2.2.22.1 - The Arrest of Shaykh Al-Qattan

Shaykh Muhyiddin recounts that the Sultan once sent his soldiers to bring Abdullah al-Qattan to his death. The agents took him and brought him to the minister, so when he sat in front him he shouted: “O you the oppressor, O you the enemy of God, and the enemy of himself, why you brought me here? The minister said: God has enabled me, you will not live after this! The Shaykh said to him: You cannot change a term nor can you direct a fate, all what are saying will not happen, and swear by God I shall witness your funeral.

The minister said to his men: imprison him until I consult the Sultan in his killing. He was imprisoned that night, so he went away and said: I wonder, the believer is still in prison in this life, but this is only one of the houses of the (big) prison. Then, on the second day, the minister told the sultan of his story and what he said, and he ordered him to attend. When he came, the Sultan saw a devout man whom no one cares about him, and no one of the people of the world wanted him good, and all this he was saying is nothing but the truth exposing their flaws and their injustice and corruption.

The Sultan said to him after asking him about his name and attribution: Do you know your faith, and can you recite from Quran, which he did. The king marveled and after some discussion he asked him: What do you thing about my kingdom? At that, al-Qattan laughed! He said to him: Why you are laughing? He said: I am laughing at you; how do you call this time you are in a kingdom, and you call yourself king! You are nothing more that what God described: ((... and there was behind them a king who seized every ship by force [18:79])). The kings today are those who ignite the fire and then be birned by it, and you are no more than a man to whom a bread was baked and told you to eat... Then he was harsh in saying all that he hates, and he teases him in front of his council of ministers and jurists, while the Sultan kept silence and was ashamed, only to say: This is a successful man! He then asked him to sit with them, but Shaykh al-Qattan denied by saying: No, this Council is damned and this house that you inhabited you took it without right and if I am not forced I would not enter here; God is between me and you and your likes. The Sultan then ordered him to give money and forgive him; but he refused the money, then the Sultan ordered to pay it to his family.

In the holy Spirit Shaykh Muhyiddin says:

This man had a profound understanding of the Quran and was a blameless man who spoke the truth without fear. Even rulers were not immune from the severity of his denunciations and he would present the truth forcefully to all without exception. It did not in any way concern him that by denouncing the misdeeds and unlawful exploits of the Sultans he exposed himself to the danger of execution. He had many confrontations with rulers, but the exigencies of space prevent me from relating them. He used to quote only from the Quran and ignored all other books. On one occasion in Cordoba I heard him say, Poor wretches they who compile books and essays, for how great a reckoning they will have to face on the morrow. Are not the Book of God and the Traditions of His Messenger sufficient for them? He would always look after his companions, although he himself never lived in comfort and hardly had two dirhams to rub together.

One day a certain Sultan decided to have him executed; so the guards seized him and brought him before the Vizier. The Shaykh then said to him, O oppressor, O enemy of God, O enemy of your own soul! Why am I being charged? The Vizier replied, God has put you in my power and you will not live for more than a day. Then the Shaykh said, It is not within your power to hasten or delay an appointed moment. Indeed none of what you threaten me with will come to pass, for it is I who will attend at your last rites. Then the Vizier ordered his guards to throw the Shaykh into prison until he had consulted the Sultan concerning his execution.

As he was being taken off to the prison for the night, he said, The true believer is always in prison in this world, and this prison is merely part of the greater one. On the next day, when the Vizier had told the Sultan about the Shaykh and his utterances, the Sultan ordered him to be brought before him. When he had been brought the Sultan saw before him an ugly man for whom nobody cared and whom no-one wished well, all because he spoke the truth and brought to light the faults and misdeeds of men. after he had asked of the Shaykh his name and lineage, the Sultan asked him whether he had preserved his belief in the Unity of God, whereupon the Shaykh recited some of the Quran to him and expounded its meanings. The Sultan was impressed by this and warmed to him; so much so that he began to discuss matters of state with him. The Sultan asked the Shaykh what he thought of his dominion, at which question the Shaykh laughed out loud. On being asked the reason for his laughter the Shaykh said, You call this mad folly you are in a dominion and you call yourself a king. You are more like he of whom God said, “There was a king coming after them plundering all their ships”! which king now suffers punishment and burns in the fire. You are like the man for whom a loaf is kneaded and who is then told to eat it. Then the Shaykh became scathing in his denunciation, unleashing his anger on all which angered him, there being ministers and jurists present. The Sultan then fell silent in shame and said, This is a man who speaks aptly. O Abdullah, become a member of our court. At this the Shaykh said, Never; for your court and your palace are wrongfully acquired and, had I not been compelled, I would not have come here at all. May God preserve me from you and all like you. Then the Sultan ordered him to be given gifts and pardoned. As for the Shaykh, he returned the gifts and accepted the pardon. The Sultan then ordered that the gifts be given to his family. Before much time had passed the Vizier died and al-Qattan attended his funeral, saying, My oath is fulfilled!

He would often shout and raise his voice before the nobles of the land, saying, These are the wrong-doers who perpetrate injustice in the land. May the curse of God, of men and of angels be on them for ever and ever. Their punishment will not be lightened nor shall they be granted any respite.

Then Shaykh Muhyiddin adds that after a little while, the minister has died and Abu Muhammad al-Qattan attended his funeral, and said: my swear is now justified [Quds:, pp. 70-2].