Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (14/345)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

innovation, Jahmism, or Rafidism without a group who rushes to champion him, defend him, and profess his views out of caprice and ignorance. The true criterion, however, is the word of the broad body of the ummah who are free⦗1⦘ from whim and ignorance and who are distinguished⦗2⦘ by piety and knowledge.

So ponder—servant of Allah—the creed of al-Hallaj, who was one of the leading Qarmatians and a promoter of heresy, and be fair, be scrupulous, beware of this matter, and call yourself to account. If it becomes evident to you that the traits of this man are the traits of an enemy to Islam, enamoured of authority, keen to appear—whether by falsehood or by truth—then repudiate his doctrine. But if it should become clear to you—Allah forbid—that in such a state he was actually in the right, a guide who himself was rightly guided⦗3⦘, then renew your Islam and beseech your Lord to grant you success in following the truth and to keep your heart firm upon His religion. Guidance is merely a light that Allah casts into the heart of His Muslim servant, and there is no power except with Allah. Yet if you remain doubtful, unable to determine his reality, and you dissociate yourself from the charges levelled against him, you will have given your soul relief, and Allah will not question you about him at all.

al-Sulamī said: I heard Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Warrāq say: I heard Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Qalānsī al-Rāzī say: When al-Hallaj was crucified—meaning on the first occasion—I stood by him, and he said, “My God, this morning I find myself in the abode of aspirations, beholding marvels. My God, You show affection to those who offend You; how then will You not show affection to one who is offended for Your sake?”

al-Sulamī said: I heard Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Rāzī say: My brother was a servant of al-Hallaj. On the night before the morning he was to be executed, I said to him, “Master, leave me some advice.” He replied, “Attend to your own soul; if you do not keep it busy, it will keep you busy.” When he was brought out, he strutted in his fetters and said:

(1) In the original manuscript: "al-khalun" (lit. the maternal uncles). (2) In the original manuscript: "al-mutasifun" (lit. those who are described or characterized). (3) In the original manuscript: "muhiq haad mahdi" (obliterating, guiding, rightly-guided).

البدعَةِ وَالتَّجَهُّمِ وَالرَّفضِ إِلاَّ وَلَهُ أُنَاسٌ يَنْتصرُوْنَ لَهُ، وَيَذُبُّونَ عَنْهُ، وَيدينُوْنَ بِقَولِه بِهوَىً وَجهلٍ، وَإِنَّمَا العِبْرَةُ بِقَولِ جُمْهُوْرِ الأُمَّةِ الخَالينَ (١) مِنَ الهوَى وَالجَهْلِ، المتَّصِفِينَ (٢) بِالوَرَعِ وَالعِلْمِ، فَتَدبّرْ - يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ - نحْلَةَ الحَلاَّجِ الَّذِي هُوَ مِنْ رُؤُوْسِ القرَامِطَةِ، وَدعَاةِ الزَّنْدَقَةِ، وَأَنِصْفْ، وَتَوَرَّعْ، وَاتَّقِ ذَلِكَ، وَحَاسِبْ نَفْسكَ، فَإِنْ تبرهَنَ لَكَ أَنَّ شَمَائِلَ هَذَا المَرْءِ شَمَائِلُ عدوٍّ لِلإِسْلاَمِ، مُحبٍّ للرِّئاسَةِ، حريصٍ عَلَى الظُهُوْرِ بباطلٍ وَبحقٍّ، فَتبرَّأْ مِنْ نِحْلتِه، وَإِنْ تبرهنَ لَكَ - وَالعيَاذُ بِاللهِ - أَنَّهُ كَانَ - وَالحَالَةِ هَذِهِ - مُحقّاً هَادِياً مهدِيّاً (٣) ، فَجِدِّدْ إِسْلاَمَكَ، وَاسْتغثْ بربِّكَ أَنْ يُوَفِّقَكَ لِلْحقِّ، وَأَنْ يُثَبِّتَ قَلْبَكَ عَلَى دِيْنِهِ، فَإِنَّمَا الهُدَى نُورٌ يقذِفُهُ اللهُ فِي قلبِ عبدِه المُسْلِمِ، وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللهِ، وَإِن شككتَ وَلَمْ تَعْرِفْ حَقِيقَتَهُ، وَتبرَّأَتَ مِمَّا رُمِي بِهِ، أَرحتَ نَفْسكَ، وَلَمْ يَسْأَلْكَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَصلاً. السُّلَمِيُّ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بنَ أَحْمَدَ بنِ الحَسَنِ الوَرَّاقَ: سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ بنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ القلاَنسِيَّ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُوْلُ: لَمَّا صُلبَ الحَلاَّجُ - يَعْنِي: فِي النَّوبَةِ الأُوْلَى - وَقفتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: إِلَهِي! أَصبحتُ فِي دَارِ الرَّغَائِبِ أَنظرُ إِلَى العَجَائِبِ، إِلَهِي! إِنَّك تَتَوَدَّدُ إِلَى مَنْ يُؤذيكَ، فَكَيْفَ لاَ تَتَوَدَّدُ إِلَى مَنْ يُؤذَى فِيكَ. السُّلَمِيُّ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا العَبَّاسِ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُوْلُ: كَانَ أَخِي خَادِماً لِلْحلاَّجِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ اللَّيْلَةُ التِي يُقتلُ فِيْهَا مِنَ الغَدِ، قُلْتُ: أَوصِنِي يَا سَيِّدِي. فَقَالَ: عَلَيْكَ نَفْسَكَ، إِنْ لَمْ تَشغلْهَا شَغَلَتْكَ. فَلَمَّا أُخرجَ، كَانَ يَتبخترُ فِي قَيْدِه، وَيَقُوْلُ:

(١) في الأصل: " الخالون ". (٢) في الأصل: " المتصفون ". (٣) في الأصل: " محق هاد مهدي ".