1 . أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْهَرَوِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ الْهَاشِمِيَّ الْخُرَاسَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: أَكْثِرُوا زِيَارَةَ الْقُبُورِ، فَإِنَّهَا مُفِيدَةٌ لِلْأَحْيَاءِ وَالْأَمْوَاتِ!
Translation of the saying:
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Harawi informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani say: “Visit graves often; because it is beneficial for the living and the dead!”
2 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: قَدْ أَضْعَفَتْنِي نَفْسِي، فَبِمَا أُجَاهِدُهَا حَتَّى أَغْلِبَهَا؟ قَالَ: جَاهِدْهَا بِذِكْرِ الْمَوْتِ، وَأَكْثِرْ زِيَارَةَ الْقُبُورِ!
Translation of the saying:
Abu Ibrahim al-Samarqandi informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “My self has made me weak, so by what means shall I fight against it to overcome it?” He said: “Fight against it by remembering death and visiting graves often!”
3 . أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ الطِّهْرَانِيُّ، قَالَ: قَالَ لِيَ الْمَنْصُورُ: يَسَعُكَ أَنْ تُرَافِقَنِي إِلَى بَعْضِ هَذِهِ التِّلَالِ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، فَخَرَجَ مَاشِيًا وَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ، فَقُلْتُ: لَوْ أَمَرْتَنِي لَجِئْتُكَ بِسَيَّارَةٍ، قَالَ: الْمَشْيُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ، فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مَقَابِرَ الْقَوْمِ، فَزَارَهَا وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لِأَهْلِهَا، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ وَهُوَ سَاكِتٌ مُتَفَكِّرٌ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ دَارَهُ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ وَقَالَ: يَا حَسَنُ! أَجْهَدْتُكَ؟ قُلْتُ: لَا، جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، قَالَ: يَا حَسَنُ! إِذَا أَحْسَسْتَ فِي قَلْبِكَ قَسَاوَةً فَاخْرُجْ إِلَى مَقَابِرِ قَوْمِكَ، وَاسْتَيْقِنْ أَنَّ لَكَ فِيهَا مَكَانًا لَا بُدَّ أَنْ تَحِلَّهُ وَاذْكُرْ عَاقِبَةَ الْأُمُورِ!
Translation of the saying:
Hasan ibn Qasim al-Tehrani informed us, he said: Mansoor said to me: “Can you accompany me to some of these hills?” I said: “Yes.” So he went out on foot and I too went out with him, then I said: “If you had ordered me, I would have prepared a vehicle.” He said: “Walking is more pleasant for me.” So he went until he reached the cemetery of people, then he visited it and asked God for forgiveness for its people, then he came back while he was silent, contemplating, and remembering God Almighty. Then, when he reached his home, he turned toward me and said: “O Hasan! Did I trouble you?” I said: “No, may I be sacrificed for you.” He said: “O Hasan! Whenever you feel a hardness in your heart, go to the cemetery of your people, and be certain that there is a place in it for you, in which you will inevitably settle, and remember the end of affairs!”
4 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ الطَّبَرِيُّ، قَالَ: كَانَ الْمَنْصُورُ يُكْثِرُ الْخُرُوجَ إِلَى مَقَابِرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَوْمَ الْإِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ، وَرُبَّمَا يَخْرُجُ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا يَدْخُلُهَا يَقُولُ: «السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَنْتُمْ لَنَا فَرَطٌ وَنَحْنُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ»، وَكَانَ إِذَا يَمُرُّ عَلَى قَبْرٍ يَقُومُ بِحِذَائِهِ، فَيَنْظُرُ فِيهِ، فَيَقْرَأُ كَتِيبَتَهُ، وَكَانَ إِذَا يَجِدُ قَبْرَ شَابٍّ يَجْلِسُ عِنْدَهُ فَيُخَاطِبُ نَفْسَهُ فَيَقُولُ: «وَيْحَكَ أَيُّهَا الشَّابُّ! أَغَرَّكَ شَبَابُكَ؟ وَهَذَا شَابٌّ مِثْلُكَ، وَقَدْ أَكَلَهُ الْمَوْتُ وَشَرِبَهُ! فَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ شَبَابُكَ، فَيَصْطَادُكَ الْمَوْتُ عَلَى غِرَّةٍ»، قَالَ: فَمَرَّ يَوْمًا عَلَى قُبُورِ شُهَدَاءِ الْقَوْمِ عَلَيْهِمْ صُوَرُهُمْ مِثْلُ الطَّوَاوِيسِ، فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ نَظَرَ حَسْرَةٍ فَقَالَ: فِيمَ قُتِلْتُمْ يَا جُنُودَ الظَّالِمِينَ؟! لَا وَاللَّهِ لَيْسَ الشَّهِيدُ مَنْ قُتِلَ تَحْتَ رَايَتِهِمْ! ثُمَّ نَظَرَ، فَرَأَى فِيهِمْ صُورَةَ شَابٍّ، فَقَالَ: هَذَا شَهِيدٌ! قُلْتُ: أَكُنْتَ تَعْرِفُهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ؟! قَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنْ قَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ مَعَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ! قَالَ: فَلَمْ أَفْهَمْ مُرَادَهُ، وَلَمْ أَتَجَرَّأْ عَلَى السُّؤَالِ، فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ قَنَاةً، فَجَلَسَ لِيُجَدِّدَ وُضُوءَهُ لِلصَّلَاةِ، فَمَرَّ عَلَيْهِ جَمَاعَةٌ يُشَيِّعُونَ جَنَازَةً لَهُمْ وَهُمْ بَاكُونَ، فَلَمَّا رَءآهُمْ قَالَ:
النَّفْسُ تَبْكِي عَلَى الدُّنْيَا وَقَدْ عَلِمَتْ
أَنَّ السَّعَادَةَ فِيهَا تَرْكُ مَا فِيهَا
لَا دَارَ لِلْمَرْءِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ يَسْكُنُهَا
إِلَّا الَّتِي كَانَ قَبْلَ الْمَوْتِ بَانِيهَا
قُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، إِنَّهُمْ يَرْوُونَ أَنَّ الْمَيِّتَ لَيُعَذَّبُ بِبُكَاءِ أَهْلِهِ! قَالَ: إِنَّمَا يُعَذِّبُهُ بُكَاءُ أَهْلِهِ كَمَا كَانَ يُعَذِّبُهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا، وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى! ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى شَجَرَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، فَاسْتَتَرَ بِهَا، فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، فَلَمَّا فَرِغَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَقَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ إِلَيْكَ أَفْضَتِ الْقُلُوبُ، وَمُدَّتِ الْأَعْنَاقُ، وَشَخَصَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ، وَنُقِلَتِ الْأَقْدَامُ، وَأُنْضِيَتِ الْأَبْدَانُ، اللَّهُمَّ قَدْ صَرَّحَ مَكْنُونُ الشَّنَآنِ، وَجَاشَتْ مَرَاجِلُ الْأَضْغَانِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ فَقْدَ نَبِيِّنَا، وَغَيْبَةَ إِمَامِنَا، وَكَثْرَةَ عَدُوِّنَا، وَقِلَّةَ عَدَدِنَا، رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ».
Translation of the saying:
Abdullah ibn Habib al-Tabari informed us, he said: Mansoor used to go frequently to the cemetery of Muslims on Mondays and Thursdays and sometimes on Saturdays, and when he entered it, he would say: “Peace be upon the people of these houses from the believers; you are our pioneers, and we will join you, Insha’Allah,” and whenever he passed by a grave, he would stand next to it, look at it, and read its inscription, and whenever he found the grave of a young man, he would sit next to it and address himself and say: “Woe to you, O young man! Have your youth deceived you? While this is a young man like you, whom death has eaten and drunk! So do not let your youth deceive you, lest death catch you by surprise.” (Abdullah) said: “One day he passed by the graves of the people’s martyrs, on which were their pictures like peacocks, then he looked at them with regret and said: “Why were you killed, O armies of oppressors?! No, I swear to God, a martyr is not one who was killed under their flag!” Then he looked (at the pictures one by one), then he saw the picture of a young man among them, then he said: “This is a martyr!” I said: “Did you know him, may I be sacrificed for you?!” He said: “No, but I saw him with Amir al-Mu’minin!” (Abdullah) said: “So I did not understand what he meant (by that), nor did I dare to ask.” Then he got going until he reached a qanat, so he sat down to renew his wudu for prayer. Then a people passed by him, who were carrying their deceased to his final resting place while they were crying, and when he saw them, he said:
“The self cries over the world while it knows,
That Happiness in it is leaving what is in it,
There is no house for a man after death, in which he may settle,
Except for the one that before death he was the constructor of it.”
I said: “May I be sacrificed for you, they narrate that the deceased is tormented because of his family’s crying!” He said: “His family’s crying torments him as it would torment him in the life of the world, (and it is not that God would torment him,) and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another!” Then he got up toward a huge tree, then he hid behind it and performed two rak‘ats of prayer, then, when he finished his prayer, he raised his hands to the heaven and said: “O God! Toward You the hearts flow, the necks are stretched, the eyes stare, the steps are taken, and the bodies are exhausted. O God! Hidden enmity has been revealed, and the cauldrons of hatred have boiled. O God! We complain to you about the departure of our Prophet, the absence of our Imam, the big number of our enemies, and the few number of us. So decide between us and our people with truth, and You are the Best of those who decide.”
5 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: إِنَّهُمْ يَنْهَوْنَ النَّاسَ عَنْ شَدِّ الرِّحَالِ إِلَى الْمَقَابِرِ، وَيَسْتَنْبِطُونَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ قَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلَّا إِلَى ثَلَاثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ: مَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، وَمَسْجِدِي هَذَا، وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى»، فَقَالَ: لَيْسَ حَيْثُ ذَهَبُوا، الْمَسَاجِدُ سَوَاءٌ إِلَّا الثَّلَاثَةَ، وَلَيْسَ الْمَقَابِرُ مِنَ الْمَسَاجِدِ، فَشُدُّوا الرِّحَالَ إِلَيْهَا إِنْ شِئْتُمْ، وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْقُبُورَ أَوْثَانًا، بِأَنْ تَرْفَعُوهَا، وَتُزَيِّنُوهَا، وَتَتَزَاحَمُوا عَلَيْهَا، وَتَطُوفُوا بِهَا، وَتَنْذُرُوا لَهَا، وَتَسْأَلُوهَا الْحَوَائِجَ، وَتَضَعُوا عَلَيْهَا الْعُقَدَ وَالْأَقْفَالَ، كَمَا يَفْعَلُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ.
Translation of the saying:
Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Taloqani informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “They forbid people to travel for visiting graves, and they deduce that from the words of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, who has said: ‘One should not travel except for (visiting) three: Masjid al-Haram, this mosque of mine, and Masjid al-Aqsa.’” So he said: “It is not as they have understood. Mosques are equal (in merit) except for the three, and graves are not among the mosques, so travel toward them if you want, but do not take the graves as idols, (in this way that you would) raise them, decorate them, crowd around them, circumambulate them, make vows for them, ask them for needs, and tie knots and locks onto them, as the fools among people do.”
6 . أَخْبَرَنَا صَالِحُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ السَّبْزَوَارِيُّ، قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ عِنْدَ قَبْرِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى شَابًّا هَاشِمِيًّا وَجْهُهُ كَدَائِرَةِ الْقَمَرِ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ لِلْمُزْدَحِمِينَ: مَا بِهَذَا أُمِرْتُمْ -يَعْنِي بِالْإِزْدِحَامِ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ لِاسْتِلَامِهِ وَطَوَافِهِ.
Translation of the saying:
Salih ibn Muhammad al-Sabzawari informed us, he said: At the grave of Ali ibn Musa (al-Rida), I saw a Hashemite young man whose face was like the full moon, and he was saying to the crowd: “This is not what you have been commanded” -i.e., crowding around the grave in order to touch and kiss it (to draw near to God) and circumambulate it.
7 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ، قَالَ: نَهَى الْمَنْصُورُ عَنْ مُخَاطَبَةِ الْأَمْوَاتِ إِلَّا عِنْدَ قُبُورِهِمْ، وَقَالَ: إِنَّهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَصْوَاتَ الزَّائِرِينَ.
Translation of the saying:
Abu Ibrahim al-Samarqandi informed us, he said: Mansoor forbade addressing the dead except at their graves, and said: “They hear the voices of visitors.”
