he prepared to mount: he put on his leather socks and wrapped a turban around his head. When he had walked about twenty steps or so—while I was supporting him by the arm and another man was leading him toward the animal so that he might ride—he, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Release me, for I have grown weak.” He then uttered several supplications, lay down, and passed away, may Allah have mercy on him. At that moment (1) perspiration streamed from him in a manner that defies description, and it did not subside until we had enshrouded him in his garments.
Among the things he told us and instructed us to do was: “Shroud me in three white pieces of cloth, with no shirt and no turban among them.” So we did just that.
When we buried him, an exquisite fragrance, sweeter than musk, emanated from the soil of his grave and continued for several days. Then elongated white pillars appeared in the sky above his grave, and people kept coming, amazed at what they saw. As for the soil, they kept taking it from the grave until the grave itself became exposed; we were unable (2) to protect it even by setting guards, and we were over­whelmed. Consequently, we erected interlaced wooden planks over the grave so no one could reach it. People would remove the earth around the grave, yet they could not reach the grave itself.
The sweet scent persisted for many days, until the townspeople spoke about it and marveled. Even those who had opposed him recognized his true merit after his death; some of them went out to his grave and openly expressed repentance and remorse for the blameworthy stance (3) they had earlier taken.
Muḥammad ibn Abī Ḥātim said: Abū Manṣūr Ghālib ibn Jibrīl lived only a short while after him and directed that he be buried beside him.