his Mīzān, for more than one critic considered him weak in memorisation; for that reason Ibn Ḥajar says of him in al-Taqrīb, “trustworthy, but he makes many mistakes.”

58 – Bishr al-Ḥāfī, the ascetic of his age (151–227 AH)

A creed has been transmitted from him by Ibn Baṭṭa in al-Ibāna and others. Among its contents:
– belief that Allah rose over His Throne (istawā) as He willed;
– that He is all-knowing of every place;
– that He speaks and creates, and that His command “Be” is itself uncreated.

218 – ʿAbbās ibn Dahqān said:
“I said to Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith, ‘I would like to be alone with you.’ He replied, ‘Whenever you wish.’ One morning I went early and found him enter a small domed chamber and pray four rakʿahs. While he was in prostration I heard him say:
‘O Allah, You know—above Your Throne—that humiliation is dearer to me than honour; O Allah, You know—above Your Throne—that poverty is dearer to me than wealth; O Allah, You know—above Your Throne—that I prefer nothing to Your love.’
When I heard this, sobs and tears overcame me. When he realised I was there he said, ‘You know that, had I known anyone was here, I would not have spoken.’”

Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith—may Allah have mercy on him—died in 229 AH.

191 – I say: The compiler traced the report with his chain to ʿAbbās ibn Dahqān, yet I have found no biographical entry for him.

192 – In the printed edition the figure reads “nine”; the correction follows the manuscript and the biographical works.

59 – Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām (150–224 AH)¹

219 – Abū al-Ḥasan al-Dāraquṭnī said: Muḥammad ibn Mukhallad narrated to us; al-ʿAbbās narrated to us