Kamaaluddin wa Tamaamun Ni’ma Vol. 1

Chapter 10: Report about Quss bin Saidatul Iyadi

Quss bin Saidatul Iyadi was considered unique from the aspect of his knowledge and wisdom. He knew the Holy Prophet (S) and was awaiting his advent. He used to say: Indeed, there is a religion with Allah which is better than the religion that you follow. The Holy Prophet (S) has invoked divine mercy upon him and said: He shall be raised up on Judgment Day as a separate nation.

1 - Narrated to us my father (r.a.): Narrated to us Saad bin Abdullah from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa from Hasan bin Mahboob from Alaa bin Zarin from Muhammad bin Muslim from Abu Ja’far (a.s.) that he said:

“One day the Messenger of Allah (S) was sitting in the courtyard of the Kaaba and it was the day when Mecca had been conquered. In the meantime a delegation came to him and saluted him. “To which tribe do you belong?” “We are a delegation from Bakr bin Wail tribe,” they replied. “Do have any news about Quss bin Saidatul Iyadi?” the Messenger asked. “Yes, O Messenger of Allah (S),” they replied. “What happened to him?” asked the Prophet. They said, “He has passed away.” The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “All the praise is for the One Who gives death and life.

Every soul has to taste death. As if I can see Quss bin Saidatul Iyadi in the market of Ukaz atop a camel and telling people: Assemble here, and when you are assembled, keep quiet; and when you are quiet, listen and when you listen, try to understand; and when you understand, remember it and consider it truth. Know that one that lives, ultimately dies and loses the life and one who loses life never comes back.

Doubtlessly there are hidden secrets in the heavens and lessons for the earth. There is a high roof upon the sky and the earth is a cradle spread out. The planets are in motion and the night is rotating and the sea water is moving in waves. Quss swears that all this is not play and sport and there are astonishing facts behind it. Because I can see that people die and they do not return. Are they satisfied with the place they are in; and that is why they continue to stay there? Or leaving this world they have gone to sleep?

Quss takes an oath that can never be minor, that there is a religion with Allah which is better than the religion you follow. After that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: May Allah have mercy on Quss, on Judgment Day he shall be raised up alone like a nation. Then he said: Is there anyone among you who can accurately quote some of his couplets? Someone said; I have heard him recite the following couplets:

In those who have gone before us in the past centuries there are edifying insights.

When I took note of different circumstances I could not find any special cause of death.

I saw my people that the young and old, all move towards it.

Those who go away do not return to me and neither those who have survived will continue to live.

Therefore I became certain that I would also have to go where the others have gone.

Such was the level of the wisdom and recognition (Marefat) of Quss bin Saidatul Iyadi that whenever a person from Iyad tribe came to visit the Messenger of Allah (S) he used to ask him about the wise sayings of Quss and listened to them with all the attention.”

2 - Narrated to us Hasan bin Abdullah bin Saeed: Narrated to us Abul Hasan Ali bin Husain bin Ismail: Informed us Muhammad bin Zakariya: Narrated to us Abdullah bin Zahhak from Hisham from his father that a delegation from the Iyad tribe paid a visit to the Messenger of Allah (S). When the latter asked them to mention some wise sayings of Quss he was told that Quss had said as follows:

O one who brings the news of death, the dead ones are in the graves and upon their bodies are remaining of some cotton clothes.

Leave them! Indeed there is a day appointed for them, just as thunder and lightning awakes those who are asleep.

Some will be unclothed and some dressed up. Some shall be in new clothes and some will be wearing worn out clothes.

Till they will change from one condition to another into a new generation and after that another generation shall come into being.

Rain and vegetation, fathers and mothers, those who have gone and the newcomers, signs after signs, dead ones after dead ones, light and darkness, nights and days, the poor and the rich, the righteous and the bad, the good doers and the sinners, it is news and warning for those who are oblivious. Everyone who does something should improve it. Know that it is nothing but that Allah is one. Neither is He begotten nor is the father of anyone. Only He has turned back and He has initiated and tomorrow one has to return to Him only.

After this, O people of the Iyad tribe, Where is Thamood and Aad? And where are our ancestors? Where is the righteous one who was not rewarded? And where is the wrong doer who was not penalized? Never! By the Lord of the Kaaba, one who is created shall be brought back and if not today then he will be returned on another day.

This is Quss bin Saidah bin Hadhaqah bin Zuhr bin Iyad bin Nizar who was the first among the people of the Age of Ignorance who brought faith in the advent of the Prophet. And he was the first man who kept a staff with him and used it for support. And it is said that he lived for six hundred years and knew the Holy Prophet (S) by his name and genealogy and gave the people the glad tidings of his advent. He used to observe dissimulation and dispensed good advice to the people and exhorted them also to observe dissimulation.”

3 - Narrated to us Hasan bin Abdullah bin Saeed: Informed us Abul Hasan Ali bin Husain bin Ismail: Informed us Muhammad bin Zakariya bin Dinar: Narrated to me Mahdi bin Sabiq from Abdullah bin Abbas from his father that he said:

“Quss bin Saida assembled his sons and said: Hunger is satiated by vegetables and by milk diluted with water. If someone makes a false allegation against you, you should know that he is having the same defect. One who oppresses you shall certainly have to face oppression. When you observe justice by opposing your selfish desires you shall also be dealt with justice. When you prohibit people from something, begin with your own self. Do not hoard that which you do not consume and do not eat what you don’t need.

If you save something it must be only your deeds. Observe thrift; generosity will get you the leadership of your community. Never take advice from a busy person even though he might be stable in character and has determination. Neither should you take advice from the one who is hungry even though he might be wise. Also don’t take the advice of a coward even though he may be capable of dispensing good advice. Do not take up a responsibility which will not be possible without any difficulty. When you observe enmity, follow the dictates of justice and equity and when you speak, you must speak less.

Do not give a loan to anyone even though he might be your closest relative, because you will always dread that he will not repay; and the one whom you lend shall have the discretion to repay or not. Till the time he is indebted to you he is the master and you are his slave. If he commits excess on you, you are deserving of it due to your foolishness. And if he fulfills his promise, only he shall be eligible for praise and not you. Continue to pay alms (Sadaqah) as it is expiation of mistakes and sins.

Thus Quss never gave loans to anyone and he spoke in such a way that laymen cannot understand the underlying points and only specified individuals may comprehend his words.”