Saʿīd ibn al-Ṣalt al-Bajalī

Related to us: Qabīṣa ibn al-Faḍl ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Ṭabarī; he said: related to us: Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm, known as Shādhān al-Fārisī; he said: related to us: Saʿīd ibn al-Ṣalt; he said: related to us: Abū Ḥanīfa, from ʿAlqama ibn Marthad, from Ibn Burayda, [from his father], who said: We were sitting with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. He said to his companions: “Rise and come with us to visit our Jewish neighbour.” He entered and found him dying. He asked after him, then said: “Do you testify that there is no god but God and that I am the Messenger of God?” He looked at his father. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Do you testify that there is no god but God and that I am the Messenger of God?” He looked at his father, but his father did not speak to him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said again: “Do you testify that there is no god but God and that I am the Messenger of God?” He looked at his father, and his father told him: “Testify to him.” The young man said: “I testify that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of God.” The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Praise be to God, who has rescued a soul from the Fire through me.”

Related to us: Qabīṣa ibn al-Faḍl al-Ṭabarī; he said: related to us: Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm; he said: related to us: Saʿīd ibn al-Ṣalt; he said: related to us: Abū Ḥanīfa, from ʿAṭiyya al-ʿAwfī, from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī—may God be pleased with him—who said: I heard the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, speak, and he recited God’s saying, mighty and majestic: “Your Lord may raise you to a praised station” [al-Isrāʾ 79]. He said: “Do you know what the praised station is?” They said: “God and His Messenger know best.” He said: “Through my intercession God brings out people from my community, people of faith and the prayer direction. That is the praised station. They are brought to a river called al-Ḥayawān and cast into it. They sprout as small shoots sprout, then come out of it and enter Paradise. They are called the people formerly of Hell. They ask God, mighty and majestic, to remove that name from them, and He removes it.”

Al-Ḥayawān is the river’s printed name; the description of sprouting renders al-thaʿārīr as small shoots.

Related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd; he said: related to us: Muḥammad ibn Ḥanīfa al-Wāsiṭī; he said: related to us: al-Ḥasan ibn Jabala; he said: related to us: Saʿīd ibn al-Ṣalt; he said: related to us: Abū Ḥanīfa, from Ziyād, from ʿAmr ibn Maymūn, from ʿĀʾisha—may God be pleased with her: The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to kiss while fasting.

Informed us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd; he said: related to us: Muḥammad ibn Ḥanīfa al-Wāsiṭī; he said: related to us: al-Ḥasan ibn Jabala; he said: related to us: Saʿīd—meaning Ibn al-Ṣalt—from Abū Ḥanīfa; he said: related to us: Bilāl, from Wahb ibn Kaysān, from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God be pleased with him—who said: Lifetime gifts became widespread in the time of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. He ascended the pulpit and said: “People, keep your property for yourselves; do not squander it. If anyone grants something as a lifetime gift [during] his life, it belongs to the recipient of that gift after his death.”

Related to us: Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAmrūs al-Hamadhānī; he said: related to us: Aḥmad ibn Badīl; he said: related to us: Saʿīd ibn al-Ṣalt al-Bajalī; he said: related to us: Abū Ḥanīfa, from Shayba ibn al-Musāwir, from Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Muzanī, from ʿĀʾisha—may God be pleased with her: The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, ate some cold shoulder meat in her house, did not renew his ablution and prayed.

Related to us: Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAmrūs; he said: related to us: Aḥmad ibn Badīl, from Saʿīd ibn al-Ṣalt; he said: related to us: Abū Ḥanīfa, from al-Ḥārith ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Abū Hind, from al-Shaʿbī: He was in a circle that included Ibn ʿUmar. Al-Shaʿbī was relating the military expeditions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Ibn ʿUmar said: “He relates the account as though he had been there with those people.”

Related to us: Qabīṣa ibn al-Faḍl; he said: related to us: Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm; he said: I heard: Saʿīd ibn al-Ṣalt saying: Abū ʿAbd Allāh came to Kufa because of a need that arose. Abū Ḥanīfa and his companions came to him and requested permission to enter. He permitted them, and they entered, greeted him and took their seats. Abū Ḥanīfa sat poised as if ready to rise, out of reverence for him. When his companions saw him seated that way, they sat as he did. Abū ʿAbd Allāh saw Abū Ḥanīfa’s companions respecting him, looking at him with reverence and not speaking before him. He asked them: “Who is this man whom you honour?” They said: “This is Abū Ḥanīfa, whose equal in jurisprudence, religion and integrity is not to be found.” He said: “I have heard of him, but have not seen him. Abū Ḥanīfa, bring what you have.” He said: “May I be your ransom! Tell me through what you have been favoured above other people. Do not be lengthy, lest we forget.” Abū ʿAbd Allāh said: “Because the entire community wishes it belonged to us, whereas we do not wish to belong to them.” Abū Ḥanīfa said: “An intelligible, concise statement.” Abū ʿAbd Allāh said: “Bring something else you have.” Abū Ḥanīfa said: “May I be your ransom! Tell me about the Messenger of God’s saying, may God bless him and grant him peace: ‘You must command what is right and forbid what is wrong, or God will set the worst of you over you. Then the best of you will pray to God, but they will not be answered.’” He said: “Abū Ḥanīfa, what is commanding right and forbidding wrong in your view?” Abū Ḥanīfa said: “May God make me your ransom! In our view, it is for a man who sees another doing something displeasing to God, mighty and majestic, to forbid him from it and command him to obey Him and refrain from disobeying Him.” He said: “Commanding right and forbidding wrong is not what you have described.” He asked: “Then what is it, may God make me your ransom?” He said: “The one who is known, Abū Ḥanīfa, known among the inhabitants of heaven and known among the inhabitants of earth: that is the Commander of the Faithful, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.” Abū Ḥanīfa fell silent. He asked: “Abū Ḥanīfa, is this silence of acceptance or silence of rejection?” Abū Ḥanīfa said: “Who could reject this statement, may God make me your ransom?” He said: “Bring another question.” He asked: “Tell me about God’s saying, mighty and majestic: ‘Then on that day you will surely be questioned about the blessing’ [al-Takāthur 8]. What is the blessing about which we shall be questioned?” He asked: “What is it in your view, Abū Ḥanīfa?” He said: “Security in one’s dwelling, bodily health and food at hand.” He said: “Abū Ḥanīfa, if God questions you on the Day of Resurrection about every morsel you ate and every draught you drank, it will take you a long time!” He asked: “Then what is it, may God make me your ransom?” He said: “We are the blessing. Through us God rescued people from error and gave them sight after blindness.” Abū Ḥanīfa said: “Firm wisdom and an acceptable statement.” He said: “Bring another.” He asked: “Tell me, may God make me your ransom, what Solomon said when he sought out the hoopoe among the birds.” He said: “The hoopoe could see water within the earth as one sees oil in a bottle.” He asked: “May God make me your ransom! How can the hoopoe see water within the earth, yet not see the trap until it catches its neck?” He said: “Abū Ḥanīfa, when destiny descends, sight becomes blind. Peace be upon you; you have made us speak at length.” Abū Ḥanīfa and his companions rose and left. Abū ʿAbd Allāh said: “I see that he possesses outward knowledge, while we possess true inward knowledge.”

The reply plays on al-maʿrūf, “what is right” and “the one who is known”; both senses are made visible. Abū ʿAbd Allāh’s identity is not expanded from conjecture.