Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī

Abū al-Qāsim ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAllān al-Wāsiṭī related to us—and my eyes have never seen anyone like him in his particular qualities: When paralysis afflicted him at the end of his life, I attended him at his house. His companions Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī, Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, and Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Baṣrī also attended. They said, “This illness requires expenditure and treatment, and he has little money. We do not wish to expose him to people's charity. We would like to write to Sayf al-Dawla and ask him for funds to spend on him.” They did so. Abū al-Ḥasan became aware of what they were doing and asked about it. When told, he wept and said, “God, let my provision come only from where You have accustomed me to receive it.” He died before Sayf al-Dawla sent anything. Then Sayf al-Dawla's letter arrived with ten thousand dirhams and a promise to supplement it with similar sums. It was given in charity.

Abū al-Qāsim ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAllān al-Wāsiṭī related to us—and my eyes have never seen anyone like him in his particular qualities: When paralysis afflicted him at the end of his life, I attended him at his house. His companions Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī, Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, and Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Baṣrī also attended. They said, “This illness requires expenditure and treatment, and he has little money. We do not wish to expose him to people's charity. We would like to write to Sayf al-Dawla and ask him for funds to spend on him.” They did so. Abū al-Ḥasan became aware of what they were doing and asked about it. When told, he wept and said, “God, let my provision come only from where You have accustomed me to receive it.” He died before Sayf al-Dawla sent anything. Then Sayf al-Dawla's letter arrived with ten thousand dirhams and a promise to supplement it with similar sums. It was given in charity.

After Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī, God have mercy on him, teaching passed to his companions. Among them was Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, the senior member of the group. When Abū al-Ḥasan suffered paralysis, he assigned teaching to him and the issuing of legal opinions to Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī. He would say, “No one has come to us with greater retention than Abū ʿAlī.”

After Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī, God have mercy on him, teaching passed to his companions. Among them was Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, the senior member of the group. When Abū al-Ḥasan suffered paralysis, he assigned teaching to him and the issuing of legal opinions to Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī. He would say, “No one has come to us with greater retention than Abū ʿAlī.”

Judge Abū Muḥammad al-ʿUmānī related to me: I attended Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī in his gathering when Abū Jaʿfar al-Hinduwānī came to greet him. He did not rise for him, but began examining him on questions from the Uṣūl, which were on the tip of his tongue. When he finished, he examined Abū Jaʿfar on some questions from the Nawādir, which he had not retained. This caused al-Hinduwānī to memorize the Nawādir. He told Abū ʿAlī, “I came to visit you, not to study.” When he rose, Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī stood up for him. Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī died in 344.

Judge Abū Muḥammad al-ʿUmānī related to me: I attended Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī in his gathering when Abū Jaʿfar al-Hinduwānī came to greet him. He did not rise for him, but began examining him on questions from the Uṣūl, which were on the tip of his tongue. When he finished, he examined Abū Jaʿfar on some questions from the Nawādir, which he had not retained. This caused al-Hinduwānī to memorize the Nawādir. He told Abū ʿAlī, “I came to visit you, not to study.” When he rose, Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī stood up for him. Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī died in 344.

Abū al-Faraj al-ʿUmānī, who had met Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan and studied under him, related to me: Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī directed that, upon returning from burying him, they distribute his notebooks among his companions and give his estate in charity. It consisted of nine hundred dirhams held by three people, from the yield of which he lived and that they not hold a mourning gathering for him. They did so. Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Dāʿī and Abū Tammām al-Zaynabī, God be pleased with them, attended his funeral and the distribution of his books and estate; then they dispersed.

Abū al-Faraj al-ʿUmānī, who had met Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan and studied under him, related to me: Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī directed that, upon returning from burying him, they distribute his notebooks among his companions and give his estate in charity. It consisted of nine hundred dirhams held by three people, from the yield of which he lived and that they not hold a mourning gathering for him. They did so. Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Dāʿī and Abū Tammām al-Zaynabī attended his funeral and the distribution of his books and estate; then they dispersed.

Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī related to me that Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī was born in 305, entered Baghdad in 325, and studied under Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī. He then went to Ahwaz and returned to Baghdad after the high prices had ended. He went to Nishapur with al-Ḥākim al-Naysābūrī on Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's advice and counsel. Abū al-Ḥasan died while he was in Nishapur. He returned to Baghdad in 344, when Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī was terminally ill, and began teaching in Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's mosque. The place was cramped [a tentative rendering of mutamāsikan]. He then moved to Suwayqat Ghālib and taught in Darb al-Muqayyar. In the year sixty [360] he moved to Darb ʿAbda and taught in its mosque. Abū Saʿīd al-Bardhaʿī had taught in the Darb ʿAbda mosque; Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī studied jurisprudence there. Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī and Judge Abū Muḥammad Sahl ibn Ibrāhīm taught there, followed by Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, then Shaykh Abū Bakr al-Rāzī, then our shaykh and teacher Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī. It is our mosque, where we now teach. We hope that the blessings of these imams who preceded us in sitting there will reach us and those who visit us. Shaykh Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Rāzī died in Dhū al-Ḥijja 370. Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī prayed over him and placed him in his grave with his own hands. He took his seat in his mosque, having previously been seated there by him for about ten years, teaching there at the end of the day.

Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī related to me that Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī was born in 305, entered Baghdad in 325, and studied under Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī. He then went to Ahwaz and returned to Baghdad after the high prices had ended. He went to Nishapur with al-Ḥākim al-Naysābūrī on Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's advice and counsel. Abū al-Ḥasan died while he was in Nishapur. He returned to Baghdad in 344, when Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī was terminally ill, and began teaching in Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's mosque. The place was cramped [a tentative rendering of mutamāsikan]. He then moved to Suwayqat Ghālib and taught in Darb al-Muqayyar. In the year sixty [360] he moved to Darb ʿAbda and taught in its mosque. Abū Saʿīd al-Bardhaʿī had taught in the Darb ʿAbda mosque; Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī studied jurisprudence there. Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī and Judge Abū Muḥammad Sahl ibn Ibrāhīm taught there, followed by Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, then Shaykh Abū Bakr al-Rāzī, then our shaykh and teacher Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī. It is our mosque, where we now teach. We hope that the blessings of these imams who preceded us in sitting there will reach us and those who visit us. Shaykh Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Rāzī died in Dhū al-Ḥijja 370. Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī prayed over him and placed him in his grave with his own hands. He took his seat in his mosque, having previously been seated there by him for about ten years, teaching there at the end of the day.