Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Tamim bin Hazlam narrates that the incident of addressing an Amir of Kufa as "Amir" for the first time happened as follows: Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) came out of his palace when a man from the tribe of Kindah approached him and greeted him by calling him "Amir." He replied, "What is this? I am just an ordinary person among the people." Thus, this title was abandoned for a period of time, but later it was adopted again.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Munkadir says that I heard Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) say that I went to Hajjaj and I did not greet him with Salam.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Munkadir narrates that Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) received the message that allegiance was being taken for Yazid bin Muawiyah. He said, "If this is good, we will be pleased, and if this is evil, we will be patient."

Hazrat Qais, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that I saw Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, demanding those dirhams from Hazrat Saad, may Allah be pleased with him, which he had lent him from the Bayt al-Mal. Hazrat Saad, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I consider you a bad visitor." Hazrat Ibn Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Return the money." He replied, "O Ibn Masood! Are you not a slave of the tribe of Huzail?" The narrator says that upon this Hazrat Ibn Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Are you not the son of Humainah?" The narrator says that the nephew of Hazrat Saad, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Indeed, both of you are companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, people look at you." So Hazrat Saad, may Allah be pleased with him, raised his hands saying, "O Allah! Lord of the heavens and the earth." Hazrat Ibn Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Say whatever you wish, but do not curse." The narrator says that Hazrat Saad, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "By Allah, if it were not for the fear of Allah, I would have supplicated against you with such a supplication that would not have missed you." The narrator says that Hazrat Ibn Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, left just as he had come.

Ziyad is the narrator who says that when Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) intended to flog Walid, he said to Hazrat Talha, "Stand up and flog him." He replied, "I am not one to flog." So Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and flogged him. Then Walid said, "I am the companion of Makina." The narrator says that I asked Ziyad, "What does it mean, the companion of Makina?" He replied, "Makina was a woman with whom he used to converse."

Hazrat Qais narrates that during the incident of Jamal, Marwan was with Hazrat Talha (may Allah be pleased with him). When the battle flared up, Marwan said that after today, I will not seek retribution for my blood. The narrator says that then he shot an arrow at him which struck his knee, and the bleeding did not stop until he was martyred. The narrator says that Hazrat Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Leave him, for this arrow has been sent by Allah, the Exalted."

Hazrat Uyainah narrates that one day Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) met Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) at midday, while he had covered his head with a cloth. Hazrat Abu Bakrah asked, "Where are you going?" He replied, "I am going for a need." He (Abu Bakrah) said, "One goes to be present before the leader; the leader himself does not go to anyone."

Hisham bin Urwah narrates that it has reached me that Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) became the leader of Hajj. He received the message that the leader was coming to him, so he came to him on the day of Arafah, and out of happiness, he made it a day of Eid.

It is narrated from Hazrat Urwah that Qais bin Sa’d bin Ubadah remained with Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) at the front part of his army, and with him were five thousand people who, after the death of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), shaved their heads. So when Hazrat Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) entered into allegiance with Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), Qais refused to enter. Then he said to his companions, “What do you want? If you wish, I will continue to fight with you always until the first among us dies, and if you wish, I will seek amnesty for you.” They said, “Seek amnesty for us.” So he made peace for them with some conditions and compensation, and stipulated that no kind of punishment would be given to them, and said, “I will be one of them,” and did not set any condition for himself. When he returned towards Madinah with his companions, he slaughtered a camel for them every day along the way until they reached Madinah.

Hazrat Abu Ja'far narrates that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) heard something inappropriate from Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said, "If I wanted to hold him accountable for it, I would strike at his Achilles' heel."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Ja'far that a man testified before Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), but Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) rejected his testimony.

It is narrated from Ibrahim that when Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, Amr bin Al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Go, O Ibn Awf, taking with you your habit of satiation; you did not show any deficiency in it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Ja'far that Hazrat Muhammad bin Sirin saw a man speaking ill of Hajjaj. He said: Surely Allah Almighty is the Judge and Just; He will take retribution from those who wronged Hajjaj, just as He will take retribution from Hajjaj for those upon whom he committed injustice.

Muawiyah bin Thalabah narrates that I came to Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah and said that Mukhtar’s messenger has come to us and he is calling us. He (Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah) said to me: Do not fight; I dislike to seize the matter of this Ummah or to rule over them unjustly.

It is narrated from Hazrat Harith Azdi that Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah says: May Allah have mercy on the person who keeps himself content, restrains his hand, keeps his tongue silent, and remains in his house, so that he is rewarded for what he has done and is with those whom he loves.

Abu Aqil narrates that we were in a valley at the door of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, when his son came out of the house with two braids in his hair. He said, "O group of the companions of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)! My father sends you greetings of peace." The narrator says that they became so respectful as if birds were sitting on their heads. Then he said, "My father says that we do not love those who curse, those who exceed limits, and those who hasten in matters of destiny."

Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah says that if Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had seen our condition, this valley would have been the place for his camel-litter.

It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The Day of Judgment will not come until thirty liars appear; among them are Aswad Ansi, Musaylimah, and Mukhtar.

It is narrated from Hazrat Umair that Hazrat Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered a caller to announce: "No man who is in debt should come with me." A man said, "I make my wife the guarantor for my debt." He (Hazrat Hussain) replied, "What benefit is there in a woman's guarantee?" The narrator states that he (Hazrat Hussain) had this announcement made among the freed slaves: "It has reached me in narration that any man who is killed in such a state that he has left behind wealth from which his debt could be paid, that man will go to Hell."

Hazrat Zubair bin Adi narrates that Ibrahim said to me: "Beware of being killed along with the turmoil (fitnah)."

It is narrated from Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Muntashir that Masruq (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ride his mule every Friday and seat me behind him. Then he would come to the garbage heaps of the place of Hira and make his donkey stand on them, and then he would say: "The world is beneath us."

It is narrated from Hazrat Umm Rashid that she says: I was with Umm Hani (may Allah be pleased with her) when Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came to her. She invited him to eat and said: I went down to the field and saw two men. I heard one of them saying to the other: "Our hands have pledged allegiance to this man, but our hearts have not pledged allegiance." I asked, "Who are these two men?" People said: Talha and Zubair. She says: I heard them saying, "Our hands have pledged allegiance to this man, but our hearts have not pledged allegiance." Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whoever breaks the covenant, the harm of his breaking the covenant will be upon himself, and whoever fulfills the promise which he made with Allah, soon Allah will grant him a great reward.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent me as a messenger to Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) and Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) on the day of the Battle of Jamal. I said to both of them, "Your brother sends you greetings and says: Are you displeased with me for making a decision in any matter unjustly, or for taking possession of any war booty, or for such and such matter?" Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "None of these things is the case, rather it is some fear combined with a strong kind of desire."

Hazrat Aleem Kindi narrates from Hazrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: This House of Allah (the Kaaba) will be burned at the hands of a man from the descendants of Hazrat Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him).

Hazrat Abu Husain says that I have not seen anyone more given to speaking ill than Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him).

Ajlah narrates that I asked Hazrat Amir, "People think that Hajjaj is a believer?" He replied, "I also testify that he believes in the tyrant and Satan, and denies the commands of Allah."

Hazrat Asim says that I have never seen Abu Wa'il (may Allah have mercy on him) speak ill of any living creature that walks on the earth except for Hajjaj. Once, mentioning his evil deeds, he said: O Allah! Feed Hajjaj from the shrub called Dari' such food that neither fattens nor satisfies hunger. He says that then, as a form of correction, he said: If You so wish. I said: Do you still have any doubt about Hajjaj? He replied: Do you consider the addition of this statement to be a sin?

Ibrahim narrates that it reached Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that Hazrat Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I pledged allegiance in such a state that a sword was placed on my neck." He (Ali) sent Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) to him, and he inquired about the truth of this matter. Hazrat Usama (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "There was no sword on his neck, but the reality is that he pledged allegiance in such a state that he was compelled; people attacked him and it was near that they would have killed him." He narrates: "Then Hazrat Suhaib (may Allah be pleased with him) came out and I was by his side. He looked towards me and said: 'You know that a locust is destined to perish.'"

A'mash narrates that we went to Ibn Abi Hudhail, and he said: "The people killed Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), then they came to me, so I said: Is your heart troubling you about something?"

Harun bin Antra narrates that I heard Abu Ubaidah saying: How can I wish for martyrdom after what I have said, that "Have you seen your father being scolded like the Bedouins?"

Hazrat Saleem bin Hanzalah narrates that we went to Hazrat Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) to talk to him. When he stood up to leave, we also stood up to walk with him. Then he met Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who raised his whip at him. He said, "O Commander of the Faithful, what are you doing?" He replied, "Do you not see? This is a trial for the one who walks ahead and a humiliation for the one who walks behind."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila that a man came to Hazrat Ka'b bin Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and began to mention what had been revealed in the Qur'an about Abdullah bin Ubayy and started to speak ill of him. There was also a relationship of respect and kinship between the two. Hazrat Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) listened silently. After that, the man went to Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "O Commander of the Faithful, shall I tell you that I mentioned before Ka'b what has been revealed in the Qur'an about Abdullah bin Ubayy, but he showed no reaction to it." After that, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) met Hazrat Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "I have been informed that Abdullah bin Ubayy was mentioned before you, and you showed no reaction?" Hazrat Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "I heard what he said, but when I saw that he deliberately wanted to find fault with me, I thought it inappropriate to help him in finding fault with myself." Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "It would have been better if you had struck him on the nose," or he said, "It would have been better if you had broken his nose."

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Ubaid bin Umair that Ashtar and Ibn Zubair met. Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I struck him only once, but he struck me five or six times, then he threw me down towards my feet and then said, "By Allah, if you did not have a relationship with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I would have separated every joint of yours." The narrator says that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said to the extent, "Alas, the ruin of Asma!" He says that later, the person who informed her of my being alive, she granted him ten thousand dirhams as a reward.

Hazrat Sha’bi says that I have not seen any man take revenge on Hazrat Shurayh except for one Bedouin. Shurayh said to him, “Your tongue is longer than your hand.” The Bedouin replied, “Are you a Samaritan that you cannot be touched by hand?” Hazrat Shurayh said, “Be mindful of your matter.” He replied, “It is my matter that has brought me to you.” When Hazrat Shurayh (may Allah be pleased with him) was about to stand up, he said, “I did not mean you by my words.” The Bedouin said, “Nor have I committed any sin against you.”

Shamr bin Atiyyah narrates that Ibn Mukhnaf Azdi was sitting with Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He said to him, "Recite," so he began reciting Surah Al-Baqarah. Before he finished, I began to feel tired. Then Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him towards Isfahan. He took as much wealth as he wanted and sent the rest to Hazrat Muawiyah.

Hazrat Thalabah bin Yazid Hammani narrates that I heard Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) saying from this pulpit: O people! Help me in safeguarding your own selves, for seven men are enough for the reformation of the entire town. And if you are determined to cause plunder in it, then come, I will distribute it among you, because when a people come and settle with another people, they turn their faces away from the town of those people.

It is narrated from Hazrat Laith that Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) passed by Hazrat Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him), so Hazrat Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were sitting in a gathering, and there was not a single one among them who had not compromised his religion to some extent, except for this man.

Hazrat Miswar bin Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I heard the statement of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) while one of my fingers was on his wound or on my own wound: "O group of Quraysh! I do not fear people for your sake, rather I fear you for the people. And I am leaving two things among you, as long as you hold firmly to both, you will remain in goodness: first, to be just in judgment, and second, to be just in distribution. And I am leaving you on a path as broad and gentle as the paths of grazing animals, except that if any nation itself becomes crooked, then they will be made crooked."

Hazrat Zaid bin Wahb narrates that we passed by Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) at the place of Rabdhah, so we asked him the reason for his stay there. He said: I used to live in Syria, where I recited this verse: { الَّذِینَ یَکْنِزُونَ الذَّہَبَ وَالْفِضَّۃَ وَلاَ یُنْفِقُونَہَا فِی سَبِیلِ اللہِ } Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that this verse is about the People of the Book. I said that this verse is about us and them. I wrote this matter to Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and he sent me a message to come to him. When I arrived, people gathered around me as if they had never seen me before. I complained about this to Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), so he said: It would have been better if you had secluded yourself in a nearby village outside Madinah! I came to this place, and now I will not leave the command of the leader, even if they appoint an Abyssinian slave as my leader.

Ibrahim says that it is enough for the one who doubts about Hajjaj that Allah curses him.