Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma

و مثل قس بن ساعدة الإيادي في علمه و حكمته كان يعرف النبي ص و ينتظر ظهوره و يقول إن لله دينا خير من الدين الذي أنتم عليه‌ وَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ص يَتَرَحَّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَ يَقُولُ يُحْشَرُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أُمَّةً وَحْدَهُ‌.

Quss bin Saidatul Iyadi was considered unique from the aspect of his knowledge and wisdom. He knew the Holy Prophet (sw) and was awaiting his advent. He used to say: Indeed, there is a religion with Allah which is better than the religion that you follow. The Holy Prophet (sw) has invoked divine mercy upon him and said: He shall be raised up on Judgment Day as a separate nation.

حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى عن الحسن بن محبوب عن العلاء بن رزين عن محمد بن مسلم عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: بينما رسول الله ص ذات يوم بفناء الكعبة يوم افتتح مكة إذ أقبل إليه وفد فسلموا عليه. فقال رسول الله ص: من القوم؟ قالوا: وفد بكر بن وائل. قال: فهل عندكم علم من خبر قس بن ساعدة الإيادي؟ قالوا: نعم يا رسول الله. قال: فما فعل؟ قالوا: مات. فقال رسول الله ص: الحمد لله رب الموت ورب الحياة، كل نفس ذائقة الموت. كأني أنظر إلى قس بن ساعدة الإيادي وهو بسوق عكاظ على جمل له أحمر وهو يخطب الناس ويقول: اجتمعوا أيها الناس، فإذا اجتمعتم فأنصتوا، فإذا أنصتُّم فاسمعوا، فإذا سمعتم فَـعُوا، فإذا وعيتم فاحفظوا، فإذا حفظتم فـاصدقوا. ألا إنه من عاش مات، ومن مات فات، ومن فات فليس بآتٍ. إن في السماء خبراً، وفي الأرض عبراً، سقفٌ مرفوع، ومهادٌ موضوع، ونجومٌ تمور، وليلٌ يدور، وبحارُ ماءٍ لا تغور. يحلف قسٌّ ما هذا بلعب، وإن من وراء هذا لعجباً. ما لي أرى الناس يذهبون فلا يرجعون، أرضوا بالمقام فأقاموا، أم تركوا فناموا. يحلف قسٌّ يميناً غير كاذبة، إن لله ديناً هو خير من الدين الذي أنتم عليه. ثم قال رسول الله ص: رحم الله قسّاً، يُحشر يوم القيامة أمةً وحده. قال: هل فيكم أحد يُحسن من شعره شيئاً؟ فقال بعضهم: سمعته يقول: في الأولين الذاهبين، من القرون لنا بصائر، لما رأيت مواردًا، للموت ليس لها مصادر، ورأيت قومي نحوها، تمضي الأكابر والأصاغر، لا يرجع الماضي إليَّ، ولا من الباقين غابر، أيقنت أني لا محالة، حيث صار القوم صائر. وبلغ من حكمة قس بن ساعدة ومعرفته أن النبي ص كان يسأل من يقدم عليه من إياد من حكمه ويصغي إليه سمعه

The Messenger of Allah (s) was one day sitting in the courtyard of the Kaaba on the day of the conquest of Mecca, when a delegation approached him and greeted him. He asked: Who are you? They said: We are the delegation of Bakr b. Wa'il. He said: Do you have any knowledge of Quss b. Sa'idah al-Iyadi? They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: What happened to him? They replied: He died. So the Messenger of Allah (s) said: Praise be to Allah, Lord of death and Lord of life. Every soul shall taste death. It is as though I see Quss b. Sa'idah al-Iyadi at the marketplace of Ukaz, upon a red camel, addressing the people and saying: Gather, O people And when you gather, listen attentively And when you listen attentively, hea r And when you hear, understand And when you understand, preserve And when you preserve, speak truthfully Indeed, whoever lives shall die And whoever dies is lost And whoever is lost shall not return Indeed, in the sky is a message And on earth are signs A raised ceiling And a spread ground And stars that move And a night that revolves And seas of water that do not vanish Quss swears, this is not play And beyond this is wonder Why do I see people going and not returning? Did they consent to stay and so remained? Or did they leave and sleep? Quss swears a truthful oath That there is for Allah a religion better than the one you follow Then the Messenger of Allah (s) said: May Allah have mercy on Quss. He will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment as a nation by himself. He asked: Is there anyone among you who knows any of his poetry? One of them said: I heard him say: Among the early ones who passed From the generations are lessons for us When I saw paths To death with no sources And I saw my people towards it Go the elders and the young The departed do not return to me Nor among the remaining is there one to last I knew with certainty, inevitably Where they have gone, I too shall go And the wisdom and knowledge of Quss b. Sa'idah reached such a level that the Prophet (s) used to ask those who came to him from the tribe of Iyad about his wisdom and would listen to them attentively

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الضَّحَّاكِ عَنْ هِشَامٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ وَفْداً مِنْ إِيَادٍ قَدِمُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ حُكْمِ قُسِّ بْنِ سَاعِدَةَ فَقَالُوا قَالَ قُسٌ: مَطَرٌ وَنَبَاتٌ وَآبَاءٌ وَأُمَّهَاتٌ وَذَاهِبٌ وَآتٍ وَآيَاتٌ فِي أَثَرِ آيَاتٍ، وَأَمْوَاتٌ بَعْدَ أَمْوَاتٍ، ضَوْءٌ وَظَلَامٌ، وَلَيَالٍ وَأَيَّامٌ، وَفَقِيرٌ وَغَنِيٌّ، وَسَعِيدٌ وَشَقِيٌّ، وَمُحْسِنٌ وَمُسِيءٌ، نَبَأٌ لِأَرْبَابِ الْغَفْلَةِ، لِيُصْلِحَنَّ كُلُّ عَامِلٍ عَمَلَهُ، كَلَّا، بَلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ وَاحِدٌ، لَيْسَ بِمَوْلُودٍ وَلَا وَالِدٍ، أَعَادَ وَأَبْدَى، وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَآبُ غَداً. وَأَمَّا بَعْدُ، يَا مَعْشَرَ إِيَادٍ، أَيْنَ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌ؟ وَأَيْنَ الْآبَاءُ وَالْأَجْدَادُ؟ أَيْنَ الْحَسَنُ الَّذِي لَمْ يُشْكَرْ، وَالْقَبِيحُ الَّذِي لَمْ يُنْقَمْ؟ كَلَّا وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ، لَيَعُودَنَّ مَا بَدَا، وَلَئِنْ ذَهَبَ يَوْمٌ، لَيَعُودَنَّ يَوْمٌ. وهو قسّ بن ساعدة بن حذاقة بن زهر بن إياد بن نزار، أول من آمن بالبعث من أهل الجاهلية، وأول من توكأ على عصا، ويقال إنه عاش ستمائة سنة، وكان يعرف النبي ص باسمه ونسبه، ويُبشر الناس بخروجه، وكان يستعمل التقية ويأمر بها في خلال ما يعظ به الناس.

Al-Hasan b. Abd Allah b. Said narrated to us: Abu al-Hasan Ali b. al-Husayn b. Ismail narrated to us: Muhammad b. Zakariyya informed us: Abd Allah b. al-Dahhak narrated from Hisham from his father that a delegation from the tribe of Iyad came to the Messenger of Allah (s), and he asked them about the wisdom of Quss b. Saidah. They replied: “Quss used to say:O caller of death and the dead in their graves, Covered in remnants of their worn-out cloth, Leave them, for they have a day when they will be cried out to, Like one startled from sleep by a mighty blast. Some are naked, and some in their clothes, Some new, and some threadbare and tattered. Until they return in a state different from their own, A new creation, and another created after them.” “Rain and vegetation, fathers and mothers, Departing and arriving, signs following signs, The dead after the dead, light and darkness, Nights and days, poor and rich, happy and miserable, The good-doer and the evil-doer— A warning for the heedless, So that every worker may reform his deeds. Nay, rather, it is Allah, One, Not born and begets not. He brings back and originates, And to Him is the return tomorrow.” “As for what follows, O people of Iyad, Where is Thamud and Ad? Where are the forefathers and ancestors? Where is the beautiful that went unappreciated, And the ugly that went unpunished? Nay, by the Lord of the Ka'bah, What has passed shall surely return, And if one day is gone, another will surely come.” He was Quss b. Saidah b. Hudhāqah b. Zuhar b. Iyad b. Nizar, the first among the people of Jahiliyyah to believe in resurrection, and the first to walk with a staff. It is said he lived for six hundred years. He knew the Prophet (s) by name and lineage and used to announce his coming to people. He practiced taqiyyah and used to recommend it while preaching to others.

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ دِينَارٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَهْدِيُّ بْنُ سَابِقٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: جَمَعَ قُسُّ بْنُ سَاعِدَةَ وُلْدَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْمِعَى تَكْفِيهِ الْبَقْلَةُ وَ تَرْوِيهِ الْمَذْقَةُ وَ مَنْ عَيَّرَكَ شَيْئاً فَفِيهِ مِثْلُهُ وَ مَنْ ظَلَمَكَ وُجِدَ مَنْ يَظْلِمُهُ مَتَى عَدَلْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ عُدِلَ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ فَوْقِكَ فَإِذَا نَهَيْتَ عَنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَابْدَأْ بِنَفْسِكَ وَ لَا تَجْمَعْ مَا لَا تَأْكُلُ وَ لَا تَأْكُلْ مَا لَا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ وَ إِذَا ادَّخَرْتَ فَلَا يَكُونَنَّ كَنْزُكَ إِلَّا فِعْلَكَ وَ كُنْ عَفَّ الْعَيْلَةِ مُشْتَرَكَ الْغِنَى تَسُدُّ قَوْمَكَ وَ لَا تُشَاوِرَنَّ مَشْغُولًا وَ إِنْ كَانَ حَازِماً وَ لَا جَائِعاً وَ إِنْ كَانَ فَهِماً وَ لَا مَذْعُوراً وَ إِنْ كَانَ نَاصِحاً وَ لَا تَضَعَنَّ فِي عُنُقِكَ طَوْقاً لَا يُمْكِنُكَ نَزْعُهُ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ نَفْسِكَ وَ إِذَا خَاصَمْتَ فَاعْدِلْ وَ إِذَا قُلْتَ فَاقْتَصِدْ وَ لَا تَسْتَوْدِعَنَّ أَحَداً دِينَكَ وَ إِنْ قَرُبَتْ قَرَابَتُهُ فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ لَمْ تَزَلْ وَجِلًا وَ كَانَ الْمُسْتَوْدَعُ بِالْخِيَارِ فِي الْوَفَاءِ بِالْعَهْدِ وَ كُنْتَ لَهُ عَبْداً مَا بَقِيتَ فَإِنْ جَنَى عَلَيْكَ كُنْتَ أَوْلَى بِذَلِكَ وَ إِنْ وَفَى كَانَ الْمَمْدُوحُ دُونَكَ عَلَيْكَ بِالصَّدَقَةِ فَإِنَّهَا تُكَفِّرُ الْخَطِيئَةَ فَكَانَ قُسٌّ لَا يَسْتَوْدِعُ دِينَهُ أَحَداً وَ كَانَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا يَخْفَى مَعْنَاهُ عَلَى الْعَوَامِّ وَ لَا يَسْتَدْرِكُهُ إِلَّا الْخَوَاصُّ.

Narrated to us Hasan bin Abdullah bin Saeed: Informed us Abul Hasan Ali bin Husain bin Ismail: Informed us Muhammad bin Zakariya bin Dinar: Narrated to me Mahdi bin Sabiq from Abdullah bin Abbas from his father that he said:   “Quss bin Saida assembled his sons and said: Hunger is satiated by vegetables and by milk diluted with water. If someone makes a false allegation against you, you should know that he is having the same defect. One who oppresses you shall certainly have to face oppression. When you observe justice by opposing your selfish desires you shall also be dealt with justice. When you prohibit people from something, begin with your own self. Do not hoard that which you do not consume and do not eat what you don’t need. If you save something it must be only your deeds. Observe thrift; generosity will get you the leadership of your community. Never take advice from a busy person even though he might be stable in character and has determination. Neither should you take advice from the one who is hungry even though he might be wise.   Also don’t take the advice of a coward even though he may be capable of dispensing good advice. Do not take up a responsibility which will not be possible without any difficulty. When you observe enmity, follow the dictates of justice and equity and when you speak, you must speak less. Do not give a loan to anyone even though he might be your closest relative, because you will always dread that he will not repay; and the one whom you lend shall have the discretion to repay or not. Till the time he is indebted to you he is the master and you are his slave. If he commits excess on you, you are deserving of it due to your foolishness. And if he fulfills his promise, only he shall be eligible for praise and not you. Continue to pay alms (Sadaqah) as it is expiation of mistakes and sins. Thus Quss never gave loans to anyone and he spoke in such a way that laymen cannot understand the underlying points and only specified individuals may comprehend his words.”