Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (12/598)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

knowledge the sum of three hundred thousand dirhams (1).

Ibn al-Najjār remarked: “He was one of the reliable imams, a man of dignity and noble character. He journeyed through Syria, Egypt, and Iraq.”

I was informed by Abū al-Makārim al-Labbān; Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥaddād told us; Abū Nuʿaym told us; I heard Abū Muḥammad ibn Ḥayyān say—I heard Abū ʿAlī Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm relate:

“Aḥmad ibn Mahdī said: ‘One night in Baghdad a woman came to me and said that she was from a respectable family, that she had been subjected to a severe trial, and she implored me by Allah to conceal her. “I have been coerced,” she said, “and I am pregnant. Say that you are my husband—do not disgrace me.” I turned away from her and left (2).

I had no inkling of what followed until the imam of the quarter and the neighbours arrived to congratulate me on the blessed child. I proclaimed the tahlīl, and on the next day I weighed out two dinars for the imam, telling him, “Give these to her as maintenance; I have now separated from her.” Thereafter I sent her two dinars every month, and this continued for two full years. Then the child died, and people came to console me. I outwardly displayed submission and acceptance of Allah’s decree. A few days later she brought the dinars back, but I refused them and she prayed for me (3). I said to her, “That gold was intended as a gift for the child. Now you have inherited it, and it is yours (4).”’”

He died in 272 AH.

(1) Dhikr Akhbar Isbahan, vol. 1, p. 85, with the wording: “… the possessor of books and sound source texts; he spent on them about ….” The same report occurs in al-Wafi bi-l-Wafayat, vol. 8, p. 199, in the version cited in the main text. (2) Al-Wafi bi-l-Wafayat, vol. 8, p. 199, reads: “Time passed without my noticing until I gave birth.” (3) Al-Wafi bi-l-Wafayat, vol. 8, p. 199, adds: She said, “May Allah conceal you as you have concealed me.” (4) The entire report is found in al-Wafi bi-l-Wafayat, vol. 8, p. 199.

العِلْم ثَلاَث مائَة أَلْف دِرْهَم (١) . وَقَالَ ابْنُ النَّجَّار: كَانَ مِنَ الأَئِمَّة الثِّقَات، وَذوِي الْمُرُوءَات، رَحَلَ إِلَى الشَّامِ وَمِصْر وَالعِرَاق. أُنْبِئت عَنْ أَبِي المكَارم اللَّبَّان، أَخْبَرْنَا أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الحَدَّادُ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ بن حَيَّان، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَلِيٍّ أَحْمَد بن مُحَمَّدِ بنِ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ يَقُوْلُ: قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بنُ مَهْدِيّ: جَاءتَنِي امْرَأَة بِبَغْدَادَ لَيْلَة، فذَكَرَتْ أَنَّهَا مِنْ بنَات النَّاس، وَأَنَّهَا امْتحنت بِمِحْنَة، وَأَسْأَلك بِاللهِ أَنْ تَسْترنِي، فَقَدْ أَكْرَهت عَلَى نَفْسِي، وَأَنَا حُبْلَى، وَقُلْتُ: إِنَّك زوجِي فَلاَ تفضحنِي. فَنُكِبَتْ عَنْهَا، وَمضيت (٢) . فَلم أَشْعَر حَتَّى جَاءَ إِمَام المحلَة وَالجيرَان يهنئونِي بِالوَلَد المَيْمُوْنَ، فَأَظهرت التَّهْلِيل، وَوزنت فِي اليَوْمِ الثَّانِي لِلإِمَام دِيْنَارَيْنِ، وَقُلْتُ: أَعطهَا نفقَة، فَقَدْ فَارقتهَا، وَكُنْت أَعطيهَا فِي كُلِّ شَهْر دِيْنَارَيْنِ، حَتَّى أَتَى عَلَى ذَلِكَ سنتَان، فَمَاتَ الطِّفْل، وَجَاءنِي النَّاس يعزونِي، فَكُنْت أَظهر لَهُم التَسْلِيم وَالرِّضَى، فَجَاءتْنِي بَعْد أَيَّام بِالدَّنَانِيْر فردتهَا، وَدعت لِي (٣) ، فَقُلْتُ: هَذَا الذّهب كَانَ صلَة لِلْولد، وَقَدْ وَرثتيه، وَهو لَك (٤) . تُوُفِّيَ: فِي سَنَةِ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِيْنَ وَمائَتَيْنِ.

(١) " ذكر أخبار أصبهان " ١ / ٨٥ بلفظ: ... صاحب الكتب والاصول الصحاح، أنفق عليها نحوا من ... وهو في " الوافي بالوفيات " ٨ / ١٩٩ بلفظ المتن. (٢) في " الوافي بالوفيات " ٨ / ١٩٩: ومضت فلم أشعر حتى وضعت. (٣) في " الوافي بالوفيات " ٨ / ١٩٩ وقالت: سترك الله كما سترتني. (٤) الخبر في " الوافي بالوفيات " ٨ / ١٩٩.