Al-Zuhd - Ahmad Ibn Hanbal - (64)

ʿAbd Allah narrated to us—my father narrated to me—Sayyār narrated to us—Jaʿfar narrated to us—from Hishām al-Dastawāʾī, who said:

Among the wisdom of Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, is this:

“You toil for this world, although your provision in it reaches you without toil; yet you do not toil for the Hereafter, and there you will receive nothing unless you toil for it. Woe to you, wicked scholars! You take the wages while squandering the work. Before long you will leave this world for the darkness and confinement of the grave.

Allah has forbidden you to disobey Him just as He has commanded you to fast and pray. How can a person be counted among the people of knowledge when the life of this world is dearer to him than his Hereafter and his desire is stronger for it? How can one be of the people of knowledge when his journey is toward the Hereafter yet he turns his face toward the world, finding what harms him sweeter than what benefits him?

How can he be of the people of knowledge who is displeased with his allotted provision and belittles his station, while knowing that all of this is by Allah’s knowledge and power? How can he be of the people of knowledge who charges Allah—glorified is He—with injustice in what befalls him? How can he be of the people of knowledge who seeks speech merely to relate it, and not to act upon it?”

٣٩٢ - حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي أبِي، حَدَّثَنَا سَيَّارٌ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ الدَّسْتُوَائِيُّ قَالَ: " إِنَّ فِي حِكْمَةِ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ (عليه السلام): تَعْمَلُونَ لِلدُّنْيَا، وَأَنْتُمْ تُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ عَمَلٍ، وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ لِلْآخِرَةِ، وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا إِلَّا بِالْعَمَلِ، وَيْحَكُمْ عُلَمَاءَ السُّوءِ، الْأَجْرَ تَأْخُذُونَ، وَالْعَمَلَ تُضَيِّعُونَ، تُوشِكُونَ أَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلَى ظُلْمَةِ الْقُبُورِ وَضِيقِهَا، وَاللَّهُ – Exalté soit-Il – نَهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْمَعَاصِي، كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِالصَّوْمِ وَالصَّلَاةِ، فَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنْ دُنْيَاهُ آثَرُ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ آخِرَتِهِ، وَهُوَ فِي الدُّنْيَا أَفْضَلُ رَغْبَةً؟ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنْ مَسِيرُهُ إِلَى آخِرَتِهِ، وَهُوَ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَى دُنْيَاهُ؟ وَمَا يَضُرُّهُ أَشْهَى إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا يَنْفَعُهُ؟ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنْ سَخِطَ رِزْقَهُ، وَاحْتَقَرَ مَنْزِلَتَهُ، وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ – Exalté soit-Il – وَقُدْرَتِهِ؟ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنِ اتَّهَمَ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ فِي إِصَابَتِهِ؟ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنْ طَلَبَ الْكَلَامَ لِيُحَدِّثَ بِهِ، وَلَمْ يَطْلُبْهُ لِيَعْمَلَ بِهِ "