1Cademy - بخش ۲۳ - ۲۳ ابوحامد احمدبن خضرویه البلخی، رضی اللّه عنه / Section 23 - 23 Abu Hamid Ahmad ibn Khadrawayh al-Balkhi, May Allah Be Pleased with Him

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بخش ۲۳ - ۲۳ ابوحامد احمدبن خضرویه البلخی، رضی اللّه عنه / Section 23 - 23 Abu Hamid Ahmad ibn Khadrawayh al-Balkhi, May Allah Be Pleased with Him

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و منهم: سرهنگ جوانمردان، و آفتاب خراسان، ابوحامد احمد بن خضرویه البلخی، رضی الله عنه
به علو حال و شرف وقت مخصوص بود و اندر زمانهٔ خود مقتدای قوم و پسندیدهٔ خاص و عام بود و طریقش ملامت بودی و جامه به رسم لشکریان پوشیدی.

و فاطمه که عیال وی بود، اندر طریقت شأنی عظیم داشت. وی دختر امیربلخ بود. چون وی را ارادت توبه پدیدار آمد، به احمد کس فرستاد که: «مرا از پدر بخواه.» وی اجابت نکرد. کس فرستاد که: «یا احمد، من تو را مرد آن نپنداشتم که راه حق بزنی. راهبر باش نه راهبر.»
احمد کس فرستاد و وی را از پدر بخواست. پدرش به حکم تبرک وی را به احمد خضرویه داد و فاطمه به ترک مشغولی دنیا بگفت و به حکم عزلت با احمد بیارامید. تا احمد را قصد زیارت خواجه بایزید افتاد. فاطمه با وی برفت. چون پیش بایزید آمد برقع از روی برداشت و با وی سخن گستاخ می گفت. احمد از آن متعجب شد و غیرت بر دلش مستولی گشت. گفت: «یا فاطمه، آن چه گستاخی بودت با بایزید؟» گفت: «از آن چه تو محرم طبیعت منی، و وی محرم طریقت من. از تو به هوی رسم، و ازوی به خدا و دلیل بر این آن که وی از صحبت من بی نیاز است و توبه من محتاج.»

و پیوسته وی با بایزید گستاخ می بودی، تا روزی بایزید را چشم بر دست فاطمه افتاد، حنابسته دید. گفت: «یا فاطمه، دست از برای چه حنا بسته ای؟ » وی گفت: «یا بایزید، تا این غایت که تو دست و حنای من ندیدی، مرا با تو انبساط بود. اکنون که چشمت بر دست من افتاد، صحبت ما حرام شد.»
و از آن جا برگشتند و به نیسابور مقام کردند و اهل نیشابور و مشایخ آن را با احمد خوش بود و چون یحیی بن معاذ الرازی رحمة الله علیه از ری به نیسابور آمد و قصد بلخ کرد، احمد خواست تا وی را دعوتی کند. با فطامه مشورتی کرد که: «دعوت یحیی را چه باید؟» گفت:«چندین سر گاو و گوسفند و حوایج و توابل، و چندین شمع و عطر و با این همه نیز بیست سر خر بباید کشت.» احمد گفت: «کشتن خران چه معنی دارد؟» گفت: چون کریمی به خانهٔ کریمی میهمان باشد، نباید که سگان محلت را از آن خیر باشد؟»

و ابویزید گفت، رضی الله عنه: «من أراد أن ینظر إلی رجل من الرجال مخبو تحت لباس النسوان، فلینظر إلی فاطمة. هرکه خواهد تا مردی بیند پنهان اندر لباس زنان، گو در فاطمه نگاه کن.»
ابوحفص حداد گوید، رحمة الله علیه: «لولا احمد بن خضرویه ما ظهرت الفتوة. اگر احمد خضرویه نبودی فتوت و مروت پیدا نگشتی.»

و وی را کلام عالی و انفاس مهذب است و تصانیف مشهور اندر هر فن معاملات و ادب و نکت لایح اندر حقایق.
و از وی می آید که گفت: «الطریق واضح و الحق لائح و الداعی قد أسمع، فما التحیر بعدها الا من العمی.» راه پیداست و حق آشکارا و خواننده شنوانید، اندر این محل، تحیر به جز از نابینایی نباشد؛ یعنی راه جستن خطاست؛ که راه حق چون آفتاب تابان است. تو خود را جوی تا کجایی. چون یافتی بر سر راه آیی؛ که حق ظاهرتر از آن است که در تحت طلب طالب آید.

و از وی می آید که گفت: «أستر عز فقرک.» عز درویشی خود را پنهان دار؛ یعنی با خلق مگوی که من درویشم تا سر تو آشکارا نشود؛ که آن از خدای تعالی کرامتی عظیم است.
و از وی می آید که گفت: درویشی در ماه رمضان یکی را از اغنیا دعوت کرد و اندر خانهٔ وی به جز نانی خشک گشته نبود. چون توانگر بازگشت، صره ای زر بدو فرستاد. وی آن صره نپذیرفت و گفت: «این سزای کسی است که سر خود با تو آشکارا کند و یا اغنیا را اهل عز فقر دارد.» این از صحت صدق فقر وی بود و الله اعلم.

English translation

And among them: the commander of the chivalrous ones, and the sun of Khorasan, Abu Hamid Ahmad ibn Khadrawayh al-Balkhi, may Allah be pleased with him. He was distinguished by the loftiness of his spiritual state and the nobility of his 'moment' (waqt), and in his own age he was the exemplar of the folk and approved by elite and common alike. His path was that of blame (malamat), and he dressed in the manner of soldiers. And Fatima, who was his wife, held a mighty rank in the Way. She was the daughter of the Amir of Balkh. When the desire for repentance appeared in her, she sent someone to Ahmad saying: 'Ask my father for my hand.' He did not respond. She sent again saying: 'O Ahmad, I did not reckon you a man who would waylay the path of Truth. Be a guide, not a highway robber.' Ahmad sent someone and asked her father for her hand. Her father, seeking blessing, gave her to Ahmad Khadrawayh, and Fatima abandoned worldly preoccupation and dwelt in seclusion with Ahmad, until Ahmad resolved to visit Khwaja Bayazid. Fatima went with him. When she came before Bayazid, she lifted the veil from her face and spoke boldly with him. Ahmad was astonished at that, and jealousy overcame his heart. He said: 'O Fatima, what boldness was that of yours with Bayazid?' She said: 'Because you are the confidant of my nature, and he is the confidant of my Way. Through you I attain to passion, and through him I attain to God; and the proof of this is that he is independent of my company, while you are in need of it.' And she continued to be bold with Bayazid, until one day Bayazid's eye fell upon Fatima's hand and saw it dyed with henna. He said: 'O Fatima, why have you dyed your hand with henna?' She said: 'O Bayazid, until this moment, when you had not seen my hand and my henna, I was at ease with you. Now that your eye has fallen upon my hand, our companionship has become forbidden.' And from there they returned and settled in Nishapur, and the people of Nishapur and its shaykhs were on good terms with Ahmad. And when Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi, may Allah's mercy be upon him, came from Ray to Nishapur and intended to go on to Balkh, Ahmad wished to hold a banquet for him. He consulted with Fatima, saying: 'What should the banquet for Yahya require?' She said: 'So many head of cattle and sheep, and provisions and spices, and so many candles and perfume; and besides all this, twenty donkeys must also be slaughtered.' Ahmad said: 'What is the meaning of slaughtering donkeys?' She said: 'When a generous man is a guest in the house of a generous man, should the dogs of the quarter not have their share of that bounty?' And Abu Yazid said, may Allah be pleased with him: 'Whoever wishes to look upon a man among men hidden beneath the garments of women, let him look upon Fatima.' Abu Hafs al-Haddad said, may Allah's mercy be upon him: 'Were it not for Ahmad ibn Khadrawayh, chivalry (futuwwa) would not have appeared. Had Ahmad Khadrawayh not been, chivalry and manliness would not have become manifest.' And he had lofty speech and refined utterances, and famous compositions in every branch of the practices, and refinement, and subtle points shining forth in the realities. And it is related from him that he said: 'The road is clear, the Truth is manifest, and the summoner has made himself heard; so what is bewilderment after this except from blindness?' The road is evident, the Truth is manifest, and the caller has made you hear; in this station, bewilderment is nothing but blindness — that is, to seek the road is an error, for the road of Truth is like the shining sun. Seek yourself, to find where you are; when you have found it, you arrive upon the road; for the Truth is more manifest than to fall under the seeking of a seeker. And it is related from him that he said: 'Conceal the glory of your poverty.' Keep hidden the glory of your dervishhood — that is, do not tell people 'I am a dervish,' so that your secret is not exposed; for that is a great honor from God the Exalted. And it is related from him that: a certain dervish, during the month of Ramadan, was invited by one of the wealthy, and in his house there was nothing but dry, hardened bread. When the wealthy man returned, he sent him a purse of gold. He did not accept the purse and said: 'This is the reward of one who exposes his secret to you, or holds the wealthy to be worthy of the glory of poverty.' This was from the soundness of the truthfulness of his poverty. And Allah knows best.

Updated 2026-07-20

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