Ithbāt Ṣifat al-ʿUlū - Ibn Qudama - (76)

Ithbāt Ṣifat al-ʿUlūIbn Qudama

The Quraysh frequently came to al-Ḥuṣayn, Abū ʿImrān, and said, “This man keeps disparaging our deities. We would like you to go to him and admonish him.” They accompanied him until they were close to the door of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him. He (the narrator) said: They sat down while Ḥuṣayn went in. When the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—saw him, he said, “Make room for the elder.” So they made room for him, while ʿImrān and the Companions of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—were present in large numbers.

Ḥuṣayn said, “What is this that has reached us about you reviling our gods and mentioning them? Your father was a bowl and bread (1).” The Prophet replied, “My father and your father are in the Fire (2). O Ḥuṣayn, how many gods do you worship today?” He said, “Seven on earth and one in heaven.” He asked, “When hardship befalls you, whom do you call upon?” He said, “The One who is in heaven.” He asked, “When your wealth is destroyed, whom do you call upon?” He said, “The One who is in heaven.” He said, “So He alone answers you, yet you associate the others with Him?! Are you not satisfied with Him (3)—or do you fear that He might be overpowered?” He answered, “Neither of these; and I now realize I have never spoken to anyone like him.”

He said, “O Ḥuṣayn, accept Islam and you will be safe.” Ḥuṣayn replied, “I have a people—and a clan (4)—so what shall I say to them?” He said, “Say: ‘O Allah, I seek Your guidance to the most upright of my affairs, and I seek refuge in You from the evil of my own soul. Teach me what will benefit me, benefit me with what You have taught me, and increase me in knowledge that benefits me.’” He said it, and he did not rise before he had accepted Islam.

ʿImrān leapt up and kissed his head, his hands, and his feet. When the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—saw that, he wept. Someone said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, what makes you weep?” He said, “What ʿImrān has done. Ḥuṣayn entered while he was a polytheist, and ʿImrān neither rose to him nor turned toward him. When he embraced Islam, ʿImrān fulfilled his right, and that moved me to tenderness.”

When Ḥuṣayn wished to depart, the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “Stand up and escort him to his home.” When he had passed beyond the threshold of the door (5)

(1) al-jufna (the large bowl): a generous man. The Arabs called a liberal host “jufna” because he would place the jufna—i.e. the great serving bowl—and feed people from it, thus taking his name from the vessel. See Lisan al-Arab, s.v. “jafn.” (2) The text enclosed in parentheses does not appear in the other manuscripts. (3) In manuscript M it reads raḍītu (“I was pleased”). (4) The word wa-ʿashīrah (“and tribe”) is not found in manuscript M. (5) saddat al-bāb (door bar), vocalized with a ḍamma on the sīn; its plural is fināʾah. See Lisan al-Arab, s.v. “saddada.”

اخْتَلَفَتْ قُرَيْشٌ إِلَى الْحُصَيْنِ أبي عِمْرَانَ، فَقَالُوا: إِنَّ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ يَذْكُرُ آلِهَتَنَا، فَنَحْنُ نُحِبُّ أَنْ تُكَلِّمَهُ وَتَعِظَهُ، فَمَشَوْا مَعَهُ إِلَى قَرِيبٍ مِنْ بَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، قَالَ: فَجَلَسُوا وَدَخَلَ حُصَيْنٌ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَالَ: أَوْسِعُوا لِلشَّيْخِ، فَأَوْسَعُوا لَهُ، وَعِمْرَانُ وَأَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مُتَوَافِرُونَ، فَقَالَ حُصَيْنٌ: مَا هَذَا الَّذِي يَبْلُغُنَا عَنْكَ أَنَّكَ تَشْتِمُ آلِهَتَنَا وَتَذْكُرُهُمْ، وَقَدْ كَانَ أَبُوكَ جَفْنَةً وَخُبْزًا (١) . فَقَالَ: (إِنَّ أَبِي وَأَبَاكَ فِي النَّارِ) (٢) ، يَا حُصَيْنُ كَمْ إِلَهًا تَعْبُدُ الْيَوْمَ؟ قَالَ: سَبْعَةً فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِلَهًا فِي السَّمَاءِ. قَالَ: فَإِذَا أَصَابَكَ الضِّيقُ فَمَنْ تَدْعُو؟ قَالَ: الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ، قَالَ: فَإِذَا هَلَكَ الْمَالُ فَمَنْ تَدْعُو؟ قَالَ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ. قَالَ: فَيَسْتَجِيبُ لَكَ وَحْدَهُ وَتُشْرِكُهُمْ مَعَهُ؟! قَالَ: أَمَا (رَضِيتَهُ) (٣) أَوْ كَلِمَةً نَحْوَهَا، أَوَ تَخَافُ أَنْ يُغْلَبَ عَلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ: لَا وَاحِدَةً مِنْ هَاتَيْنِ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أُكَلِّمْ مِثْلَهُ. فَقَالَ: يَا حُصَيْنُ، أَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ، قَالَ: إِنَّ لِي قَوْمًا (وَعَشِيرَةً) (٤) فَمَاذَا أَقُولُ لَهُمْ؟ قَالَ: قُلِ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَهْدِيكَ لأَرْشَدِ أَمْرِي، وَأَسْتَجِيرُكَ مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسِي، عَلِّمْنِي مَا يَنْفَعُنِي، وَانْفَعْنِي بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِي، وَزِدْنِي عِلْمًا يَنْفَعُنِي، فَقَالَهَا، فَلَمْ يَقُمْ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ، فَوَثَبَ عِمْرَانُ فَقَبَّلَ رَأْسَهُ وَيَدَيْهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَكَى، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا يُبْكِيكَ؟ قَالَ: مِمَّا صَنَعَ عِمْرَانُ، دَخَلَ حُصَيْنٌ وَهُوَ مُشْرِكٌ فَلَمْ يَقُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى نَاحِيَتِهِ، فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَ قَضَى حَقَّهُ، فَدَخَلَنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ رِقَّةٌ، فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَنْصَرِفَ حُصَيْنٌ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: قُومُوا فَشَيِّعُوهُ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ مِنْ سُدَّةِ الْبَابِ (٥)

(١) الجفنة: الرجل الكريم، كانت العرب تدعو السيد المطعام "جفنة" لأنه يضعها -أي يضع الجفنة، وهي القصعة العظيمة- ويطعم الناس فيها، فسمي باسمها. انظر: لسان العرب، مادة "جفن". (٢) ما بين القوسين لا يوجد في النسخ الأخرى. (٣) في (م) (رضيت) . (٤) كلمة (وعشيرة) لا توجد في (م) . (٥) سدة الباب، بضم السين فناؤه. انظر: لسان العرب، مادة "سدد".