224 – Al-Nibājī, Abū ʿAbd Allāh Saʿīd ibn Burayd, the Sufi*

An exemplar, a devout worshipper, a godly man—Abū ʿAbd Allāh Saʿīd ibn Burayd, the Sufi. He was known for elevated discourse and heart-softening exhortations.

Among those who reported from him are: Aḥmad ibn Abī al-Ḥawārī, Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Bakr al-Qurashī, Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-Iṣbahānī, Sahl ibn ʿĀṣim, and others.

Abū Nuʿaym narrated, from his father, from his maternal uncle, that al-Nibājī’s supplications were answered and that he was granted signs and extraordinary favors. While on a journey, a man cast the evil eye on his she-camel. Al-Nibājī approached the man and invoked specific words against him; the envier’s two eyeballs came out and the camel at once regained its vigor (1).

It is related from him that he said, “I never imagined anyone could be engaged in prayer and yet have anything reach his hearing other than what Allah is addressing him with” (2).

He also said, “Were I given one guaranteed supplication, I would not ask for al-Firdaws; rather, I would ask for Divine pleasure, for that is Paradise brought forward” (3).

Ibn Bakr said: I heard al-Nibājī say, “We should place greater trust in the prayers of our brothers than in our own deeds. In our deeds we fear shortcomings, whereas we hope they are sincere when they supplicate for us” (4).

Al-Nibājī has a lengthy entry in al-Ḥilyah (5).