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103 – Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn narrated to me; Abū al-Walīd al-Kalbī narrated to me; Saʿīd ibn Ṣadaqah, Abū Muhalhil, narrated to me. He said: One day Sufyān al-Thawrī took me by the hand, led me out to the cemetery, and we withdrew to a spot away from the people’s path. He then wept and said, “Abū Muhalhil, I wish I had never written down a single letter of this knowledge, except what a man cannot do without.” He wept again and said, “Abū Muhalhil, until today I used to hate death, but now my heart yearns for it—even if my tongue cannot say so.” I asked, “And why is that?” He replied, “Because people have changed and become corrupt.”
١٠٣ - حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ الْكَلْبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ صَدَقَةَ أَبُو مُهَلْهِلٍ، قَالَ أَخَذَ بِيَدِي سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ، يَوْمًا فَأَخْرَجَنِي إِلَى الْجَبَّانِ، فَاعْتَزَلْنَا نَاحِيَةً عَنْ طَرِيقِ النَّاسِ، فَبَكَى، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «يَا أَبَا مُهَلْهِلٍ، وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ كَتَبْتُ مِنْ هَذَا الْعِلْمِ حَرْفًا وَاحِدًا، إِلَّا مَا لَا بُدَّ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنْهُ» قَالَ: ثُمَّ بَكَى، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «يَا أَبَا مُهَلْهِلٍ، قَدْ كُنْتُ قَبْلَ الْيَوْمِ أَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ، فَقَلْبِي الْيَوْمَ يَتَمَنَّى الْمَوْتَ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْطِقْ بِهِ لِسَانِي» ، قُلْتُ: وَلِمَ ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: «لِتَغَيُّرِ النَّاسِ وَفَسَادِهِمْ»