdah ibn Abi Musa, ‘How many…’

(1) All the transmitters are reliable except ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAyyaash. Abu Hatim said of him: “He is not strong; he is truthful and his narration may be recorded, and he is comparable to Ibn Luhayʿa.” Abu Dawud and al-Nasaʾi declared him weak, and Muslim cited him only as supporting evidence, not in the main body of his Sahih. Ibn ʿAsakir quoted the complete report in his Tarikh (entry ‘Asim ʿAyyadh), 387, through the isnad of al-Ruyani. The second hadith, beginning “Cursed is the one who asks…,” is also related by al-Tabarani from Abu Musa al-Ashʿari. Al-Hafiz al-ʿIraqi judged it fair (hasan), and al-Haythami remarked: “Al-Tabarani narrates it through his shaykh Yahya ibn ʿUthman ibn Salih, who is trustworthy though somewhat weak, while the rest of the transmitters are those found in the two Sahihs. When this chain is combined with that of al-Ruyani, the two together reinforce each other.”

أَحْمَدُ بنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بنِ وَهْبٍ: حَدَّثَنَا عَمِّي، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنْ أَبِيْهِ: أَنَّ يَزِيْدَ بنَ المُهَلَّبِ لَمَّا وَلِيَ خُرَاسَانَ، قَالَ: دُلُّوْنِي عَلَى رَجُلٍ كَامِلٍ لِخِصَالِ الخَيْرِ. فَدُلَّ عَلَى أَبِي بُرْدَةَ الأَشْعَرِيِّ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَ، رَآهُ رَجُلاً فَائِقاً، فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُ، رَأَى مِنْ مَخْبَرَتِهِ أَفَضْلَ مِنْ مَرْآتِهِ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي وَلَّيْتُكَ كَذَا وَكَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِي. فَاسْتَعْفَاهُ، فَأَبَى أَنَّ يُعْفِيَهُ، فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا الأَمِيْرُ، أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكَ بِشَيْءٍ حَدَّثَنِيْهُ أَبِي إِنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ: هَاتِهِ. قَالَ: إِنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُوْلُ: (مَنْ تَوَلَّى عَمَلاً وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِذَلِكَ العَمَلِ بِأَهْلٍ، فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ) ، وَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَيُّهَا الأَمِيْرُ أَنِّي لَسْتُ بِأَهْلٍ لِمَا دَعَوْتَنِي إِلَيْهِ. فَقَالَ: مَا زِدْتَ عَلَى أَنْ حَرَّضْتَنَا عَلَى نَفْسِكَ، وَرَغَّبْتَنَا فِيْكَ، فَاخْرُجْ إِلَى عَهْدِكَ، فَإِنِّي غَيْرُ مُعْفِيْكَ. فَخَرَجَ، ثُمَّ أَقَامَ فِيْهِم مَا شَاءَ اللهُ أَنْ يُقِيْمَ، فَاسْتَأْذَنَ فِي القُدُوْم عَلَيْهِ، فَأَذِنَ لَهُ، فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا الأَمِيْرُ، أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكَ بِشَيْءٍ حَدَّثَنِيْهُ أَبِي سَمِعَهُ مِنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ: قَالَ: (مَلْعُوْنٌ مَنْ سَأَلَ بِوَجْهِ اللهِ، وَمَلْعُوْنٌ مَنْ سُئِلَ بِوَجْهِ اللهِ ثُمَّ مَنَعَ سَائِلَهُ مَا لَمْ يَسْأَلْ هُجْراً) ، وَأَنَا سَائِلُكَ بِوَجْهِ اللهِ إِلاَّ مَا أَعْفَيْتَنِي أَيُّهَا الأَمِيْرُ مِنْ عَمَلِكَ، فَأَعْفَاهُ. رَوَاهُ: الرُّوْيَانِيُّ فِي (مُسْنَدِهِ) ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ (١) . قَالَ ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ: سَأَلَ عُمَرُ بنُ عَبْدِ العَزِيْزِ أَبَا بُرْدَةَ بنَ أَبِي مُوْسَى: كَمْ

(١) رجاله ثقات إلا عبد الله بن عياش، فقد قال أبو حاتم: ليس بالمتين، صدوق يكتب حديثه، وهو قريب من ابن لهيعة. وضعفه أبو داود والنسائي، وأخرج له مسلم في الشواهد لا في الأصول. والخبر بتمامه أورده ابن عساكر في تاريخه (عاصم عايذ) ٣٨٧ من طريق الروياني. والحديث الثاني " ملعون من سأل.." رواه الطبراني أيضا من حديث أبي موسى الأشعري، وحسنه الحافظ العراقي، وقال الهيثمي: رواه الطبراني عن شيخه يحيى بن عثمان بن صالح وهو ثقة، وفيه ضعف، وبقية رجاله رجال الصحيح، فإذا ضم هذا السند إلى سند الروياني حدث منهما قوة.