Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (11/167)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

rather, what is certain is that he would act upon whatever of that he could—may Allah have mercy on him, ennoble his resting place, and make the Gardens of Firdaus his final return and abode.

Ismaʿil ibn Ishaq al-Sarraj said: “Ahmad ibn Hanbal once asked me, ‘Can you let me see al-Harith al-Muhasibi when he comes to your house?’ I replied, ‘Yes!’ delighted at the request. I then went to al-Harith and said, ‘I would like you and your companions to come tonight.’ He answered, ‘They are many, so set out for them some dates and kasb (1).’

When the time between Maghrib and ʿIshaʾ had passed, they arrived, while Imam Ahmad had come beforehand and was sitting in an upstairs room (2). After they had prayed ʿIshaʾ they performed no additional prayers; they merely sat before al-Harith in silence (3), as though birds were perched on their heads, until it was nearly (4) midnight. Then one of them asked him a question, and al-Harith began to speak about zuhd and admonition. One man began to weep, another to moan, and another to cry out.

I went up to the room and found Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal weeping until he was about to lose consciousness, and they remained in that state until dawn. When he was about to leave I asked, ‘How did you find these people, Abū ʿAbd Allah?’ He replied, ‘I have never seen anyone speak about zuhd as this man does, nor have I seen people like them; even so, I do not think it advisable for you to keep their company.’

Al-Bayhaqi said: It may be that he disapproved of his accompanying them because al-Harith ibn Asad, although an ascetic, had some involvement in kalām (speculative theology), and Ahmad detested that. Or he may have disliked him joining them lest he fail to reach their level. Allah knows best.

I say: Rather, he only disliked it because the speech of some of these people contains an austerity for which the Sacred Law has given no sanction—excessive precision, probing (5), and an intense self-reckoning that have not been commanded. For this reason, when Abū Zurʿah al-Rāzī examined the book of al-Harith ibn Asad entitled “al-Riʿāyah,” he said, ‘This is an innovation,’ and then told the man who had brought it, ‘Hold fast to what Mālik, al-Thawri, al-Awzaʿi, and al-Layth ibn Saʿd were upon, and leave this, for it is an innovation.’

Ibrahim al-Harbi said: I heard Ahmad say, ‘If you would like Allah to preserve for you what you love, then remain for Him upon what He loves.’

He also said, ‘Patience in poverty is a rank attained only by the most distinguished.’

And he would say, ‘Poverty is more honorable than wealth, for being patient with it is far more bitter, and the turmoil it brings is a higher spiritual state than gratitude.’ (6)

(1) “Kusb”: the oil extract and the press cake of cotton, flax, and sesame seeds after pressing. (2) In the ṭ edition, the following is added: “so that one may see them and hear their speech without actually perceiving them.” (3) In the ṭ edition, the following is added: “their heads shaved.” (4) In manuscripts A and B: “qarib” (near); however, the reading in dha and ṭ is to be retained. (5) “tanqīr ’an al-amr”: inquiry into the matter. (6) In the ṭ edition, the following is added: “and he said: I would not trade the merit of poverty for anything.”

بل المقطوعُ به: أنَّه يأخذ بما أمكنه من ذلك (رحمه الله) ، وأكرم مثواه، وجعل جئات الفردوس منقلبه ومأواه. وقال إسماعيل بن إسحاق السرّاج: قال لي أحمد بن حنبل: هل تستطيع أن تريني الحارث المُحَاسبي إذا جاء منزلك؟ فقلت: نعم! وفرحت بذلك، ثم ذهبت إلى الحارث، فقلت له: إني أحبُّ أن تحضر الليلة أنت وأصحابك. فقال: إنهم كثير فاحضرْ لهم التمر والكُسْب (١) . فلما كان بين العشاءين جاؤوا، وكان الإمام أحمد قد سبقهم، فجلس في غرفةٍ (٢) ، فلمَّا صلَّوا العشاء لم يصلُّوا بعدها شيئًا، حتَّى جاؤوا فجلسوا بين يدي الحارث سكوتًا (٣) كأنَّما على رؤوسهم الطير، حتى كان قريبًا (٤) من نصف الليل، ثم سأله رجل عن مسألةٍ، فشرع الحارث يتكلم فيما يتعلَّق بالزهد والوعظ، فجعل هذا يبكي، وهذا يئنُّ، وهذا يَزْعَقُ. قال: فصعِدت الغرفة، فإذا الإمام أحمد بن حنبل يبكي، حتَّى كاد يغشى عليه، ثم لم يزالوا كذلك حتَّى الصباح. فلمَّا أراد الانصراف قلتُ: كيف رأيْتَ هؤلاء يا أبا عبد اللَّه؟ فقال: ما رأيت أحدًا يتكلَّمُ في الزهد مثل هذا الرجل، وما رأيت مثلَ هؤلاء، ومع هذا فلا أرى لك أن تجتمعَ بهم. قال البيهقي: يحتمل أنه كره له صحبتهم؛ لأن الحارث بن أسد، وإن كان زاهدًا، لكنه كان عنده شيء من علم الكلام، وكان أحمد يكره ذلك. أو لعله كره له أن يصحبهم ولا يدرك شأوهم، واللَّه أعلم. قلت: بل إنَّما كره ذلك لأن في كلام بعض هؤلاء من التقشُّف الذي لم يرد به الشرعُ والتدقيق والتنقير (٥) والمحاسبة البليغة ما لم يأت به أمرٌ، ولهذا لمَّا وقف أبو زرعة الرازي على كتاب الحارث بن أسد المسقَى بـ "الرعاية" ، قال: هذا بِدعة، ثم قال للرجل الذي جاء به: عليك بما كان عليه مالكٌ والثوريُّ والأوزاعيّ والليث بن سعد، وَدَعْ هذا، فإنَّه بِدْعَةٌ. وقال إبراهيم الحربي: سمعت أحمد يقول: إن أحببت أن يدومَ اللَّه لك على ما تححب فدُمْ له على ما يحبُّ. كان يقول: الصَّبرُ على الفقر مرتبةٌ لا ينالها إلا الأكابر. وكان يقول: الفقر أشرفُ من الغنى، فإنَّ الصبر عليه أعظم مرارةً، وانزعاجه أعظمُ حالًا من الشكر (٦) .

(١) "الكُسْب": عصارة الدهن، وثُفل بزور القطن والكتان والسمسم بعد عصرها. (٢) بعدها في ط: بحيث يراهم ويسمع كلامهم ولا يرونه. (٣) بعدها في ط: مطرقى الرؤوس. (٤) في أ، ب: قريب، وأثبت ما جاء في ظا، ط. (٥) "التنقير عن الأمر": البحث عنه. (٦) بعده في ط: وقال: لا أعدل بفضل الفقر شيئًا.