Al-Muafi bin Imran: Author of the First Book of Zuhud

 

Al-Muafi bin Imran: Author of the First Book of Zuhud

Don't be so easy to praise people who are still alive. See when death calls him, whether he is a good person (husnul khatimah) or he is a bad person (su'ul khatimah). ~Muafi bin Imran 

The quote above is the advice of a great Sufi of the second century Hijriyah. Where the message of the quote reminds us all not to be easily fascinated by people who are still alive. No one is guaranteed to be husnul khatimah except the Prophet. Therefore, if the prophet Muhammad is commemorated is the day of his birth (mawlid), while the scholars are the day of his death (haul). Then, who is Muafi bin Imran?

Is Abu Mas'ud al-Muafi bin Nufail bin Wahb bin Ubaidillah, born in the city of Mosul in the year 121 H. Mosul is the name of a city in northern Iraq. Some historians have dubbed him as shaykhul islam and yaqutatul ulema . He is a trusted person ( tsiqah ). One of his generosity traits is shown by not eating food alone. He always shared it with others.

Like students in the past, he sought knowledge from one place to another. Traveled to a number of knowledge councils to learn.

Adz-Dzahabi mentions that al-Muafi is a Sufi whose facial expression cannot be distinguished between joy and sorrow. He always had a smiling face.

In Basra he was forged directly by leading hadith experts, Syu'bah bin al-Hajjaj, Hammad bin Salamah, Rabin bin Sabih, Jarir bin Hazim, and others.

In Makkah he studied directly under the guidance of Makkah hadith experts and jurists such as Abdul Malik bin Abdul Aziz bin Juraij, Handzalah bin Abu Sufyan al-Jumahi, Uthman bin al-Aswad al-Jumahi, and others.

In Medina, he studied under the founders of the Maliki Madhhab, Imam Malik bin Anas, Imam Ubaidillah bin Amr al-Umri, and other great scholars.

In Syria, he was guided by mujtahids such as Abu AmrAbdurrahman bin Amr al-Awzai, Said bin Abdul Aziz at-Tanukhi, and other scholars.

While in Egypt, he became a student of Imam Laits bin Sa'd and Abdullah bin Lahi'ah.

This row of teachers who were the great scholars of his time formed the character and knowledge of al-Muafi. He studied with his teachers by two methods; learn directly and also study the works of the teacher.

Author of the First Book of Asceticism

al-Muafi is a second century Sufi who is considered by a number of historians and philologists as the earliest generation of scholars who wrote the book of Zuhud. In his work entitled Kitab al-zuhud, he wrote traditions and atsars about the importance of zuhud. Sezgin places al-Muafi in the list of the earliest figures who wrote works in the field of zuhud.

Kitab al-Zuhud is a book that contains narrations of hadiths and atsar related to the theme of asceticism. Al-Muafi compiled this book by creating fourteen chapters. The first chapter to the fourteenth chapter comment on the merits of asceticism. He commented on the theme while strengthening it with the principles that strengthen asceticism. This book is full of quotations from the opinions of the companions of Rasulullah SAW such as Sayyidina Umar, Siti Aisyah, Abdullah bin Mas'ud, and other great companions.

As a scholar who is famous for his Sufism, the praises flowed heavily to this philanthropic Sufi figure.

Bisyr bin Harith said that I have never seen anyone more generous than Muafi bin Imran, he was known as a philanthropist. His wealth was depleted because of his generosity. Every time he came to him he gave him enough wealth for one year's needs. In addition to this generosity attitude, al-Muafi is one of the trusted hadith narrators ( al-Tsiqat ).

According to Salamah bin Abu Nafi' and Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Ammar, Al-Muafi died in 185 H. Meanwhile, according to al-Haitsam bin Kharijah and Rabbah bin al-Jarrah, al-Muafi died in 186 H.

wallahu a'lam bishawab