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, he said: I heard Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani say: “Two groups have corrupted the religion of people for them: people of opinion and people of Hadith!” I said: “I have known about people of opinion, but why people of Hadith?!” He said: “They narrated false narrations; they claimed that they were authentic and made them part of religion, and no group has fabricated lies against God and His Prophet as people of hadith have; they say: “God and His Prophet said such-and-such,” whereas God and His Prophet have not said that, and they say nothing but a lie, and if a man says, ‘This is an opinion that has come to my mind,’ it is better for him than saying, ‘This is the word of God and His Prophet,’ 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 Ubayd al-Khujandi informed us, he said: A man from people of Hadith came to Mansoor and said: I practice God’s religion based on Hadith, and my brother does so based on opinion!” He said: “There is no religion for the two of you!” Then the man started to shiver, so (when he saw that,) he said: “Whoever practices God’s religion based on his opinion has no religion, and whoever practices His religion based on a narration that is narrated to him has no religion, and whoever practices His religion based on what he hears from His Caliph has been surely guided to the straight path!” Then he said: “Undoubtedly, God has a Caliph on Earth, so know him and hold on to him; because he will make you free of the need for your opinion and narration, and you will know him only by a sign from God the Exalted, the Majestic, as you knew Muhammad 
and whoever fabricated lies (against God and His Prophet) 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, he said: I heard Mansoor say to a group of people of Hadith: “Indeed, the supporters of the Umayyads have corrupted Hadith for you, so leave it and turn to God’s Book and His Caliph among you; because those two will guide you to the straight path! Be aware that I am not saying: ‘God’s Book is sufficient for you,’ but rather I am saying: ‘God’s Book 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, he said: I said to Mansoor: “You prevent (people) from (acting upon) Hadith, while God has said: ‘O you who believed! Obey God and obey the Prophet.’” He said: “Complete the verse!” I said: “And those in authority from among you.” He said: “Whoever obeys those in authority from among you has obeyed the Prophet, and whoever obeys the Prophet has obeyed God, so what is the matter with these people who hardly understand any word?!” I said: “Who are those in authority from among us?” He said: “They are men whom God has entrusted the authority of this Ummah to them after the Prophet; they obey God and the Prophet!” I said: “Who are they?” He said: “Do not ask me about those of them who passed away, but ask me about the one who has remained; because the remnant of God is better for you if you are believers!” I said: “Who is the remnant of God?” He said: “The Mahdi. So when you meet him, say: ‘Peace be upon you, O remnant of God!’”
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, he said: A man from Salafiyyah said to me: “How brave your friend is, O Atabak! It is as if his heart is a piece of iron!” I said: “How do you know this?!” He said: “I heard him say something that none but he would dare to say. I heard him say: “There is neither opinion nor narration, but obedience to those in authority, and the Mahdi is one of those in authority!” I said: “Did you not deny him when you heard this?” He said: “Who can ever deny him?! He is Mansoor (i.e., the victorious one)!”
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 Ubayd informed us, he said: “I heard the righteous servant (i.e., Mansoor) say: “The condition of people will not be corrected until they abandon their opinions and narrations, turning toward God’s Book and His Caliph among them, and indeed, the most abhorrent thing is that I tell one of you the truth, then he says: “This contradicts the opinion of Zayd or contradicts the narration of Amr!” Then he turned his hand toward what he said (i.e., he moved it out of frustration or improbability) and said: “This is the right path, but who would 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 informed us, he said: I went to Mansoor at his house, then I found him laughing! So I said: “May God always keep you laughing! What has made you laugh?” He said: “I was looking at a book about men of Hadith, so it made me laugh! So-and-so said that so-and-so is truthful, and so-and-so said that so-and-so is a liar! Would anyone other than those who do not use their intellects practice their religion based on this?!” Then he got up toward the yard and said: “God has not founded His religion based on the conjecture of some of you about some others, but rather He has founded it only based on certainty, and it is verily the Book that He has sent down from the heaven and a Caliph whom He has appointed on Earth. So whoever holds on to these two weighty things has indeed held on to a firm rope, and whoever abandons these two and holds on to anything from these narrations has indeed held on to a rope as weak as a spider’s rope!” I said: “People of Hadith claim that if its chain of narrators is valid to them, then it is certain!” He said: “People of Hadith do not use their intellects!”
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-Taloqani informed us, he said: I was sitting in the presence of the scholar (i.e., Mansoor), then he turned toward me and said: “O Aba Zakriyya! Whoever holds on to a narration, it is as if he falls from a high place, (whether he) lives or perishes!” So I turned pale, and when he saw me like this, he said: “Perhaps you assume that I want to suspend the Sunnah of the Messenger of God ?! No, I swear to God, but people enjoyed it -i.e., narrations- until the term was prolonged for them, so they added to it, deducted from it, mixed lies with it, and changed it so much, to the extent that its words differed, its meanings were reversed, its truth and falsehood became confused, its abrogating and abrogated verses were mixed, its decisive and ambiguous verses were indistinguishable, and it became as difficult to distinguish between them as it is to distinguish between water and milk that has been adulterated with it! So you see a man from them clinging to a narration while he considers it authentic in order to disbelieve in God and describe Him in a way that does not befit His essence, and you see a man from them clinging to a narration while he considers it authentic in order to resort to the arbitration of taghut and follow every rebellious tyrant, and you see a man from them clinging to a narration while he considers it authentic in order to spread corruption on Earth and shed blood, and you see a man from them clinging to a narration while he considers it authentic in order to exalt some people and belittle some others, and you see a man from them clinging to a narration while he considers it authentic in order to make lawful what God has made unlawful and make unlawful what He has made lawful, while in all these cases they think that they are upon something and those other than them are not upon anything, so they become from the greatest losers! So I wanted to divert them from what is more harmful than beneficial to what benefits them and does not harm them, and purify for them the religion that God has perfected for them, and if they follow me, I will lead them toward the manners of the Prophet and guide them toward his ways, then they will find me neither a liar nor secretive!”
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, he said: A man said to Mansoor: “What I see of myself is nothing but salvation, and what I see of so-and-so is nothing but destruction!” He said: “This is an arrogant man! How do you know it?!” He said: “Because I act on narrations, and so-and-so acts on opinions!” He said: “Leave your narrations as you left your opinions; because they are darknesses that some are above some others, and you do not know which one is darker, and anyone to whom God does not grant a light, there is no light for him!” So the man wept when he heard this until his beard became wet, then he said: “What shall I do then?!” He said: “Do you know the Caliph of God on Earth?!” The man said: “No!” He said: “Then know him and hold on to what you hear from him with these two ears -and he took the man’s ears- or what one of his companions narrates to you from him while he is alive; because the living one is almost never lied about, and even if a lie is told about him, he would reject it, and he makes things clear for people of his time, the present and the absent, until he passes away, then those who are after him shall go to his caliph among them, so they hear from him and narrate from him, and they shall not stop at someone who passed away, nor shall they return toward him, nor shall they say: ‘We have found our fathers believing in a religion, and we are following them’; because God has set for them the same as what He set for their fathers: an enlightening Book and a guided Caliph, and He has commanded them the same thing that their fathers were commanded! So whoever takes from God’s Caliph and His Messenger has indeed taken from God and His Messenger, and whoever takes from these narrators will be left to them, and how can they reach (the truth) from a faraway 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 a mosque with the righteous servant (i.e., Mansoor), and there were men from Salafiyyah with us, then he looked at them and said: “Indeed, God has renewed a new remembrance for you, so follow it and do not follow the predecessors; because the predecessors did not follow the predecessors, but rather they followed their remembrance, and indeed, whoever stops at the predecessors and does not follow the remembrance that God has renewed for him, has cut off what God has commanded to be always kept constant, and has gone astray from His way; ‘they are being called from a faraway place!’” A man from Salafiyyah said: “Is it not that every renewed thing is an innovation?!” So he turned toward him and said: “An innovation is what people have renewed in religion, and the remembrance is what God has renewed.” Then he recited this verse: “Never comes to them a renewed remembrance from their Lord unless they listen to it as they play around.” The man said: “What is the renewed remembrance?!” He said: “An Imam whom God renews in every generation, who guides by His command to warn whoever is alive and prove the Word against disbelievers.” The man said: “We have not heard of this in the first generations; this is 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 of this in the religion of past people. This is but a fabrication.’ I swear to God, I did not think any Muslim would say this until I heard you say it, O people 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, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “Indeed, those who follow opinions only follow their desires, and indeed, narrators accuse the unseen from a far-off place, and indeed, (true) guidance is the guidance of God!” I said: “What is the guidance of God?!” He said: “An Imam who, by the command of God, guides toward the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet and judges among people about what they disagree about!” I said: “May I be sacrificed for you, people do not accept this from you, while if they had accepted from you, they would have surely eaten from above their heads and 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, and he will deal with them with the sword until they accept it! Be aware that he will not give them anything but the sword, nor will he take anything from them but the sword while death is under the shadow 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, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “May God have mercy on the Companions of Muhammad ! They prevented writing Hadith, and whoever of them went to written Hadiths would take them and throw them into a kiln, and if I gain authority, I will act upon their manner!” I said: “May I be sacrificed for you, Shall I conceal this (from people)?” He said: “No, but rather call it out among them so that they may take heed!”
Explanation of the saying:
His intended meaning by Hadith and narration in these enlightening words of wisdom is ahad narrations from the Prophet and his past Caliphs, and they are not proof to him because they indicate nothing but conjecture, ﴿وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا﴾[7]; “and conjecture is not sufficient for (proving) the truth,” as he has explained it in detail with conclusive evidence in the topic “Prevalence of Hadith tendency” from the book Return to Islam, and his intended meaning is not mutawatir narrations, for they are proof to him because they indicate knowledge, except that they are few and do not remove the need for a living Caliph, and his intended meaning is not ahad narrations from a living Caliph, for they too are proof to him because they are attended with evidence that indicates knowledge. For more information on this, see sayings 12 and 13 of his pure sayings.
