Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (6/98)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

ʿUbayd Allāh narrated—through ʿUmar—from Abū Ḥāzim, who said: “You will never be a scholar until three qualities are found in you: you do not scheme against those above you, you do not belittle those beneath you, and you do not turn your knowledge into a source of worldly gain.”

Yaʿqūb ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān reported from Abū Ḥāzim that he said: “Whatever you wish to accompany you in the Hereafter, let go of it today.”

He also said: “Examine every deed that makes you dread death because of it; give it up, and then it will no longer matter when you die.”

And he said: “Even a small share of this world distracts one from a great deal of the next.”

He further said: “Consider whatever puts you right and act upon it—even if people regard it as corruption; and consider whatever corrupts you and leave it—even if people deem it righteousness.”

From him as well: “If you adhere to two things you will attain the best of this world and the next—I will not keep you long.” It was asked, “What are they?” He replied: “That you endure what you dislike when Allah loves it, and that you abandon what you love when Allah detests it.”

He likewise said: “Allah’s favor to me in withholding the world from me is greater than His favor in giving me any of it; for I have seen Him grant it to people who were then ruined.”

Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Ṣanʿānī narrated—from Ibn ʿUyaynah—that Abū Ḥāzim said to his companions, and swore to them: “I would be satisfied with you if each of you preserved his religion as carefully as he preserves his sandal.”

Abū al-Walīd al-Ṭayālisī reported—from Ibn ʿUyaynah: I heard Abū Ḥāzim say, “Do not oppose or show enmity toward anyone until you have looked at the state of his heart with Allah. If his inner state is sound, Allah will not abandon him because of your hostility; and if his inner state is corrupt, his own evils suffice you. Even if you wanted to burden him with more acts of disobedience than he already commits, you would be unable.”

Yaḥyā ibn Muḥammad al-Madanī narrated from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam: “I said…” (the report continues).

وَرَوَى: عُبَيْدُ اللهِ، عَنْ عُمَرَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، قَالَ: لاَ تَكُوْنُ عَالِماً حَتَّى يَكُوْنَ فِيْكَ ثَلاَثُ خِصَالٍ: لاَ تَبغِ عَلَى مَنْ فَوْقَكَ، وَلاَ تَحقِرْ مَنْ دُوْنكَ، وَلاَ تَأخُذْ عَلَى عِلْمِكَ دُنْيَا. وَرَوَى: يَعْقُوْبُ بنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، قَالَ: مَا أَحببتَ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ مَعَكَ فِي الآخِرَةِ، فَاترُكْهُ اليَوْمَ. وَقَالَ: انْظُرْ كُلَّ عَملٍ كَرهتَ المَوْتَ مِنْ أَجْلِهِ، فَاترُكْهُ، ثُمَّ لاَ يَضرُّكَ مَتَى مِتَّ. وَقَالَ: يَسِيْرُ الدُّنْيَا يُشغِلُ عَنْ كَثِيْرِ الآخِرَةِ. وَقَالَ: انْظُرِ الَّذِي يُصلِحُكَ فَاعملْ بِهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فَسَاداً لِلنَّاسِ، وَانظُرِ الَّذِي يُفسِدُكَ فَدَعْهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ صَلاَحاً لِلنَّاسِ. وَعَنْهُ، قَالَ: شَيْئَانِ إِذَا عَمِلتَ بِهِمَا، أَصبتَ خَيْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ، لاَ أُطوِّلُ عَلَيْكَ. قِيْلَ: مَا هُمَا؟ قَالَ: تَحْمِلُ مَا تَكرَهُ إِذَا أَحَبَّهُ اللهُ، وَتتركُ مَا تُحبُّ إِذَا كَرِهَهُ اللهُ. وَعَنْهُ: نِعمَةُ اللهِ فِيْمَا زَوَى عَنِّي مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، أَعْظَمُ مِنْ نِعمَتِهِ فِيْمَا أَعْطَانِي مِنْهَا، لأَنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ أَعْطَاهَا قَوْماً فَهَلكُوا. وَرَوَى: مُحَمَّدُ بنُ إِسْمَاعِيْلَ الصَّنْعَانِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ: قَالَ أَبُو حَازِمٍ لِجُلسَائِهِ، وَحَلَفَ لَهُم: لَقَدْ رَضِيْتُ مِنْكُم أَنْ يُبقِيَ أَحَدُكُم عَلَى دِيْنِهِ كَمَا يُبْقِي عَلَى نَعْلِهِ. أَبُو الوَلِيْدِ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ: عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا حَازِمٍ يَقُوْلُ: لاَ تُعَادِيَنَّ رَجُلاً، وَلاَ تُنَاصِبنَّهُ حَتَّى تَنْظُرَ إِلَى سَرِيْرتِهِ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللهِ، فَإِنْ يَكُنْ لَهُ سَرِيْرَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَخذِلَهُ بِعَدَاوتِكَ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ سَرِيْرَةٌ رَدِيئَةٌ، فَقَدْ كَفَاكَ مَسَاوِئَهُ، وَلَوْ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَعْمَلَ بِهِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مَعَاصِي اللهِ، لَمْ تَقْدِرْ. وَرَوَى: يَحْيَى بنُ مُحَمَّدٍ المَدَنِيُّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بنِ زَيْدِ بنِ أَسْلَمَ: قُلْتُ