Al-Adab
Al-Mufrad
الأدب المفرد
The Elderly
كتاب الأكَابِرِ
Chapter 167: Making the old leaders
بَابُ تَسْوِيدِ الأكَابِرِ
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 361
Hakim ibn Qays ibn 'Asim reported that when his father was dying, he enjoined his sons
"Fear Allah and make the oldest among you your leaders. When people make the oldest among them their leaders, they follow their fathers. When they make the youngest among them their leaders, that lowers them in the sight of their peers. You must have wealth and use it well. It is an impetus for the generous and it will make you independent of critics. Beware of asking people. It is a man's last source of earning. When I die, do not wail. There was no wailing for the Messenger of Allah , may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When I die, bury me in a land where the Bakr ibn Wa'il will not know where I am buried. I used to waylay on the roads in the time of the Jahiliyya."حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ: سَمِعْتُ مُطَرِّفًا، عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، أَنَّ أَبَاهُ أَوْصَى عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ بَنِيهِ فَقَالَ: اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَسَوِّدُوا أَكْبَرُكُمْ، فَإِنَّ الْقَوْمَ إِذَا سَوَّدُوا أَكْبَرَهُمْ خَلَفُوا أَبَاهُمْ، وَإِذَا سَوَّدُوا أَصْغَرَهُمْ أَزْرَى بِهِمْ ذَلِكَ فِي أَكْفَائِهِمْ. وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمَالِ وَاصْطِنَاعِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْبَهَةٌ لِلْكَرِيمِ، وَيُسْتَغْنَى بِهِ عَنِ اللَّئِيمِ. وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمَسْأَلَةَ النَّاسِ، فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ آخِرِ كَسْبِ الرَّجُلِ. وَإِذَا مُتُّ فَلاَ تَنُوحُوا، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يُنَحْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. وَإِذَا مُتُّ فَادْفِنُونِي بِأَرْضٍ لاَ يَشْعُرُ بِدَفْنِي بَكْرُ بْنُ وَائِلٍ، فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ أُغَافِلُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.
