1Cademy - بخش ۲۵ - ذکر احمد حرب قدس الله روحه / Section 25 - Mention of Ahmad Harb, May Allah Sanctify His Soul

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بخش ۲۵ - ذکر احمد حرب قدس الله روحه / Section 25 - Mention of Ahmad Harb, May Allah Sanctify His Soul

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آن متین مقام مکنت، آن امین و امام سنت، آن زاهد زهاد، آن قبله عباد، آن قدوه شرق و غرب، پیر خراسان، احمد حرب رحمةالله علیه، فضیلت او بسیار است و در ورع همتا نداشت، و در عبادت بی مثل بود و معتقد فیه بود تا به حدی که یحیی معاذ رازی رحمةالله علیه وصیت کرده بود که سر من برپای او نهید. و در تقوی تا به حدی بود که در ابتدا مادرش مرغی بریان کرده بود. گفت: بخور که در خانه خود پرورده ام، و در او هیچ شبهت نیست.
احمد گفت: روزی به بام همسایه برشد و از آن بام دانه ای چند بخورد و آن همسایه لشکری بود، حلق مرا نشاید.

و گفته اند که دو احمد بوده اند در نیشابور. یکی همه در دین و یکی همه در دنیا. یکی را احمد حرب گفته اند، و یکی را احمد بازرگان. این احمد به صفتی بوده است که چندان ذکر بر وی غالب بود که مزین می خواست که موی لب او را ست کند، او لب می جنبانید. گفتش: چندان توقف کن که این مویت راست کنم.
گفتی: تو به شغل خویش مشغول باش. تا هر باری چند جای از لب او بریده شده.

وقتی کی نامه ای نوشت به او. مدتی دراز می خواست که جواب نامه باز نویسد، وقت نمی یافت تا یک روز موذن بانگ نماز می گفت. در میان قامت یکی را گفت: جواب نامه دوست بازنویس و بگوی تا بیش نامه ننویسد که ما را فراغت جواب نیست. بنویس که به خدای مشغول باش والسلام.
و احمد بازرگان چندان حب دنیا بر وی غالب بود که از کنیزک خود طعامی خواست. کنیزک طعامی ساخت و به نزدیک وی آورد و بنهاد واو حسابی می کرد. تا به حدی رسید که شبانگاه شد و خوابش ببرد، تا بامداد بیدار شد. پرسیدکه : ای کنیزک! آن طعام نساختی؟

گفت: ساختم. توبه حساب مشغول بودی.
بار دیگر بساخت و به نزدیک او آورد. باز هم فراغت نیافت که بخوردی.

بار سوم بساخت و باز هم اتفاق نیافت. کنیزک برفت وی را خفته یافت. پاره ای طعام بر لب وی مالید. بیدار شد. گفت: طشت بیار. پنداشت که طعام خورده است.
نقل است که احمد حرب فرزندی را برتوکل راست می کرد. گفت: هرگاه که طعامت باید یا چیزی دیگر بدین روزن رو و بگوی بار خدایا! مرا نان می باید.

پس هرگاه که کودک بدان موضع رفتی چنان ساخته بودند که آنچه او خواستی در آن روزن افگندی. یک روز همه از خانه غایب بودند. کودک را گرسنگی غالب شد. بر عادت خود به زیر روزن آمد و گفت: ای بار خدای! نانم می باید و فلان چیز.
درآن حال در آن روزن به او رسانیدند. اهل خانه بیامدند، وی را دیدند نشسته و چیزی می خورد. گفتند: این از کجا آوردی؟

گفت: از آنکسی که هرروز می داد.
بدانستند که این طریق او را مسلم شد.

نقل است که یکی از بزرگان گفت: به مجلس احمد حرب بگذشتم، مساله ای برزبان وی رفت و دل من روشن شد، چون آفتاب، چهل سال است. تا در آن ذوق مانده ام و از دل من محو نمی شود.
و احمد مرید یحیی بن یحیی بود واو باغی داشت. یک روز اندکی انگور بخورد. احمد گفت: چرا می خوری؟ گفت: این باغ ملک منست.

گفت: در ین دیه یک شبانه روز آب وقف است و مردمان این را گوش نمی دارند.
یحیی بن یحیی توبه کرد که بیش از آن باغ انگور نخورم.

نقل است که صومعه ای داشت که هروقت در آنجا رفتی به عبادت، تا خالیتر بودی، شبی به عبادت آنجا رفته بود که بارانی عظیم می آمد. مگر اندکی دلش بخانه رفت که نباید که آب در خانه راه برد و کتب تر شود. آوازی شنود که: ای احمد! خیز به خانه رو که آنچه از توبه کار می آید به خانه فرستادیم. تو اینجا چه می کنی؟
و همان دم به دل توبه کرد.

نقل است که روزی سادات نیشابور به سلام آمده بودند. پسری داشت میخواره، و رباب می زد. از در درآمد و بر ایشان بگذشت و. . . به این جماعت نیندیشد، جمله متغیر شدند. احمد آن حال بدید. ایشان را گفت: معذور دارید که ما را شبی از خانه همسایه چیزی آوردند. بخوردیم، شب ما را صحبت افتاد، وی در وجود آمد. تفحص کردم، و مادرش به عروسی رفته بود، به خانه سلطان، و از آنجا چیزی آورد.
نقل است که احمد همسایه ای گبر داشت، بهرام نام. مگر شریکی به تجارت فرستاده بود. در راه آن مال را دزدان ببردند. خبر چون به شیخ رسید مریدان را گفت: برخیزید که همسایه ما را چنین چیزی افتاده است، تا غمخوارگی کنیم، اگر چه گبر است، همسایه است.

چون به در سرای او رسیدند بهرام آتش گبری می سوخت. پیشباز، دوید، آستین او را بوسه داد. بهرام را در خاطر آمد که مگر گرسنه اند و نان تنگ است، تا سفره بنهم. شیخ گفت: خاطر نگاه دار که ما بدان آمده ایم تا غمخوارگی کنیم که شنیده ام که مال شما دزد برده است.
گبر گفت: آری! چنان است. اما سه شکر واجب است که خدای را بکنم. یکی آنکه از من بردند، نه من از دیگری، دوم آنکه نیمه ای بردند و نیمه ای نه، سوم آنکه دین من با من است، دنیا خود آید و رود.

احمد را این سخن خوش آمد. گفت: این را بنویسید که از این سه سخن بوی مسلمانی می آید.
پس شیخ روی به بهرام کرد. گفت: این آتش را چرا می پرستی؟

گفت: تا مرا نسوزد، دیگر آنکه امروز چندین هیزم بدو دادم، فردا بی وفایی نکند تا مرا به خدای رساند.
شیخ گفت: عظیم غلطی کرده ای آتش ضعیف است و جاهل و بی وفا. هر حساب که از او برگرفته ای باطل است که اگر طفلی پاره ای آب بدو ریزد بمیرد. کسی که چنین ضعیف بود تو را به چنان قوی کی تواند رسانید؟ کسی که قوت آن ندارد که پاره ای خاک از خود دفع کند تو را به حق چگونه تواند رسانید. دیگر آنکه جاهل است. اگر مشک و نجاست در وی اندازی بسوزد و نداند که یکی بهتر است، و از اینجاست که از نجاست و عود فرق نکند. دیگر تو هفتاد سال است تا او را می پرستی و هرگز من نپرستیده ام. بیا تا هر دو دست در آتش کنیم تا مشاهده کنی که هر دو را بسوزد و وفای تو نگاه ندارد.

گبر را این سخن در دل افتاد. چهار مسئله بپرسم. اگر جواب دهی ایمان آورم. بگوی که حق تعالی چرا خلق آفرید؟ چون آفرید چرا رزق داد و چرا میرانید؟ و چون میرانید چرا برانگیزد؟
گفت: بیافرید تا او را بنده باشد، و رزق داد تا او را به رزاقی بشناسند، و بمیرانید تا او را به قهاری بشناسند، و زنده گردانید تا او را به قادری و عالمی بشناسند.

بهرام چون این بشنید گفت: اشهد ان لا اله الا الله و اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله.
چون وی مسلمان گشت شیخ نعره بزد و بیهوش شود. ساعتی بود بهوش بازآمد. گفتند: یا شیخ! سبب این چه بود؟

گفت: در این ساعت که انگشت شهادت بگشادی در سرم ندا کردند که احمد بهرام هفتاد سال در گبری بود. ایمان آورد تو هفتاد سال در مسلمانی گذاشته ای تا عاقبت چه خواهی آورد؟
نقل است که احمد در عمر خود شبی نخفته بود. گفتند: آخر لحظه ای بیاسای.

گفت: کسی را که بهشت از بالا می آرایند و دوزخ در نشیب او می تابد و او نداند که از اهل کدام است، این جایگاه، چگونه خواب آیدش.
و سخن اوست که: کاشکی بدانمی، که مرا دشمن می دارد، و که غیبت می کند، و که بد می گوید تا من اورا سیم و زر فرستادمی. به آخر کار که چون کار من می کند از مال من خرج کند.

و گفت: از خدای بترسید. چندانکه بتوانید و طاعتش بدارید. چندانکه بتوانید و گوش دارید تا دنیا شما را فریفته نکند، تا چنانکه گذشتگان به بلا مبتلا شدند، شما نشوید.

English translation

That steadfast one in the station of power, that trustee and leader of the Sunnah, that ascetic of ascetics, that focus of worshippers, that exemplar of East and West, the elder of Khorasan, Ahmad Harb, may God have mercy upon him. His virtue was immense, and he had no equal in piety, and was peerless in worship, and was so highly regarded that Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi, may God have mercy upon him, had willed: "Place my head at his feet." And in piety, he was to such an extent that in the beginning, his mother had roasted a chicken. She said: "Eat, for I have raised it in our own house, and there is no doubt about it." Ahmad said: "One day it went onto the neighbor's roof and ate a few seeds from there, and that neighbor was a soldier; it is not fit for my throat."

And it is said that there were two Ahmads in Nishapur: one entirely in religion and one entirely in the world. One was called Ahmad Harb, and the other was called Ahmad the Merchant. This Ahmad was of such a character that remembrance (dhikr) was so dominant in him that when the barber wanted to trim his mustache, he kept moving his lips. The barber said to him: "Wait a moment so that I may trim this hair of yours." He would reply: "You occupy yourself with your work." Consequently, each time, his lip was cut in several places.

Once, someone wrote a letter to him. For a long time, he wanted to write a reply but could not find the time. Until one day, the muezzin was calling to prayer. Between the call and the start of prayer (iqamah), he said to someone: "Write a reply to my friend's letter and tell him not to write letters anymore, for we have no leisure to reply. Write: 'Occupy yourself with God, and peace.'"

And Ahmad the Merchant was so dominated by the love of the world that he asked his slave-girl for food. The girl prepared food, brought it to him, and placed it down, but he was busy calculating accounts. It reached the point where night fell and he went to sleep, only waking up in the morning. He asked: "O girl! Did you not prepare that food?" She said: "I did. You were occupied with your accounts." He had it made again and brought to him. Again, he found no leisure to eat it. A third time she prepared it, and again it did not happen. The girl went and found him asleep. She rubbed a bit of the food on his lips. He woke up and said: "Bring the basin." He thought he had eaten the food.

It is related that Ahmad Harb was raising a child to rely upon God (tawakkul). He told him: "Whenever you need food or anything else, go to this window and say: 'O Lord! I need bread.'" So, whenever the child went to that spot, they had arranged it so that whatever he requested was dropped through that window. One day, everyone was absent from the house. The child was overcome by hunger. According to his custom, he came beneath the window and said: "O Lord! I need bread and such-and-such." At that moment, they delivered it to him through the window. The household members returned and saw him sitting and eating something. They asked: "Where did you get this from?" He said: "From the one who gives it every day." They realized that this path of reliance had become real for him.

It is related that one of the elders said: "I passed by the gathering of Ahmad Harb; a question was uttered by him, and my heart was illuminated like the sun. It has been forty years since, and I still remain in that delight, and it has not been erased from my heart."

And Ahmad was a disciple of Yahya ibn Yahya, who owned a garden. One day Yahya ate a few grapes. Ahmad said: "Why do you eat them?" Yahya said: "This garden is my property." Ahmad said: "In this village, the water of one day and night is endowed (waqf), and people do not observe this." Yahya ibn Yahya repented and vowed: "I shall never eat grapes from that garden again."

It is related that he had a hermitage where he would go for worship, to be more solitary. One night he went there for worship, and a great rain was falling. A slight thought crossed his mind about his house, fearing that water might leak inside and wet his books. He heard a voice saying: "O Ahmad! Arise and go home, for that which we require of your deeds we have sent home. What are you doing here?" And at that very moment, he repented in his heart.

It is related that one day the nobles of Nishapur came to greet him. He had a son who was a wine-drinker and played the lute (rabab). The son entered through the door, passed by them, and did not pay any heed to this group. They were all disturbed. Ahmad saw this situation and said to them: "Excuse us, for one night something was brought to us from a neighbor's house, which we ate. That night we lay together, and he came into existence. I investigated, and his mother had gone to a wedding at the sultan's palace and brought something from there."

It is related that Ahmad had a Zoroastrian neighbor named Bahram. Bahram had sent a partner for trade. On the way, thieves stole that wealth. When the news reached the Sheikh, he said to his disciples: "Arise, for such a thing has happened to our neighbor, let us offer sympathy, for though he is a Zoroastrian, he is a neighbor." When they reached the door of his house, Bahram was burning his fire. He ran forward and kissed the Sheikh's sleeve. It occurred to Bahram that perhaps they were hungry and short of bread, so he should lay a table. The Sheikh said: "Be at ease, for we have come to sympathize, as I heard that thieves took your wealth." The Zoroastrian said: "Yes, that is so. But there are three things for which I must thank God. First, that they stole from me, and I did not steal from another. Second, that they took half and not the other half. Third, that my religion is still with me; the world comes and goes." Ahmad liked this speech. He said: "Write this down, for from these three statements comes the scent of Islam."

Then the Sheikh turned to Bahram and said: "Why do you worship this fire?" Bahram said: "So that it does not burn me, and also because I gave it so much firewood today, it will not be unfaithful tomorrow and will lead me to God." The Sheikh said: "You have made a great mistake. Fire is weak, ignorant, and unfaithful. Any calculation you have based on it is void. If a child pours a little water on it, it dies. How can something so weak bring you to the Almighty? How can one who lacks the strength to remove a handful of dirt from itself bring you to the Truth? Furthermore, it is ignorant. If you throw musk and filth into it, it burns them and does not know which one is better, and thus does not distinguish between filth and aloeswood. Moreover, you have worshipped it for seventy years, and I have never worshipped it. Come, let us both put our hands in the fire so that you may witness that it burns both of us and does not preserve its faithfulness to you."

These words touched the Zoroastrian's heart. He said: "I will ask four questions. If you answer them, I will accept the faith. Tell me, why did Almighty God create creation? Once He created them, why did He provide sustenance for them? Why did He cause them to die? And once He caused them to die, why will He resurrect them?" Ahmad said: "He created them so that they might be His servants; He provided sustenance so that they might recognize Him as the Provider; He caused them to die so that they might recognize Him as the Subduer (al-Qahhar); and He resurrected them so that they might recognize Him as All-Powerful and All-Knowing." When Bahram heard this, he said: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

When he became a Muslim, the Sheikh uttered a cry and fell unconscious. After an hour he came to his senses. They asked: "O Sheikh! What was the reason for this?" He said: "At the moment you raised your finger in testimony (shahadah), a voice called in my head: 'O Ahmad, Bahram was in unbelief for seventy years and accepted the faith. You have spent seventy years in Islam; what will you bring at the end of your life?'"

It is related that Ahmad had never slept a night in his life. They said to him: "At least rest for a moment." He said: "For someone for whom Paradise is being adorned above, and Hell is blazing below, and he does not know to which of the two he belongs, how can sleep come to him in this place?"

And it is his saying: "I wish I knew who holds enmity toward me, backbites me, and speaks ill of me, so that I might send him silver and gold; for in the end, since he is doing my work, he should spend from my wealth." And he said: "Fear God as much as you can, and obey Him as much as you can, and listen so that the world does not deceive you, lest you be afflicted with calamity as those before you were."

Updated 2026-07-02

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