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بخش ۳۰ - و امّا الخفیفیّة / Section 30 - And As for the Khafifiyya

Original content

خفیفیان تولا به ابی عبدالله محمدبن خفیف کنند. و وی از کبرای سادات این طایفه بوده است و از عزیزان وقت رضی الله عنه و عن جمیع أسلافهم و عالم به علوم ظاهری و باطنی و وی را تصانیف معروف است اندر فنون علم این طریقت و مناقبش اشهر آن است که کلیت آن احصا توان کرد فی الجمله، مردی عزیز روزگار و عزیز نفس بود و معرض از شهوات نفسانی.
و شنیدم که چهارصد نکاح کرده بود و آن از آن بوده بود که وی از ابنای ملوک بود. و چون توبه کرد، مردم شیراز بدو تقرب بسیار کردندی و چون حالش بزرگ شد بنات ملوک و رؤسا مر تبرک را خواستندی تا با وی عقد کنند و وی قبول کری و قبل الدخول طلاق دادی. اما چهل زن پراکنده اندر عمر وی دوگان و سه گاه خادمان فراش وی بودند و یکی را از ایشان با وی چهل سال صحبت بوده بود و آن دختر وزیری بود.

شنیدم از شیخ بوالحسن علی بکران الشیرازی رحمةالله علیه که: روزی از زنانی که به حکم وی بوده بودند هر یک از وی حکایتی می کردند. جمله متفق شدند که ایشان شیخ را اندر خلوت به حکم اسباب شهوت هرگز ندیده بودند وسواسی اندر دل هر یک پدیدار آمد و متعجب شدند و پیش از آن هر یک پنداشته بودند که او بدان مخصوص است. گفتند: «از سر صحبت وی به جز دختر وزیر خبر ندارد؛ که سالهاست تا اندر صحبت وی است و دوست ترین زنان بر وی اوست.» دو کس را از میان خود اختیار کردند و بدو فرستادند که: «شیخ را با تو انبساط بیشتر بوده است، باید که ما را از سر صحبت وی آگاه کنی.» گفت: «چون شیخ مرا اندر حکم خود آورد، کسی بیامد که: شیخ امشب به خانهٔتو خواهد آمد. من طبخ های خوب بساختم و مر زینت و زیب خود را تکلف کردم. چون بیامد، طعامی بیاوردند و مرا بخواندند. زمانی اندر من نگریست و زمانی اندر طعام. آنگاه دست من بگرفت و به آستین خود اندر کشید. از سینهٔ وی تا ناف پانزده عقده افتاده بود. گفت: ای دختر وزیر، بپرس که این چه عقده هاست. بپرسیدمش. گفت: این همه لهب و شدت صبر است که گره بسته است. از چنین روی و از چنین طعام صبر کرده ام این بگفت و برخاست. بیشترین گستاخی های وی با من این بوده است.
و طراز مذهب وی اندر تصوف غیبت و حضور است و عبارت از آن کند و من به مقدار قوت بیان آن را بیارم، إن شاء الله العزیز.

English translation

The Khafifiyya take their allegiance from Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Khafif. He was among the great masters of this order and among the honored ones of his time, may Allah be pleased with him and with all their predecessors. He was learned in both the outward and inward sciences, and he has well-known compositions in the branches of the knowledge of this Path. His virtues are too renowned for their totality to be fully enumerated. In sum, he was a man precious in his age and precious in soul, turning away from the lusts of the carnal self.

And I heard that he had contracted four hundred marriages, and that was because he was of the sons of kings. When he repented, the people of Shiraz sought closeness to him greatly, and when his station became great, the daughters of kings and chiefs sought, for the sake of blessing, to be wedded to him. He would accept and then divorce them before consummation. But forty women, scattered throughout his life, were, two or three at a time, the servants of his bedchamber, and one of them had kept his company for forty years, and she was the daughter of a vizier.

I heard from Shaykh Bu al-Hasan Ali Bakran al-Shirazi, may Allah's mercy be upon him, that: One day, of the women who had been under his authority, each was telling a tale about him. They all agreed that they had never seen the Shaykh, in private, given over to the causes of lust. A doubt arose in each one's heart and they were astonished, for before that each had supposed that she alone was singled out for that.

They said: 'Of the secret of his company none knows save the vizier's daughter, for it is years that she has been in his company, and she is the most beloved of women to him.' They chose two persons from among themselves and sent them to her, saying: 'The Shaykh has had greater intimacy with you; you must inform us of the secret of his company.'

She said: 'When the Shaykh brought me under his authority, someone came saying: The Shaykh will come to your house tonight. I prepared fine dishes and adorned and beautified myself with care. When he came, they brought food and summoned me. For a time he gazed at me and for a time at the food. Then he took my hand and drew it into his sleeve. From his breast to his navel fifteen knots had formed. He said: O daughter of the vizier, ask what these knots are. I asked him. He said: All these are the flame and severity of patience that has tied itself into knots. From such a face and from such food I have exercised patience. He said this and rose. This has been the utmost of his boldness with me.'

The hallmark of his doctrine in Sufism is that of absence and presence, and he expresses it thus; and I shall set it forth to the measure of my power of exposition, if Allah the Mighty wills.

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Updated 2026-07-20

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course

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