Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/78)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Turks, who stormed his house (1) at night. They found nothing there, but found him in a locked room (2), reciting (3) while clad in a woolen robe. He was seated upon sand and pebbles, turning to Allah Most High as he recited (4) the Quran. He was taken just as he was to al-Mutawakkil and brought before him (5) while al-Mutawakkil was at a drinking party with a goblet in his hand. Al-Mutawakkil showed him great respect, seated him beside himself, and offered him the goblet.

He said, “By Allah (6), wine has never mingled with my flesh and blood (7), so please excuse me.”

Al-Mutawakkil excused him (8) and said, “Let me hear something from you.”

He recited (9):

“How many gardens and springs they left behind!” and the succeeding verses [Sūrat al-Dukhān: 25].

Al-Mutawakkil then said, “Recite some poetry to me.”

He replied, “I know little poetry by heart.”

Al-Mutawakkil said, “I insist.”

He therefore recited to him:

“They passed the night upon the mountain heights (10),
Guarded by mighty men—yet those heights availed them (11) nothing

(1) S reads: “So they raided his house.” (2) “Upon him” is absent from A and B. (3) K reads: “While he was reciting the Quran.” (4) “Reciting”: thus in W and K. The remaining manuscripts read: “reading.” (5) “He was brought before him”: thus in R and K. The remaining manuscripts read: “So he brought him before him.” (6) N, M, and W read: “Tallāhi (By Allah)”; H and R: “Billāhi (By Allah).” (7) “Ever” is absent from K. (8) A reads: “So he pardoned him”; B: “So he excused him from it.” (9) W and K read: “Then he—peace be upon him—said”; N and H: “Then he said to him.” (10) K and S read: “qulal al-jibāl (the mountain heights)”; R: “qulalin ajbālin (heights, mountains)”; A: “al-qulal al-ajbāl (the heights, the mountains)”; W: “qulal al-ajyāl (the heights of generations).” (11) S reads: “Yet the heights were of no avail to them.”

الْأَتْرَاكِ، فَهَجَمُوا دَارَهُ (١) لَيْلًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا فِيهَا شَيْئًا، وَوَجَدُوهُ فِي بَيْتٍ مُغْلَقٍ عَلَيْهِ (٢) وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ (٣) وَعَلَيْهِ مِدْرَعَةٌ مِنْ صُوفٍ، وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ عَلَى الرَّمْلِ وَالْحَصَى مُتَوَجِّهًا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى يَتْلُو (٤) الْقُرْآنَ، فَحُمِلَ عَلَى حَالَتِهِ تِلْكَ إِلَى الْمُتَوَكِّلِ، فَأُدْخِلَ عَلَيْهِ (٥) وَهُوَ فِي مَجْلِسِ الشَّرَابِ، وَالْكَأْسُ فِي يَدِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ، فَعَظَّمَهُ وَأَجْلَسَهُ إِلَى جَانِبِهِ، وَنَاوَلَهُ الْكَأْسَ، فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ (٦) مَا خَامَرَ لَحْمِي وَدَمِي قَطُّ (٧) فَأَعْفِنِي، فَأَعْفَاهُ (٨) وَقَالَ لَهُ: أَسْمِعْنِي صَوْتًا، فَقَالَ (٩) : {كَمْ تَرَكُوا مِنْ جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ} الْآيَاتِ [سُورَةُ الدُّخَانِ: ٢٥] فَقَالَ: أَنْشِدْنِي شِعْرًا، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي قَلِيلُ الرِّوَايَةِ لِلشِّعْرِ، فَقَالَ: لَا بُدَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، فَأَنْشَدَهُ: بَاتُوا عَلَى قُلَلِ الْأَجْبَالِ (١٠) تَحْرُسُهُمْ غُلْبُ الرِّجَالِ فَمَا أَغْنَتْهُمُ (١١) الْقُلَلُ

(١) ص: فَهَجَمُوا عَلَى دَارِهِ. . (٢) عَلَيْهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) ك: وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ. (٤) يَتْلُو: كَذَا فِي (و) ، (ك) . وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: يَقْرَأُ. (٥) فَأُدْخِلَ عَلَيْهِ: كَذَا فِي (ر) ، (ك) . وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: فَأَدْخَلَهُ عَلَيْهِ. (٦) ن، م، و: تَاللَّهِ، هـ، ر، بِاللَّهِ. (٧) قَطُّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ك) . (٨) أ: فَعَفَى عَنْهُ، ب: فَأَعْفَاهُ عَنْهُ. (٩) و، ك: فَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، ن، هـ: فَقَالَ لَهُ. (١٠) ك، ص: قُلَلِ الْجِبَالِ، ر: قُلَلٍ أَجْبَالٍ، أ: الْقُلَلِ الْأَجْبَالِ، و: قُلَلِ الْأَجْيَالِ. (١١) ص: فَمَا أَغْنَتْ عَنْهُمُ الْقُلَلُ.