—the Balkhī preacher whose tongue poured forth wisdom, known as al-Aṣamm (“the Deaf”).

He left behind weighty words on renunciation, exhortation, and wisdom, so that people used to call him “the Luqmān of this ummah.”

He narrated from Shaqīq al-Balkhī—whose close companion he was—Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Māhiyānī, Shaddād ibn Ḥakīm, Rajāʾ ibn Muḥammad, and others; yet, as far as I can see, he did not transmit anything with an unbroken chain back to the Prophet.

Among those who transmitted from him were ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sahl al-Rāzī, Aḥmad ibn Khiḍrawayh al-Balkhī, Muḥammad ibn Fāris al-Balkhī, Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Khawwāṣ, Abū Turāb al-Nakhshabī, Ḥamdān ibn Dhī al-Nūn, Muḥammad ibn Mukram al-Ṣaffār, and others. He also met Imām Aḥmad in Baghdad.

He was asked, “On what basis have you built your reliance on Allah?” He answered, “Upon four principles: I have learned that no one but me will consume my allotted provision, so my soul is at ease about it; I have learned that no one but me will perform my deeds, so I busy myself with them; I have learned that death comes suddenly, so I hasten to prepare for it; and I have learned that I am never out of Allah’s sight, so I feel shame before Him.”

He further said, “Whoever begins the day upright in four matters is in a good state: sound understanding, then reliance on Allah (tawakkul), then sincerity, then true knowledge of Allah.”

And he advised, “Watch over your soul in three situations: when you learn, remember Allah’s gaze upon you; when you speak, remember that Allah hears you; and when you are silent, remember Allah’s knowledge of what lies within you.”

Abū Turāb reported: “I heard Hātim say, ‘I have four wives and nine children; Satan has never dared to whisper to me about their sustenance.’ ”

I heard Shaqīq say, “Laziness is an aid to asceticism.”

Abū Turāb also related that Shaqīq said to Hātim, “Since you have accompanied me, what have you learned…"