Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (8/239)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

51 – Jaʿfar ibn Sulaymān ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās al-ʿAbbāsī*
The emir, chief of Banū Hāshim, Abū al-Qāsim al-ʿAbbāsī, and a cousin of the caliph al-Manṣūr.

He narrated from his father, and among those who transmitted from him were his two sons Qāsim and Yaʿqūb, as well as ʿUmar ibn ʿĀmir and al-Aṣmaʿī.

He was counted among the most distinguished princes for generosity and largesse, courage and learning, dignity and leadership. He first governed Medina, then Mecca along with it; after being dismissed he was appointed over Basra on behalf of Hārūn al-Rashīd.

ʿAbd al-Samīʿ ibn ʿAlī said, “We know of no one among Banū Hāshim more enviable than he. He combined noble lineage, high office, abundant wealth, beautiful children, and many servants.”

He died leaving eighty direct offspring, forty-three of them sons. During his lifetime his son Ayyūb governed Yemen.

He had many noble exploits and established a charitable endowment for those without means.

Al-Aṣmaʿī said, “I have never seen anyone of nobler character or loftier deeds than him.”

Concerning him Ḥabīb ibn Shawdhab recited:
“O seeker who asks about Hāshim’s clan, / Will you not look to its lord, Jaʿfar?
Behold the one whose gleaming brow most resembles theirs / Whenever he appears beside the shining moon.”

He assumed the governorship of Medina in the year 146 AH, succeeding ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Rabīʿ al-Ḥārithī.

(*) Al-Maʿrifa wa-l-Tarikh, by al-Fasawi, vol. 1, pp. 131, 132, 135; al-Kamil, by Ibn al-Athir, vol. 5, pp. 549, 564, 569 and vol. 6, pp. 56, 61, 119; Uyūn al-Akhbār, vol. 1, p. 222; vol. 2, p. 253; vol. 3, pp. 24, 199.

٥١ - جَعْفَرُ بنُ سُلَيْمَانَ بنِ عَلِيٍّ ابْنِ حَبْرِ الأُمَّةِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بنِ عَبَّاسٍ العَبَّاسِيُّ * الأَمِيْرُ، سَيِّدُ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، أَبُو القَاسِمِ العَبَّاسِيُّ، ابْنُ عَمِّ المَنْصُوْرِ. رَوَى عَنْ: أَبِيْهِ. وَعَنْهُ: ابْنَاهُ؛ قَاسِمٌ وَيَعْقُوْبُ، وَعُمَرُ بنُ عَامِرٍ، وَالأَصْمَعِيُّ. وَكَانَ مِنْ نُبَلاَءِ المُلُوْكِ جُوداً وَبَذْلاً، وَشَجَاعَةً وَعِلماً، وَجَلاَلَةً، وَسُؤْدُداً، وَلِيَ المَدِيْنَةَ، ثُمَّ مَكَّةَ مَعَهَا، ثُمَّ عُزِلَ، فَوَلِيَ البَصْرَةَ لِلرَّشِيْدِ. قَالَ عَبْدُ السَّمِيْعِ بنُ عَلِيٍّ: لاَ نَعْرِفُ فِي بَنِي هَاشِمٍ أَغبَطَ مِنْهُ، حَصَلَ لَهُ الشَّرَفُ وَالإِمْرَةُ وَالمَالُ الجَمُّ، وَالأَوْلاَدُ الزُّهْرُ، وَالعَبِيْدُ. مَاتَ: عَنْ ثَمَانِيْنَ وَلداً لِصُلبِه، مِنْهُم ثَلاَثَةٌ وَأَرْبَعُوْنَ ذَكَراً. وَوَلِيَ ابْنُهُ أَيُّوْبُ اليَمَنَ فِي حَيَاتِه. وَلَهُ: مَآثِرُ كَثِيْرَةٌ، وَوَقْفٌ عَلَى المُنْقَطِعِيْنَ. قَالَ الأَصْمَعِيُّ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَكرَمَ أَخْلاَقاً، وَلاَ أَشْرَفَ أَفْعَالاً مِنْهُ. وَفِيْهِ يَقُوْلُ حَبِيْبُ بنُ شَوْذَبٍ: يَا أَيُّهَا السَّائِلُ عَنْ هَاشِمٍ ... هَلْ لَكَ فِي سَيِّدِهَا جَعْفَرِ؟ هَلْ لَكَ فِي أَشْبَهِهِمْ غُرَّةً ... إِذَا بَدَا بِالقَمَرِ الأَزْهَرِ؟ وَلِي المَدِيْنَةَ سَنَةَ سِتٍّ وَأَرْبَعِيْنَ وَمائَةٍ، بَعْدَ عَبْدِ اللهِ بنِ الرَّبِيْعِ الحَارِثِيِّ.

(*) المعرفة والتاريخ للفسوي: ١ / ١٣١، ١٣٢، ١٣٥، الكامل لابن الأثير: ٥ / ٥٤٩، ٥٦٤، ٥٦٩، و٦ / ٥٦ / ٦١، ١١٩، عيون الاخبار: ١ / ٢٢٢ و٢ / ٢٥٣ و٣ / ٢٤، ١٩٩.