Part of Glimpses from the Lives of the Tabi‘un (the Successors) (series completed)
· Lesson 14 of 37
Pictures from the lives of the followers | D. Abdul Rahman Raafat Al-Basha | Episode (14) | Salamah bin Dinar (Abu Hazem), may God have mercy on him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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The best of generations in deeds and example,
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Who followed the Messenger in all he strove for or said.
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Mawaddah Association
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Presents
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Vignettes from the Lives of the Tabi'un
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By Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha
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May Allah have mercy on him.
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Salamah Ibn Dinar
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May Allah have mercy on him.
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In the ninety-seventh year of the Hijrah,
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The Caliph of the Muslims, Sulayman Ibn Abd al-Malik, set out
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On a journey to the Holy Lands,
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Responding to the call of the Father of the Prophets,
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Abraham, peace be upon him.
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His caravan hastened its pace
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From Damascus, the capital of the Umayyads,
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To Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah.
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For he harbored a deep longing in his soul to pray
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In the Noble Rawdah,
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And a yearning to send blessings upon Muhammad,
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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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The Caliph's entourage was filled
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With Qur'an reciters, hadith scholars,
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Jurists, men of knowledge,
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Princes, and military commanders.
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When he reached Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
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And dismounted there,
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Prominent figures and men of status came forward
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To greet him and welcome him.
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However, Salamah Ibn Dinar,
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The judge of Al-Madinah, its authoritative scholar,
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And its trusted imam,
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Was not among those who visited
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The Caliph to welcome and greet him.
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When Sulayman Ibn Abd al-Malik finished
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Receiving those who came to welcome him,
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He said to some of his companions,
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"Truly, souls rust
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Just as metals rust
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If they do not find someone to remind them
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From time to time,
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And polish away their rust."
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They replied, "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful."
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He then asked, "Is there not in Al-Madinah
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A man who met a group
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Of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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Who can remind us?"
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They answered, "Indeed, O Commander of the Faithful!
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Right here is Abu Hazim al-A'raj."
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He asked, "And who is Abu Hazim al-A'raj?"
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They said, "Salamah Ibn Dinar,
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The scholar of Al-Madinah and its imam,
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And one of the Tabi'un who met a number
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Of the noble Companions."
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He said, "Summon him to us,
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And be gentle in inviting him."
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So they went to him and invited him.
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When he arrived before him,
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The Caliph welcomed him, seated him close by,
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And said to him reproachfully,
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"What is this coldness, O Abu Hazim?"
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He replied,
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"And what coldness have you seen from me, O Commander of the Faithful?"
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He said,
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"The prominent figures of the people visited me, yet you did not visit me."
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He replied,
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"Coldness only occurs after acquaintance,
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But you did not know me before today,
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Nor had I ever seen you.
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So what coldness could have come from me?"
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The Caliph said to his companions,
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"The Sheikh is correct in his excuse,
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And the Caliph was mistaken in his reproach."
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Then he turned to Abu Hazim
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And said,
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"There are matters in my heart
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That I would like to share with you, O Abu Hazim."
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He said,
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"Bring them forth, O Commander of the Faithful,
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And Allah is the One whose help is sought."
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The Caliph asked,
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"O Abu Hazim,
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Why do we hate death?"
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He answered,
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"Because we have built up our worldly life
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And ruined our Hereafter,
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So we hate moving from a built-up land to ruins."
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The Caliph said,
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"You have spoken the truth."
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Then he added, saying,
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"O Abu Hazim,
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Would that I knew what awaits us with Allah tomorrow!"
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He replied,
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"Examine your deeds in light of the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic,
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And you will find that."
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He asked,
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"And where do I find it in the Book of Allah Almighty?"
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He said,
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"You find it in His saying—exalted is His Word: ◁'Indeed, the righteous will be in bliss, and indeed, the wicked will be in Hellfire.'▷"
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The Caliph asked,
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"Then
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Where is the mercy of Allah?"
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Abu Hazim replied,
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"Indeed, the mercy of Allah
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Is near
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To the doers of good."
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The Caliph
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Asked,
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"Would that I knew how the arrival before Allah, Mighty and Majestic,
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Will be
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Tomorrow!"
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Abu Hazim replied,
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"As for the doer of good,
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He is like an absent traveler returning to his family.
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But as for the evildoer,
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He is like a runaway slave
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Being dragged forcibly back to his master."
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The Caliph wept until he sobbed loudly,
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And his weeping grew intense.
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Then he said,
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"O Abu Hazim,
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How can we rectify ourselves?"
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He replied,
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"By abandoning arrogance—
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Meaning pride and conceit."
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The Caliph
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Asked,
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"And this wealth—
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What is the way to fear Allah regarding it?"
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Abu Hazim replied,
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"When you take it rightfully,
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Place it with those entitled to it,
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Distribute it equally,
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And act justly with it among
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The subjects."
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The Caliph said,
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"O Abu Hazim,
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Tell me, who are the best of people?"
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He replied, "Those who possess piety and intellect."
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Then he asked,
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The Caliph,
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"And what is the most just speech, O Abu Hazim?"
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He replied,
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"A word of truth spoken by a person
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Before one he fears and one
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From whom he hopes for gain."
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The Caliph asked,
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"Which supplication is most quickly answered,
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O Abu Hazim?"
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He replied,
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"The supplication of a doer of good for other doers of good."
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The Caliph asked,
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"And what is the best charity?"
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He replied, "The effort of one with little wealth—
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Meaning what a person with scarce means
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Can afford—
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Placed in the hand of the miserable and poor,
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Without following it up
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With reminders of generosity or injury."
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The Caliph asked,
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"Who is the shrewdest of people, O Abu Hazim?"
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He replied,
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"A man who gains the obedience of Allah
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Almighty,
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Acts upon it, and then guides the people
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To it."
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The Caliph asked, "And who is the most foolish of people?"
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He replied,
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"A man who indulged the desires of his companion
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While his companion was an oppressor,
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Thus selling his Hereafter
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For another person's worldly gain."
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The Caliph said,
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"Would you accompany us, O Abu Hazim,
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So that you may benefit from us and we may benefit
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From you?"
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He replied,
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"No, O Commander of the Faithful."
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The Caliph asked, "And why not?"
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He replied,
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"I fear that I might incline toward you even a little,
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Whereupon Allah would cause me to taste a double punishment
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In life and a double punishment after death."
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The Caliph said,
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"Present your needs to us,
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O Abu Hazim."
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But he remained silent and did not answer.
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So the Caliph repeated his statement,
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"Present your needs to us,
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O Abu Hazim,
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And we shall fulfill them for you, whatever they may be."
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He replied,
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"My need is that you save me
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From the Fire
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And admit me into Paradise."
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The Caliph said,
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"That is not within my power, O Abu
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Abu Hazim.
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Abu Hazim said:
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"I have no need other than this,
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O Commander of the Faithful."
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The Caliph said:
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"Pray for me, Abu Hazim."
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So he said:
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"O Allah, if Your servant
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Sulayman is among Your allies,
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then make easy for him the good of this world
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and the Hereafter.
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But if he is among Your enemies,
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then set him right and guide him
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to that which You love and are pleased with."
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A man among those present said:
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"How wretched is what you have said
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since you entered upon the Commander
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of the Faithful!
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You have made the Caliph of the Muslims
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one of Allah's enemies
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and offended him!"
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Abu Hazim replied:
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"Rather, wretched is what you have said!
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For Allah took a covenant from the scholars
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to speak
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the word of truth."
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He recited:
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"You shall surely clarify it to the people
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and not conceal it."
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Then he turned to the Caliph
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and said: "O Commander
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of the Faithful,
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indeed those who passed before us
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from the past nations
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remained in goodness and well-being
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as long as their rulers came to
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their scholars desiring what
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they possessed.
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Then there arose a people from the vilest
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of men
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who sought thereby to attain
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something of the fleeting gains of this world,
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so the rulers dispensed with
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the scholars.
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Thus they stumbled, relapsed,
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and fell from the sight of Allah, Almighty and Glorification be to Him.
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Had the scholars
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renounced what is in the hands of
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the rulers, the rulers would have desired
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their knowledge.
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But instead, they coveted what
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the rulers possessed, so the rulers disdained
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them and they became humbled in their eyes."
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The Caliph said:
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"You have spoken the truth.
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Admonish me further, O Abu Hazim,
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for I have seen no one
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to whose mouth wisdom is closer
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than yours."
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He said: "If you are
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among those who heed,
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I have told you enough.
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But if you are not
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among them, then it is not fit
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for me to shoot from a bow
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that has no bowstring."
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The Caliph said:
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"I urge you to advise me,
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O Abu Hazim."
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He replied: "Yes,
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I will advise you briefly.
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Exalt your Lord, Mighty and Sublime,
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and deem Him far above
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seeing you where He forbade you to be,
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or missing you where He commanded you to be."
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Then he offered greetings of peace and departed.
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The Caliph said
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to him: "May Allah reward you
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with goodness as a sincere scholar
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and adviser." Hardly had
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Abu Hazim reached his home
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when he found that the Commander
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of the Faithful had sent him
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a pouch filled with dinars,
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and written to him saying:
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"Spend these,
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and you have much more like them
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with me." But he returned them
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and wrote back saying:
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"O Commander of the Faithful,
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I seek refuge in Allah lest
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your asking of me was a jest
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and my response to you was in vain.
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By Allah, I do not accept
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that, O Commander
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of the Faithful, either for you
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or for myself.
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O Commander of the Faithful,
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if these dinars are
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in exchange for the discourse I shared with you,
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then carrion
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and swine flesh in cases
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of dire necessity are more lawful than them.
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But if they are my rightful share
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in the public treasury of the Muslims,
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have you treated me equally with
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all the people regarding this
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right?" Indeed,
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the home of Salamah ibn Dinar was
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a sweet watering place for the hearts
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of those seeking righteousness,
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making no distinction in that between
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his brothers and his students.
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On one occasion, there entered upon him
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'Abd al-Rahman ibn Jarir
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accompanied by his son.
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They took their seats with him,
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greeted him with peace, and prayed
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for him to have the best of this world and the Hereafter.
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So he returned their greeting
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with a better one, welcomed
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them both, and then conversation
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ensued between them.
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'Abd al-Rahman ibn Jarir said to him:
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"How do we attain spiritual breakthroughs,
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O Abu Hazim?"
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He replied:
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"When inner intentions are made sincere,
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major sins are forgiven.
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And when a servant resolves to abandon
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sins, spiritual breakthroughs head toward him—
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that is, divine openings come upon him.
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And do not forget, O 'Abd al-Rahman,
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that a little of this world
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distracts us from much of the Hereafter.
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And every blessing
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that does not bring you closer to Allah, Mighty and Sublime,
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is a affliction."
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His son then asked him:
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"Indeed, our elders are many,
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so whom among them should we emulate?"
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He said:
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"O my son,
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emulate the one who fears Allah in secret,
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refrains from being tainted
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by defects,
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rectifies himself during the time of his youth,
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and does not defer that
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until the period of old age.
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And know, O my son,
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that there is no day on which the sun rises
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except that there comes
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upon the seeker of knowledge his desire and his knowledge.
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They then struggle against each other
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in his chest like the struggling
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of two litigants.
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If his knowledge overcomes his desire,
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his day is a day of gain
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for him.
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But if his desire overcomes his knowledge,
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his day is a day of loss
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against him."
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'Abd al-Rahman ibn Jarir said to him:
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"You have often urged us
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to give thanks, O Abu Hazim.
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What is the reality of gratitude?"
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He replied: "For every limb
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among our limbs, there is a duty
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of gratitude incumbent upon us."
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'Abd al-Rahman asked:
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"What is the gratitude of the eyes?"
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He said: "If you see good with them,
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you make it known;
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and if you see evil with them,
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you conceal it."
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'Abd al-Rahman asked:
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"And what is the gratitude of the ears?"
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He said: "If you hear good with them,
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you comprehend it;
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and if you hear evil with them,
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you bury it." 'Abd al-Rahman asked: "And what is the gratitude of the hands?" He replied: "That you do not take
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with them what is not yours, and that you do not withhold with them a right among the rights of Allah. And do not overlook,
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O 'Abd al-Rahman, that whoever restricts his gratitude to his tongue and does not engage all
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his limbs and his heart along with it, his likeness is that of a man who has a cloak, but he takes hold
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of its edge and does not wear it. That does not protect him from the heat, nor does it safeguard him from
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the cold." In a certain year, Salamah ibn Dinar set out with the armies of the Muslims
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heading toward the lands of the Romans, seeking jihad in the cause of Allah alongside
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the fighters. When the army reached the final stage of the journey,
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it preferred rest and recuperation before meeting the enemy and engaging in battle.
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There was in the army a commander from among the commanders of the Umayyads, so he sent a messenger to Abu
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Hazim saying to him: "The commander invites you to come to him so that you may speak to him and teach him fiqh." So he wrote
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to the commander saying: "O commander, I have known the people of knowledge, and they do not
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carry religion to the people of worldly pursuits. Nor do I think you wish for me to be the first to
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do that. If you have a need of us, then come to us. Peace be upon you
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and upon those with you." When the commander read his letter, he went to him, greeted him
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warmly, and said: "O Abu Hazim, we have reviewed what you wrote to us, and it has only increased your
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honor and nobility in our eyes. So remind us and admonish us; may you be rewarded on our behalf with the best
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reward." Thereupon Abu Hazim set about admonishing and reminding him. Among the things he said
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"Look at what you would wish to have with you in the Hereafter, and strive for it in this world;
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and look at what you would hate to have with you there, and renounce it here. Know,
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O leader, that if falsehood finds favor with you and gains currency, the purveyors of falsehood and hypocrites will flock to you
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and gather around you. But if the truth finds favor with you and prevails, the people of goodness will gather around you
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and assist you in upholding it. So choose for yourself whatever pleases you." And when death approached Abu Hazim al-A'raj, his companions asked him, "How do you find yourself, O
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Abu Hazim?"
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He replied, "If we are saved from the evil of what we have acquired in this world, then whatever of it was withheld from us will do us no harm."
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He then recited the noble verse, repeating it continuously until certainty (death) came to him.
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"I have never seen anyone whose speech was closer to wisdom than Abu Hazim,"
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said 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd.
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They filled life with glory through their deeds, and the world blossomed through them.