An Exiled Scholar's Trials

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تَعَرَّضَ إِبْنُ الْجَوْزِيِّ فِي شَيْخُوخَتِهِ لِمِحْنَةٍ قَاسِيَةٍ

In his old age, Ibn al-Jawzi was subjected to a severe trial.

كَانَ سَبَبُهَا الرَّافِضَةَ

Its cause was the Rafidah,

وَقَدْ لَخَّصَهَا الشَّيْخُ عَلِيُّ الْطَنْطَاوِي فِي مُقَدِّمَةِ طَبْعَتِهِ لِصَيْدِ الْخَاطِرِ فقال

Sheikh Ali al-Tantawi had summarized it in the preface to his edition of Sayd al-Khatir and said:

كَانَ الْوَزِيرُ ابْنُ يُوْنُسِ الْحَنَبَلِيُّ قَدْ عَقَدَ مَجْلِسًا لِلرُّكْنِ عَبْدِ السَّلَامِ ابْنِ عَبْدِ الْقَادِرِ الْجِيلِيِّ

The minister Ibn Yunus al-Hanbali had convened a session for al-Rukn Abd al-Salam ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Jili,

وَأُحْرِقَتْ كُتُبُهُ،

And his books were burned,

وَكَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ الزَّنْدَقَةِ وَعِبَادَةِ النجوم وَرَأْيُ الأَوَائِلِ شَيْءٌ كَثِيرٌ

And in it there was much heresy, star-worship, and many opinions of the early authorities.

وَذَلِكَ بِمُحَضِّرٍ مِنَ اِبْنِ الجَوْزِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ العلماء

And that took place in the presence of Ibn al-Jawzi and other scholars.

وَاِنْتَزَعَ الْوَزِيرُ مَدْرَسَةَ جَدِّهِ وَسَلَّمَهَا إِلَى اِبْنِ الْجَوْزِيِّ

The minister seized his grandfather's school and handed it over to Ibn al-Jawzi,

فلما وَلَيَّ الْوِزَارَةُ ابْنُ القَّصَّابِ

When Ibn al-Qassab was appointed to the ministry.

وَكَانَ رَافِضِيًّا خَبِيثًا

And he was a wicked Rafidi.

سَعَى فِي الْقَبْضِ عَلَى ابْنِ يُونُسِ

He sought to arrest Ibn Yunus.

وَتَتَبَّعَ أَصْحَابَهُ

And he pursued his companions.

فَقَالَ لَهُ الرُّكْنُ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ مِنْ اِبْنِ الْجَوْزِيِ

The Pillar said to him, "Where do you stand regarding the son of al-Jawzi?"

فَإِنَّهُ نَاصِبِيٌ

For he is a partisan hostile to the Prophet's family.

وَمِنْ أَوْلَادِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ

And among the sons of Abu Bakr the Truthful,

فَهُوَ مِنْ أَكْبَرِ أَصْحَابِ اِبْنِ يُونُسِ

He is one of the principal companions of Ibn Yunus.

وَأَعْطَاهُ مُدَرِّسَةُ جَدِّي

And my grandfather's female teacher gave him,

وَأُحْرِقَتْ كُتُبِي بِمَشْوَرَتِهِ

And my books were burned by his instigation.

فَكَتَبَ إِبْنُ الْقَصَّابِ إِلَى الْخَلِيفَةِ النَّاصِرِ

So Ibn al-Qassab wrote to the caliph al-Nasir,

وَكَانَ النَّاصِرُ لَهُ مَيْلٌ إِلَى الشِّيْعَةِ

And al-Nasir had an inclination toward the Shi'a,

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مَيْلٌ آخِرٌ أَيَّامِهِ إِلَى الشَّيْخِ أَبِي الْفَرَجِ

And in his final days he had no inclination toward the sheikh Abu al-Faraj,

فَأَمَرَّ بِتَسْلِيمِهِ إِلَى الرُكْنِ عَبْدِ السَّلَامِ

So he ordered his handing over to the commander Servant of Peace,

فَجَاءَ هَذَا إِلَى دَارِ الْشَّيْخِ

Then this man came to the sheikh's house,

وَشَتَمَهُ وَأَغْلَظَ عَلَيْهِ

He insulted him and spoke harshly to him.

وَاللَّهِ لَوْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَذْهَبِيِّ لَبَذَلْتُ رَوْحِيَ وَمَالِيَ فِي خِدْمَتِهِ

By God, if he had been of my school of thought, I would have devoted my life and my wealth to serving him.

لَمَّا حَضَرَ إِلَى وَاسِطِ جَمْعِ النَّاسِ

When he arrived in Wasit for the gathering of the people,

وَادَّعَى اِبْنُ عَبْدِ القَادِرِ على الشَّيْخِ أَنَّهُ تَصَرُّفٌ في وَقْفِ المدرسة

And the son of the servant of the capable accused the sheikh of having dealt with the school's endowment.

وَأَنَّهُ اِقْتَطَعَ مِنْ مَالِهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا

and that he had taken such and such from its funds.

وَكَذِبٌ فِيمَا ادَّعاه

And he lied about what he claimed.

وَأَنْكَرَ الشَّيْخُ وَصِدْقِ وَبِرٍّ

The sheikh denied it, and he was truthful and pious.

وَأَفْرَدْتُ لِلشَّيْخِ دَارًا بِدَرْبِ الدِّيْوَانِ،

And I set aside a house for the sheikh on Diwan Lane.

وَعَلَى بَابِهَا بَوَّابٌ

And at its door was a doorkeeper.

وَأَفْرَدَ لَهُ مَنْ يَخْدِمُهُ

And someone was assigned to serve him.

وَكَانَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِ وَيَسْتَمِعُونَ مِنْهُ وَيُمْلِي عَلَيْهِمْ

Some people would visit him, listen to him, and he would dictate to them.

وَكَانَ يُرْسِلُ أَشْعَارًا كَثِيرَةً إِلَى بَغْدَادِ

He would send many poems to Baghdad.

وَأَقَامَ بِوَاسِطِ خَمْسِ سِنِينَ يَخْدِمُ نَفْسَهُ بنفسه

He remained for five years, attending to his own needs by himself.

وَيَغْسِلُ ثَوْبَهُ وَيَطْبُخُ وَيَسْتَقِيُ الْمَاءَ مِنَ الْبِئْرِ

He washes his garment, cooks, and draws water from the well,

وَلَا يَتَمَكَّنُ مِنْ خُرُوجِ إِلَى حَمَّامٍ وَلَا غَيْرِهِ

and he was unable to go out to the bathhouse or anywhere else,

وَقَدْ قَارَبَ الثَّمانِينَ

He was almost eighty.