1 . أَخْبَرَنَا وَلِيدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ السِّجِسْتَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ الْهَاشِمِيَّ الْخُرَاسَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: فَرِيقَانِ أَفْسَدَا عَلَى النَّاسِ دِينَهُمْ: أَهْلُ الرَّأْيِ وَأَهْلُ الْحَدِيثِ، قُلْتُ: أَمَّا أَهْلُ الرَّأْيِ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ، فَمَا بَالُ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ؟ قَالَ: إِنَّهُمْ حَدَّثُوا بِأَحَادِيثَ مَكْذُوبَةٍ، زَعَمُوا أَنَّهَا صَحِيحَةٌ، وَجَعَلُوهَا مِنَ الدِّينِ، وَمَا افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَرِيقٌ مِثْلَ مَا افْتَرَى أَهْلُ الْحَدِيثِ، يَقُولُونَ: «قَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ»، وَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، إِنْ يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا كَذِبًا، وَلَئِنْ قَالَ رَجُلٌ هَذَا رَأْيٌ رَأَيْتُهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَقُولَ هَذَا قَوْلُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَهُوَ كَاذِبٌ.
Translation of the saying:
Walid ibn Mahmoud al-Sajistani informed us, saying: I heard Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani say: “Two groups have corrupted people’s religion for them: the people of opinion and the people of hadith.” I said: “As for the people of opinion, I already know that—but what about the people of hadith?” He said: “They narrated fabricated hadiths, thinking they were authentic, and made them part of the religion. And no group has fabricated lies against Allah and His Messenger as much as the people of hadith have. They say: ‘Allah and His Messenger said this,’ while Allah and His Messenger did not say it, and they are only lying. And if someone says: ‘This is an opinion I have arrived at,’ it is better for him than saying: ‘This is the statement of Allah and His Messenger,’ while he is a liar.”
2 . أَخْبَرَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الْخُجَنْدِيُّ، قَالَ: دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمَنْصُورِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ وَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنِّي أَدِينُ اللَّهَ بِالْحَدِيثِ وَإِنَّ أَخِي يَدِينُ بِالرَّأْيِ، قَالَ: لَا دِينَ لَكُمَا، فَجَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ يَرْتَعِدُ، فَقَالَ: مَنْ دَانَ اللَّهَ بِرَأْيِهِ فَلَا دِينَ لَهُ، وَمَنْ دَانَهُ بِرِوَايَةٍ تُرْوَى لَهُ فَلَا دِينَ لَهُ، وَمَنْ دَانَهُ بِسَمَاعٍ مِنْ خَلِيفَتِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَقَدْ هُدِيَ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ لِلَّهِ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ، فَاعْرِفْهُ وَاسْتَمْسِكْ بِحُجْزَتِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ رَأْيِكَ وَرِوَايَتِكَ، وَإِنَّمَا تَعْرِفُهُ بِآيَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ كَمَا عَرَفْتَ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرَى.
Translation of the saying:
Hashim ibn Ubaid al-Khujandi informed us, saying: A man from the people of hadith came to Mansoor and said: “I practice the religion of Allah based on hadith, and my brother practices it based on opinion.” He said: “There is no religion for either of you.” Then the man began to tremble. (When Mansoor saw this,) he said: “Whoever practices the religion of Allah by his own opinion—there is no religion for him; and whoever practices His religion by a narration that is narrated to him—there is no religion for him; and whoever practices His religion by listening to His caliph on the Earth has surely been guided to a straight path.” Then he said: “Indeed, Allah has a caliph on the Earth; so know him and hold fast to his waist-tie, because he frees you from the need for your opinion and your narration. And you only know him by a sign from Allah Almighty, just as you knew Muhammad 
. And whoever fabricated lies failed.”
3 . أَخْبَرَنَا ذَاكِرُ بْنُ مَعْرُوفٍ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ لِجَمَاعَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ: إِنَّ مَوَالِيَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ قَدْ أَفْسَدُوا عَلَيْكُمُ الْحَدِيثَ، فَدَعُوهُ وَأَقْبِلُوا عَلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَخَلِيفَتِهِ فِيكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُمَا يَهْدِيَانِكُمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ، أَلَا إِنِّي لَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: «حَسْبُكُمْ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ»، وَلَكِنْ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: «حَسْبُكُمْ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَخَلِيفَتُهُ فِيكُمْ»، قَالُوا: وَمَنْ خَلِيفَتُهُ فِينَا؟ قَالَ: الْمَهْدِيُّ.
Translation of the saying:
Zakir ibn Ma‘roof al-Khorasani informed us, saying: I heard Mansoor say to a group of the people of hadith: “Indeed, the loyalists of the Umayyads have corrupted hadith for you; so leave it, and turn to the Book of Allah and His caliph among you; for those two will guide you to a straight path. Be aware that I do not say to you: ‘The Book of Allah is sufficient for you,’ but rather I say to you: ‘The Book of Allah and His caliph among you are sufficient for you.’” They said: “Who is His caliph among us?” He said: “The Mahdi.”
4 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: إِنَّكَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْحَدِيثِ وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ﴾[1]، قَالَ: أَتِمَّ الْآيَةَ، قُلْتُ: ﴿وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾[2]، قَالَ: مَنْ يُطِعْ أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ الرَّسُولَ، وَمَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ، فَمَا لِهَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا؟! قُلْتُ: وَمَنْ أُولُوا الْأَمْرِ مِنَّا؟ قَالَ: رِجَالٌ وَلَّاهُمُ اللَّهُ أَمْرَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ الرَّسُولِ، يُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هُمْ؟ قَالَ: لَا تَسْأَلُونِي عَمَّنْ مَضَى مِنْهُمْ، وَلَكِنْ سَلُونِي عَمَّنْ بَقِيَ، فَإِنَّ بَقِيَّةَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ، قُلْتُ: وَمَنْ بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: الْمَهْدِيُّ، فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُوهُ فَقُولُوا: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا بَقِيَّةَ اللَّهِ.
Translation of the saying:
Abu Ibrahim al-Samarqandi informed us, saying: I said to Mansoor: “You discourage [people] from hadith, while Allah has said: ‘O you who have believed! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger’” He said: “Complete the verse.” I said: “And those in authority among you.” He said: “Whoever obeys those in authority among you has obeyed the Messenger, and whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah. So what is the matter with these people that they hardly understand any statement?!” I said: “Who are those in authority among us?” He said: “They are men to whom Allah has entrusted the authority over this Ummah after the Messenger; they obey Allah and the Messenger.” I said: “Who are they?” He said: “Do not ask me about those of them who passed away; but ask about the one who remains, for the remnant of Allah is better for you, if you are believers.” I said: “Who is the remnant of Allah?” He said: “The Mahdi; so when you meet him, say: ‘Peace be upon you, O remnant of Allah!’”
5 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَتَابَكُ بْنُ جَمْشِيدَ السُّغْدِيُّ، قَالَ: قَالَ لِي رَجُلٌ مِنَ السَّلَفِيَّةِ: مَا أَشْجَعَ صَاحِبَكُمْ يَا أَتَابَكُ، كَأَنَّ قَلْبَهُ قِطْعَةٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ! قُلْتُ: وَمَا عِلْمُكَ بِذَلِكَ؟! قَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ قَوْلًا لَا يَتَجَرَّأُ أَنْ يَقُولَهُ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُ، سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: لَا رَأْيٌ وَلَا رِوَايَةٌ، وَلَكِنْ طَاعَةٌ لِأُولِي الْأَمْرِ، وَالْمَهْدِيُّ مِنْ أُولِي الْأَمْرِ، قُلْتُ: فَهَلَّا رَدَدْتَ عَلَيْهِ؟! قَالَ: وَمَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ؟! إِنَّهُ الْمَنْصُورُ!
Translation of the saying:
Atabak ibn Jamshid al-Sughdi informed us, saying: A man from the Salafis said to me: “How brave your companion is, O Atabak! It is as if his heart is a piece of iron!” I said: “How did you know that?!” He said: “I heard him say something that no one other than him would dare to say. I heard him say: ‘There is neither opinion nor narration, but rather obedience to those in authority—and the Mahdi is among those in authority.’” I said: “Did you not refute him?!” He said: “Who can ever refute him?! He is Mansoor [meaning victorious]!”
6 . أَخْبَرَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدًا صَالِحًا يَقُولُ: لَا يَصْلُحُ بَالُ النَّاسِ حَتَّى يُعْرِضُوا عَنْ آرَائِهِمْ وَرِوَايَاتِهِمْ مُقْبِلِينَ عَلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَخَلِيفَتِهِ فِيهِمْ، وَإِنَّ أَقْبَحَ مَا يَكُونُ أَنْ أَقُولَ لِأَحَدِكُمُ الْحَقَّ فَيَقُولَ: هَذَا خِلَافُ رَأْيِ زَيْدٍ أَوْ خِلَافُ رِوَايَةِ عَمْرٍو، ثُمَّ قَلَّبَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى مَا قَالَ وَقَالَ: هَذَا سَبِيلُ الرَّشَادِ، وَلَكِنْ مَنْ يَقْبَلُ هَذَا؟!
Translation of the saying:
Hashim ibn Ubaid informed us, saying: I heard the righteous servant (meaning Mansoor) say: “The condition of people will not be set right until they turn away from their opinions and narrations and turn to the Book of Allah and His caliph among them. And indeed, the most repulsive thing that happens is that I speak the truth to one of you, then he says: ‘This is against the opinion of Zayd’ or ‘against the narration of Amr.’” Then he moved his hand over his statement (that is, he gestured with it out of despair or unlikelihood) and said: “This is the path of guidance—but who will accept it?!”
7 . أَخْبَرَنَا ذَاكِرُ بْنُ مَعْرُوفٍ، قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الْمَنْصُورِ فِي بَيْتِهِ، فَوَجَدْتُهُ يَضْحَكُ، فَقُلْتُ: أَضْحَكَ اللَّهُ سِنَّكَ، وَمَا أَضْحَكَكَ؟ قَالَ: نَظَرْتُ فِي كِتَابٍ فِي رِجَالِ الْحَدِيثِ، فَأَضْحَكَنِي! فُلَانٌ قَالَ: فُلَانٌ صَدُوقٌ، وَفُلَانٌ قَالَ: فُلَانٌ كَذَّابٌ! هَلْ يَدِينُ بِهَذَا إِلَّا قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ؟! ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى الصَّحْنِ وَقَالَ: مَا بَنَى اللَّهُ دِينَهُ عَلَى ظَنِّ بَعْضِكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ، وَإِنَّمَا بَنَاهُ عَلَى الْيَقِينِ، وَهُوَ كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلَهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَخَلِيفَةٌ جَعَلَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ، فَمَنْ تَمَسَّكَ بِهَذَيْنِ الثَّقَلَيْنِ فَإِنَّمَا تَمَسَّكَ بِحَبْلٍ مَتِينٍ، وَمَنْ تَرَكَهُمَا وَتَمَسَّكَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثِ فَإِنَّمَا تَمَسَّكَ بِحَبْلٍ كَحَبْلِ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ، قُلْتُ: إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْحَدِيثِ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا صَحَّ إِسْنَادُهُ عِنْدَهُمْ فَهُوَ يَقِينٌ، قَالَ: إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْحَدِيثِ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ!
Translation of the saying:
Zakir ibn Ma‘roof al-Khorasani informed us, saying: I went to Mansoor at his house and found him with a smile on his lips. I said: “May Allah keep your lips ever smiling—what has made you smile?” He said: “I was looking into a book about the transmitters of hadith; so it made me smile! So-and-so said that so-and-so is truthful, and so-and-so said that so-and-so is a liar! Do any but a people who do not reason practice religion on this basis?!” Then he rose toward the courtyard and said: “Allah has not founded His religion upon the conjecture of some of you about some others; rather, He has founded it only upon certainty—and that is indeed a Book He has sent down from heaven and a caliph He has appointed on Earth. So whoever holds fast to these two weighty things has surely held fast to a firm rope; and whoever abandons them and holds fast to something from these hadiths has surely held fast to a rope like that of a spider.” I said: “The people of hadith assume that whenever its chain of narrators is authentic in their view, it leads to certainty.” He said: “The people of hadith do not reason!”
8 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ الْعَالِمِ، فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ بِوَجْهِهِ وَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا زَكَرِيَّا، مَنْ تَمَسَّكَ بِرِوَايَةٍ فَكَأَنَّمَا سَقَطَ مِنْ شَاهِقٍ، عَاشَ أَوْ هَلَكَ، فَتَغَيَّرَ لَوْنِي، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ مِنِّي قَالَ: لَعَلَّكَ تَظُنُّ أَنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُعَطِّلَ سُنَّةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟! لَا وَاللَّهِ، وَلَكِنَّ النَّاسَ مُتِّعُوا بِهَا -يَعْنِي الرِّوَايَةَ- حَتَّى طَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ، فَزَادُوا فِيهَا وَنَقَصُوا، وَخَلَطُوهَا بِالْكِذْبِ، وَبَدَّلُوهَا تَبْدِيلًا، حَتَّى اخْتَلَفَتْ أَلْفَاظُهَا، وَانْقَلَبَتْ مَعَانِيهَا، وَاشْتَبَهَ حَقُّهَا وَبَاطِلُهَا وَنَاسِخُهَا وَمَنْسُوخُهَا وَمُحْكَمُهَا وَمُتَشَابِهُهَا، وَتَعَذَّرَ التَّمْيِيزُ بَيْنَهُمَا كَمَا يَتَعَذَّرُ بَيْنَ الْمَاءِ وَاللَّبَنِ الْمَغْشُوشِ، فَتَرَى الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ يَتَشَبَّثُ بِرِوَايَةٍ يَحْسَبُهَا صَحِيحَةً لِيَكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَيَصِفَهُ بِمَا لَا يَلِيقُ بِذَاتِهِ، وَتَرَى الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ يَتَشَبَّثُ بِرِوَايَةٍ يَحْسَبُهَا صَحِيحَةً لِيَتَحَاكَمَ إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَيَتَّبِعَ كُلَّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ، وَتَرَى الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ يَتَشَبَّثُ بِرِوَايَةٍ يَحْسَبُهَا صَحِيحَةً لِيُفْسِدَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَيَسْفِكَ الدِّمَاءَ، وَتَرَى الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ يَتَشَبَّثُ بِرِوَايَةٍ يَحْسَبُهَا صَحِيحَةً لِيَرْفَعَ رِجَالًا وَيَضَعَ آخَرِينَ، وَتَرَى الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ يَتَشَبَّثُ بِرِوَايَةٍ يَحْسَبُهَا صَحِيحَةً لِيُحِلَّ حَرَامَ اللَّهِ وَيُحَرِّمَ حَلَالَهُ، وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ فِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِمْ لَيْسُوا عَلَى شَيْءٍ، فَيُصْبِحُونَ مِنَ الْأَخْسَرِينَ، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَصْرِفَهُمْ عَمَّا ضَرُّهُ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِ إِلَى مَا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَلَا يَضُرُّهُمْ، وَأُخْلِصَ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي أَكْمَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ، وَإِنَّهُمْ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونِي أَسْلُكْ بِهِمْ مَنَاهِجَ الرَّسُولِ وَأَهْدِهِمْ سُنَنَهُ بِالْحَقِّ، ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُونِي كَاذِبًا وَلَا كَتُومًا.
Translation of the saying:
Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Talaqani informed us, saying: I was sitting in the presence of the scholar (meaning Mansoor). He then turned his face toward me and said: “O Aba Zakariyya! Whoever clings to a narration—it is as if he is thrown from a height, whether he survives or dies.” So my color changed. When he noticed this in me, he said: “Maybe you are thinking that I intend to abolish the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ?! No, by Allah! But people benefited from it—that is, from narration—until time grew long for them. Then they added to it, subtracted from it, mixed lies with it, and altered it greatly—until its words became disparate, its meanings became reversed, and its truth and falsehood, its abrogating and abrogated, and its decisive and allegorical became confused, to the point that separating the two became impossible—just as it is impossible to separate water from milk that has been mixed with it. So you see a man among them who uses a narration as a pretext, while considering it authentic, to disbelieve in Allah and describe Him in a way unbefitting His Essence; and you see a man among them who uses a narration as a pretext, while considering it authentic, to seek judgment from taghut and to follow every rebellious tyrant; and you see a man among them who uses a narration as a pretext, while considering it authentic, to spread corruption on Earth and shed blood; and you see a man among them who uses a narration as a pretext, while considering it authentic, to elevate some people and debase some others; and you see a man among them who uses a narration as a pretext, while considering it authentic, to make what Allah has forbidden lawful and what He has made lawful forbidden—while in all of this, they think that they are upon something and those besides them are upon nothing; then they become among the greatest losers. So I wanted to turn them away from something whose harm is greater than its benefit toward something that benefits them and does not harm them, and to purify for them their religion, which Allah has perfected for them. And if they follow me, I will lead them to the paths of the Prophet and guide them to his Sunnahs; then they will find me neither a liar nor a concealer.”
9 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَلْخِيُّ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: مَا أَرَانِي إِلَّا نَاجِيًا وَمَا أَرَى فُلَانًا إِلَّا مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ! قَالَ: هَذَا رَجُلٌ مَغْرُورٌ! وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ بِهِ؟! قَالَ: لِأَنِّي آخُذُ بِالرِّوَايَةِ وَأَنَّ فُلَانًا يَأْخُذُ بِالرَّأْيِ، قَالَ: دَعْ رِوَايَتَكَ كَمَا وَدَعْتَ رَأْيَكَ، فَإِنَّهُمَا ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ، لَا تَدْرِي أَيُّهُمَا أَشَدُّ ظُلْمَةً، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ، فَبَكَى الرَّجُلُ لَمَّا سَمِعَ هَذَا حَتَّى ابْتَلَّتْ لِحْيَتُهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: مَاذَا أَفْعَلُ إِذَنْ؟ قَالَ: أَتَعْرِفُ خَلِيفَةَ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ؟ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: لَا، قَالَ: فَاعْرِفْهُ وَاسْتَمْسِكْ بِمَا سَمِعْتَهُ مِنْهُ بِهَاتَيْنِ الْأُذُنَيْنِ -وَأَخَذَ بِأُذُنِهِ- أَوْ حَدَّثَكَ عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ، فَإِنَّ الْحَيَّ يَكَادُ أَنْ لَا يُكْذَبَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَوْ كُذِبَ عَلَيْهِ لَرَدَّهُ، وَهُوَ يُبَيِّنُ لِأَهْلِ زَمَانِهِ، الشَّاهِدِ مِنْهُمْ وَالْغَائِبِ، حَتَّى إِذَا هَلَكَ يَرْجِعُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ إِلَى خَلِيفَتِهِ فِيهِمْ، فَيَسْمَعُونَ مِنْهُ وَيَرْوُونَ عَنْهُ، وَلَا يَقِفُونَ عَلَى هَالِكٍ وَلَا يَنْقَلِبُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَلَا يَقُولُونَ: ﴿إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ مُقْتَدُونَ﴾[3]، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ جَعَلَ لَهُمْ مِثْلَ مَا جَعَلَ لِآبَائِهِمْ، كِتَابًا مُبِينًا وَخَلِيفَةً رَاشِدًا، وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِمِثْلِ مَا كَانُوا يُؤْمَرُونَ، فَمَنْ أَخَذَ عَنْ خَلِيفَةِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَقَدْ أَخَذَ عَنِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ أَخَذَ عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الرُّوَاةِ وُكِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَأَنَّى لَهُمُ التَّنَاوُشُ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ؟!
Translation of the saying:
Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Balkhi informed us, saying: A man said to Mansoor: “I see myself as nothing but saved, and so-and-so as nothing but among those who are doomed!” He said: “This is a deluded man! What made you aware of that?!” The man said: “Because I act according to narration, and so-and-so acts according to opinion.” He said: “Abandon your narration just as you abandoned your opinion, because both of them are darknesses, one above another; and you do not know which one is darker than the other—and whoever Allah does not grant light, for him there is no light.” When the man heard this, he broke into tears until his beard became wet. Then he said: “What should I do then?” He said: “Do you know Allah’s caliph on Earth?” The man said: “No.” He said: “Then know him, and hold fast to what you hear from him with these two ears of yours”—and he took hold of his ear—“or to what one of his companions narrates to you from him while he is alive, because a living person hardly has lies attributed to him; and if a lie is attributed to him, he refutes it. And he clarifies for the people of his time, both those present and those absent, until he passes away. Then those after him refer to his caliph among them; they hear from him and narrate from him; and they do not stop at someone who passed away, do not return to him, and do not say: ‘We found our fathers upon a religion, and we are following in their footsteps’—because Allah has placed for them something like what He placed for their forefathers: a clarifying Book and a guided caliph; and He has commanded them with the very same thing they were commanded with. So whoever takes from the caliph of Allah and His Prophet has taken from Allah and His Prophet; and whoever takes from these narrators is left to them—and how can they reach (the truth) from a distant place?!”
10 . أَخْبَرَنَا صَالِحُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ السَّبْزَوَارِيُّ، قَالَ: كُنَّا عِنْدَ الْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ فِي مَسْجِدٍ وَكَانَ مَعَنَا رِجَالٌ مِنَ السَّلَفِيَّةِ، فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحْدَثَ لَكُمْ ذِكْرًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ، وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السَّلَفَ، فَإِنَّ السَّلَفَ لَمْ يَتَّبِعُوا السَّلَفَ، وَلَكِنِ اتَّبَعُوا ذِكْرَهُمْ، وَإِنَّ مَنْ وَقَفَ عَلَى سَلَفٍ وَلَمْ يَتَّبِعْ مَا أَحْدَثَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ فَقَدْ قَطَعَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ، ﴿أُولَئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ﴾[4]، قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ السَّلَفِيَّةِ: أَلَيْسَ كُلُّ مُحْدَثٍ بِدْعَةً؟ فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ وَقَالَ: الْبِدْعَةُ مَا أَحْدَثَ النَّاسُ فِي الدِّينِ، وَالذِّكْرُ مَا أَحْدَثَ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: ﴿مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ مُحْدَثٍ إِلَّا اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ﴾[5]، قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: وَمَا ذِكْرٌ مُحْدَثٌ؟ قَالَ: إِمَامٌ يُحْدِثُهُ اللَّهُ فِي كُلِّ قَرْنٍ يَهْدِي بِأَمْرِهِ، لِيُنْذِرَ مَنْ كَانَ حَيًّا وَيُحِقَّ الْقَوْلَ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ، قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي الْقُرُونِ الثَّلَاثَةِ، إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا بِدْعَةٌ! قَالَ: وَيْحَكَ، أَتَأْبَى إِلَّا أَنْ تُضَاهِئَ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا؟! قَالُوا: ﴿مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الْآخِرَةِ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقٌ﴾[6]، وَاللَّهِ مَا كُنْتُ أَظُنُّ أَنَّ مُسْلِمًا يَقُولُ بِهَذَا حَتَّى سَمِعْتُكُمْ تَقُولُونَ بِهِ يَا مَعْشَرَ السَّلَفِيَّةِ!
Translation of the saying:
Salih ibn Muhammad al-Sabzawari informed us, he said: We were in the presence of the righteous servant (meaning Mansoor) in a mosque, and there were men from the Salafiyyah with us. He then turned toward them and said: “Indeed, Allah has renewed a remembrance for you, so follow it and do not follow the predecessors; for the predecessors did not follow past generations, but rather followed their remembrance. And indeed, whoever stops at the predecessors and does not follow the remembrance that Allah has renewed for him has cut off what Allah has commanded to be kept constant and has gone astray from His path. ‘They are those who are called from a distant place!’” A man from the Salafiyyah said: “Is it not that every renewed thing is an innovation?!” So he turned toward him and said: “An innovation is something that people have renewed in religion, and remembrance is something that Allah has renewed.” Then he recited this verse: “No renewed remembrance comes to them from their Lord unless they listen to it and play with it.” The man said: “What is the renewed remembrance?!” He said: “An Imam whom Allah renews in every generation, who guides by His command, so that he warns everyone who is alive and justifies the word against disbelievers.” The man said: “We have not heard this in the early generations. This is nothing but an innovation!” He said: “Woe to you! Do you want nothing but to speak like those who disbelieved?! They said: ‘We have not heard this in the religion of past generations! This is nothing but a fabrication.’ By Allah, I did not think a Muslim would say this until I heard you say it, O group of Salafiyyah!”
11 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ الطَّبَرِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّأْيَ إِنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ، وَإِنَّ الْمُحَدِّثِينَ يَقْذِفُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ، وَإِنَّ الْهُدَى هُدَى اللَّهِ، قُلْتُ: وَمَا هُدَى اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: إِمَامٌ يَهْدِي بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةِ نَبِيِّهِ وَيَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ، قُلْتُ: لَا يَقْبَلُ النَّاسُ مِنْكَ هَذَا جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، وَلَوْ قَبِلُوا مِنْكَ لَأَكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ، وَلَكِنْ لَا يَفْعَلُونَ، قَالَ: دَعْهُمْ يَابْنَ حَبِيبٍ، فَإِنَّهُمْ سَوْفَ يَأْتِيهِمْ رَجُلٌ مِنِّي وَأَنَا مِنْهُ، فَيَعْرِضُهُمْ عَلَى السَّيْفِ حَتَّى يَقْبَلُوهُ، أَلَا إِنَّهُ لَا يُعْطِيهِمْ إِلَّا السَّيْفَ، وَلَا يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا السَّيْفَ، وَالْمَوْتُ تَحْتَ ظِلِّ السَّيْفِ.
Translation of the saying:
Abdullah ibn Habib al-Tabari informed us, saying: I heard Mansoor say: “Indeed, those who follow opinion are only following their own desires; and indeed, narrators, in absence, attribute from a distant place; and indeed, guidance is only the guidance of Allah.” I said: “What is the guidance of Allah?” He said: “An Imam who, by the command of Allah, guides to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, and judges among people concerning what they disagree about.” I said: “People do not accept this from you—may I be sacrificed for you—whereas if they were to accept it from you, they would eat from above them and from beneath their feet; but they do not do so.” He said: “Leave them, O son of Habib, because soon a man will come to them who is from me and I am from him; then he will hand them over to the sword until they accept it. Be aware that he will give them nothing but the sword and take from them nothing but the sword—while death lies beneath the shade of the sword.”
12 . أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْخَتْلَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: رَحِمَ اللَّهُ أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، كَانُوا يَمْنَعُونَ مِنْ كِتَابَةِ الْحَدِيثِ، وَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمْ يَعْمِدُ إِلَى أَحَادِيثَ مَكْتُوبَةٍ فَيَأْخُذُهَا وَيَقْذِفُهَا فِي التَّنُّورِ، وَلَوْ كَانَ لِي أَمْرٌ لَسِرْتُ بِسِيرَتِهِمْ، قُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، هَلْ أَكْتُمُ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: لَا، بَلْ نَادِ بِهِ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ.
Translation of the saying:
Yunus ibn Abdullah al-Khatlani informed us, saying: I heard Mansoor say: “May Allah have mercy on the companions of Muhammad . They prevented the writing of hadith; and whenever one of them came across written hadiths, he would take them and throw them into the oven. And if authority were given to me, I would follow their way.” I said: “May I be sacrificed for you, should I keep this hidden (from people)?” He said: “No—rather, proclaim it among them; perhaps they may take heed.”
Explanation of the saying:
His Eminence’s intended meaning by hadith and narration in these illuminating words of wisdom is only the solitary report (khabar al-wahid) from the Prophet and his past caliphs; for that is not a proof in his view, since it yields nothing but conjecture—﴿وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا﴾[7]; “and indeed, conjecture avails nothing against the truth”—as he has explained in detail with conclusive evidence in the section “The Prevalence of Hadith Tendency” in the book Return to Islam. He does not mean the widely transmitted report (khabar al-mutawatir); for that is a proof in his view, since it leads to knowledge; however, such reports are few and do not suffice in place of the living caliph. Nor does he mean the solitary report from the living caliph; for that, too, is a proof in his view, since it is usually accompanied by indications that lead to knowledge. For more information on this, refer to sayings 12 and 13 from his pure words.
