Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (12/69)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

Imam Sahnun died in the month of Rajab, 240 AH, at the age of eighty; he was succeeded by his son Muhammad.

I read in The History of Qayrawan by Abu Bakr ʿAbd Allah b. Muhammad al-Maliki, who wrote:

Abu al-ʿArab said, “A constellation of traits seldom found in one person came together in Sahnun: outstanding expertise in jurisprudence, sincere God-fearing piety, uncompromising adherence to the truth, renunciation of worldly things, austerity in dress and food, and open-handed generosity.

“At times he would send his brothers as much as thirty dinars, yet he never accepted anything from anyone. He feared no ruler when it came to upholding the truth and was stern with the people of innovation. His scholarly authority spread far and wide, and all agreed upon his merit. His father had brought him to Qayrawan among the troops from Hims, and he was of unmixed Tanukhite lineage.

“Sahnun said, ‘I performed the pilgrimage as the companion of Ibn Wahb.’

“ʿIsa b. Miskin remarked, ‘Sahnun is the monk of this community; between Malik and Sahnun no one surpassed Sahnun in jurisprudence.’

“Sahnun also said, ‘I memorised these books until they became fixed in my breast like the Opening Chapter of the Quran.’

“He further declared, ‘I leave this world certain that Allah will not question me about any issue in which I spoke from mere opinion—though how many things there are that I do not know.’

“And he observed, ‘The temptation of giving the right answer too quickly is greater than the temptation of wealth.’”

(1) Tartib al-Madarik, vol. 2, p. 624: “when three days of the month of Rajab had elapsed” (i.e., on 3 Rajab). (2) Tartib al-Madarik, vol. 2, p. 592; al-Dibaj al-Mudhahhab, vol. 2, p. 34. (3) Al-Dibaj al-Mudhahhab, vol. 2, p. 32, with the wording: “the ascetic of this ummah.” (4) Tartib al-Madarik, vol. 2, p. 590.

تُوُفِّيَ الإِمَامُ سَحْنُوْنُ: فِي شَهْرِ رَجَبٍ، سَنَةَ أَرْبَعِيْنَ وَمائَتَيْنِ (١) ، وَلَهُ ثَمَانُوْنَ سَنَةً، وَخَلَفَهُ وَلَدُهُ مُحَمَّدٌ. قَرَأْتُ فِي (تَارِيْخِ القَيْرَوَانِ) لأَبِي بَكْرٍ عَبْدِ اللهِ بنِ مُحَمَّدٍ المَالِكِيِّ ، قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو العَرَبِ: اجْتَمَعَتْ فِي سَحْنُوْنَ خِلاَلٌ قَلَّمَا اجْتَمَعَتْ فِي غَيْرِهِ: الفِقْهُ البَارِعُ، وَالوَرَعُ الصَّادِقُ، وَالصَّرَامَةُ فِي الحَقِّ، وَالزَّهَادَةُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَالتَّخَشُّنُ فِي المَلْبَسِ وَالمَطْعَمِ، وَالسَّمَاحَةُ (٢) . كَانَ رُبَّمَا وَصَلَ إِخْوَانَهُ بِالثَّلاَثِيْنَ دِيْنَاراً، وَكَانَ لاَ يَقْبَلُ مِنْ أَحَدٍ شَيْئاً. وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَهَابُ سُلْطَاناً فِي حَقٍّ، شَدِيْداً عَلَى أَهْلِ البِدَعِ، انْتَشَرَتْ إِمَامَتُهُ، وَأَجْمَعُوا عَلَى فَضْلِهِ، قَدِمَ بِهِ أَبُوْهُ مَعَ جُنْدِ الحِمْصِيِّينَ، وَهُوَ مِنْ تَنُوْخَ صَلِيْبَةً. وَعَنْ سَحْنُوْنَ، قَالَ: حَجَجْتُ زَمِيلَ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ. وَقَالَ عِيْسَى بنُ مِسْكِيْنٍ: سَحْنُوْنُ رَاهِبُ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَ مَالِكٍ وَسَحْنُوْنَ أَحَدٌ أَفْقَهَ مِنْ سَحْنُوْنَ (٣) . وَعَنْ سَحْنُوْنَ، قَالَ: إِنِّي حَفِظْتُ هَذِهِ الكُتُبَ، حَتَّى صَارَتْ فِي صَدْرِي كَأُمِّ القُرْآنِ (٤) . وَعَنْهُ، قَالَ: إِنِّي لأَخْرُجُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، وَلاَ يَسْأَلُنِي اللهُ عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ قُلْتُ فِيْهَا بِرَأْيِي، وَمَا أَكْثَرَ مَا لاَ أَعْرِفُ. وَعَنْهُ: سُرْعَةُ الجَوَابِ بِالصَّوَابِ، أَشَدُّ فِتْنَةً مِنْ فِتْنَةِ المَالِ.

(١) في " ترتيب المدارك " ٢ / ٦٢٤: لثلاث خلون من رجب. (٢) " ترتيب المدارك " ٢ / ٥٩٢، و" الديباج المذهب " ٢ / ٣٤. (٣) " الديباج المذهب " ٢ / ٣٢، بلفظ: زاهد هذه الأمة. (٤) " ترتيب المدارك " ٢ / ٥٩٠.