Examples of Mu'awiya's Social Boycott of the Shi'a

The Messenger of God (s) said: “Ali is touched in the essence of God (1). Ali was the first person who prayed with me while people were heedless (2). Ali is the first person who will be raised with me (3). Ali is the first person who will cross the Sirat with me (4). Ali is the first person who will arrive at my Pond; he will give his friends to drink from it and will drive his enemies away.”

Ali is with me when I stand at the Praiseworthy Station and intercede (5). Ali is the first person who will enter Paradise, and in his hands will be my banner, the Banner of Praise (6). Ali is the one who speaks with my speech (7). Ali is the master of this community after me (8). Ali is the first person who believed in me and affirmed me (9). Ali is the first person who helped me and fought my enemies (10).

Ali is the one about whom God joined light to light, meaning Fatima to Ali (11). Love for Ali is the title of the believer's record (12). Mentioning Ali adorns the gatherings of believers. In every gathering where the virtues of Ali (a) are mentioned, angels descend, circle that gathering, and at its end ascend to heaven. The angels of heaven say: we have never smelled a fragrance like yours. They answer: we were with a group of earth's people who were praising Ali (a). The angels of heaven say: take us to that gathering. They are told: the gathering has dispersed. The angels say: take us to the place where Ali (a) was mentioned so that we may become fragrant from that place (13).

Remembering Ali is worship, and looking at him is worship (14). Ali among the community is like the Kaaba: looking at it is worship and pilgrimage toward it is obligatory (15). Ali is my legatee; Ali is the most learned of my community after me (16). Ali is the only person whose house has the right to open into the mosque (17). Ali is from me and I am from Ali, and no one fulfills my religion except me or Ali (18).

God placed my progeny in Ali's loins, while every prophet's progeny was in his own loins (19). Ali is the Commander of the Faithful; Ali is the master of the Muslims; Ali is the mine of my knowledge (20). Ali, Commander of the Faithful, is a name written around God's Throne (21). Ali is with the truth, and the truth is with Ali; the truth turns around Ali (22). Ali is the gate of the city of knowledge, and I am the city of knowledge (23).

Ali is with the Qur'an, and the Qur'an is with Ali, and they will never separate from one another (24). Ali is like my own self. Disobeying him is disobeying me; war against him is war against God. Ali's party is God's party, and the party of his enemies is Satan's party (25). Ali is my brother in this world and the next (26). Ali is entrusted with my secret and the secret of the Lord of the worlds (27). Ali is the divider of Paradise and Hell (28).

Ali is the leader of the believers (29). If Ali did not exist, hypocrites would not be distinguished from believers (30). Ali has no equal in my community (31). Through love for Ali, the righteous are distinguished from the wicked, the evil from the good, and the believer from the unbeliever (32).

Only those who love Ali enter Paradise, and only those who hate Ali enter Hell (33). O Ali, you will be oppressed after me (34). The first breach and fracture in Islam was opposition to Ali, and the first right established in Islam was following Ali (35).

The call of Gabriel and the angels of heaven is: “There is no sword but Dhu al-Fiqar, and no youth but Ali” (36). And Ali, and Ali, and Ali... If the waters of the seas became ink, the trees of the world pens, and leaves paper, the virtues of that Imam and Commander of the Faithful would not end, though the waters of the seas would. Ali (a), who is the witness to prophethood, and whose testimony beside God's testimony suffices the Messenger of God in the matter of his mission (37).

The Commander of the Faithful is the condition for entering Paradise and for eternal felicity. In one sense, all religion is love for the Commander of the Faithful and hatred for the enemies of the Commander of the Faithful. Those who are hostile to him are undoubtedly among the hypocrites and are not people of salvation.

According to the text of the noble verse and many narrations, Ali (a) is the self of the Prophet. Every virtue and merit the Prophet possesses, Ali (a) also possesses, except prophethood, because the Prophet is the Seal of the Prophets. Therefore, turning one's back on Ali (a) is turning one's back on the Prophet, and rebelling against Ali (a) is rebelling against religion.

Ali (a) is the guardian of the Muhammadan law, and his guardianship and love are the core, marrow, and foundation of the religion of the Messenger of God. Therefore, enemies who wanted and still want to destroy religion do not merely attack outward religious forms; they target the core and foundation of religion. The more successful these enemies are in weakening this system and foundation of religion among people, the closer they come to demolishing religion and destroying the foundation of God's religion.

For this reason, throughout history the guardianship and love of the Commander of the Faithful has been one of the central matters. Some people did not abandon it even at the cost of their lives and property, while others, even at the cost of massacres and assaults on the honor and property of Muslims, tried to erase Ali's name from Muslim culture and life. The most prominent person who strove greatly in this regard was the son of Saqifa: Mu'awiya. The most important concern and final effort of this son of Saqifa, after establishing and consolidating his oppressive rule, was erasing the name of Ali (a).

Mu'awiya, son of Abu Sufyan, after sitting on the throne of kingship in 41 AH, decided to realize the great dream that his Saqifa predecessors had failed to achieve. Thus, he ordered that Ali (a) be cursed from the pulpits and employed every propaganda tool in this path.

On one side, with swords and spears, he prevented the spread of Ali's virtues and gave no one the opportunity to utter a hadith or report in praise of Ali ibn Abi Talib. On the other side, he hired some worldly people with enormous sums of money to fabricate hadiths from the Prophet against Ali (a). Likewise, in all religious ceremonies, especially Friday prayers, the preacher had to curse Ali (a). In every Muslim land, from Hijaz to Iraq and the farthest villages of Iran, this governmental decree was communicated and pursued seriously.

The policy of cursing Ali (a): Mu'awiya committed this ugly act in order to demolish religion and issued the order to curse Ali (a) and his children. This was very hard for religious people, and some of those who had not sold their religion for this world and were protected by their tribes would sometimes object to Mu'awiya openly and sometimes indirectly.

It is narrated that Mu'awiya was once seated with the elders present. A man from the people of Syria came in, stood up, delivered a sermon, and at the end cursed Ali. Those present lowered their heads. Only Ahnaf ibn Qays raised his head and said to Mu'awiya: if this speaker knew that your pleasure lay in cursing the prophets, he would curse them too. So fear God and leave Ali alone. He has now gone to God, lies alone in his grave, and is alone with his deeds. By God, his sword was drawn, his garment was pure, his opinion was chosen and pleasing, and his calamity was great and heart-rending.

Mu'awiya said: O Ahnaf, you closed your eyes and said whatever you wished. By God, you must ascend the pulpit, whether you wish or not, and curse Ali (a). Ahnaf said: if you excuse me from this, it is better for you; and if you insist, I will not do it. Mu'awiya said: get up and go to the pulpit. Ahnaf said: by God, if I go to the pulpit, I will deal with you justly.

Mu'awiya said: what will you say in justice? He replied: I will praise God and send blessings upon His Prophet, then I will say: Mu'awiya has ordered me to curse Ali. Ali and Mu'awiya differed and fought one another, and each of them claimed that he and his followers had been wronged. O people, may God forgive you; when I supplicate, say amen.

Then I will say: O God, You, Your angels, Your prophets, and all Your creation, curse the one who wronged his own side, and curse the whole group of oppressors. O God, curse them with a great curse. People, may God forgive you; say amen. O Mu'awiya, I will not add or subtract one letter from what I have said, even if my life is taken for it. Mu'awiya said: in that case, we too release you from compulsion, excuse you, and abandon sending you to the pulpit to curse (38).

Of course, in some cases someone who objected to cursing Ali (a) survived, but generally anyone who refused to curse Ali (a) was killed without any mercy.

Ibn al-Athir, concerning Abd al-Rahman ibn Hassan al-Anazi, one of the twelve great companions of Hujr ibn Adi whom Ziyad sent to Syria to Mu'awiya so that Mu'awiya could do with them as he wished, reports this meaning: Mu'awiya said to Abd al-Rahman: O brother of Rabi'a, what do you say about Ali? Abd al-Rahman said: excuse me from answering this question; that is better for you. Mu'awiya said: by God, I will not pass over this and will not leave you.

Abd al-Rahman answered: I testify that Ali (a) was among those who remembered God much, commanded truth, judged with justice, and pardoned people often. After this exchange of questions and answers between him and Abd al-Rahman, Mu'awiya sent him back to Kufa to Ziyad and ordered Ziyad to destroy him in the worst and most horrible way. Ziyad buried him alive (39).

The social boycott of the Shi'a by Mu'awiya and the spread of false narrations: In al-Ihtijaj it is reported that Mu'awiya wrote to all his officials in every land that they should not accept the testimony of any of the Shi'a of Ali and his Household. They were to seek the Shi'a of Uthman, his lovers, his household, and the people of loyalty to him; they were to draw near to the gatherings of narrators of Uthman's merits and virtues, provide means of closeness to them, honor them, and record the names of those who narrated his virtues along with their fathers' names and tribes.

They did exactly this, until narrations about Uthman's virtues became numerous. These narrations were produced for the gifts, garments, and lands that were given to them by Arabs and non-Arabs. Such people multiplied in the cities, strove to acquire houses and lands, and worldly life expanded for them. There was no one who narrated praise or merit about Uthman except that his name was written down, he was brought near, and he received a reward. People remained in this state for a long time.

Fabricating narrations about Mu'awiya's virtues: Then Mu'awiya wrote to his officials that hadith about Uthman had become abundant and widespread; now call people to narrate reports about the virtues and precedents of Mu'awiya, for this is more beloved and pleasing to us and more crushing and severe against the proof of the Household (a).

So each of his governors and judges read the text of the letter to the people. The people then began from the pulpits, in every village and mosque, to weave narrations about Mu'awiya's virtues. They dictated these to schoolteachers to teach children just as they taught the Qur'an, until they taught them even to girls, women, and their servants. Thus, a period passed over the people in this manner.

Killing and mutilating the lovers of Ali (a): Ziyad ibn Abih wrote a letter to Mu'awiya about the Hadramis, saying that they believed in Ali's religion and view. Mu'awiya wrote back: kill all supporters and adherents of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ziyad then put them to the sword and mutilated them. Then Mu'awiya wrote to the whole country that anyone proven to be among the lovers of Ali should have his name erased from the register of stipends.

Exterminating the Shi'a and the lovers of Ali (a): In another letter, Mu'awiya said to kill, without witness, every person accused of Shi'ism. At this point the Shi'a were killed merely on the basis of accusation, suspicion, and doubt wherever they were, to the point that if a mistaken word came out of a man's mouth, his neck would be struck, while if someone was known for heresy and unbelief, he would be respected and no one would bother him.

The Shi'a had no security anywhere, especially in Kufa and Basra. The situation reached the point that if one Shi'a wanted to have a private conversation with his friend, he feared that friend's servant and slave, and would not speak a hadith except after severe oaths and covenants. This matter became more severe day by day, and children were raised in this way (40).

Abu Uthman narrated that a group from Banu Umayya said to Mu'awiya: O Commander of the Faithful, you have reached your desire; you claimed the caliphate of the Prophet and your rule is now established. What would happen if you stopped cursing this man? Mu'awiya answered: No, by God, I will continue this act until children grow up on it, become old, and elders become bent-backed old men, until no trace remains of any mention or memory of Ali's virtues (41).

Mu'awiya succeeded in this effort and was able truly to put into practice the preplanned policy of the people of Saqifa. For sixty years, on pulpits, in markets, alleys, and all official and unofficial gatherings, this great insult was made against the Commander of the Faithful (a).

Perhaps the bitterest events in Islamic history and the darkest pages of history after Saqifa are the thousand months of Umayyad rule, events that pens write down as though weeping. It was a period in which cursing Ali became an emphasized and unquestioned custom among the people of the Islamic world, to the point that children grew up on this basis, married, and raised their later generations on this filthy Umayyad custom.

During this period, the one who according to the noble verse of the Qur'an was the self of the Prophet (42), the defender of the Messenger of God in every time, the gate of the Messenger's city of knowledge, the mine of the Prophet's knowledge, and the boundless ocean of divine knowledge, became hated among people. Hatred of him was mixed with the flesh and blood of people whose childhood lullaby was cursing Ali (a), and who grew up with this satanic whisper.

The generations born after that history, who would make the future history of society, grew up on this basis, became familiar with this slogan, and repeated it automatically. This had an effect on the minds of worldly, greedy, and simple-minded people. One day a man stopped al-Hajjaj to complain and said: my relatives have wronged me, they have disowned me, and they named me Ali. I ask you for help and for a change of name. Al-Hajjaj changed his name and said: because you chose a good means of expressing hatred for Ali in seeking help, I assign such-and-such position to you; go and take it (43).

In Mu'awiya's time, anyone who disobeyed this order was killed in the most horrible way. Among such cases is the martyrdom of Hujr and twelve of his companions by Ziyad and Mu'awiya. When Ziyad asked him to go to the pulpit and curse Ali, Hujr went up to the pulpit and said: O people, this ruler of yours has ordered me to go to the pulpit and curse Ali. O people, curse this ruler, Ziyad. The people cursed Ziyad.

These forms of resistance were broken in Mu'awiya's time, and many Shi'a were exterminated, until not cursing Ali became the best proof for killing and torturing someone. Confronting opponents of this policy was not limited only to the Shi'a; many Sunni elders too were killed by Mu'awiya or his successors because they disobeyed this order.

This matter shows the dangerous current that Mu'awiya set in motion and that continued strongly for years. Even today, the effects of this current can be observed in takfiri Islam, the remnant of the Umayyads, in the form of massacres and the destruction of blessed shrines.

Killing al-Nasa'i for narrating the virtues of the Commander of the Faithful (a): Al-Nasa'i is among the most prominent Sunni scholars and hadith masters, and his Sunan is counted among the six authentic Sunni books. Al-Mizzi introduces him by saying: “He was one of the distinguished leaders, firm preservers, and famous great men” (44). Ibn Kathir also says about him: “The imam of his age, one who surpassed his colleagues, peers, and the great men of his time; and he traveled to various cities” (45).

He wrote a book called Khasa'is Amir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), in which he narrated the virtues of the Commander of the Faithful (a). His motive for writing this book was that when he entered Damascus, he saw that people hated Ali (a) and spoke ill of him. So he began writing this book. As the Salafi Ibn Kathir writes: “He wrote the book al-Khasa'is on the superiority of Ali and his Household because in the year 302 he saw the people of Damascus hating Ali” (46).

But because the people of Damascus, following the very custom founded by Mu'awiya, had become accustomed to speaking ill of the Commander of the Faithful (a) and had grown up with hatred of him, they could not tolerate someone writing a book about his virtues in which no trace of Mu'awiya's virtues appeared. Therefore, they asked al-Nasa'i to write a book about Mu'awiya's virtues as well. When they encountered al-Nasa'i's resistance, they beat him so severely that he died.

Ibn al-Jawzi and many other Sunni elders say about the cause of al-Nasa'i's killing: At the end of his life, al-Nasa'i went from Egypt to Damascus. There he was asked about Mu'awiya and his virtues. He said: are you not satisfied that you have placed him on the same level as Ali, and now you want to make him superior to Ali? They then struck him in the testicles until they drove him out of the mosque. He was taken to Ramla or Mecca, and there he died (47).

Beheading Zahir al-Din Ardabili because he did not believe praising the Companions was obligatory: Zahir al-Din Ardabili, the Hanafi known as Qadi Zada, was a complete scholar, eloquent, dignified, imposing, and articulate. He was familiar with the sciences, especially composition and poetry, and had fine handwriting. He said that praising the Companions from the pulpit was not obligatory and that omitting it did not harm the sermon. So on Thursday, the tenth of Rabi al-Thani, he was arrested with Ahmad Pasha the minister; his hand was cut off and hung at Bab Zuwayla in Cairo (48).

It is narrated from Abu Husayn that al-Hajjaj ibn Abd al-Rahman appointed Ibn Abi Layla, who had been among those who accompanied and participated in the battle of Nahrawan in the ranks of Ali (a), as a judge. He later dismissed him and beat him so that he would curse Ali (a) (49).

“End the gathering by cursing Abu Turab”: Junayd ibn Abd al-Rahman says: I came from Hawran to the city to take my share from the treasury. I prayed Friday prayer, then went toward the Darb Daraj gate. There I found an old man known as Abu Shayba the storyteller, who was telling stories to the people. He called people to the Hereafter, so we too inclined toward the Hereafter. He frightened us of punishment, so we cried.

When his speech ended, he said: end the gathering by cursing Abu Turab. They all cursed Abu Turab. I looked at the person to my right and asked: who is Abu Turab? He replied: he is Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin of the Messenger of God (s), husband of his daughter, the first person to accept Islam, and the father of Hasan and Husayn.

I said to him: this storyteller has not spoken correctly. I went toward him. He had a full beard. I grabbed his beard with my hand, struck his face, and smashed his head against the wall. He cried out, and his companions came out of the mosque, gathered around us, threw my garment around my neck, and dragged me by force until they took me to Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik while Abu Shayba was leading me forward.

He cried out: O Commander of the Faithful, your storyteller, and the storyteller of your fathers and ancestors, has suffered a great calamity today. Hisham said: who did this to you? I looked at Hisham while the elders of the people were beside him. Abu Yahya said to me: when did you arrive?

I said: yesterday, and I intended to come to the Commander of the Faithful. I reached Friday prayer, prayed, and went toward Darb Daraj, where I saw this old man standing and telling stories. I sat and listened. He called to the Hereafter and we inclined to it; he frightened us of punishment and supplicated, and we said amen. But at the end of his speech he said: end your gathering by cursing Abu Turab.

I asked: who is Abu Turab? They said: he is Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first person to accept Islam, the cousin of the Messenger of God, the father of Hasan and Husayn, and the husband of the Messenger's daughter (s). By God, O Commander of the Faithful, if one of your relatives were mentioned before you in such a family relation and cursed in this way, you too would consider such action permissible against that person. So how should I not become angry for the son-in-law of the Messenger of God and the husband of his daughter?

Hisham said: what an evil thing he has done. Then he wrote an order appointing me to the governorship of Sind and said to one of his close associates: someone like this should not be near us here, lest he ruin the city against us; so I sent him to Sind (50).

Washing the place where someone who narrated the Hadith of the Bird had sat: Al-Silafi said: I asked the hadith master Khamis al-Hawzi about Ibn Saqqa. He said: he was from Muzayna, from the tribe of Mudar, and was not a water carrier, though he was known by that title. He was a notable of Wasit, wealthy, and possessed an excellent memory.

His father took him traveling, and he heard narrations from Abu Khalifa, Abu Ya'la, Ibn Zaydan al-Bajali, and Mufaddal ibn Jundi. God also blessed his knowledge and life. One day he was dictating the Hadith of the Bird, one of the virtues of the Commander of the Faithful, but they could not tolerate this narration. They attacked him, made him leave his place, and washed the place where he had been sitting (51).

These stories are examples of dozens of reports that history has transmitted to us. Here only a number of these stories have been mentioned, stories that are deeply shocking and speak clearly of this very bitter historical event.

One must not look at these realities in a narrow, isolated way. Killing one person for the crime of not cursing Ali (a) is not like an ordinary crime that happens in some corner of the world, and these historical events should not be viewed that way. Each of these stories shows Mu'awiya's general policy and the public atmosphere of society.

Every innovation that Mu'awiya placed in religion is also not excluded from this rule. Every innovation narrated to us from Mu'awiya and his agents indicates one of Mu'awiya's policies during his rule. Moreover, every incident and every innovation he created is like a bead of a rosary; when we look at Mu'awiya's general policy and all his events and innovations together, the thread of the rosary becomes visible.

Only then will we meaningfully understand the transformations of this part of history. His acts move beyond the level of ordinary crime and wrongdoing and acquire a deeper meaning to which great attention must be paid.

Looking at Mu'awiya and his ugly deeds answers many important theological questions. Careful attention to these policies both clarifies many obscure points in history that have created many doubts, and also generates many questions about central matters that form a pillar of the thought of some Muslim sects.

Thousands upon thousands of questions remain which, after more than a thousand years of history, the great scholars of these Islamic sects have still not been able to answer reasonably, logically, and in accordance with the Qur'an and authentic narrations. Truly one must ask: how can someone who clearly draws the sword against religion and fights it with his whole being be just? If he is just, what will injustice mean? If Mu'awiya is just, then the Companions whom he killed should not be just. In any case, one cannot accept a belief called the justice of all Companions.

If Mu'awiya ordered the cursing of Ali (a), another important question comes to mind, as if this question will remain unanswered until the Day of Resurrection: was Ali (a) not among the ten given glad tidings? Certainly, according to the belief of all who accept the ten given glad tidings, Ali (a) is one of the ten people promised Paradise. Therefore, either the one who curses him is an unbeliever, or the hadith of the ten given glad tidings is nothing but a lie.

If the hadith is false, every belief that has been advanced for centuries on the basis of this fabricated hadith, including the justice of all Companions, must be declared invalid. If Mu'awiya is an unbeliever, then why did two of the caliphs connected to Saqifa appoint him as ruler of Syria? Did they make a mistake? If they made a mistake, then they are not just. If there was no mistake and they deliberately placed an unbeliever like Mu'awiya over the lives, property, and honor of people, did they themselves have a theological affinity with Mu'awiya?

If the answer is positive, how can one accept that three people who shared the belief of Mu'awiya the unbeliever became successors of the Prophet twenty-five years after him? There are thousands of other unanswered questions that only fairness and the court of conscience must answer, not fanaticism and fleeing from historical realities.

In any case, these are only part of the questions that have never received a proper answer, except that one be told to have a good opinion of the Companions. That statement means closing one's eyes to all realities and disabling one's intellect, like a donkey whose eyes are covered for milling, with no concern for what load is placed on one's shoulders or on what path one moves.

1. Bihar al-Anwar 39:313, chapter 88, on the unbelief of one who curses him or dissociates from him.
2. Bihar al-Anwar 38:139, chapter 61.
3. Bihar al-Anwar 38:139, chapter 61.
4. Bihar al-Anwar 38:139, chapter 61.
5. Bihar al-Anwar 38:139, chapter 61.
6. Bihar al-Anwar 38:139, chapter 61.
7. Bihar al-Anwar 39:211, chapter 85.
8. Bihar al-Anwar 39:211, chapter 85.
9. Bihar al-Anwar 39:211, chapter 85.
10. Bihar al-Anwar 39:211, chapter 85.
11. al-Kafi 1:460, chapter on the birth of Fatima al-Zahra (a).
12. Bihar al-Anwar 27:142, chapter 4.
13. Mustadrak al-Wasa'il 12:393, chapter 23.
14. Bihar al-Anwar 38:200.
15. Bihar al-Anwar 38:199.
16. Bihar al-Anwar 38:1, chapter 56.
17. Bihar al-Anwar 39:27, chapter 72.
18. Bihar al-Anwar 38:327, chapter 67.
19. Bihar al-Anwar 23:144, chapter 7.
20. al-Yaqin, p. 185.
21. al-Yaqin, p. 189.
22. Bihar al-Anwar 10:432, chapter 26.
23. Bihar al-Anwar 10:445, chapter 26.
24. Bihar al-Anwar 22:222, chapter 3.
25. Bihar al-Anwar 38:95, chapter 61.
26. Bihar al-Anwar 7:339, chapter 17.
27. Bihar al-Anwar 18:400, chapter 3.
28. Bihar al-Anwar 7:186, chapter 8.
29. Bihar al-Anwar 8:336, chapter 25.
30. Bihar al-Anwar 31:445.
31. Bihar al-Anwar 37:254, chapter 53.
32. Bihar al-Anwar 37:254, chapter 53.
33. Bihar al-Anwar 39:194, chapter 84.
34. Bisharat al-Mustafa, p. 125.
35. al-Sirat al-Mustaqim 2:51.
36. al-Kafi 8:110.
37. Surat al-Ra'd, verse 43.
38. Adwar-e Fiqh, Persian, Mahmud al-Shihabi al-Khurasani, vol. 3, pp. 175-176.
39. al-Kamil, part 3, p. 242; Adwar-e Fiqh, Persian, vol. 3, p. 205.
40. al-Ihtijaj, Ja'fari translation, vol. 2, p. 83.
41. al-Arba'in fi Hubb Amir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), Ali Abu Ma'ash, vol. 4, pp. 304-306.
42. Al Imran, verse 61.
43. al-Arba'in fi Hubb Amir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), vol. 4, pp. 304-306.
44. Tahdhib al-Kamal, vol. 1, p. 329.
45. al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 11, p. 123.
46. al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 11, p. 141.
47. al-Muntazam, vol. 6, p. 131; Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, al-Dhahabi, vol. 2, p. 700; Siyar A'lam al-Nubala, al-Dhahabi, vol. 14, p. 132; Tahdhib al-Kamal, al-Mizzi, vol. 1, p. 132.
48. Shadharat al-Dhahab fi Akhbar Man Dhahab, Abu al-Falah Abd al-Hayy ibn al-Imad al-Hanbali, vol. 4, part 8, p. 173.
49. Siyar A'lam al-Nubala, vol. 4, p. 267.
50. Tarikh Madinat Dimashq, vol. 11, p. 291.
51. Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, al-Dhahabi, vol. 3, p. 966, biography of Ibn al-Saqqa.