Abū Muʿāwiya b. Ḥusayn al-Tamīmī al-Saʿdī, Abū Baḥr al-Baṣrī. He was the nephew of Saʿṣaʿa, the brother of Muʿāwiya. Ahnef is his epithet; his real name is Ḍaḥḥāk. It is also said to be Ṣaḥr. He became Muslim during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but did not see him. According to a hadith, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) made dua (supplication) for his pasture. Ahnef was a leader, noble, obeyed, and someone who could grant protection. He was knowledgeable and spoke with learning. His gentleness was legendary. Caravans would recount his gentleness to one another while traveling. ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) said of him: "He is a man of iman (faith) and his tongue is knowledgeable." Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: "Among the noble and great men of the tribes, I have not seen anyone superior and more virtuous than him." ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAbd Allāh
al-Ijlī said that he was a Basran, a tābiʿī (successor), and a trustworthy person. He was the leader of his tribe. He had lost one of his eyes. The distance between his feet was wide. He was short, had missing teeth, and was immobile. He had only one helmet. ʿUmar kept him away from his tribe for a year to test him. Then he said: "By Allah, he is a leader." It is reported that he once delivered a speech in the presence of ʿUmar, who was pleased with his words. Another narration states that he lost one eye due to smallpox. It is also said that he lost his eye during the conquest of Samarqand.
Yaʿqūb b. Sufyān said: "Ahnef was generous and gentle. He was a righteous man. He lived during the Age of Ignorance, then became Muslim. When he was mentioned to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Messenger of God prayed for his forgiveness."
Ahnef was among the trustworthy, reliable transmitters, but narrated few hadith. He would pray much at night. He would light his lamp, stand in prayer, and weep until morning. He would hold his finger over the lamp's flame and say: "Feel it, O Ahnef! What has brought you to this state? What has brought you to this state? If you cannot bear the heat of this lamp, how will you bear the great fire tomorrow?"
When asked, "How did your tribe make you their leader when you are physically the lowest among them?" he replied: "If my tribe had found fault with my drinking water, I would not even drink water."
Ahnef was among the commanders in ʿAlī's army at the Battle of Ṣiffīn. He made a peace treaty with the people of Balkh on the condition that they pay an annual tribute of 400,000 dinars. He had famous and well-known battles. He killed many people from Khurasan and defeated them in battle. According to al-Ḥākim, the conqueror of Marw-i Rūdh was Ahnef b. Qays. In that battle, Ḥasan and Ibn Sīrīn were also in his army. He also conquered Samarqand and other cities. It is said that he died in the sixty-seventh year of the Hijra. Other years have also been reported. He was seventy years old at his death, though some say he was older.
When asked about his gentleness, Ahnef b. Qays replied: "Gentleness is to submit while being patient (sabr)."
When people praised his gentleness, he would say: "By Allah, I feel anger just as you do, but I am very patient (sabr). I have found that gentleness has helped me more than men have." Ahnef b. Qays reached the pinnacle of gentleness and leadership. Some of his aphorisms are as follows:
"I am amazed at how a person who has twice passed through the urinary orifice can boast of greatness.
Revive your good deeds by making them forgotten.
I have never come among these men without being invited to their company. Nor have I ever intervened between two people unless I was compelled to do so."
Ahnef was asked:
- How did you become the leader of your tribe?
- I did not interfere in matters that did not concern me. Yet you are interfering in my business, which does not concern you.
Once, after a man spoke harshly to Ahnef, he said:
- By Allah, O Ahnef, if you say a word to me, you will hear ten in return!
- Even if you say ten words to me, you will not hear a single word in response from me."
When making dua (supplication), Ahnef would say: "O Allah, if You punish me, I am deserving of punishment. If You forgive me, You are worthy of forgiveness."
Ziyād b. Abīhi kept him close and seated him in his assembly. When Ziyād died and his son ʿUbayd Allāh succeeded him, Ahnef was not shown the same favor. His rank was somewhat diminished. When he came with the leaders of the Iraqis to Muʿāwiya, everyone entered Muʿāwiya's presence according to their rank and status. Ahnef was among the last to enter. When Muʿāwiya saw him, he showed him respect and honor, seated him close, and had him sit on the same carpet. Then, turning away from the other members of the delegation, he began to converse with Ahnef. When the guests in the assembly began to praise Ibn Ziyād, Ahnef remained silent. Muʿāwiya asked him:
- What is the matter, why are you not speaking?
- If I speak, I will say things different from what they have said. I will oppose them.
Upon this, Muʿāwiya said to the Iraqi delegation:
- Bear witness that I have dismissed Ibn Ziyād from the governorship of Iraq. Choose a governor for yourselves.
After saying this, Muʿāwiya gave them three days to select a governor. However, they disagreed and could not reach a consensus. After this, none of the delegates mentioned ʿUbayd Allāh b. Ziyād or requested his governorship. During this time, Ahnef did not speak a single word to any of them. After three days, they again gathered before Muʿāwiya, and there was much discussion and noise. Ahnef remained silent. Muʿāwiya said to him:
- Speak, O Ahnef.
- If you wish to appoint someone from your own family as governor of Iraq, there is no one among your relatives as capable as ʿUbayd Allāh b. Ziyād. He is intelligent and prudent. No one can replace him. But if you wish to appoint someone outside your family, then you know your relatives best.
Upon this, Muʿāwiya reappointed ʿUbayd Allāh b. Ziyād as governor of Iraq. Then, in a private conversation, he said to ʿUbayd Allāh: "How can you not appreciate the worth of someone like Ahnef? While he remained silent, he dismissed you from the governorship, and then again appointed you." After this, Ahnef b. Qays's rank with ʿUbayd Allāh b. Ziyād greatly increased.
Ahnef b. Qays died in Kūfa. His funeral prayer was led by Musʿab b. al-Zubayr, who accompanied his funeral to the cemetery.
According to al-Wāqidī, Ahnef once came to Muʿāwiya and, seeing that he was angry with his son Yazīd, reconciled them with a conversation. Muʿāwiya, his anger abated, sent Yazīd a large amount of money and much cloth. Yazīd gave half of these to Ahnef. Allah, the Exalted, free from all deficiencies, knows best the truth.