Translated by Aboo Aamir Ishaaq bn AbdirRaheem
Ibn Khalkân said about his lineage: He was Abu Abdillâh bn Abî Du'âd Faraj bn Jarîr bn Mâlik.
Al-Khatîb Al-Baghdâdî said: Ibn Abî Du'âd became the Chief Justice for Al-Mu'tasim
then for Al-Waathiq. He was described with generosity, openhandedness, good
character and much of etiquette. It was only that he openly supported the creed
of the Jahmiyyah (that denies the Names and Attributes of Allâh); and he was
the one that pushed the Sultân to test the people with the statement of saying
the Qur'ân was created.
One of the poets praised him as thus:
'The Messenger of Allâh and the Caliphs are from us/and from us is
Ahmad bn Abî Du'âd.'
Then a poet replied the earlier poet thus:
'Say to those boastful on less beneficial deeds/who are heads of the
slaves on earth/The Messenger of Allâh and the Caliphs are from us/we denounce
the bastards among Banu Iyâd/we will have no support if the/call of Ahmad bn Abî
Du'âd is adhered to.'
He said: When that got to Ahmad bn Abî Du'âd he said: 'If not that I
fear for the consequence, I would inflict on this poet a punishment whose like
was not inflicted on anybody before.' Thus he forgave him.
Also Al-Khatîb brought several reports with several chains from a group
of people indicating the generosity of Abu Du'âd so also his eloquence,
mannerism, forbearance, readiness to meet people's needs and high status with
the Caliphs.
Muhammad Al-Mahdî bn Al-Wâthiq mentioned that a scholar entered one day
upon Al-Wâthiq, he then said the Tasleem to him but Al-Wâthiq did not
respond rather he said: 'Allâh sends greetings to you.' Then the man said: 'O
leader-of-the-believers, what a bad thing your trainer has done for you; Allâh
said:
"When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what
is better than it, or (at least) return it equally." [An-Nisâ: 86].
(The man continued:) 'Why wouldn't you reply me in a better way or the
like of what I said to you?'
Ibn Abî Du'âd came in and said: 'O leader-of-the-believers, the man
seems a theologian.'
Al-Wâthiq said: 'Engage him in a debate.'
Ibn Abî Du'âd said: 'O scholar, what do you say about the Qur'ân; was
it created or not?'
The scholar replied: 'You have not been just with me; the affair is
mine.'
Abu Du'âd said: 'Go ahead.'
The Shaykh then said: 'This thing that you say; did the Messenger of Allâh
– Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – know it? Did Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmân and Alî
know it, or didn't they?'
Ibn Abî Du'âd replied: 'They did not know it.'
The Shaykh continued: 'Therefore you know what they did not know?'
Ibn Abî Du'âd became ashamed and kept quiet.
Then he said: 'Okay I will say rather they knew it.'
The Shaykh said: 'Why didn't the people call people to it as you call
people today; why are you not satisfied with what brought them satisfaction?'
Ibn Abî Du'âd became ashamed again and kept quiet. Then Al-Wâthiq
commanded that price should be got for the Shaykh; it was about four hundred Dînâr.
But the Shaykh did not accept it.
Al-Muhtadî said: 'My father then entered the house then he rested on
his back and began to repeat the statement of the Shaykh to himself: 'Why are
you not satisfied with what brought them satisfaction?' Then he released the
Shaykh and gave him about four hundred Dînâr and asked him to go back to
his land but the Shaykh did not accept it.
With that, Ibn Abî Du'âd fell before Al-Wâthiq and since then he did
not test anybody with regard to the Qur'ân.'
Al-Khatîb mentioned the story in his Târîkh with a chain that
contains some unknown people. He mentioned the story fully and there is some
strangeness therein.
Tha'lab composed from Abu Hajjâj Al-A'rabî that he said with regard to
Ibn Abî Du'âd:
''You reversed the Deen O Ibn Abî Du'âd/such that those who followed
you are in doubt/you thought the Word of your Lord to be created,/don't you
think you have to return to your Lord?/Speech of Allâh He revealed It with
Knowledge to Jibrîl then to the best of slaves/whoever meets the evening by
your door seeking hospitality/is like a person who finds himself with a farmer
without a provision/you have indeed gone beyond the bounds, O Ibn Abî Du'âd,
with this your statement; verily I am a man from (Banu) Iyâd.
His death occurred on Saturday seventh day to the end of the month of
Muharram of the year under discussion. It was his son, Al-Abbâs, that prayed
over him. He was buried in his house at Baghdad while he was about eighty years
old that day. Allâh inflicted him with stroke four years before his death such
that he later became a person lying on his bed and who could not move any part
of his body.
Somebody entered upon him and said: 'By Allâh, I have not come to visit
you as a sick person but to pass condolence of yourself to you and so that I
will praise Allâh that imprisons you in your body.'
Ibn Khalkân went far in
his biography of Ibn Du'âd such that he praised him and mentioned his feats,
good deeds and was very exaggerative in doing so. He came with much of those
which is improper. He did not mention any of his misdeeds rather he mentioned
his debate with Imâm Ahmad in a very scanty manner; and that was the that trial
served as the foundation for other trials that came after, and the tribulation
that opened the door of other tribulations for the people.
Source: al-Bidaayah wa
an-Nihaayah of al-Imaam Ibn Katheer – rahimahullaah.
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