Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Ghailan that he says Hazrat Mutarrif ibn al-Shakhir used to make this supplication: O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the evil of the king, and from the evil of that upon which their pens run. And I seek refuge with You from speaking such a truth by which I seek anything other than Your obedience. And I ask You to protect me from adorning myself before people with something that makes me despicable in Your sight. And I seek refuge with You from seeking help from You in Your disobedience because of any hardship that befalls me. And I seek refuge with You from becoming a lesson for any of Your creation. And I seek refuge with You from making anyone among those I know more fortunate than me. O Allah! Do not disgrace me, for You know me. O Allah! Do not punish me, for You have power over me.

Hazrat Ghailan bin Jarir says that he heard Hazrat Mutarrif saying: (It seems) as if the hearts are not ours and as if the purpose of the hadith is someone other than us.

Hazrat Ghailan narrates, he says that I heard Hazrat Mutarrif say: If a messenger from my Lord were to come to me and give me the choice to either go to Paradise, or to Hell, or to become dust, then I would prefer to become dust.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he said: {إنَّ الَّذِینَ یَتْلُونَ کِتَابَ اللہِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاَۃَ } till the end. He said: This is the verse of the reciters.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that he says: Every person among the people is foolish in dealing between himself and his Allah. However, the foolishness of some people is less in degree than that of others.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that he says Hazrat Mutarrif used to say: O Allah! Accept from me the prayer of one day. O Allah! Accept from me the fast of one day. O Allah! Write a good deed for me. Then he used to recite this (verse): "Indeed, Allah accepts the deeds of the righteous."

Hazrat Mutarrif bin Abdullah says: If I had two souls, I would send one ahead of the other. If it reached goodness, I would send the other after it; otherwise, I would hold the second one back. But there is only one soul. I do not know whether it will reach goodness or evil?

Hazrat Thabit narrates that Hazrat Mutarrif said: If the hope and fear of a believer are weighed, neither will outweigh the other.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Wasi’ Azdi narrates: He says, I was sitting in a gathering in which Hasan, Hazrat Mutarrif, and so-and-so, so-and-so people—Muhammad bin Wasi’ mentioned several people—were present. Then Hazrat Sa’id bin Abu al-Hasan spoke. The narrator says, then he made supplication and in his supplication he said: O Allah! Be pleased with us. O Allah! Be pleased with us—he said this two or three times. The narrator says, Hazrat Mutarrif was sitting at the edge of the gathering. He said: O Allah! If You are not pleased with us, then forgive us. The narrator says, because of this statement, all the people began to weep.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he said: There were such people. They were monkeys. And there were such people who were submerged in the water of humans.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he said: People's intellects are according to their times.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif ibn al-Shakhir regarding the saying of Allah Almighty { کَانُوا قَلِیلاً مِنَ اللَّیْلِ مَا یَہْجَعُونَ }, he says: Very few nights would come upon them in which they would sleep.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he said: Among matters, the best are those that are moderate.

Hazrat Thabit narrates about Hazrat Mutarrif that he set out from his village. The narrator says that he used to travel at night, and his staff would give him light.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that Hazrat Mutarrif said: If I possessed the entire world and then Allah Almighty were to take this world from me in exchange for that sip of water which He will give me to drink on the Day of Judgment, then indeed I would have received the price (worth) of my world.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that he says: We were with Hazrat Mutarrif. So we mentioned Allah and prayed to Allah. Then he said: By God! The time you spent in the remembrance of Allah, indeed Allah intended good for you. And if the coming days and nights are also like this for you, then Allah has intended good for you. Whichever of these happens, you should praise Allah for it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that he says Hazrat Mutarrif used to say: Surely, the hadith and the oath are with Allah.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that Hazrat Mutarrif used to say: If goodness were in the palm of one of us, he would not have the ability to put it in his heart until Allah Almighty places it into his heart.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that Hazrat Mutarrif used to say: If a man sees the prey, and the prey has not seen him, and the hunter lies in wait, is it possible that the hunter will catch the prey? The people said: Why not. Hazrat Mutarrif said: Thus, Satan also sees us but we do not see him, so he catches us.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that Hazrat Mutarrif said: I looked at the beginning of this matter, to see from whom it is? So its beginning is Allah Almighty. And I looked to see upon whom its end will be? So its end is also Allah Almighty. And I pondered over what is the essence (foundation) of this matter? So its essence is supplication (dua).

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that Hazrat Mutarrif ibn al-Shakhir said: There should be the greatness of Allah in your hearts. Therefore, at such times, do not mention God in matters where any of you says to a dog, or to a donkey, or to a goat. May Allah disgrace him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he says: We used to discuss among ourselves that, out of two people who love each other for the sake of Allah, the superior one is the one who loves his companion more. He says: Thus, when Hazrat Maz‘ur and Hazrat ‘Amir bin ‘Abdullah were exiled, the narrator says, Hazrat Maz‘ur met Hazrat Mutarrif and began a discussion with him. Hazrat Mutarrif says: I said, "O my brother! For what reason have you kept me (here), while the stars have set and the night is passing?" He replied, "O Allah! For Your sake." Then he discussed with Hazrat Mutarrif for a while longer. Mutarrif again said, "O my brother! For what reason have you kept me (here), while the stars have set and the night is passing?" He said, "O Allah! For Your sake." Then, when morning came, I learned that he had left. Then I recognized his virtue over me during the night.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he said: I am in greater need of the congregation than widowed women sitting at their doors.

It is narrated from Hazrat Thabit that he says Hazrat Mutarrif used to say: People have not been given anything superior to intellect.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he says: I saw in a dream as if I had gone out with the intention of attending Friday (prayer), and when I came near the graveyard of the locality, I saw that the inhabitants of the graves were sitting. I greeted them with salam and tried to pass by, but they said: O Abdullah! Where are you intending to go? I said: I am intending to attend Friday (prayer). Mutarrif says: Then I asked: Do you know what Friday is? They said: Yes, and we also know what the birds say on this day. Mutarrif says: I asked: What do the birds say on this day? They said: The birds say: Salam, salam, it is a good day.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he says: Indeed, Allah the Exalted shows mercy because of the mercy of a bird.

Hazrat Thabit says: I heard Hazrat Mutarrif say, "I do not pass by any group of people in whose gathering someone is saying something good about me." He says, "Then this settles into my heart."

It is narrated from Hazrat Mutarrif that he says: Surely, this death has spoiled the blessings of the people of luxury. So, seek from (Allah) such a blessing in which there is no death.

Hazrat Mu'alla (may Allah be pleased with him) bin Ziyad narrates, he says that Hazrat Mawraq 'Ajli says: "There is a deed which I have been seeking for ten years, but I have not been able to achieve it. And I am not going to give up seeking it." Mu'alla (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "O Abu al-Mu'tamir! What is that?" Mawraq replied: "Silence from useless speech."

It is narrated from Hazrat Hafsa bint Sirin that she says Hazrat Muwarriq used to come to meet us. So one day he came to meet us and greeted (with salam). I replied to his greeting. She says, then he asked me something and I asked him something. I asked, "How are your family members? And how are your children?" He replied, "They are well." I said, "Then you should praise your Lord." He said, "By God! I fear that perhaps they may confine me to destruction."

Hazrat Ja'far bin Sulaiman narrates that some of our companions related to us, saying that Hazrat Mawraq 'Ajli used to engage in trade and would acquire wealth. But not even a single Friday would pass before none of that wealth remained with him. The narrator says: If any of his brothers met him, he would give him four hundred, five hundred, or three hundred and say, "Keep this with you for us until we need it." Then, when he met him again, he would say, "You keep it." The other person would say, "I do not need it." Upon this, he would say, "By God! We will never take this money back. You keep it."

It is narrated from Hazrat Qatadah that he says Hazrat Muwarriq Ajli said: I have seen the example of a believer in this world like that of a man sitting on a plank in the sea, saying, "O Allah, O Allah," hoping that Allah Almighty may save him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Muwarriq that he says: One who holds fast to obedience of God when people become cowardly from it, is like one who attacks again after retreating.

It is narrated from Hazrat Asim Ahwal. He says that I heard Hazrat Muwarriq Ajli say: I have not seen any man who combined dignity with wisdom and wisdom with dignity better than Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Muwarriq that he said: The conversations of the people used to be indirect speech, by way of allusion.