Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Baṣrī

Abū al-Qāsim ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAllān al-Wāsiṭī related to us—and my eyes have never seen anyone like him in his particular qualities: When paralysis afflicted him at the end of his life, I attended him at his house. His companions Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī, Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, and Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Baṣrī also attended. They said, “This illness requires expenditure and treatment, and he has little money. We do not wish to expose him to people's charity. We would like to write to Sayf al-Dawla and ask him for funds to spend on him.” They did so. Abū al-Ḥasan became aware of what they were doing and asked about it. When told, he wept and said, “God, let my provision come only from where You have accustomed me to receive it.” He died before Sayf al-Dawla sent anything. Then Sayf al-Dawla's letter arrived with ten thousand dirhams and a promise to supplement it with similar sums. It was given in charity.

Abū al-Qāsim ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAllān al-Wāsiṭī related to us—and my eyes have never seen anyone like him in his particular qualities: When paralysis afflicted him at the end of his life, I attended him at his house. His companions Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī, Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, and Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Baṣrī also attended. They said, “This illness requires expenditure and treatment, and he has little money. We do not wish to expose him to people's charity. We would like to write to Sayf al-Dawla and ask him for funds to spend on him.” They did so. Abū al-Ḥasan became aware of what they were doing and asked about it. When told, he wept and said, “God, let my provision come only from where You have accustomed me to receive it.” He died before Sayf al-Dawla sent anything. Then Sayf al-Dawla's letter arrived with ten thousand dirhams and a promise to supplement it with similar sums. It was given in charity.

Of this generation was Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Baṣrī, the leading theologian of his age. He was foremost in both sciences, with many dictated lessons and teaching in both. No one attained his standing in these two sciences—I mean theology and jurisprudence—together with largeness of spirit, abundant beneficence, precedence with the ruler, and widely dispersed students. Had he had no student but ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Wāsiṭī, whose religious integrity was unanimously acknowledged and who was accepted by those who agreed and disagreed with him, to the point that he was called the ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayd of his time, that would have sufficed. Yet he was granted numerous students who became distinguished in learning and attained its utmost heights. He died in Dhū al-Ḥijja 369. The grammarian Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ghaffār al-Fārisī prayed over him. He was buried in Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's burial ground; God have mercy on them both.

Of this generation was Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Baṣrī, the leading theologian of his age. He was foremost in both sciences, with many dictated lessons and teaching in both. No one attained his standing in these two sciences—I mean theology and jurisprudence—together with largeness of spirit, abundant beneficence, precedence with the ruler, and widely dispersed students. Had he had no student but ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Wāsiṭī, whose religious integrity was unanimously acknowledged and who was accepted by those who agreed and disagreed with him, to the point that he was called the ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayd of his time, that would have sufficed. Yet he was granted numerous students who became distinguished in learning and attained its utmost heights. He died in Dhū al-Ḥijja 369. The grammarian Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ghaffār al-Fārisī prayed over him. He was buried in Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's burial ground; God have mercy on them both.