Book: Al-Muhtadirin [The Dyings] by ibn-abi-duniya

Chapter on Those Who Composed Poetry at the Time of Death

253 - We were informed by Abdullah who said: Sulayman bin Al-Ash'ath wrote to me, informing me that Al-Haytham bin Al-Haytham bin Imran Al-Dimashqi had told them, from Abi Mus-hir, from Khalid bin Yazid bin Subaih who said: Ya'qub bin Uthman told me, who said: Abdurrahman bin Ummul Hakam had told me, Ummul Hakam herself had informed me that she was with Mu'awiyah when he fainted, but upon regaining consciousness, he wanted to show them so he said: "[The Overflowing Sea] And is there a Khalid, if we were destroyed... Is there any disgrace in death, O people?"

254 - Abdullah narrated to us, saying: "Khalaf ibn Hisham narrated to us , saying: 'Hammad bin Zaid reported to us, from Yahya bin Sa'id, from Muhammad bin Munkadir, who said: Talha bin Ubaidullah began to say: "[The abundant sea] If calamities aimed at me...and missed their target when I shot my arrow, then I wasted my time chasing that arrow... regretting what I had done and lost my patience. I felt the regret of the one who bought (something) when... I bought the pleasure of Bani Hazm against my own will."

Hammad said: "Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: 'Then came an arrow, and it landed in his heart [184], and he started wiping the blood and said: {And the command of Allah is a destiny determined} [Al-Ahzab: 38] [The long sea] I see death as inevitable to all souls and I do not see... tomorrow as far, how near today is from tomorrow."

255 - Abdullah told us, he said: "Abu Zaid Al-Numeiri informed me, from Mohammad bin Yahya bin Ali Al-Kinani, from Abdul Aziz bin Imran Al-Zuhri, from Saeed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Sulami, from his father who said: When Zubayr left on the day of Camel, he started saying: [The Perfect Sea] And I knew if my knowledge was beneficial... that life is close to death and he did not escape before being killed by the son of Jurmuz."

256 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Narrated to us by Al-Abbas bin Ghalib who said: Narrated to us Abu Ishaq Al-Talqani, from Ibn Al-Mubarak, from Dawud bin Qais. He said: My mother narrated to me - she was the freed slave of Nafi bin Utba bin Abi Waqqas - 185 She said: "I saw Sa'd married his daughter to a man from the people of Sham, and stipulated that he should not take her out (of her home). The man wanted to travel, and she wanted to go with him. Sa'd forbade her and disliked her traveling, but she insisted on going. Then Sa'd said: 'O Allah, do not let her reach what she wants.' Death overtook her on the way. She said: [The Long Sea] 'I remembered who would weep for me, and I found no one...from among the people except my slave and my child.' Sa'd felt in himself..."

257 - Abdullah narrated to us, he said: Muhammad bin Al-Hussein told me, he said: Ayyash bin Uhd told me, he said: Abdullah bin Salamah bin Ma'bad Al-Faraa said: "A man was on the verge of death in a remote part of the land, and people from the Bedouins were with him. As he felt death approaching, he started to say to them: 'Direct me, direct me'. But they didn't know what he meant. When he feared that death might hasten before he could be directed, he said: 'O you stars, direct me' They asked him: 'Where should we direct you?' He cried, then said: [The Overflowing Sea] 'Towards the house from every corner... towards it are the faces of the grave's dwellers".

He said: Then they all cried, by God, and they directed him towards the Qibla, and he passed away."

258 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Muhammad bin al-Hussein informed me, he said: Abd al-Jabbar bin Abi Nasr informed me, he said: A man said to Salama the Aswari as he was dying: "How do you see yourself, may Allah have mercy on you?" He wept, then said: "I see myself alone in the grave...my heart is fluttering, and I have no helper."

He said: "Then he made - by Allah - all the people cry."

259 - Abdullah told us, he said: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn told me, he said: Ubaydullah ibn Muhammad told me, he said: A man from the weavers narrated that a man had approached death, and he put his hand in his ear, and found that the water in his ear had grown sweet. It is said that when a dead man approaches the moment of death, the water in his ear turns sweet. When he found it sweet, he felt death, so he said:

[Complete Sea] Whoever was pleased with the fall of a dying man... Let them show our women in broad daylight. The women are mourning... They have been up since before the break of dawn. They used to hide their faces behind veils... But today, when they revealed themselves to the onlookers, he said: He died - by God - from his night.

260 - We were told by Abdullah who said: Muhammad bin Al-Hussein informed me that Hassan bin Abdullah bin Ruwaishid bin Al-Musbah Al-Ta'i, narrated from his father, and he said: There was a man in the neighborhood who had lived a long life, he added: He was always out in the neighborhood, never at home... The man was always travelling away from his family, he said: Then a brother of his fell ill, and when death approached him, he went to him and said: "O my brother, indeed I see what death has brought upon you, so give a will." He asked: "What should I instruct you with?" Then his brother said: "It is as if death, O son of my father and mother... Even if your life is long, it has come to you... You mourn the dead while you are alive... If a living person has mourned you... If there is differing between the forenoon and the afternoon... Death drives them both approaching you."

261 - We were informed by Abdullah who said: Muhammad bin Hussein told me: I visited Abbas bin Khuzaima bin Ubaid Allah during the illness he eventually succumbed to. I discovered that he was in great distress. I asked him: "What troubles you so profoundly?" He said: "[The Sand Sea] Indeed, the mere mention of death unveils my despair... and for something like death, I reveal my sorrow. For it is like a cup circling amongst us... mixed with bitterness becoming burdened. Every living being will be offered a drink from it even if... it is filled with difficult gulps from it."¹⁸⁸

He continued to weep until he passed out. I left his side, and by the next day, he was no more. May Allah have mercy on him."

262 - Abdulallah narrated to us. He said: Salih bin Hakim al-Tammar al-Basri narrated to us. He said: Al-'Ala ibn al-Fadl ibn Abi Sawiyah narrated to us. He said: Ismail bin Turayh narrated to me. He said: My father told me, from his father, from his grandfather. He said: I witnessed Umayyah bin Abi Salt when he was administering. He said:[Al-Bahr Al-Rajez] "I am at your disposal, I am at your disposal… I am ready to meet your needs."
Then he leaned towards the door and said: "I am at your disposal, I am at your disposal… I am ready to meet your needs. I don’t have wealth that can support me... Nor a clan that can protect me."
Then he started saying [Al-Bahr Al-Khafeef]: "Every life—no matter how long it lasts— will eventually fade away. I wish I were in the mountains, looking after the sheep, before everything became clear to me."
Then his soul burst forth."

263 - Narrated by Abdullah, he said: Ishaq bin Ismail told me: Sufyan narrated, he said: When al-Farazdaq was dying, he said: [The abundant sea] Show me who will stand in my place... when the matter is clear without reproach, who will you turn to when you lay... by your hands on me the dust?

Then his son said: "To Allah."

264 - Abdullah reported to us, saying: "Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Urduni informed me, saying: A man recited this poetry of Farazdaq to Ibn Hajar, who remained silent for a while, then said("the abundant sea stands for us in your place when we were alarmed ... to him when the reproach is cut off:

If a handful of dust is imposed on you ... a handful of dust would be imposed on him from the dust.

And what comes after the dust is more severe than it ... standing before your Lord for accounting."

265 - Narrated by Abdullah who said: Harun ibn Abi Yahya told me, from Muhammad ibn Ziyad ibn Ziyad al-Kalbi, from Al-Ala ibn Sinan who said (190): He informed me of someone who attended the presence of my father, Musa al-Ashari, when he encountered the symptom of death, he said: (Al-Bahr Al-Basit) 'O Releaser of the soul in my person when it succumbs...And the Reliever of distress, remove me from the fire'. Then, he died.

266 - Abdullah narrated to us saying: My father, may Allah have mercy on him, told me: When Hodbah bin al-Khashram al-Udhri was brought to be executed, his parents crying, he turned to them and said: "[The sea of sadness] Grant me your patience today... Indeed, if I see any grief from you, it will only worsen. I see death as nothing but easy... After death is the eternal abode Be patient today, as I am patient... Every living being meets its end and fate."

267 - Abd Allah narrated and said: Ali bin Muhammad Al-Qaysi told me, from the ‪191‬ Sheikh of Banu Tamim, from the partner of Malik bin Al-Rayb who said: 'When Malik bin Al-Rayb was on his deathbed, he said:

[The sandy sea] contradicts the simplicity of its activities ... it asks about Malik, what did you do?

Malik settled in the enemy's land ... and the northern winds blew upon him.

So, O Sahl, prepare me ... for the time has come and prevented the return."

268 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Muhammad bin Hussein told me: Abu Abd Al-Rahman Al-Umari told him that a man was on the verge of death. His brother took his head and placed it on his lap. His eyes welled up with tears, a tear fell onto his brother's cheek. He lifted his gaze and saw his brother weeping. He said: 'Oh my brother, do not cry, and prepare for a similar fate.' Then he said: [The Far-reaching Ocean]'We were two brothers separated by time... to the farthest extent. Who can guarantee against time?' Then his soul departed and he died."

269 - Narrated by Abdullah, he said: Ahmad ibn Ibrahim ibn Katheer told me that Khalf ibn Tamim told him that Muhammad ibn Talha Al-Qurashi said: He visited a sick person in Al-Missisa, he said, he heard him saying:

[The sandy sea]192 Call the master of the house, the one with the wealth, what has he done in his eagerness to gather the world?

He said: So I replied:

His house was in another place ... He beautified it with desires, then he moved on.

270 - Narrated Abdullah, he said: Nasr bin Ali Al-Jahdami told me: Al-Asma'i informed us, from Abdul Aziz bin Abi Salama, from Ayub, from Muhammad bin Sirin. He said: In the pre-Islamic era, Ibn 'Ajlan said: "Behold, Hind has become forbidden for you... and you have become the least of her in-laws. And you have become like the buried, turning a bow and its cords in both hands... and his voice grew loud with it, then he fell and died."

271 - Abdullah narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn Abi Mu'adh al-Basri told me, from Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Kinani, from Abd al-Aziz ibn Imran al-Zuhri, from Muharrar ibn Ja'far, from his father, he said: 'I visited Abdullah ibn al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas ibn Rabia ibn al-Harith ibn Abdul Muttalib while he was on his deathbed and he wept. Then he said: "By God, what makes me cry are the female sinners behind this curtain. Without them, death would be easier on me. Indeed, I am a believer in God and I am repentant towards God for indeed God is forgiving."'

He said: 'I said: My brother, the one you hope for in the forgiveness of your sins, also hope for in the well-being of your daughters, because the forgiveness of sins is greater than life sustenance. So Abdullah said: "May Allah reward you well. You have spoken the truth."'

272 - Narrated to us by Abdullah, he said: I was informed by Suleyman, son of Ayoub Al Basri, from Sufyan ibn Uyayna, from Ibn Shubruma, who said: "A man from Bani Yarbu fell ill, and his illness became severe. He said: There were two daughters by his side, he looked at them and said, [The Long Sea] 'I wish I knew what would become of my daughters after me... a place is marked for me in the direction of the grave and on the connection to people, death has come upon them... do they awaits this connection or does it become severed? And none but a guardian from people, calling for honesty, guards the dead’. Then he died, I swear by Allah, no one returned to his children with anything".