The Worst of the People
And it has come on the authority of Abū Ġālib who's name is Ḥazūn (d. 152H) that he said: I was in al-Shām, al-Muhallab had seventy men from al-Khawārij killed with their heads were on the floor. فَجَاءَ عَنْ أَبِي غَالِبٍ وَاسْمُهُ حَزَوَّرٌ قَالَ: «كُنْتُ بِالشَّامِ، فَبَعَثَ الْمُهَلَّبُ سَبْعِينَ رَأْسًا مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ، فَنُصِبُوا عَلَى دَرَجِ دِمَشْقَ، I was leaning on my house and suddenly I laid eyes on (the arrival of) Abū Umāmah (al-Bāhilī, may Allah be pleased with him). فَكُنْتُ عَلَى ظَهْرِ بَيْتٍ لِي فَمَرَّ أَبُو أُمَامَةَ So I stood up and I followed him step by step. فَنَزَلْتُ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ، So he walked until he came on top of the of them (ie: the corpses of the Khawārij), فَلَمَّا وَقَفَ عَلَيْهِمْ His eyes began to tear up. دَمَعَتْ عَيْنَاهُ And he said: “Subḥān Allah! Look at what Shayṭān does to the children of Ādam! (He then said three times): Kilābu Jahannam (ie: Dogs of the Hellfire)! (These are) the worst people to ever be killed under the sky (he said this also three times)! And the best person is the one they (ie: the Khawārij) kill. Ṭūbá (ie: glad tidings) to the one that kills them, or that they kill him.” وَقَالَ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ! مَا يَصْنَعُ السُّلْطَانُ بِبَنِي آدَمَ! قَالَهَا ثَلَاثًا كِلَابُ جَهَنَّمَ، كِلَابُ جَهَنَّمَ، شَرُّ قَتْلَى تَحْتَ ظِلِّ السَّمَاءِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ، خَيْرُ قَتْلَى مَنْ قَتَلُوهُ، طُوبَى لِمَنْ قَتَلَهُمْ أَوْ قَتَلُوهُ. Then he (ie: Abū Umāmah) looked at me and he said: “O Abū Ġālib! You are from a land in which there are a lot (of the Khawārij), I seek in Allah from them for you.” ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ، فَقَالَ: أَبَا غَالِبٍ! إِنَّكَ بِأَرْضٍ هُمْ بِهَا كَثِيرٌ، فَأَعَاذَكَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ. I replied: “(But) I saw you cry when you saw them.” قُلْتُ: رَأَيْتُكَ بَكَيْتَ حِينَ رَأَيْتَهُمْ. He replied: “I cried out of mercy, because they are from Ahl (ie: the people of) al-Islām.” And then he asked me: “Have you recited Sūrah ʿImrān?” قَالَ: بَكَيْتُ رَحْمَةً حِينَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ كَانُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ، هَلْ تَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ آلِ عِمْرَانَ؟ I replied: “Yes.” قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. So he recited: {It is He Who has sent down to you the Book (ie: the Qurʾān). In it are āyāt that are muḥkamāt (ie: clear-cut, they are the foundations of the Book)} until {But no one knows the interpretation (of these verses) except Allah} [3:7] And they had in their hearts deviation so they followed (ie: the unclear verses). فَقَرَأَ: {هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ} [آل عمران: 7] حَتَّى بَلَغَ: {وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ} [آل عمران: 7] وَإِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ كَانَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ، فَزِيغَ بِهِمْ. And then he recited: {And do not be like the ones who divided amongst themselves after clear evidence came to them} [3:105] until {they will be in Allah's Mercy (Paradise), therein they shall dwell forever} [3:107] ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: {وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ} [آل عمران: 105] إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {فَفِي رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ} [آل عمران: 107]. So I asked him: “Are these (ie: the Khawārij) that this verse is referring to O Abū Umāmah?” قُلْتُ: هُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ يَا أَبَا أُمَامَةَ؟ He replied: “Yes.” قَالَ: نَعَمْ. So I asked: “Are you saying this from yourself (ie: your own understanding) or is this something you heard from the Prophet ﷺ?” قُلْتُ: مِنْ قِبَلِكَ تَقُولُ أَوْ شَيْءٌ سَمِعْتَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ He answered: “If I am one who says that (ie: from myself), then I would be courageous (ie: to lie about Allah), but rather I heard from the Messenger ﷺ, not (just) once, but until (I heard him say it) seven times.” قَالَ: إِنِّي إِذًا لَجَرِيءٌ، بَلْ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، لَا مَرَّةً، وَلَا مَرَّتَيْنِ حَتَّى عَدَّ سَبْعًا. al-Shāṭibī, al-Iʻtiṣām 1/71 الشاطبي، إبراهيم بن موسى، الاعتصام ١/٧١ https://shamela.ws/browse.php/book-21720/page-54 Telegram: https://t.me/ilmtest Twitter: https://twitter.com/ilmtest_ Instagram: https://instagram.com/ilmtest Facebook: https://facebook.com/ilmtest Tumblr: https://ilmtest.tumblr.com Website: https://www.ilmtest.net
