Dhahabi’s Gifts of Gold 1

surkheel (abu aaliyah) sharif

seeking knowledge or engaging in acts of flying without wings

devotion? Deliberating on Imam Målik’s famous statement: “Every
After relating the saying of the Imam and hadith master, person’s saying may be accepted or rejected, except the
Mis‘ar b. Kidåm: “Indeed these hadiths inhibit you from companion of this grave; peace be upon him,” Imam al-
remembrance of Allah and from prayer, so will you then Dhahab• writes:
stop,” Imam al-Dhahab•1 asks:
“There is no doubt that all those who acquaint them-
“Is seeking [sacred] knowledge preferable to perform- selves thoroughly with jurisprudence (fiqh), and whose
ing superogatory prayer, reciting the Qur’an, and divine knowledge is broad and intention sound, then it is not
remembrance? As for someone who is sincere to Allah allowed for them to stick rigidly to one single school of
in seeking sacred knowledge, and has a sharp intellect, law, or madhhab, in all that it states. Perhaps another
then seeking knowledge is preferable. It must, though, madhhab has a stronger proof in an issue, or evidences
be accompanied by a share of superogatory prayer and emerge whereby the proof is clearly established to him.
devotion. If you see someone diligent in seeking sacred [In such a case] he must not follow his Imam; instead he
knowledge, yet he has no share of [superogatory] devo- must act in accordance with the evidence by following
tion, then he is lazy and despicable, and is untruthful in the Imam with whom the actual evidence lies - not out
[his claim of] having a good intention.”2 of following one’s whims or desires. However, he is not
to issue fatwas to the general public save in accordance
remember, remember with the madhhab of his Imam.”7
Mis‘ar relates that ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Awn, an early pietist and
exemplar, stated: “Remembrance of people is a malady, As can be seen, one cannot object to someone making
whilst the remembrance of Allah is a remedy.” To this, tarj•˙ - weighing-up the strongest opinion in light of the
al-Dhahab• remarks: proof-texts - provided he is versed in independent legal
judgement, or ijtihåd. Explaining the requisites for such
“Yes, by Allah! Though it is strange how we, in our igno- an endeavour, al-Dhahab• says:
rance, ignore the cure and race towards the disease. Yet
Allah, Exalted is He, strictures: Remember Me, and I will “One who reaches the level of ijtihåd, and a number of
remember you.3 And: But the remembrance of Allah is scholars have testified to this, then taql•d; following the
greater.4 Allah also says. Those who believe and whose legal conclusions of another jurist, is forbidden to him.
hearts find tranquility in the remembrance of Allah. For Just as a novice jurist, or a layman that has memorised
in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility.5 the Qur’an - or much of it, is not allowed to undertake
But this will not be attainable save with Allah’s enabling ijtihåd at all. For how can he perform ijtihåd? What can
grace (tawf•q). Whoever persists in supplication and in he say, and on what can he base his opinion? How can
knocking at the door, he will receive an opening.6 he fly and he has yet to grow wings! The third category

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is the advanced, intelligent, perceptive jurist, versed in has given to all things a measure, and felicity lies in fol-
hadith, who - having committed to memory a primer in lowing the prophetic teachings (sunan). So weigh-up
fiqh; and a text on juristic principles and legal theory; matters with justice: fast and break fast; pray and sleep;
has studied grammar and mastered it; memorised Allah’s exercise scrupulousness with regards to sustenance; be
Book; occupied himself with its exegesis (tafs•r); and is contented with what Allah has apportioned to you; and
strong in logical argumentation - has attained the rank of remain silent save for good. May Allah have mercy upon
restricted ijtihåd, is therefore qualified to examine the al-Junayd: where is the likes of him in knowledge and
evidences of the scholars. Thus when the truth becomes spiritual states.”12
clear to him in a particular issue, and it has been estab-
lished by a text, and it has been acted upon by one of the exalting the exalted
great Imåms - like Abu Óan•fah, for instance, or Målik; It was said to the Shaykh of Islam, Ibn al-Mubårak: How
al-Thawr•; al-Awzå‘•; al-Shåfi‘•; Abu ‘Ubayd; A˙mad; or are we to know our Lord: He said: “Above the heavens,
Is˙åq - he must follow [what he sees as] being the truth, over the Throne (fi’l-samå’ ‘ala’l-‘arsh).” The Jahmiyyah
not out of seeking a religious dispensation, but doing so say otherwise, it was said to him? To which he replied:
while exercising pious caution. Taql•d is not permitted “We do not hold the view of the Jahmiyyah that Allah is
to him in the issue once the proof has been established with us right here.” At this point, al-Dhahabi offers this
to him.”8 useful gloss:

on yazid “The Jahmiyyah assert that the Creator, Exalted is He, is

In his biographical notice on Yaz•d b. Mu‘åwiyah, Imam everywhere. Whereas the Predecessors (salaf) say that
al-Dhahab• states: the Creator’s Knowledge is everywhere; relying on His
words, Exalted is He: And He is with you wherever you
“Yaz•d is from those whom we neither curse nor love. are.13 That is to say, by His Knowledge. The Salaf also
There were those similar to him among the khal•fahs of said that Allah is over His Throne, as is stipulated in the
the two states,9 and among the various provincial kings. Qur’an and the Sunnah. Stated al-Awzå‘•, who was the
Rather, from them were those who were far worse than Imam of his age: “We - while the Successors were in our
him. This misfortune arose shortly after the death of the midst - would say: Verily Allah, Exalted is He, is above
Prophet, peace be upon him; in the forty-ninth year. It His Throne, and we believe in whatever is related in the
was a time when [some of] the Companions were still Sunnah of His Attributes.” For it is known to the people
living, such as Ibn ‘Umar who was more deserving of the of knowledge from the various groups, that the way of
affair than either him; his father; or his grandfather.”10 the Salaf was to let the verses and hadiths concerning
the Divine Attributes pass as they came: without taking
moderation in wayfaring recourse to figurative interpretation (ta’w•l) or textual
From the words of al-Junayd - sayyid al-†å’ifah; master distortion (ta˙r•f), and without resemblance (tashb•˙)
of the spiritual faction - is: “We did not take sufism from or inquiring into their modality (taky•f). Indeed, speech
idle-talk; but from hunger, worldly abstinence and for- concerning the Divine Attributes is derived from speech
saking conventional habits.” After citing this remark, al- concerning the Holy Essence. Just as the Muslims know
Dhahab• goes on to add: that the Creator’s Essence exists in reality, without any-
thing which resembles it; so too do His Attributes exist,
“This is superb. What he means by this is forsaking most without anything resembling them.”14
habits, avoiding what is superfluous of the world, a n d
hunger without going to extremes. As for exaggerating love made profound
in the issue of hunger, as monks do, and renouncing the The jurist and Successor, ‘Ab•dah al-Salmån•, was once
world entirely, and the habits of the self - nourishment, informed: We have in our possession a strand of hair of
sleep, and family - this exposes one to tribulations and the Prophet, upon whom be peace, by way of Anas b.
can even lead to insanity. By this, much of the religion’s Målik. He remarked: “That I possess a lock of his hair is
monotheistic ease11 is compromised. For indeed Allah more beloved to me than all the gold and silver on the

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face of this earth.” To this lover’s sigh, al-Dhahab• had concur, that the truth is otherwise.”17
this to say:
15-02-07
“This utterance of ‘Ab•dah is a benchmark for perfect
◆ ◆ ◆
love, which is his preferring a strand of prophetic hair
to all the gold and silver that people may possess.15 This
statement, from this Imam, was uttered fifty years after END NOTES
the Prophet, upon whom be peace. So what should we 1. He is the acclaimed Shafi‘ite hadith master and historian,
say in our time if we were to find a lock of his hair reli- Shams al-D•n Muhammad b. A˙mad b. ‘Uthmån - better known
as al-Dhahab•. He was born in Damascus in 673H, of Turkoman
ably confirmed; or a thong from his sandal; some of his
origin, and died in 748H. He authored over two hundred books
nail clippings; or shards of a cup from which he drank? and monographs; some running into dozens of volumes. Among
If a rich person were to expend the greater part of his his students are Ibn Kath•r and also Tåj al-D•n al-Subk•. Al-Suy¥†•
wealth in acquiring any of these things, would you think wrote about him that “Hadith scholars today, in the science of
him a spendthrift or foolish? Never! So spend what you rijål; scrutinizing hadith reporters, and other hadith disciplines,
are dependent upon four people: al-Mizz•, al-Dhahab•, al-‘Iråq•
have in visiting his Mosque which he built with his own
and Ibn Óajr.”
hands, and sending blessings on him at his Chamber in Cf. al-Subk•, Tabaqåt al-Shåfi‘•yyah, 5:216-26; Ibn Kath•r, al-
his City. And relish the sight of his U˙ud and love it; for Bidåyah wa’l-Nihåyah, 14:225; Ibn Óajr, al-Durar al-Kåminah,
your Prophet, peace be upon him, loved it. And revive 3:426-7; al-Suy¥†•, Tabaqåt al-ÓuffåΩ, 517.
yourself by spending some time in his Garden where he Most citations in this series are translated from his twenty-five
volume work, Siyar A‘låm al-Nubalå (Biographies of the Noble
sat. For you will not be a true believer until this master
Ones). Finally, I would like to thank Abu Rumaysah for helping
becomes more beloved to you than yourself, your chil- me to render into English some of the more difficult phrases and
dren, your wealth, and the whole of humanity.”16 passages in this series.
2. Al-Dhahab•, Siyar A’låm al-Nubalå (Beirut: Mu’assasah al-
when great minds think alike Risålah, 1998), 7:167.
3. Qur’an 2:152.
After recording the words of Is˙åq b. Råhawayah: “If al-
4. Qur’an 29:45.
Thawr•, al-Awzå‘• and Målik concur upon any matter, it
5. Qur’an 13:28.
is Sunnah,” al-Dhahab• comments: 6. Siyar A‘låm al-Nubalå, 6:369.
7. ibid., 8:93-4.
“Rather, the Sunnah is whatever the Prophet, peace be 8. ibid., 18:191-2.
upon him, made so, or the Rightly-Guided Caliphs after 9. i.e. the Umayyad and Abbasid states.
10. Siyar A‘låm al-Nubalå, 4:36.
him. As for consensus, ijmå‘, it is whatever the scholars
11. Ar. ˙an•fiyyat al-sam˙ah. The term ˙an•f applies to one
of this nation, both past and present, have unanimously who “inclines from a false religion to the true religion;” the path
agreed upon: [including] a consensus which is probable of the pure monotheism of the Prophet Abraham, upon whom
(Ωann•) or tacit (suk¥t•). Whoever diverges from such a be peace. The phrase, sam˙ah - “ease, simplicity” - refers to the
consensus, among the Successors (tåbi‘¥n) or their fol- nature of this monotheistic path, which is one free of hardships
or burdens. Hence the translation, “monotheistic ease”. Says the
lowers - due to stances arrived at via independent legal
Qur’an [22:78]: He has not laid on you any hardship in religion;
judgement (ijtihåd) - it is tolerated from him alone. As the faith of your father Abraham.
for those who disagree with the three aforementioned Cf. Ibn Óajr, Fat˙ al-Bår• Shar˙ Sa˙•˙ al-Bukhår• (Beirut:
Senior Scholars, then this is not deemed to be opposing Dår al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1989), 1:126; al-Asfahån•, Mufradåt
the consensus, nor the Sunnah. All that Is˙åq intended AlfåΩ al-Qur’ån (Damascus: Dår al-Qalm, 2002), 260.
12. Siyar A‘låm al-Nubalå, 14:69-70.
was that if they concur on a given issue, then it is most
13. Qur’an 57:4.
probably correct. Just like we say today that it is almost 14. Siyar A‘låm al-Nubalå, 8:402.
impossible to find the truth outside whatever the Four 15. Also cf. 11:212-3.
Mujtahid Imåms concurred upon. We say this whilst at 16. Siyar A‘låm al-Nubalå, 4:42.
the same time admitting that their agreement on a given 17. ibid., 7:116-7.

issue does not constitute a consensus of the nation: but

we are wary of asserting, in any issue upon which they

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