Jami' al-Saghir / Jam' al-Jawami' (al-Suyuti) 4-712b

Translation

Machine translation, not reviewed

"Zadhan said: One day people were with Ali, and they found him in a pleasant mood, so they said: 'Tell us about your companions, Commander of the Believers.' He said: 'About which of my companions?' They said: 'About the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.' He said: 'All the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ are my companions. Which of them do you want?' They said: 'The group whom we saw you treat gently by mentioning them and sending blessings upon them, apart from today.' He said: 'Which of them?' They said: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud.' He said: 'He knew the Sunnah and recited the Qur'an, and that is sufficient knowledge.' Then he stopped at that point and they did not understand what he meant by his saying: 'That is sufficient knowledge' - whether he meant Abdullah or the Qur'an. They said: 'Hudhayfah?' He said: 'He knew, or was taught, the names of the hypocrites, and he asked about difficult matters until he understood them.' He said: 'If you ask him about them, you will find him knowledgeable in them.' They said: 'Abu Dharr?' He said: 'A vessel that preserved knowledge. He was miserly and greedy for knowledge, and he used to ask many questions, so he was given and he was denied. Indeed, he was filled up in his vessel until it was full.' They said: 'Salman?' He said: 'A man from us and toward us, the People of the House. Who among you is like Luqman the Wise? He attained the first knowledge and attained the last knowledge, and he read the first Book and the last Book, and he was a sea that does not run dry.' They said: 'Ammar ibn Yasir?' He said: 'That is a man whom Allah mixed faith into his flesh, blood, bones, hair and skin. He does not part from the truth for an instant; wherever the truth goes, he goes with it. It is not fitting for the Fire to devour any part of him.' They said: 'Then tell us about yourself, Commander of the Believers.' He said: 'Wait. Allah forbade self-praise.' Then a speaker said: 'Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: {And as for the favour of your Lord, proclaim it}.' He said: 'I will tell you of the favour of my Lord: when I was asked, I gave; and when I was silent, I began. Among my ribs is a great deal of knowledge.' Then Abdullah ibn al-Kawwa al-A'war, from Banu Bakr ibn Wa'il, stood up and said: 'Commander of the Believers, what are {those that scatter dust (adh-Dhariyat) dispersing}?' He said: 'The winds.' He said: 'What about {those that carry a load}?' He said: 'The clouds.' He said: 'What about {those that glide along with ease}?' He said: 'The ships.' He said: 'What about {those that distribute a matter}?' He said: 'The angels. Do not return to the like of this; do not ask me about the like of this.' He said: 'What about {the sky with its pathways (al-hubuk)}?' He said: 'Those with good creation.' He said: 'What is the blackness that is in the moon's center?' He said: 'A blind man asked about a blind matter. What knowledge did you intend by this, woe to you! Ask in order to understand, and do not ask in mockery, or he said, in order to trouble.' He said: 'Ask about what concerns you, and leave what does not concern you.' He said: 'By Allah, this does concern me.' He said: 'Allah the Most High says: {And We made the night and the day two signs, then We effaced the sign of the night}, which is the blackness in the moon's center.' He said: 'What about the jarrah?' He said: 'The breaking open of the sky, and from it the gates of the sky were opened with pouring water at the time of the flood upon the people of Noah.' He said: 'What is the rainbow (qawsa quzah)?' He said: 'Do not say qawsa quzah, for Quzah is a devil. Rather, it is the bow, and it is a safety from drowning.' He said: 'How far is it between the sky and the earth?' He said: 'The distance of a servant's supplication to Allah. I say nothing other than that.' He said: 'How far is it between the east and the west?' He said: 'A day's journey for the sun. Whoever tells you other than this has lied.' He said: 'Who are those about whom Allah said: {and made their people abide in the house of ruin}?' He said: 'Leave them, for they have been dealt with.' He said: 'Who is Dhu al-Qarnayn?' He said: 'A man whom Allah sent to a people of the People of the Book who were disbelievers, and their early people were upon the truth, but they associated partners with their Lord, innovated in their religion, and introduced things upon themselves. They are the ones who strive in falsehood and think they are upon the truth, and strive in misguidance and think they are upon guidance, so their effort is lost in the life of this world while they think they are doing good.' Then he raised his voice and said: {And the people of Nahrawan are not far from them}. Ibn al-Kawwa said: 'I will ask no one but you, and I will follow no one but you.' He said: 'If the matter is in your hands, then do it.'"

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