Fudayl b. Iyad [quddisa sirruhu]

Fudayl [quddisa sirruhu] was born in the year 107 AH (725 CE). He belonged to the tribe of Tamim, specifically the Yarbu‘ clan. His son, Abu ‘Ubayda, states that his paternal lineage traces back to a Kufan family, that his father was born in Samarqand and raised in Abiward. His servant, Ibrahim ibn Ash‘ath, on the other hand, reports that he hailed from the village of Fundin in Marw, while another narration suggests that he was originally from Bukhara. These varying accounts indicate that Fudayl was of Arab descent.

According to Qushayri, Fudayl [quddisa sirruhu], in his youth, led a gang of highwaymen who operated between Marw (or, according to another narration, between Sarakhs and Abiward). However, despite his unlawful pursuits, he was a man of honor who refrained from petty crimes. One night, as he attempted to climb the wall of a house where a slave girl he loved resided, he overheard a recitation of the Qur’an inside:

"Has the time not come for those who believe that their hearts should humble themselves to the remembrance of Allah and what has been revealed of the truth?" (Al-Hadid 16)

Struck by the profound weight of this verse, he exclaimed, "Indeed, my Lord, the time has come!" He immediately abandoned his path of transgression and repented wholeheartedly, dedicating himself entirely to worship. He later left his homeland and traveled to Kufa, where he attended the gatherings of scholars such as Abu Hanifa, Sufyan al-Thawri, and A‘mash. For thirty years, he immersed himself in the pursuit of knowledge and devotion. He passed away in Makkah in the month of Muharram, in the year 187 AH (January 803 CE).

The sources provide extensive accounts of Fudayl’s asceticism (zuhd) and piety (taqwa). He was profoundly affected by fear, sorrow, and weeping—states that defined the spiritual condition of many early ascetics and Sufis. He was counted among the bakka’in (the weepers), and it is reported that he was never seen smiling. His intense fear of death and the Hereafter led him to say, "If a person truly understood what death is, life would become bitter for him." He would often counsel those around him to remain mindful of death, the trials of the grave, and the torments of the Hereafter.

Fudayl [quddisa sirruhu] viewed zuhd as contentment, and contentment as true wealth. He defined a believer as one "who speaks little, works much, whose words are filled with wisdom, whose silence is filled with contemplation, whose gaze is one of reflection, and whose actions are filled with goodness." He was deeply humble regarding himself but optimistic and hopeful about others. When reciting the Qur’an, he would do so with deep sorrow and contemplation, and at times, merely listening to the Qur’an would cause him to lose himself.

Fudayl [quddisa sirruhu] taught that excessive eating, sleeping, and talking harden the heart. He did not believe that mere abundance of prayer and fasting led to divine proximity; rather, he emphasized the importance of a heart enriched with sincerity, a pure conscience, and genuine kindness toward others. His understanding of Sufism placed great emphasis on divine grace (‘inayah) and favor (ihsan). Although he frequently spoke about the fear of Allah, he also, at times, mentioned the love of Allah. Like the generations of Sufis that followed him, he distinguished between the scholars of the world and the scholars of the Hereafter. He maintained that the knowledge of worldly scholars is outward and apparent, whereas the knowledge of scholars devoted to the Hereafter is hidden and subtle. He also considered sages (hukama’) to be superior to scholars, as they are the inheritors of the prophets.

Beyond his emphasis on Qur’anic recitation and ascetic living, Fudayl’s [quddisa sirruhu] views on qurra’ (Qur’an reciters and memorizers) were particularly noteworthy. He believed that true qurra’ should be independent, needing no one, not even sultans, while others should be in need of them. If a qari depended on rulers or influential figures, Fudayl would consider him unworthy of trust. He warned against such people, stating that "they flatter those they love and slander those they dislike."

Fudayl [quddisa sirruhu] himself refused to meet Caliph Harun al-Rashid, and when the caliph insisted on seeing him, Fudayl [quddisa sirruhu] fearlessly spoke the truth before him and refused his gifts. Yet, despite his withdrawal from worldly affairs, he would still pray for the justice and righteousness of rulers, recognizing their impact on the well-being of society. He once stated, "If I had only one supplication guaranteed to be accepted, I would use it for the goodness of the ruler, for if he is righteous, the lands flourish and the people live in safety."

In addition to his spiritual legacy, Fudayl [quddisa sirruhu] was a trustworthy narrator of hadith. He transmitted traditions from renowned hadith scholars such as Mansur ibn al-Mu‘tamir, A‘mash, and Bishr ibn Mansur, and his narrations were recorded by great scholars such as Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan, ‘Abdurrahman ibn Mahdi, and Imam al-Shafi‘i.