Imam Junaid

8/13/2019 Imam Junaid

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MAALI AL-HIMAM [1] OF AL-JUNAIDHabibullah Ghazanfar

THE earliest known work on Islamic mysticism is Kitabal-Luma by Abu Nasr Sarraj, who died in 378 !88" Ne#t to it inchoronolo$y are Hilyat al-Awliya' by Abu Nu%aim o& Is&ahan whodied in '3( )(3!, al-Risalah o& al*+ushairi which was written in'37 )(' , and the Kashf al-Mahjub o& al*Hujwiri who died in' - )(73" All these works belon$ to the last .uarter o& the &ourthand the &i&th centuries o& Hijrah" /ut the book which I 0ro0ose todiscuss in this article, i"e" Ma'ali al-Himam by al*1unaid /a$hdadi,is a work o& the third Hijrah century and, conse.uently, it is nowthe earliest known work on 2uslim Su&ism" I had the 0ri ile$e o&workin$ on a manuscri0t o& this book in )!4!*3( under the

aus0ices o& the Allahabad 5ni ersity" I &ound the 2S" in the6am0ur ibrary" This 2S is one o& the two, the other bein$ in the2awsil ibrary, Ira."

The 6am0ur 2S" bears No" 3)3 o& Suluk Arabic Section9" It isin naskh and seems to ha e been written by two scribes at least,the &irst o& whom is a care&ul scribe, whose writin$ is clear andle$ible and contains ery &ew sli0s o& ery sli$ht nature, while theother is less care&ul and makes com0arati ely a lar$er number o&mistakes" /ut on the whole the 2S" is le$ibly written"

The colo0hon contains neither a date nor the name o& thescribe" In the mar$in o& &olio !b, howe er, there is to be &ound anote by one Shah :Abd al*6asul which runs;

rom this it is known that ?od%s reco$nition by those in Hell isclearer than those in @aradise" And the reco$nition by those in the@ur$atory is the most 0ro&ound" And abo e this there is the

illustrious 0lace% which is reser ed &or one man only" And abo eit there is ?od and beyond Him there is nothin$ but nothin$nessand com0lete darkness"=/y Shah :Abd al*6asul B may ?od enli$hten his heartC=D

To this Shah :Abd al*6asul, I could &ind only one re&erence in a0edi$ree 0reser ed in the 0ri ate collection o& /a.ir 6ida han o&6am0ur" It contains -' &olios and was written by the order o& oneAhmad :Ali Shah, alias >ida :Ali Shah, in )4-( )83' and was
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handed o er to his disci0le +urban %Ali Shah, alias Nabi /akhsh" The name o& Shah :Abd al*6asul occurs ten times, on &olios !, )4,)7, 4), 48, 4!, 3(, 34, 3'" and 3-" The whole $enealo$y runsthus; l9 Ahmad :Ali Shah, 49 2uhammad %Ali Shah, 39 ?hulam

@ir, '9 ?hulam Nabi, -9 2akhdum :Alam, 9 Shah :Abd al*6asul,79 %Abd al*6ahman Fhishti, 89 Shaikh Hamid +utb al*Gin, !9 @irbin Awliya%, )(9 2uhammad :Ari&, ))9 :Ari& Ahmad, )49 Ahmad

Abd al*Ha.., )39 1alal al*Gin Turk o& @ani0at, )'9 Shams al*Gin Turk, and )-9 %Ala% al*Gin :Ali Ahmad Sabir"

It is known with certainty that Sabir, the 0ro$enitor, &lourishedin the early ei$hth &ourteenth century, while Ahmad :Ali Shah, thelast o& the line, li ed in the early thirteenth nineteenth" I& meansthat &i&teen $enerations co ered the 0eriod o& &i e centuries three $enerations to a century" Falculatin$ on this datum, it maybe asserted that Shah :Abd al*6asul must ha e &lourished in theearly ele enth se enteenth century" I& the mar$inal note wasmade by the same Shah :Abd al*6asul, &or which little doubt maybe entertained as no other 0erson o& the same name is traceable ,we can conclude that the 2S" was written in the latter hal& o& thetenth si#teenth century and not later than the be$innin$ o& theele enth se enteenth"

Another co0y o& the Ma'ali al-Himam is in a library at 2awsil,


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The bio$ra0hers o& 1unaid ha e credited him with indications o&a $reat &uture be&ore him in his boyhood, and a number o& storiesare related to 0ro e that" To mention only one o& the many,

1unaid, when a boy o& se en, had accom0anied his maternal

uncle, al*Sari, on a 0il$rima$e to 2ecca, where they ha00ened toattend an assembly o& &our hundred Su&is who were holdin$ adiscussion on =?ratitude"= E ery one o& them e#0ressed his iewson the subject, but they could not a$ree on a suitable de&inition o&the term" Al*Sari re&erred the matter to his youn$ ne0hew, whode&ined it in these words ; =Go not make @ro idence%s $i&ts themeans o& disobeyin$ Him"= All 0resent a00reciated the de&initionand 0raised the boy, while al*Sari 0redicted that al*1unaid had a$reat &uture be&ore him"

1unaid must ha e been an intelli$ent youth to ha e ac.uired allthe necessary knowled$e o& juris0rudence in the 0rime o& his li&e"


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howe er, he undertook to 0reach 0ublicly on bein$ commandedto do so by the @ro0het himsel&, whom he belie ed to ha e seenin a dream" Knce while he was addressin$ the 0ublic, a Fhristianin.uirer came &orward and asked him to e#0lain the @ro0het%s

sayin$; LLML LLLOLPLM LLQMLR L UL LLLVLWLM LLXLYLZLLL LRLL[\L] LL^L LLL\L_ LLXLLL`LWLM


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$%! Hujwiri, 0" )(3 Ibn hallikan, ol" I, 0" ))7 a&i i, ol" II,0" 43) :Attar, ol" II, 00" )(*)) 1ami, 0" -3 Abu al*>alah, &hadharat!

4(" :Attar, ol" )), 0" )("4)"

Al*+ushairi, 0" )!"44" Ibn hallikan, ol" I, 0" ))7"43" Al*2an awi, ol" I, 0" 4 7"4'" Al*Sha%rani, 0" )(( Abu al*>alah calls him al*1a iri"4-" Sha%rani, 0" )(("

(! Abu al*>alah, &hadharat!47" Ibid " al*+ushairi, 0" )! Ibn hallikan, ol" I, 0" ))7

:Attar, ol" II, I00" 3-*3 "

AL-JUNAYD AL-BAGHDADI By GF Haddad

Al-Junayd ibn Muhammad ibn al-Junayd, Abu al-Qasim al-Qawa i i al-!ha""a" al-Nahawandial-Ba#hdadi al-$ha%i&i 'd( )*+ ( h. Imam /% 0h. 1/ ld in his 0im., shay2h /% 0h. $u%is and3Diad.m /% 0h. !n/w. s,3 h. a44/m5ani.d his ma0. nal un4l. $a i al-$a6a0i, al-Ha i0h al-Muhasibi, and /0h. s( Abu $ahl al-$u&lu2i na a0.s 0ha0 as a b/y al-Junayd h.a d his un4l. b.in#as2.d ab/u0 0han2%uln.ss, wh. .u5/n h. said7 3I0 is 0/ n/0 us. His %a8/ s %/ 0h. 5u 5/s. /%dis/b.yin# Him(3 H. 0//2 %i6h % /m Abu haw - in wh/s. 4i 4l. h. w/uld #i8. %a0was a00w.n0y y.a s /% a#. - and, i0 was als/ said, % /m $u%yan al- haw i( H. /n4. said7 3Allah did n/0

b in# /u0 a sin#l. s4i.n4. /n .a 0h a44.ssibl. 0/ 5./5l. .94.50 h. #a8. m. a sha . in i0s2n/wl.d#.(3 H. us.d 0/ #/ 0/ 0h. ma 2.0 .8. y day, /5.n his sh/5, and 4/mm.n4. 5 ayin# %/uhund .d a2&as un0il 4l/sin# 0im.( Am/n# his sayin#s ab/u0 0h. $u%i :a0h7 31h/.8. d/.s n/0 m.m/ i". 0h. Qu ;an

and w i0. hadi0h is n/0 %i0 0/ b. %/ll/w.d in 0his ma00. ( F/ /u s4i.n4. is 4/n0 /ll.d by 0h. B//2and 0h. $unna(3 / Ibn !ullab wh/ was as2in# him ab/u0 0asawwu% h. .5li.d7 3 3N/0 0h. 5 /%usi/n /% 5 ay. and %as0in#, bu0 wh/l.n.ss /% 0h. b .as0 and s.l%l.ssn.ss(3?> 3 asawwu% m.ans 0ha0 Allah 4aus.s y/u 0/ di. 0/ y/u s.l% and #i8.s y/u li%. in Him(3> 3I0 m.ans 0ha0 y/u b. s/l.ly wi0h Allah wi0h n/ a00a4hm.n0s(3> 3I0 is a wa in whi4h 0h. . is n/ 5.a4.(3

> 3I0 is su55li4a0i/n 0/#.0h. wi0h inwa d 4/n4.n0 a0i/n, .4s0asy 0/#.0h. wi0h a00.n0i8. h.a in#,and a40i/n 4/mbin.d wi0h 4/m5lian4. @wi0h 0h. $unna (3> 3I0 is 0h. u5h/ldin# /% .8. y hi#h mann. and 0h. .5udia0i/n /% .8. y l/w /n.(3 1h.n his un4l. as2.d him 0/ s5.a2 % /m 0h. 5ul5i0 h. d.5 .4a0.d hims.l%, bu0 0h.n saw0h. : /5h.0 -- Allah bl.ss and # ..0 him -- in his d .am / d. in# him 0/ s5.a2( Ibn !ullab /n4.as2.d al-Junayd 0/ di40a0. %/ him a 4/m5 .h.nsi8. d.%ini0i/n /% 0awhid h. had =us0 h.a d himsay( H. .5li.d7 3I% I w. . .adin# % /m a .4/ d I w/uld di40a0. i0 0/ y/u(3 h. Mu&0a"ili al-!a&bi said7 3My .y.s did n/0 s.. his li2.( 1 i0. s 4am. 0/ h.a him %/ his lin#uis0i4 mas0. y,


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5hil/s/5h. s %/ 0h. sha 5n.ss /% his s5..4h, 5/.0s %/ his .l/6u.n4., and 2alam s4h/la s %/ 0h.4/n0.n0s /% his s5..4h(3 Al-!huldi said7 31. n.8. saw, am/n# /u shay2hs, any/n. in wh/m&ilm and hal 4am. 0/#.0h. .94.50 al-Junayd( I% y/u saw his hal y/u w/uld 0hin2 0ha0 i0 0//2

5 .4.d.n4. /8. his &ilm, and i% h. s5/2. y/u w/uld 0hin2 0ha0 his &ilm 0//2 5 .4.d.n4. /8. hishal(3

Li2. 0h. $unni imams /% his #.n. a0i/n, al-Junayd ha0.d 0h./l/#i4al dis5u0a0i/ns ab/u0Allah and His A00 ibu0.s7 3 h. l.as0 @5. il 0ha0 li.s wi0hin 2alam is 0h. .limina0i/n /% Allah;saw. % /m 0h. h.a 0( And wh.n 0h. h.a 0 is l.%0 d.8/id /% Allah;s aw., i0 b.4/m.s d.8/id /%

b.li.%(3 A0 /n. 0im. a y/un# h is0ian as2.d him7 31ha0 is 0h. m.anin# /%0h. : /5h.0;s hadi0h7 &B.wa . 0h. 8isi/n /% 0h. b.li.8. %/ h. s..s wi0h 0h. li#h0 /% Allah;C3) Al-Junayd .main.d imm. s.d in 0h/u#h0 0h.n li%0.d his h.ad and said7 3$ubmi0, %/ 0h. 0im. has4/m. %/ y/u 0/ a44.50 Islam(3 h. y/un# man .mb a4.d Islam /n 0h. s5/0( Al-Junayd d.%in.d0h. !n/w. 'al-&a i% as 3H. wh/ add .ss.s y/u s.4 .0 al0h/u#h y/u a . sil.n0(3 Ibn al-Jaw"i4i0.s an/0h. .9am5l. /% Junayd;s 2ash% in his $i%a al-$a%wa7Abu &Am ibn &Alwan .la0.s7 I w.n0 /u0 /n. day 0/ 0h. ma 2.0 /% al- uhba %/ s/m.0hin# In..d.d( I saw a %un. al 5 /4.ssi/n and I %/ll/w.d i0 in / d. 0/ 5 ay wi0h 0h. /0h. s( I s0//d

am/n# 0h. 5./5l. un0il 0h.y bu i.d 0h. d.ad man( My .y.s unwi00in#ly %.ll /n a w/man wh/ wasun8.il.d( I lin#. .d l//2in# a0 h. ( h.n I h.ld ba42 and b.#an 0/ b.# %/ #i8.n.ss /% Allah 0h.E9al0.d( 3 h.y a . 0h. m.mb. s /% a sin#l. h/us.h/ld 0ha0 n/n. /0h. 0han 0h.y 4an .n0. (3> 3 h. $u%i is li2. 0h. .a 0h7 .8. y 2ind /% ab/mina0i/n is 0h /wn u5/n i0, bu0 nau#h0 bu0 .8. y2ind /% #//dn.ss # /ws % /m i0(3> 3 h. $u%i is li2. 0h. .a 0h7 b/0h 0h. i#h0./us and 0h. sinn. s wal2 u5/n i0( H. is li2. 0h.4l/uds7 0h.y #i8. shad. 0/ all 0hin#s( H. is li2. 0h. aind /57 i0 wa0. s all 0hin#s(3> 3I% y/u s.. a $u%i 4a in# %/ his /u0. a55.a an4., 0h.n 2n/w 0ha0 his inwa d b.in# is 4/ u50(3 Ibn Qayyim al-Jaw"iyya .la0.d % /m al-$ulami 0ha0 al-Junayd said7 3 h. 0 u0h%ul s..2.'al-mu id al-sadi6 has n/ n..d %/ 0h. s4h/la s /% 2n/wl.d#.3 and7 31h.n Allah d.si .s # .a0#//dn.ss %/ 0h. s..2. , H. ma2.s him %l/42 0/ 0h. $u%is and 5 .8.n0s him % /m a44/m5anyin#0h/s. wh/ .ad b//2s 'al-6u a; (3 his is simila 0/ al-Junayd;s sayin# .5/ 0.d by al-Dhahabi731. did n/0 0a2. 0asawwu% % /m wha0 $/-and-$/ said and wha0 $/-and-$/-said, bu0 % /mhun#. , aband/nm.n0 /% 0h. w/ ld, and s.8. an4. /% 4/m%/ 0s(3 Al-Junayd als/ said7 3Am/n#0h. ma 2s /% Allah;s w a0h a#ains0 a s. 8an0 is 0ha0 H. ma2.s him busy wi0h 0ha0 whi4h is /% n/4/n4. n 0/ him(3 Ibn al-Qayyim in al-Fawa;id ass. 0s 0h. su5. i/ i0y /% 0h.s0 u##l. a#ains0 0h. .#/ '=ihad al-na%s /8. all /0h. s0 u##l.s and 6u/0.s al-Junayd7 Allah said7 K h/s. wh/ ha8. s0 i8.n %/


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0h.m 0/ 0h. ways /% His #//d 5l.asu . whi4h l.ad 0/ His :a adis., and wh/.8. l.a8.s =ihad,0h.n h. l.a8.s #uidan4. in 5 /5/ 0i/n 0/ his l.a8in# =ihad( Al-Junayd said7 3@ h. 8. s. m.ans

h/s. wh/ ha8. s0 i8.n a#ains0 0h.i d.si .s and .5.n0.d %/ /u sa2., w. shall #uid. 0h.m 0/0h. ways /% sin4. i0y( And /n. 4ann/0 s0 u##l. a#ains0 his .n.my /u0wa dly .94.50 h. wh/s0 u##l.s a#ains0 0h.s. .n.mi.s inwa dly( h.n wh/.8. is #i8.n 8i40/ y /8. 0h.m will b.

8i40/ i/us /8. his .n.my( And wh/.8. is d.%.a0.d by 0h.m, his .n.my d.%.a0s him(3 Ibn &Abidin .la0.d in his %a0wa /n 0h. 5. missibili0y /% dhi2 #a0h. in#s7 h. Imam /% 0h. w/ G /u5s, /u mas0. al-Junayd was 0/ld7 3 . 0ain 5./5l. indul#.in wa=d / .4s0a0i4 b.ha8i/ , and sway wi0h 0h.i b/di.s(3 H. .5li.d7 3L.a8. 0h.m 0/ 0h.iha55in.ss wi0h Allah( h.y a . 0h. /n.s wh/s. a%%.40i/ns ha8. b..n smash.d by 0h. 5a0h andwh/s. b .as0s ha8. b..n 0/ n a5a 0 by .%%/ 0, and 0h.y a . unabl. 0/ b.a i0( h. . is n/ blam. /n0h.m i% 0h.y b .a0h. awhil. as a .m.dy %/ 0h.i in0.ns. s0a0.( I% y/u 0as0.d wha0 0h.y 0as0., y/uw/uld .94us. 0h.i .9ub. an4.(3+ In his !i0ab al-Fana; '3B//2 /% 0h. Annihila0i/n /% 0h. $.l%3 al-Junayd s0a0.s7As %/ 0h. s.l.40 and 0h. s.l.40 /% 0h. s.l.40, wh/ b.4/m. ali.n 0h /u#h 0h. s0 an#.n.ss /% 0h.i4/ndi0i/ns - 5 .s.n4. %/ 0h.m is l/ss, and .n=/ym.n0 /% 0h. wi0n.ssin# is s0 u##l.( h.y ha8.

b..n .%%a4.d % /m .8. y 0 a4. and .8. y si#ni%i4a0i/n 0ha0 0h.y %ind in 0h.ms.l8.s / 0ha0 0h.ywi0n.ss /n 0h.i /wn( h. .al has sub=u#a0.d 0h.m, .%%a4.d 0h.m, annihila0.d 0h.m % /m 0h.i/wn a00 ibu0.s, s/ 0ha0 i0 is 0h. .al 0ha0 w/ 2s 0h /u#h 0h.m, /n 0h.m, and %/ 0h.m in.8. y0hin# 0h.y .95. i.n4.( I0 is 0h. .al whi4h 4/n%i ms su4h .9i#.n4i.s in and u5/n 0h.m0h /u#h 0h. %/ m /% i0s 4/m5l.0i/n and 5. %.40i/n(* Al-Junayd w.n0 /n 5il# ima#. /n %//00hi 0y 0im.s(


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'0awassum ( Na a0.d % /m Anas wi0h a %ai 4hain by al-Ba""a in his Musnad, al- aba ani, andAbu Nu&aym in al- ibb al-Nabawi as s0a0.d by al-&A=luni in !ash% al-!ha%a;(

In Ibn al-Jaw"i, $i%a al-$a%wa ?') 7) ?, 4ha50. /n al-Junayd ' )* (Ibn Qayyim al-Jaw"iyya, Mada i= al-$ali2in ')7 (In Ibn al-Jaw"i, $i%a al-$a%wa, 4ha50. /n al-Junayd(

Ibn Qayyim al-Jaw"iyya, al-Fawa;id, .d( Muhammad &Ali Qu0b 'al-Is2anda iyya7 Da al-Da&wa,?**) 5( O(I(.( $u%is and %u6aha;(

+$.8.n0h L.00. in $hi%a& al-&Alil wa Ball al-Ghalil %i Hu2m al-1asiyya bi al-!ha0ama0 wa al-ahalil '5( ? )-? (

* ansla0i/n 4/mmuni4a0.d 0/ 0h. au0h/ by Mi4ha.l $.lls, Ha8. %/ d /ll.#.(


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death" Al* a&i:i 0laces it in 4!8 !)) thou$h he considers 4! or4!7 as 0ossible"


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to say; =Thou art wron$" Hadst thou been an obedient ser ant,thou wouldst ha e carried out His orders"=


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0rayer and was un&ailin$ly 0resent in the mos.ue at the &irst callto 0rayer he made thirty 0il$rima$es to 2ecca on &oot e eryday he used to o&&er &our hundred rakats o& 0rayer" All thesethin$s lead one to the same conclusion" He belie ed in 0ractice

rather than in theory" =Kne%s share in this world,= says he, =is in0ro0ortion to one%s endea ours &or it, and in the ne#t world onewill $et as much as one stri es &or it"= a.ihs misleads his &ollowers"=


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In latter days this system was termed as &ahw+ =Sobriety,= asa$ainst &ukr+ =Grunkenness,= o& /aya id"


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that shows that the writer had no relation with him, while as amatter o& &act 1unaid was his ne0hew and disci0le" Kn the otherhand, we &ind that he de otes a &ull cha0ter to an account o&/aya id and showers 0raises on him" All these &acts $o to 0ro e

that the book was written by someone else in the name o& 1unaid,and a lon$ time a&ter him" Allowin$ due credit to these objectionsone may say that the te#t contains the anecdotes and sayin$s o&0ersons who had 0receded 1unaid or were contem0orary with him,a &act which leads one to the 0robability o& its ha in$ been writtenin the days o& 1unaid" And as lon$ as the authorshi0 is notcontested and the real author, i& there be any, is not known, wecannot but ascribe it to the &amous 2uslim saint 1unaid o&/a$hdad" As re$ards the omission on the 0art o& Ibn al*Nadim itmay be e#0lained thus" 2ost 0robably the book remained &orsome time in the &orm o& notes by the author which were notknown to anyone but a ery &ew o& his disci0les, and it was not tilla&ter the death o& Ibn al*Nadim that those notes were $i en thesha0e o& a book" This omission is, howe er, su&&icient 0roo& o& the&act that no book had been 0ublicly ascribed to 1unaid till aboutthe end o& the &ourth century o& the Hijrah" Also the manner inwhich Sari has been mentioned in the book indicates that thebook was arran$ed and edited by someone lon$ a&ter the death o&al*1unaid" Takin$ all these &acts into consideration, one is led to

belie e that the author o& the book was al*1unaid, althou$h it wasarran$ed and 0ublished at a later date" An ther / rk As*ribed tal-)unaid! I was sur0rised to &ind another book al-Ma0sad1lallah ascribed to another al*1unaid al*Hana&i o& /a$hdad, by Haji

hali&ah, < )D but I enture to think that al-Ma0sad andthe Ma'ali were written by one and the same man, and, a&ter acare&ul study o& the materials a ailable to me, I cannot but saythat both the books are by the &amous saint, Abu al*+asim al*

1unaid o& /a$hdad"A 2S" co0y o& al-Ma0sad is in 0ossession o& 2awlana +utb al*

Gin :Abd al*Jali o& >iran$i 2ahall, ucknow, who ery kindly0laced it at my dis0osal &or a short 0eriod" It consists o& 7! &oliosand contains an interlinear translation o& the Arabic te#t" ikethe Ma'ali+ it com0rises o& ten cha0ters and the ninth cha0ter isde oted to a descri0tion o& /aya id%s ascension" The last lines o&
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the book, which led me to conclude that it was also written by theauthor o& the Maali+ run as &ollows ;


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i9 K& the charity o& the $nostics, their ways and the hei$htso& their as0irations"

ii9 K& whate er is necessary &or e eryone who desires totalk in the idiom o& the men o& as0iration"

iii9 K& the e#cellence o& the utterance o& the ?reat and theeaders o& ?uidance re$ardin$ the hei$hts o& as0iration"

i#9 K& the utterance o& Abu a id al*/istami may ?od%smercy be on him9, his $ood days, and the hei$hts o& hisas0iration"

#9 K& the state o& the secret e ils o& sel&*delusion andconceit"Jhat the author 0ro0oses to say is brie&ly this" All the 0eo0le o&the world may be di ided into three kinds, i " those who are0eo0le o& this world, those who are o& the ne#t, and those whare de3 ted b dy and s ul t the w rshi2 f G d! A$ain, there isanother di ision o& the 0eo0le who worshi0 ?od B &irst thosewho worshi0 Him &or &ear o& Hell, secondly those who worshi0Him in ho0e o& a ha00y abode in @aradise, and lastly those whoworshi0 neither &or &ear nor &or &a our but f r His l 3e! It isob ious that 1unaid as a true mystic should $i e 0re&erence andallot a hi$h rank to the 0ersons who de ote themsel es to theworshi0 o& ?od &or His lo e alone"

He adds; =Kne who is &ortunate enou$h to recei e &a ours &rom

?od should not communicate them to the worldly men but remainsilent and .uiet, and kee0 what &a ours he recei es a secret"E eryone should ada0t himsel& to the circumstances, and oneshould not use a lan$ua$e unintelli$ible to the addressee and o& asubject beyond his understandin$"=

In su00ort o& these theories he has .uoted sayin$s andanecdotes o& the Su&is who had 0receded him"

It must be noted, howe er, that the work has certainshortcomin$s" The author has .uoted &reely the sayin$s o& anumber o& saints but in mentionin$ the authorities &or them hehas un&ortunately been not care&ul" In his narration one almostin ariably &ails to &ind the chain o& the authorities, and has to becontent with the name o& the &irst in the link" He always be$inswith =It is related= which does not by any means seem de&initeenou$h" /esides this, he does not seem to ha e taken the troubleo& $i in$ the e idence thorou$hly" A$ain and a$ain one comes


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across such anecdotes as one has reason to disbelie e" As anillustration may be .uoted the story o& the Fali0h Abu /akr, who isadmittedly the &irst o& all the 2uslims to join hands with the@ro0het when he commenced his mission" /ut 1unaid says that

Abu /akr was asked about the means o& his attainment o& thehi$h 0osition he held, in re0ly to which he is made to state thatbe&ore he joined the &old o& Islam he had obser ed that the2uslims were then di ided into two classes; those a&ter this worldand those a&ter the ne#t, while he himsel& desired to ha ecommunion with ?od alone, and was thereby able to attain the$lorious 0osition he held" < 4D This story re&lects that at the timeAbu /akr joined the &old o& Islam there were numerous 2uslims"/ut this is not a &act"

A similar story is related about Husain, the son o& :Ali b" Abi Talib" Accordin$ to 1unaid%s ersion o& it, he was studyin$ a bookwith Abu :Abdillah, a com0anion o& less re0ute, and had to recti&ya mistake" < 3D This seems hi$hly incredible, as no written bookswere in o$ue in those days"

Auth rs and 4i3ines wh se 5ames 6**ur in the Te7t! :AbdAllah b" :Abd al*%A i al*%5mari heard Traditions &rom Ibn Tiwalah,an unknown 0erson as a narrator o& Traditions" < 'D He used to 0asshis time in $ra eyards, and u0on bein$ asked why he did so,re0lied; =A $ra e is a $reat warner and seclusion 0ro ides a $ood

0rotection &or &aith"= He died in )8' 8(( at the a$e o& "< -D

Abu :Abdillah, a com0anion, an authority o& al*/ukhari in his al- Adab al-Mufrad and also in the &unan o& Abu Gawud" There isanother com0anion o& the same unyah who a00ears as anauthority in the &unan o& al*Nasa%i"< D

Abu %Abdillah Sa%id b" a id al*Nabbaji belon$ed to the &irst$eneration o& Su&is such as Ghu al*Nun and Ibrahim b" Adham"< 7D Thus he must ha e &lourished durin$ the &irst hal& o& the thirdcentury o& the Hijrah" Abu /akr 2uhammad b" 2usa < 8D al*Jasiti,known as Ibn al*>ar$hani, was a disci0le o& al*1unaid o& /a$hdad"A&ter ha in$ tra elled e#tensi ely throu$h many lands, he &inallysettled at 2er " It a00ears that he wanted to de elo0 his &acultiesto enable him to 0er&orm miracles, but was admonished by al*

1unaid who sent him a letter, commencin$ with thesewords; LLLZLYLZL Z LLXL`LWLM L~ L ZL]LM


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miracles9=D" He died some time be&ore 34( !34" Abu al*:Abbaswas his disci0le" < !D

Abu Said Ahmad b" %Isa, known as al* harra


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Abu Juhaib /uhlul b" Amr al*Saira&i o& u&ah

Abd al*2alik b" :5mair, 5rwah b" Hisham and al*A:mash, andnarrated them be&ore Ibn :Iliyyah, Isha. al*Saluli, Abu Nu:aim and2usa%b b" al*2u.addam"


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Al*Hasan al*/asri, Abu Sa:id al*Hasan, was the son o& Abu alHasan asar


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At the time o& his birth his mother 0rayed to ?od to make him ari$hteous 0erson" udailb" :Ayad and Su&yan al*Thawri, andli ed on what he earned by cuttin$ wood and kee0in$ $ardens,and used to take &ood e ery &ourth day"


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awoke and saw a &lash o& celestial li$ht &allin$ u0on her, so he sether &ree the ne#t mornin$"


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alah, &hadharat!


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< )D Haji hali&ah, ol" I, 0" !("< 4D 2S", &" 7< 3D 2S", &" 4)"< 'D Al*2anawi, 0" 44 "< -D Ibid", 0"447 a&i i, ol" I, 0" 3! "< D

Ibn Hajar, 0" '47" There also a00ears only once9 the same unyah in AbuGawud%s :adl al-Ansar but, as Ibn Hajar 0oints out, it is an incorrect readin$&or Abu :5baid Allah"< 7D 1ami, 0" ("< 8D Hujwiri, 0" )44 1ami, 0" ))4"< !D 1ami, 0" ))4"


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See notes ' and -"


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Documents

Imam Junaid