1Cademy - بخش ۶۲ - ذکر شیخ علی سهل اصفهانی قدس الله روحه العزیز / Section 62 - Mention of Sheikh Ali Sahl Isfahani, May Allah Sanctify His Glorious Soul

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تذکرة الأولیاء / Memorial of the Saints

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بخش ۶۲ - ذکر شیخ علی سهل اصفهانی قدس الله روحه العزیز / Section 62 - Mention of Sheikh Ali Sahl Isfahani, May Allah Sanctify His Glorious Soul

Original content

آن خواجهٔ درویش آن حاضر بی خویش آن دانند غیوب آن بینندهٔ عیوب آن خزانهٔ حقایق و معانی شیخ علی سهل اصفهانی رحمةالله علیه پس بزرگ ومعتبر بود و ازکبار مشایخ بود وجنید را بوی مکاتبات لطیف است و صاحب بوتراب بود و سخن او در حقایق عظیم بلند بود و معاملات و ریاضات او کامل و بیانی شافی داشت در طریقت عمرو بن عثمان مکی به زیارت او باصفهان شد و سی هزار درم وام داشت و علی سهل همه وام او بگزارد و سخن اوست که گفت: شتافتن به خدمت و طاعت از علامات توفیق بود و ازمخالفات بازداشتن از علامات رعایت بود و مراعات اسرار از علامات بیداری و بدعوی بیرون آمدن از رعنایی بشریت بود و هر که در بدایت ارادت درست نکرده است در نهایت عافیت و سلامت نیابد.
گفتند در معنی یافت سخن بگوی گفت: هر که پندارد که نزدیکتر است او بحقیقت بعیدتر است چنانکه آفتاب بروزنی می افتد کودکان خواهند که تاآن ذره ها بگیرند دست برکنند پندارند که در قبضهٔ ایشان آید چوندست باز کنند هیچ نبینند.

و گفت: حضور بحق فاضلتر از یقین بحق از آنکه حضور در دل بود و غفلت بر آن روا نباشد و یقین حاضری بود که گاه بیاید و گاه برود و حاضران در پیشگاه باشند و موقنان بر درگاه.
و گفت: غافلان در حکم خدای زندگانی می کنند وذاکران در رحمت خدای و عارفان در قرب خدای.

و گفت: حرام است کسی را که او را می خواند و می داند و با چیزی دیگر آرام گیرد.
و گفت: بر شما باد که پرهیز کنید از غرور به حسن اعمال با فساد باطن اسرار یعنی ابلیس چنین بود.

و گفت: توانگری التماس کردم در علم یافتم و فخر التماس کردم در خاموشی یافتم و راحت التماس کردم در ناامیدی یافتم.
و گفت: از وقت آدم علیه السلام تا قیام ساعت آدمیان ازدل گفتند و می گویند و من کس می خواهم که مرا وصیت کند که دل چیست یا چگونه است و نمی یابم.

پرسیدند از حقیقت توحید گفت: نزدیک است از آنجا که گمانهاست اما دور است از حقایق.
نقلست که او گفت: که شما می پندارید که مرگ من چون مرگ شما خواهدبود که بیمار شوید و مردمان بعیادت آیند مرا بخوانند اجابت کنم روزی می رفت گفت: لبیک و سر بنهاد شیخ مزین گفت: من گفتم او را که بگوی لا اله الا الله تبسمی بکرد و مرا گرفت با من می گوئی که کلمه بگوی بعزت او که در میان من و او نیست الا حجاب عزت وجان بداد ابوالحسن مزین بعد از آن محاسن خود بگرفتی و گفتی چون من حجامی اولیاء خدای را شهادت تلقین می کند و اخجلنا و بگریستی رحمة الله علیه.

English translation

That master of the dervishes, that present one who is self-effaced, that knower of the unseen, that observer of faults, that treasury of truths and meanings, Sheikh Ali Sahl Isfahani, may Allah have mercy upon him, was great and reputable, and was among the grand sheikhs. Junayd had subtle correspondence with him, and he was a companion of Abu Turab. His speech on ultimate realities was highly elevated, his spiritual transactions and self-mortifications were complete, and he possessed a healing exposition in the Path. Amr bin Uthman al-Makki went to visit him in Isfahan, carrying a debt of thirty thousand dirhams, and Ali Sahl paid off all of his debt. And it is his saying: 'Hastening to service and obedience is a sign of divine support, refraining from opposition is a sign of watchfulness, guarding the secrets is a sign of wakefulness, and advancing claims is from the vanity of human nature. And whoever has not made his initial aspiration sound will not find well-being and safety in the end.'

They said, 'Speak on the meaning of finding (yaft).' He said, 'Whoever deems himself closer to the Truth is actually further from it, just as when the sun shines through a crevice, children wish to catch the dust motes; they stretch out their hands, thinking they will capture them in their grasp, but when they open their hands, they see nothing.'

And he said, 'Presence with the Truth (hudur) is more virtuous than certainty of the Truth (yaqin), because presence is in the heart, and heedlessness cannot overtake it, while certainty is a visitor that comes at times and goes at others. Those who are present dwell in the court, while those of certainty stand at the gate.'

And he said, 'The heedless live under the decree of God, the rememberers live in the mercy of God, and the gnostics live in the proximity of God.'

And he said, 'It is forbidden for anyone who calls upon Him and knows Him to find rest in anything else.'

And he said, 'It is incumbent upon you to beware of pride in the goodness of deeds while the inner secret is corrupt, for indeed Iblis was thus.'

And he said, 'I sought wealth, and I found it in knowledge; I sought pride, and I found it in silence; I sought comfort, and I found it in hopelessness.'

And he said, 'From the time of Adam, peace be upon him, until the standing of the Hour, mankind has spoken and speaks of the heart, and I seek someone who would counsel me as to what the heart is or how it is, yet I do not find anyone.'

They asked him about the reality of monotheism (tawhid). He said, 'It is near from the perspective of conjectures, but far from the realities.'

It is related that he said, 'Do you think my death will be like your death, where you fall ill and people come to visit you? When I am summoned, I shall answer.' One day he was walking; he said, 'Labbayk' and laid down his head. Sheikh Muzayyin said, 'I said to him: Say, There is no god but Allah. He smiled and said to me: Are you telling me to say the word? By His Glory, there is nothing between me and Him except the veil of Glory. And he surrendered his soul.' After that, Abu'l-Hasan al-Muzayyin would hold his beard and say, 'How can a barber like me dictate the testimony of faith to the saints of God? He has put us to shame,' and he would weep. May Allah have mercy upon him.

Updated 2026-07-02

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