The Wasīyyah of ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib to Kumayl ibn Ziyād an-Nakhaʿī

Kumayl ibn Ziyād said[1]: ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib took hold of my hand and took me off towards the desert, so when we reached it, he sat down, then took a deep breath and then said:

O Kumayl ibn Ziyād – the hearts are receptacles, so the best of them is the one which preserves best – memorise what I say to you: The people are three:

ʿĀlim Rabbānī[2],[3]
one learning being upon the path of salvation,
and the confused rabble who follows everyone who calls out – bending along with every wind – they are not enlightened by the light of knowledge, nor do they lean upon a firm support.

Knowledge is better than wealth – knowledge is a protection for you, whereas it is you that has to protect wealth. Zakāt of knowledge is action, whereas spending decreases wealth, and love of the scholar is Dīn. Knowledge brings about obedience for the scholar in his lifetime and good repute after his death, whereas the benefit of wealth ceases when it passes away. The hoarders of wealth have died while they are alive, whereas the scholars remain for as long as time remains – their persons are lost, but their examples are there in the hearts.

Here, indeed here – (and he pointed to his chest) – there is knowledge if only I could find bearers for it.[4] But instead, I have found them quick to comprehend but not trustworthy – they use what pertains to the Dīn for worldly ends, they seek to use Allāh’s proofs against His Book blindly following the people of truth but having no insight regarding receiving it, doubt pierces his heart when anything problematic arises – he is neither this nor that – (he does not know where the truth lies. If it is said he is mistaken – and if he is mistaken, he does not know. He is ardently in love with something, the true state of which he does not know – so he is a trial for others. And indeed, the utmost good is for the one whom Allāh grants understanding of His Dīn. And it is enough ignorance for a person that he does not know his Dīn.[5] – or one passionately addicted to pleasures, accustomed to following desires, or one given to amassing wealth and piling it up – and these are not from the callers to the Dīn – they are most like the grazing cattle.[6]

And thus knowledge passes away with the passing away of those who carry it.[7] Oh Allāh, yes, the earth will not be without one who stands upright for Allāh, with proof so that Allāh’s proofs and clear signs are not abolished – they are the ones who are few in number but having most value to Allāh, with them Allāh asserts His proofs amongst their contemporaries and cultivate them in the hearts of ones similar to them. With them knowledge assaults and comes upon the true state of affairs – so that which those accustomed to easy living find difficult therein, they find easy and they are at home with that which causes consternation to the ignorant ones. They live in this world with their bodies, whereas their souls are attached to higher things – they are Allāh’s ‘ambassadors’[8] In His land and the callers to His Dīn. Oh, how I would like to see them, and I seek Allāh’s forgiveness for myself and for you – if you wish then stand.[9]

In Arabic:

عَنْ كُمَيْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، قَالَ: أَخَذَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ بِيَدِي فَأَخْرَجَنِي إِلَى نَاحِيَةِ الْجَبَّانِ، فَلَمَّا أَصْحَرْنَا جَلَسَ ثُمَّ تَنَفَّسَ ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا كُمَيْلُ بْنَ زِيَادٍ الْقُلُوبُ أَوْعِيَةٌ فَخَيْرُهَا أَوْعَاهَا، وَاحْفَظْ مَا أَقُولُ لَكَ: النَّاسُ ثَلَاثَةٌ: فَعَالِمٌ رَبَّانِيٌّ، وَمُتَعَلِّمٌ عَلَى سَبِيلِ نَجَاةٍ، وَهَمَجٌ رَعَاعٌ أَتْبَاعُ كُلِّ نَاعِقٍ، يَمِيلُونَ مَعَ كُلِّ رِيحٍ، لَمْ يَسْتَضِيئُوا بِنُورِ الْعِلْمِ، وَلَمْ يَلْجَئُوا إِلَى رُكْنٍ وَثِيقٍ. الْعِلْمُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَالِ، الْعِلْمُ يَحْرُسُكَ، وَأَنْتَ تَحْرُسُ الْمَالَ، الْعِلْمُ يَزْكُو عَلَى الْعَمَلِ، وَالْمَالُ تُنْقِصُهُ النَّفَقَةُ، وَمَحَبَّةُ الْعَالِمِ دَيْنٌ يُدَانُ بِهَا، الْعِلْمُ يُكْسِبُ الْعَالِمَ الطَّاعَةَ فِي حَيَاتِهِ، وَجَمِيلَ الْأُحْدُوثَةِ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ، وَصَنِيعَةُ الْمَالِ تَزُولُ بِزَوَالِهِ. مَاتَ خُزَّانُ الْأَمْوَالِ وَهُمْ أَحْيَاءٌ، وَالْعُلَمَاءُ بَاقُونَ مَا بَقِيَ الدَّهْرُ، أَعْيَانُهُمْ مَفْقُودَةٌ، وَأَمْثَالُهُمْ فِي الْقُلُوبِ مَوْجُودَةٌ، هَاهْ إِنَّ هَهُنَا – وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ – عِلْمًا لَوْ أَصَبْتُ لَهُ حَمَلَةً، بَلَى أَصَبْتُهُ لَقِنًا غَيْرَ مَأْمُونٍ عَلَيْهِ، يَسْتَعْمِلُ آلَةَ الدِّينِ لِلدُّنْيَا، يَسْتَظْهِرُ بِحُجَجِ اللهِ عَلَى كِتَابِهِ، وَبِنِعَمِهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ، أَوْ مُنْقَادًا لِأَهْلِ الْحَقِّ لَا بَصِيرَةَ لَهُ فِي إِحْيَائِهِ، يَقْتَدِحُ الشَّكَّ فِي قَلْبِهِ، بِأَوَّلِ عَارِضٍ مِنْ شُبْهَةٍ، لَا ذَا وَلَا ذَاكَ، أَوْ مَنْهُوَمٌ بِاللَّذَّاتِ، سَلِسُ الْقِيَادِ لِلشَّهَوَاتِ، أَوْ مُغْرًى بِجَمْعِ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالِادِّخَارِ، وَلَيْسَا مِنْ دُعَاةِ الدِّينِ، أَقْرَبُ شَبَهًا بِهِمَا الْأَنْعَامِ السَّائِمَةِ، كَذَلِكَ يَمُوتُ الْعِلْمُ بِمَوْتِ حَامِلِيهِ، اللهُمَّ بَلَى لَا تَخْلُو الْأَرْضُ مِنْ قَائِمٍ لِلَّهِ بِحُجَّةٍ، لِئَلَّا تَبْطُلَ حُجَجُ اللهِ وَبَيِّنَاتُهُ، أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْأَقَلُّونَ عَدَدًا، الْأَعْظَمُونَ عِنْدَ اللهِ قَدْرًا، بِهِمْ يَدْفَعُ اللهُ عَنْ حُجَجِهِ، حَتَّى يَؤُدُوهَا إِلَى نُظَرَائِهِمْ، وَيَزْرَعُوهَا فِي قُلُوبِ أَشْبَاهِهِمْ، هَجَمَ بِهِمُ الْعِلْمُ عَلَى حَقِيقَةِ الْأَمْرِ فَاسْتَلَانُوا مَا اسْتَوْعَرَ مِنْهُ الْمُتْرَفُونَ، وَأَنِسُوا مِمَّا اسْتَوْحَشَ مِنْهُ الْجَاهِلُونَ، صَحِبُوا الدُّنْيَا بِأَبْدَانٍ أَرْوَاحُهَا مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِالْمَنْظَرِ الْأَعْلَى، أُولَئِكَ خُلَفَاءُ اللهِ فِي بِلَادِهِ، وَدُعَاتُهُ إِلَى دِينِهِ. هَاهْ هَاهْ شَوْقًا إِلَى رُؤْيَتِهِمْ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكَ، إِذَا شِئْتَ فَقُمْ

Footnotes:

[1] He is an-Nakhaʿī, he was noble and had authority amongst his people, reliable, from the Tābiʾīn. Was captured and killed by al-Hajjāj ath-Thaqafī in 82H. See al-Ma’warifah wat-Tārīkh [2/481] of al-Fasawī.

[2] Al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī says in al-Faqīh wal-Mutafaqqih [1/50-51]: “And the Chief of the Believers ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib’s division of the people is certainly correct and true since a person having sanity and nothing to prevent him will certainly fall into one of the three classes – either being a scholar, a student or one oblivious to knowledg –being neither a scholar nor a student seeking knowledge. So, the ʿĀlim Rabbānī is the one than whom none Is more excellent, and no mujtahid has a station higher than this. And his description as ‘Rabbānī’ is what knowledge demands for Its people… And as for the student on the path of salvation – then he is the one who studies so that he does not miss out on performing anything obligatory upon him – anxious to avoid being neglectful of them and to avoid sitting with the animals and some of the earlier people would avoid sitting with the animals and some of the earlier people would avoid except a person of knowledge. And as for the third class then they are those who neglect their own souls, those who are pre-occupied with this vile world and miserable condition which is the lowest pit…”

[3] He is the scholar who acts on his knowledge and has insight into the condition of the people so that he raises them upon the primary matters of knowledge before that which is more detailed.

[4] Ibn Abil ʿIzz al-Ḥanafī said in al-Ittibāʾ [p.86].. “So in this narration, the Chief of Believers – raḍiallāhu ʿanhu – divided the blame worthy carriers of Knowledge Into three classes: (i) The wicked innovator who is not trustworthy and does not have īmān – who rejects the truth which the Book came with, and despises the creation and argues about the signs of Allāh without any authority – there is In his heart only pride. (ii) The blind-follower who follows without clear guidance or certainty. (iii) The follower of desires of the body and wealth.”

[5] Added from Jāmi Bayān al-ʿIlm [2/113].

[6] It Is not hidden from the Rabbāniyyūn that the Shayṭāns of men and jinn attack the human soul with two weapons:

Doubts – in order to wreck a person’s thinking so that he goes astray,
Desires – in order to wreck his conduct so that he is seduced – see āyah 27 of Sūratun-Nisāʾ,

And the Believer who strives to make up for his shortcomings fights these enemies with two sharp and strong weapons:

al-Yaqīn (certainty) – which crushes the doubts and confusion.
as-Ṣabr (patient perseverance) which crushes the whims and desires. So he who chooses this way is an imām for the pious – and Is leadership in the Dīn attained except through certainty and patient perseverance?! Our true Guardian says: “And We appointed from among them, Leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith In our signs…” [as-Sajdah:24]

[7] And the proof of that is the saying of Allāh’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam): “Indeed Allāh does not snatch away knowledge from the servants but he takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars – until when there is no scholar remaining the people take ignorant ones as heads, so they are asked and give verdict without knowledge (and in an narration: so they give verdict according to their opinion) so they go astray and lead others astray..”

Reported from the ḥadīth of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr in (al-Bukharī and Muslim), ʿĀʾishah (al-Bazzār & al-Khaṭīb in Tārīkh Baghdād) and Abū Hurayrah (at-Ṭabarānī In al-Awsaṭ). And its isnād is saḥīḥ.

[8] Original: Khulafā about which Salīm al-Hilālī says: “This wording is objectionable [i.e. is not authentically reported in a marfūʿ ḥadīth.”

[9] Reported by Abū Nuʿaym in Ḥilyatul-Awliyāʾ [1/79-80] and from him al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī in al-Faqīh wal mutafaqqih [1/49-50].

Translated by Shaikh Abū Talhah Dāwud Burbank (rahimahullāh).