In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The best of generations in their conduct and example,
Following the Messenger whenever he strove or spoke.
Mawaddah Association
Presents:
Portraits from the Lives of the Tabi'un
By Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
May Allah have mercy upon him.
Tawus Ibn Kaysan,
May Allah have mercy upon him.
He was illuminated by fifty stars from among the stars of guidance,
So splendor enveloped him and light poured upon him,
A light in his heart and a light upon his tongue,
And a light walking before him.
He graduated from the school of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, under fifty of its most prominent scholars,
Until he became a reflection of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
In the firmness of his faith and the truthfulness of his speech,
In his disdain for the fleeting vanities of this world and his devotion to seeking the pleasure of Allah,
And in speaking the word of truth openly,
No matter how high the price of that word might be.
For the Muhammadan school had taught him that the religion is sincerity:
Sincerity to Allah, His Book, His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.
Experience had taught him that all righteousness begins with the ruler,
And ends with him.
If the shepherd is righteous, the flock is righteous,
And if he is corrupt, they are corrupt.
That is Dhakwan Ibn Kaysan, nicknamed Tawus (the Peacock),
A title bestowed upon him because he was the "peacock" of the scholars of fiqh,
And the most prominent among them in his era.
Tawus Ibn Kaysan was from the people of Yemen.
The governorship of Yemen at that time
Was held by Muhammad Ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, the brother of al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf.
Al-Hajjaj had sent him as governor there
After his own status had grown, his power had strengthened, and his awe had intensified,
Following his suppression of the movement of Abd Allah Ibn al-Zubayr.
Muhammad Ibn Yusuf embodied many of the vices of his brother al-Hajjaj,
Yet he possessed none of his virtues.
On a cold winter morning,
Tawus Ibn Kaysan entered upon him,
Accompanied by Wahb Ibn Munabbih.
When they had taken their seats before him,
Tawus began to exhort him, encouraging him and warning him.
People were sitting before the governor,
And the governor said to one of his chamberlains,
"O boy, bring a taylasan (a shawl/garment),"
"And place it upon the shoulders of Abu Abd al-Rahman."
The chamberlain took a precious taylasan,
And placed it upon the shoulders of Tawus.
Tawus continued his exhortation without pause,
Then he began to move his shoulders deliberately,
Until the taylasan fell from his shoulders.
He stood up and departed.
Muhammad Ibn Yusuf became intensely angry,
Which showed in the redness of his eyes and the congestion of his face,
Yet he said nothing.
When Tawus and his companion were
Outside the assembly,
Wahb said to Tawus,
"By Allah, we had no need
To provoke his anger against us."
"What harm would it have done you if you had accepted the taylasan from him,"
"Then sold it and given its price in charity"
"To the poor and the needy?"
Tawus replied, "It is as you say,"
"Were it not that I feared the scholars"
"After me would say, 'We take what he took,'"
"'Tawus took it,' and then they would not do with it"
"What you suggest."
When Muhammad Ibn Yusuf wanted to return
The "stone" to Tawus from whence it came,
He set a trap for him,
Preparing a pouch containing 700 dinars
Of gold, and he chose a clever man
From his retinue and said to him,
"Go with this pouch to Tawus"
"Ibn Kaysan, and use every trick to make him take it."
"If he takes it from you,"
"I will grant you your gift, your clothing, and your proximity."
The man left with the pouch
Until he reached Tawus in a village
Where he was staying near San'a,
Called al-Jund.
When he reached him, he greeted him and spoke kindly to him,
And said, "O Abu Abd al-Rahman,"
"This is a provision sent to you by the Amir."
He replied, [refusing it].
The man tried every trick
To make him accept it, but he refused.
He presented every argument, but he rejected them.
So the man had no choice but to act deceitfully;
In a moment of Tawus's inattention, he threw the pouch
Into a niche in the wall of the house,
And returned to the Amir, saying,
"Tawus has taken the pouch, O Amir."
Muhammad Ibn Yusuf was pleased by this.
When several days had passed,
He sent two of his aides,
Accompanied by the man who had brought the pouch,
And ordered them to say to him,
"The Amir's messenger made a mistake,"
"He gave you the money, but it was intended for someone else."
"We have come to retrieve it from you"
"And carry it to its rightful owner."
Tawus said, "I have not taken any of the Amir's money"
"For me to return it to him."
They said, "Indeed, you did take it."
He turned to the man who had brought the pouch
And said to him, "Did I take anything from you?"
The man was seized with panic and said,
"No, rather I placed the money in"
"This niche while you were inattentive."
Tawus said, "The niche is yours,"
"Look inside it."
They found the pouch inside just as it was,
With a spider having spun its web over it.
He took it and returned with it to the Amir.
It was as if Allah, the Almighty, wanted
To exact retribution from Muhammad Ibn Yusuf
For this deed of his,
And to make his retribution visible to the people
And in public. How did that happen?
Tawus Ibn Kaysan narrated, saying,
"While I was in Makkah for Hajj,"
"Al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi sent for me."
"When I entered upon him, he welcomed me,"
"And brought my seat close to his,"
"And threw a cushion for me, inviting me to lean upon it."
"Then he began to ask me"
"About matters of the Hajj rituals that were unclear to him,"
"And other things. While we were in that state,"
"Al-Hajjaj heard a pilgrim reciting the talbiyah around the House,"
"Raising his voice with the talbiyah,"
"With a tone that shook hearts to their core."
"He said, 'Bring me this pilgrim.'"
"He was brought to him."
"He said to him, 'Where is the man from?'"
"He said, 'From the Muslims.'"
"He said, 'I did not ask you about that,'"
"'I asked you about the country.'"
"He said, 'From the people of Yemen.'"
"'How did you leave your governor?'"
"Meaning his brother."
"He said, 'I left him great and imposing,'"
"'A wearer of fine clothes, a rider of horses,'"
"'A collector of taxes, a man of many entrances.'"
"He said, 'I did not ask you about this.'"
"He said, 'What did you ask me about, then?'"
"He said, 'I asked you about his conduct among you.'"
"He said, 'I left him a great oppressor and tyrant,'"
"'Obedient to the creature, disobedient to the Creator.'"
"Al-Hajjaj's face turned red"
"Out of shame before those sitting with him,"
"And he said to the man,"
"'What prompted you to say about him what you said,'"
"'When you know his position with me?'"
"He said, 'Do you think his position with you'"
"'Is dearer than my position with Allah, the Almighty?'"
"'I am a guest of His House,'"
"'And a judge of His religion.'"
"Al-Hajjaj fell silent and offered no reply."
Tawus said,
"Then the man did not delay; he stood up"
"And departed without asking permission or being granted it."
"I stood up in his wake and said to myself,"
"'The man is righteous,'"
"'Follow him and catch him before the crowds of people hide him'"
"'From your sight.'"
"By Allah, he came to the House and clung to its curtains,"
"And placed his cheek against its wall,"
"And began to say,"
"'O Allah, in You I seek refuge, and to Your presence I flee.'"
"'O Allah, grant me, in my reliance'"
"'Upon Your generosity and contentment with Your guarantee,'"
"'A refuge from the refusal of the stingy,'"
"'And sufficiency from what is in the hands of the selfish.'"
"'O Allah, I ask You for Your imminent relief,'"
"'And Your ancient kindness,'"
"'And Your good habit, O Lord of the worlds.'"
"Then a wave of people took him,"
"And hid him from my sight,"
"So I became certain that there was no way to meet him after that."
"When it was the evening of Arafah,"
"I saw him as he was departing with the people."
"I drew near to him, and he was saying,"
"'O Allah, if You have not accepted my Hajj,'"
"'And my toil and my fatigue,'"
"'Then do not deprive me of the reward for my affliction'"
"'Of Your refusal to accept from me.'"
"Then he went among the people,"
"And the darkness hid him from me."
"When I despaired of meeting him, I said,"
"'O Allah, accept my supplication and his supplication,'"
"'And answer my hope and his hope,'"
"'And make my feet and his feet firm on the day when feet shall slip,'"
"'With him at the Basin of al-Kawthar,'"
"'O Most Generous of the generous.'"
And that was the last meeting with the noble Tabi'i,
Dhakwan ibn Kaysan, known as Tawus.
May Allah be pleased with him and grant him contentment.
And may He make the eternal gardens his final abode.
I have never seen anyone at all,
like Tawus ibn Kaysan.
'Amr ibn Dinar,
says, when he would strive, or he said:
They were here,
watering the clouds of our lives.
They passed on, and we remained.
Their legacy rises ever higher.
They departed, leaving behind a question in the conscience:
Is there anyone like them,
a star that rose and shimmered?
They filled life with noble deeds,
through their actions,
and the world of the self flourished because of them.