Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Jahḍam—whose report is weak—narrated to us; Jaʿfar al-Khuldī then narrated to us; and Aḥmad b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Māhān said: “I heard Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq say:

‘The clear-sighted of every religion agree that whoever does not move in harmony with the divine decree will never taste a pleasant life.

He also used to say: “My shirt is the cleanest of shirts, yet my waist-wrapper is the filthiest of waist-wrappers; never have I imagined the two could ever match. One of the heel-straps of my sandals is sound while the other is broken, and I have never even considered repairing them (1). I have never complained to my family or relatives about a fever I might feel, for a man should not burden himself or his dependants with worry. For ten years I have seen with only one eye, and I have not told anyone about it. I spent thirty years living on two loaves of bread: if my mother or my sister brought them to me, I ate; otherwise I remained hungry until the next night. I then spent another thirty years living on a single loaf each day and night: if my wife or my daughters brought it to me, I ate; otherwise I stayed hungry. Now I content myself with half a loaf and fourteen dates, and my entire ifṭār this Ramadan has cost one dirham, two dāniqs, and a half (2).”’

Abū al-Qāsim ibn Bukayr said: “I heard Ibrāhīm al-Harbī say, ‘We knew nothing of these elaborate stews. Day after day I would come home, and my mother had prepared for me a single roasted eggplant, or a mere spoonful of ban (3), or a small bunch (4) of radishes (5).’”

Muḥammad b. Ayyūb al-ʿUkbarī said: “I heard Ibrāhīm al-Harbī say, ‘I have never sought, nor been granted, leisurely recreation, nor have I ever eaten any food twice in the same day (6).’”