1 . أَخْبَرَنَا وَلِيدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ السَّجِسْتَانِيُّ، 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 bin Mahmoud Sijistani informed us and said: I heard Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani says: There are two groups who have corrupted people’s religion: Ahl ah-Ra’ay (people of opinion) and Ahl al-Hadith (people of tradition)! I said: I already knew about Ahl ah-Ra’ay but why Ahl al-Hadith?! He said: They narrated false narrations and they thought they are correct and made them part of religion and no group has accused Almighty God and His prophet of lies and falsehood as much as people of tradition, they say “Almighty God and His prophet has said so and so”, whereas Almighty God and his prophet has not said so and so and they only tell lies and if one says, this is an opinion that has come to my mind, it is better for him rather than saying this is what Almighty God and His prophet has said whereas 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 bin Ubayd Khujandi informed us and said: A man from Ahl al-Hadith came to Mansoor and said: I practice religion of God based on Hadiths and my brother practices based on Ra’ays (self-opinions)! His honor said: There is no religion for neither of you two! The man started to shiver, when his honor saw that, he said: Whoever practices religion of God based on his own opinion has no religion and whoever practices religion of God based on a narration that comes to him has no religion either and whoever practices His religion based on what he hears from Caliph of Almighty God, indeed he has been guided to the right path! Then he continued: without a doubt God has a Caliph on earth, so, know him and hold on to him; because he will make you needless of your opinion and narration and you will recognize him by nothing other than a clear sign from Almighty God just as you recognized prophet Mohamad peace and salutations be upon him and his family and whoever lies will fail!
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:
Zaker bin Maroof Khorasani informed us and said: I heard that Mansoor told to a group of Ahl al-Hadith: Indeed, the supporters of Bani Omaya have distorted the narrations, so leave them and turn to the book of God and His caliph among you; Since these two will guide you to the right path! Be aware for I am not saying: The book of God suffices you, rather I am saying: The book of God and His caliph among you, suffice you! They asked: who is His Caliph among us?! He replied: 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 prohibit from Hadith, while God Almighty has said: “O you who believed! Obey God and 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 wrong with this nation who hardly understand a word?! I said: Who are those in authority from among us? He said: They are men whom God has entrusted the command of this nation 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 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: 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 bin Jamshid Saqdi informed us and said: a man from the Salafists told me: How brave your friend is Atabak! Looks like his heart is a piece of iron! I asked: How do you know this?! He said: I heard him saying something that no one ever dares to say it, I heard him saying: There is neither opinion nor narration rather it should be obedience to the governor of God and Mahdi is one of the governors of God! I asked: Didn’t you deny him when you heard this? He said: Who can ever deny him?! He is Mansoor!
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 bin Ubayd informed us and said: I heard a righteous servant of God (meaning Mansoor) says: people’s situation will not come to order unless they abandon their opinions and narrations and gravitate toward the book of Almighty God and His Caliph among them and indeed most heinous thing that can happen is that I tell one of you the truth and you say: This is contrary to the opinion of Zayd or contrary to the narration of Amro! Then his honor turned his hand on his narration (meaning he moved his hand out of disappointment or improbability) and said: This is the path of growth, but who accepts 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 bin Maroof informed us, he said: I went to his Honor Mansoor at his house so I found him while there he was laughing! I asked: May God always keep you laughing, what has made you laugh? “I was looking at a book about Rijal of Hadith (the men who has been mentioned in the chain of narrators), so it made me laugh! One fellow says that another fellow is a truthful person and one fellow says that another fellow is a liar! Would anyone other than those who do not ponder, practice their religion this way?!” He said. Then he stood up and headed toward the yard and said: Almighty God has not founded His religion based on a conjecture of some of you about some others, rather He has founded it only based on certainty, and indeed that certainty is the Book that He has sent down from the sky and the Caliph whom He has appointed on the earth; so whoever holds on to these two weighty precious things, indeed has held on to a firm rope, and whoever abandons these two and holds on to anything from these narrations indeed he has held on to a rope as weak as a spider’s web! “Ahl al-Hadith think that as long as the references of the narrations are valid enough then those narrations will bring about certainty!” I said. “Ahl al-Hadith do not ponder!” He replied.
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 and said: I was sitting next to the scholar (i.e. Mansoor), then he turned his face to me and said: Oh you Aba Zakria! Whoever holds on to a narration is like one who falls down from a high rise, either dies or survives! So I turned pale and when he saw me like this, he said: Maybe you assume that I want to suspend the tradition of Messenger of God peace and salutations be upon him and his family! Not at all, I swear to God, but people have taken advantage from them (i.e. narrations) so that time has passed for too long for them, so that they added to them and deducted from them and mixed lies with them and changed them so much, such that their words became different and their meanings became revolutionized and their right and false and firm and loose and abrogated and abrogater became obscured and distinguishing them became just as distinguishing mixed water and milk is impossible! So you see a man from them who holds on to a narration as a pretext while he deems it right to disbelieve in God and describes God such that those descriptions do not befit His essence and you see a man from them who holds on to a narration as a pretext while he deems it right to accept the government of Taqut (meaning a sovereignty other than Almighty God’s sovereignty) and to obey any dictator oppressor and you see a man from them who holds on to a narration as a pretext while he deems it right to spread corruption on earth and shed blood and you see a man from them who holds on to a narration as a pretext while he deems it right to elevate some people and lower some other people and you see a man from them who holds on to a narration as a pretext while he deems it right to make a forbidden practice as permitted and a permitted practice as forbidden whereas all of these groups deem themselves such that they are doing something worthy whereas they are not doing anything worthy so they will be from the most disastrous losers! So I intended to return them from something which has more loss than benefit toward something which benefits them and has no loss for them and I intended to purify for them the religion that God Almighty has completed for them and if they obey me, I will guide them toward the path of the Prophet and I will guide them toward his traditions, 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 bin Mohammad Balkhi informed us and said: A man told Mansoor: I do not see myself except that I have found salvation and I do not see the other fellow except that he is from among the perished! “This man is arrogant!” His honor continued: what has informed you of this fact?! He said: Because I hold on to narrations and the other fellow holds on to opinion! His honor said: leave your narrations behind just like you have left your opinion behind; because those two are one darkness over another and you do not know which one is darker than the other and whoever God Almighty has not set a light for him then there would be no light for him at all! So the man bursted into tears such that all his beard got wet and then he said: If that is the case, what shall I do then?! His honor said: Do you know the Caliph of God Almighty on earth?! “No!” the man said. His honor continued: “Hence get to know him and hold on to what you hear from him directly with your two ears -and he grabbed both man’s ears- or listen to what one of his companions narrated from him for you while he is alive; Because it is probable that no one would lie about him while he is alive and once you hear a lie about him he will reject it and he will announce it for people of his time for both those who are present and those who are absent, until he passes away, so those people who come after him will refer to his Caliph among themselves, so they will hear from him and will narrate from him and they will not suspend themselves over someone who has passed away and do not return to him and they do not say that: “We found our fathers follow that so we do the same by following them”; Because God has appointed the same thing for them as he has appointed for their fathers; An illustrative book and a guided Caliph and He has commanded them to the same thing as their fathers have been ordered to! So whoever holds on to the Caliph of Almighty God and His messenger has held on to Almighty God and His messenger and whoever holds on to these narrators will be left with those narrators and how can they reach the Truth from a far-away distance?!”
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-Sabziwari informed us, he said: We were in a mosque with the righteous servant and there were men from Salafiyya with us, so he looked at them and said: Indeed, God has renewed a new remembrance for you, then follow it and do not follow the predecessors; because the predecessors did not follow the predecessors, but 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 Salafiyya said: Is it not that every renewed thing is bid’ah?! So His Honor paid attention to him and said: Bid’ah is what people have renewed in the religion, and the remembrance is what God has renewed, then he recited this verse that says: “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 century that guides by His command, in order to warn everyone who is alive and prove the words to disbelievers. The man said: We have not heard this in the first centuries, this is nothing but bid’ah! 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 Salfiyya!
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 bin Habib Tabari informed us and said: I heard Mansoor says: Indeed those who follow opinion, they only follow their desires and indeed narrators only call from a long far-away distance and indeed salvation and guidance is by God Almighty! I said: what is the guidance of God?! He said: A leader who, by order of God, will guide toward the book of God and Sunnah of His Messenger and will decree among the people about things that they have disagreements on! I said: may I be your sacrifice, people would not accept this from you, whereas if they would have accepted this from you they would have eaten from beneath their foot and above their head, but they are not doing this! He said: leave them alone oh you son of Habib; because soon a man will come to them who is from me and I am from him, and will deal with them with sword so that they accept it! Behold that he will not offer them anything other than sword and will not accept from them other than sword, whereas death is beneath the shadow of 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:
Yonous bin Abdullah Khatlani informed us and said: I heard Mansoor says: May God bless companions of Mohammad peace be upon him and his family! They prevented from writing narrations and whoever from them referred to narrations too much they grabbed him and throw him into furnace and if I gain enough power I will do according to their way! I asked: may I be your sacrifice should I conceal this (from people)? He said: No, call it out among them instead, may they be advised!