Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (11/254)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

of the caliphate, and I saw a multitude none but Allah could number. In their hands were notebooks, together with pens and inkwells. Al-Marwazi asked them, “What are you doing?”
They replied, “We are waiting to hear what Ahmad will say so that we may write it down.”

He went back inside and told him. Ahmad said, “Marwazi! Would I mislead all of those people?!”

This narration has a broken chain (1).

Ibn Abī Ḥātim said: ʿAbd Allah b. Muḥammad b. al-Faḍl al-Asadī related to us:
“When Ahmad was being taken away to be flogged, people came to Bishr b. al-Ḥārith and said, ‘It is now obligatory for you to speak out.’
“He replied, ‘Do you want me to assume the station of the prophets? That is not for me. May Allah safeguard Ahmad before him and behind him.’”

Al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. ʿUthmān al-Fasawī reported: Dāwūd b. ʿArafah narrated to us, Maimūn b. Aṣbagh narrated to us:
“I was in Baghdad (2) when Ahmad was put to the test. I took with me a sum of money of considerable value and went to the man who could admit me into the session.
“I was ushered in, and there the swords were already unsheathed, the spears planted, the shields (3) arrayed, and the whips set out (4). They dressed me in a black cloak, a belt, and a sword, and positioned me where I could hear the proceedings.
“Then the Commander of the Faithful arrived, sat upon a chair, and Ahmad was brought in. He said…"

(1) Thus spoke al-Dhahabi. Ibn al-Jawzi also cites the episode in Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad, pp. 329–330, and comments: “Here is a man who thought nothing of his own life for the sake of Allah Most High and readily offered it, just as Bilal did with his life. We have related from Saʿid ibn al-Musayyab that his own life, for the sake of Allah, was to him less than that of a fly. Their lives become insignificant to them because they keep the final consequences in view. The eyes of spiritual insight look to the ultimate outcome, not to the present circumstance. The severity of Ahmad’s trial is a sign of the strength of his faith, for it is authentically reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ‘A person is tested in proportion to the strength of his religion.’ Glory be to the One who supported, enlightened, strengthened, and granted him victory.” (2) Tarikh al-Islam adds, after the words “in Baghdad”: “…I heard a commotion, so I asked, ‘What is this?’ They replied, ‘Ahmad is undergoing interrogation…’ ” (3) al-atras, with a short i on the initial t, is the plural of turs, with a short u, meaning a shield used for protection in combat; the word is also pluralized as atras and turus. (4) Tarikh al-Islam reads: “turihat” (“it was thrown”).

الخِلاَفَةِ، فَرَأَيْتُ خَلقاً لاَ يُحصيهِم إِلاَّ اللهُ، وَالصُّحفُ فِي أَيديهِم، وَالأقلاَمُ وَالمَحَابِرُ، فَقَالَ لَهُمُ المَرُّوْذِيُّ: مَاذَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ؟ قَالُوا: نَنظرُ مَا يَقُوْلُ أَحْمَدُ، فَنَكْتُبُه. فَدَخَلَ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا مَرُّوْذِيُّ! أُضِلُّ هَؤُلاَءِ كُلَّهُم؟! فَهَذِهِ حِكَايَةٌ مُنْقَطِعَةٌ (١) . قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بنُ مُحَمَّدِ بنِ الفَضْلِ الأَسَدِيُّ، قَالَ: لَمَّا حُملَ أَحْمَدُ لِيُضْرَبَ، جَاؤُوا إِلَى بِشْرِ بنِ الحَارِثِ، وَقَالُوا: قَدْ وَجبَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَتَكَلَّمَ. فَقَالَ: أَتُرِيدُوْنَ مِنِّي أَقُومَ مَقَامَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ، لَيْسَ ذَا عِنْدِي، حَفِظَ اللهُ أَحْمَدَ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِه. الحَسَنُ بنُ مُحَمَّدِ بنِ عُثْمَانَ الفَسَوِيُّ: حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بنُ عَرَفَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مَيْمُوْنُ بنُ أَصْبَغَ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ بِبَغْدَادَ (٢) ، وَامتُحِنَ أَحْمَدُ، فَأخذتُ مَالاً لَهُ خَطَرٌ، فَذَهَبتُ بِهِ إِلَى مَنْ يُدْخِلُنِي إِلَى المَجْلِسِ. فَأُدخلتُ، فَإذَا السُّيوفُ قَدْ جُرِّدتْ، وَبِالرِّمَاحِ قَدْ رُكزَتْ، وَبَالتِّرَاسِ (٣) قَدْ صُفِّفتْ، وَبَالسِّيَاطِ قَدْ وُضعتْ (٤) ، وَأُلبستُ قَبَاءً أَسودَ وَمِنطَقَةً وَسيفاً، وَوُقِّفتُ حَيْثُ أَسْمَعُ الكَلاَمَ. فَأَتى أَمِيْرُ المُؤْمِنِيْنَ، فَجلسَ علَى كُرْسِيٍّ، وَأَتَى بِأَحْمَدَ، فَقَالَ

(١) هكذا قال الذهبي. ونقلها ابن الجوزي أيضا في " مناقب الامام أحمد " ص: ٣٢٩، ٣٣٠ ثم قال: هذا رجل هانت عليه نفسه في الله تعالى فبذلها، كما هانت على بلال نفسه. وقد روينا عن سعيد بن المسيب أنه كانت نفسه عليه في الله تعالى أهون من نفس ذباب. وإنما تهون أنفسهم عليهم لتلمحهم العواقب. فعيون البصائر ناظرة إلى المآل، لا إلى الحال. وشدة ابتلاء أحمد دليل على قوة دينه، لأنه قد صح عن النبي، ﷺ، أنه قال: " يبتلى المرء على حسب دينه ". فسبحان من أيده وبصره، وقواه ونصره. (٢) في تاريخ الإسلام زيادة بعد " ببغداد ": " ... فسمعت ضجة، فقلت: ما هذا؟ قالوا: أحمد ممتحن ... " (٣) التراس، بكسر التاء: جمع ترس، بضمها، وهو الذي يتوقى به من السلاح. ويجمع أيضا على أتراس وتروس. (٤) في " تاريخ الإسلام ": " طرحت ".