…numerous; it is among his compositions—a well-known, frequently mentioned work that has come down to us only in manuscript. See the introduction to Tahdhib al-Kamal, ed. Bashar ‘Awwad. In most of the entries I have appended additional material to what the original author recorded, based on my own research and sources. Had I access to every relevant volume, I would have expanded further—after all, wisdom is the believer’s lost treasure—and perhaps someone eager for the Hereafter and seeking what lies with Allah will find this more beneficial than the lives of caliphs, kings, and princes. Although those too are useful for reflection and deterrence—since recounting the lives of just and unjust rulers after their deaths highlights the virtues of the former and the remorse of the latter, making the oppressor aware that, though he dies, his corrupt deeds remain recorded in scholarly works—the same principle applies to people of justice, righteousness, and goodness. Allah has related in the Quran the accounts of kings, pharaohs, disbelievers, and corrupters as a warning about their conditions and deeds, and He has also recounted the stories of the pious, the benefactors, the upright, the exemplary, and the believers so that they may be emulated. And Allah knows best. We proceed, with His help: As for al-Hasan (the sources for his biography were given above on p. 266 in the footnote): he is Abu Sa‘id al-Basri, the renowned juristic imam, one of the great tabi‘in, distinguished in knowledge, practice, and sincerity. 1. Ibn Abi Dunya reports from him: “There was a man who devoted himself to worship for twenty years without his neighbor’s awareness; another would pray part or all of the night, only to wake up stretched out over his neighbor. And when people gathered for discussion, he would feel the urge to yawn and would restrain it as best he could; if overcome, he would rise and leave them.” 2. Al-Hasan said: “A man sighed in the presence of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Aziz, so ‘Umar struck him (or: slapped him) and said, ‘This is a sign of spiritual trial (fitna).’ Ibn Abi Dunya records this from al-Hasan, attributing it to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.” 3. Al-Tabarani narrates from al-Hasan: “Some people were so preoccupied with hopes of forgiveness and mercy that they died without any righteous deeds. One would say, ‘I have good opinion (husn al-dhann) of Allah and hope for His mercy,’ yet he lied: had he truly held good opinion of Allah, he would have done good for His sake; and had he expected mercy, he would have sought it through righteous deeds. He is like one who enters a pasture without provisions or water—he perishes.” 4. Ibn Abi Dunya reports from al-Hasan: “Treat these hearts, for they are quick to rebel; and curb these selves, for they incline toward the gravest evil.” 5. Malik ibn Dinar said, “I asked al-Hasan, ‘What is the punishment of a scholar who loves the world?’ He replied, ‘The death of the heart. If he loves the world, he will pursue it even at the expense of deeds for the Hereafter.’” (Reported by ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak in Al-Zuhd, p. 532; and by al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Iman, 2:296 [1837]). He added: “Then the blessings of knowledge depart, leaving only its empty form.” 6. Al-‘Utbi quotes his father: “Al-Hasan fell ill and, when he discovered he had recovered, said, ‘O man, Allah mentioned you—so remember Him—and He relieved you—so give Him thanks.’ He then remarked, ‘Illness is like the lash of a noble angel: either the patient emerges afterward a fine steed, or he remains a stumbling, stubborn donkey.’” 7. Al-‘Utbi also reports that al-Hasan wrote to Furqad: “As for what follows: I advise you to fear Allah, to practice what He has taught you, and to prepare for what He has promised—against which no one can prevail, and for which regret will come too late. Cast off the veil of heedlessness, awaken from the slumber of ignorance, and gird up your loins: this world is a field of competition, and the goal is Paradise or Hell. There is before Allah a station in which He will question you and me about the trivial and the minute, the grand and the hidden—and who can be sure of what He will ask?”